jcmseven
Veteran Member
Fellow Posters:
I have posted before on this topic in brief, but as time has worn on I am feeling a bit more serious about my question to see if it could be a reality. As many of you know, I own a JD 850D XUV Gator. I bought this machine about one year ago after much debate and I would say I am most pleased with its reliability and service. I have added some mods including ITP 27" Mudlites on polished wheels, a winch, power steering kit, 2" lift kit, among other things. I chose the Gator over the Polaris Ranger at the time because I felt John Deere offered a better overall package for my needs and due to my strong dealer network and support. Currently, I have about 150 hours use on the Gator and aside from some cool weather starting issues it has been a solid workhorse. The one thing I do not like about my Gator is its lack of power in mid range and high RPM areas. As expected with a diesel the Yanmar diesel has a great deal of low range torque and moves heavy loads well. Where I notice it to struggle is pulling the long hills in my neighborhood, especially with trailer in tow. It will really struggle to maintain any real speed in these cases--and I do this quite a lot. I understand the larger tires put more strain on the engine, but I need the aggressive tread pattern for some of the locations I go. I understand one can change the sheave and perhaps achieve more mid range at the expense of some top end, another good thought that I find less appealing.
My goal is to have a machine which can pull long, steep grades with adequate power (in low or high range) to keep loads moving without bogging to a crawl. I do not want to have a higher top speed, but would also prefer not to loose top end to achieve this. With a weight of 1760 pounds full of fuel, I have come to the conclusion that my machine is underpowered for the terrain I have and its sprung weight. I am considering swapping out for a higher HP Yanmar engine, perhaps a TNV88 (36 hp) or equivalent. Does anyone have experience or know of a good resource for information regarding this?? I would, of course, want to evaluate whether this is truly a cost-effective upgrade and if it is POSSIBLE to do this. My understanding is that the drive"train" and axles, etc. are rated for up to 40 hp so I would not want to consider going beyond that number. I do realize that Polaris has a 40 hp XP 700 stock which is an option, but I have been happy with my current machine otherwise and like the diesel engine, leading me to pose this question to the group. Thanks in advance for the advice.
John M
I have posted before on this topic in brief, but as time has worn on I am feeling a bit more serious about my question to see if it could be a reality. As many of you know, I own a JD 850D XUV Gator. I bought this machine about one year ago after much debate and I would say I am most pleased with its reliability and service. I have added some mods including ITP 27" Mudlites on polished wheels, a winch, power steering kit, 2" lift kit, among other things. I chose the Gator over the Polaris Ranger at the time because I felt John Deere offered a better overall package for my needs and due to my strong dealer network and support. Currently, I have about 150 hours use on the Gator and aside from some cool weather starting issues it has been a solid workhorse. The one thing I do not like about my Gator is its lack of power in mid range and high RPM areas. As expected with a diesel the Yanmar diesel has a great deal of low range torque and moves heavy loads well. Where I notice it to struggle is pulling the long hills in my neighborhood, especially with trailer in tow. It will really struggle to maintain any real speed in these cases--and I do this quite a lot. I understand the larger tires put more strain on the engine, but I need the aggressive tread pattern for some of the locations I go. I understand one can change the sheave and perhaps achieve more mid range at the expense of some top end, another good thought that I find less appealing.
My goal is to have a machine which can pull long, steep grades with adequate power (in low or high range) to keep loads moving without bogging to a crawl. I do not want to have a higher top speed, but would also prefer not to loose top end to achieve this. With a weight of 1760 pounds full of fuel, I have come to the conclusion that my machine is underpowered for the terrain I have and its sprung weight. I am considering swapping out for a higher HP Yanmar engine, perhaps a TNV88 (36 hp) or equivalent. Does anyone have experience or know of a good resource for information regarding this?? I would, of course, want to evaluate whether this is truly a cost-effective upgrade and if it is POSSIBLE to do this. My understanding is that the drive"train" and axles, etc. are rated for up to 40 hp so I would not want to consider going beyond that number. I do realize that Polaris has a 40 hp XP 700 stock which is an option, but I have been happy with my current machine otherwise and like the diesel engine, leading me to pose this question to the group. Thanks in advance for the advice.
John M
