Off Road Utility Vehicle (UTV) input please

Magicman · March 10, 2014, 07:48:08 AM

It all depends upon your terrain. If your soil is rocky or at least firm, the tracker/jeep is excellent. I just sold a Suzuki Samurai because I could not use it during our wet times. With it's weight, it would cut through to the axles.

I bought another Club Car. ;D

Jason_AliceMae Farms · March 10, 2014, 08:14:08 AM

My parents on their own decided against a golf cart/club car very early on and electric never even entered the conversation. They are getting it for themselves but they know very well once it is on the property I will end up taking it out into the woods all the time in all sorts of weather and I am sure they will too once they have it. :D

The small jeep idea just isn't for them which does not bother me, nothing against any jeep guys out there but they are just not for me.

Other than brands/models what accessories do you guys enjoy most? Winch, roof, windshield, and dump bed are at the top of the list with the idea that I could add on a wrack of some sort to hold the hand tools and a scabbard for the chainsaws.

gspren · March 10, 2014, 09:47:41 AM

I like the roof and windshield plus a gun rack under the roof. I very seldom use the dump so glad I didn't pay extra for power dump, normally the bed has tools and supplies while I use a small trailer for hauling wood and gravel.

pappy19 · March 10, 2014, 11:28:44 AM

I've had a Kubota RTV900 for 7 years and that little beast is a miracle. Goes anywhere with comfort and gets about 100 mpg, literally. It is classified as a tractor here in Idaho so doesn't need to be licensed. The tranny is hydrostatic drive and not belt driven. No matter what they say about belt drives, if you don't service that clutch, alot, it will let you down right when you need it the most. I have had Polaris ATV's in the past and had very bad luck with warranty issues. If you want to go fast, get an Arctic Cat or Polaris, but if 25 mph is ok, then you will love the Kubota RTV's.

Dave Shepard · March 10, 2014, 11:35:04 AM

Jeeps are a giant pain in the hindquarters to get in and out of. I wouldn't want to use one for a utility vehicle where I'm getting in and out all the time.

petefrom bearswamp · March 10, 2014, 11:57:59 AM

Mine is a 2010 RTV 900 2 seater which has many pluses and only 4 minuses IMHO.
Easy on fuel, a real workhorse, good dump box, and top speed of only 25 MPH which is in my old age interest, heavy duty suspension, transmission and rear diff with lock up and more.
on the minus side, hard to get out of gear when on a slope, short leg room, doesn't like cold weather starting but I only have to cycle the glow plugs a couple of times and the traction isnt the greatest.
I have 3 1/2 foot tall racks on mine and pile high with firewood with no issues.
Unlike the earlier models it doesn't try to throw you over the dash when you let up on the accelerator

DeepCreek · March 10, 2014, 01:55:10 PM

Quote from: Dave Shepard on March 10, 2014, 11:35:04 AM
Jeeps are a giant pain in the hindquarters to get in and out of. I wouldn't want to use one for a utility vehicle where I'm getting in and out all the time.

+1

I had an old M38 as my work vehicle during the Vietnam pleasantries. I've owned several old style Toyota Land Cruisers and a Jeep CJ7. For awhile I had to travel back and forth daily over a rough dirt track in a borrowed Ez-Go golf cart. Except for the golf cart, none were as easy to get in and out of as my Kubota RTV500. Not even close. And none would go where I take the RTV. They were all too wide and couldn't turn tight enough.

There is a reason UTVs have a market. They fill needs that can't quite be met properly by anything else.

But if your property has wide open trails or roads, then an old jeep may be a good way to go.

terry f · March 10, 2014, 05:51:32 PM

I have the same jeep as the one in the video, only a 52 model (my first car) and I can tell you the atv, utv beats them in every way, other than cool factor. The only thing it would win is the drag race.

DR Buck · March 10, 2014, 05:51:53 PM

The windshield and roof are a must. A removable cab enclosure for the winter would be good. That's on my list before next winter. I use the dump bed a lot when hauling firewood and gravel/dirt. Beats shoveling and hand unloading. I also added the front carry rack to mine (see my earlier post) to carry chainsaws. Mine came with brush guards. They do a great job protecting the body. I've only been in 1 situation where I wish I had a winch. It was enough to get me to get one. It's now in the garage and will be installed soon. Rear view mirrors would be nice and I'm considering them. I just want to make sure that are fold back so I don't rip them off in the woods. Another thing I think about is adding a rack for holding the weed-eater and tree pruning chainsaw as they are too long to lay in the bed without falling out.

There is no limit to how much money you could end up spending on adding things to any UTV. ;D

Qweaver · March 10, 2014, 07:06:35 PM

We love our 825 Gator but I often need to carry 4 people and an extra seat would be nice. We did mount a board in the back that works to haul 2 people but the have to be young enough to climb in.

DeepCreek · March 10, 2014, 07:08:03 PM

I have the factory roof on the RTV500. That was a no brainer. At the moment I don't have a windshield. In the winter, I want one, in the summer I don't.

The windshield requires special consideration. Fitting one to a UTV can result in a low pressure area in the cab, sucking all kinds of dust in. Some are multi part with draft issues. Most windshields are after market. Most are plastic, which scratches. A few are glass, but they tend to be expensive and aren't available for all models.

It pays to research windshields once you have narrowed down the UTV choice to one or two models. The best source of information is the owners who post to the various forums. The windshield needs to be researched with the top, if you plan on going with one. They work as a system (over used word, but it is what it is).

MattJ · March 11, 2014, 10:04:07 PM

I have a flexible easy on/off windshield for my polaris. In the summer it's nice to take off an get some air moving through the cab. The downside is the flex windshield is harder to see through. I would buy a fold down winshield if I had it to do again. I also bought a detachable rear seat that fits in the bed and has seat belts from Cabelas. Nice when I want to turn the 3-person capacity (bench seat) to five with the two spots in the bed.

I also have the roof which is nice in the sun and rain. I would recommend doing some test drives to see whats right for you. As for brands I think this is close to the ford vs chevy argument or husky vs stihl. None of the brands listed are dogs. Non-polaris guys will cite stories of belt issues, others will cite kubota tranny issues. Most of these are tied to way overloading the machines. They are all reliable machines that are pretty tough and can do a lot. I was/am a kubota guy but for the situation I wanted the UTV for the polaris was the best fit. I don't imagine my needs reflect exactly what yours are.

gspren · March 12, 2014, 08:29:53 AM

On my Kubota 400 I have the factory 2 piece glass windshield that has about an 8" gap between the bottom of the windshield and the hood and there is an easily removed plastic piece that fills in the gap. I remove it in the summer and keep it in over the winter, best of both worlds.

Jason_AliceMae Farms · March 12, 2014, 09:07:31 AM

Thanks for all of the comments! I have shared pretty much all of them with my folks to help them in their search. I am sure once they have made the rounds they will ask my opinion again on the ones that they like and once they pull the trigger I will be trailering it home for them. With any luck sometime this spring/summer I will add some pictures with what they decide 8)

Jason_AliceMae Farms · April 11, 2014, 05:30:19 PM

I got a call from my folks to tell me that they decided on what they were getting and the down payment was made to get it to the dealer.

They are going with a John Deere Gator 855D S4, it is the big 4 seater diesel. A great retirement gift that my dad bought for himself! I am happy for my parents, they can now enjoy much more of the property together than they could before.

It will still be 4 weeks or so until they take delivery so no pictures yet but I will be sure to share some with you guys.

Magicman · April 11, 2014, 05:34:02 PM

Thanks for the update and congrats to your parents.

Jason_AliceMae Farms · May 07, 2014, 07:38:34 AM

My folks took delivery the day before I went up for vacation........Here she is all clean still :D

I only drove it a couple times while I was up there, I let my parents enjoy it. No pictures of it out and about, my folks have all of those pictures. Thanks to everyone that provided input and suggestions! I know I appreciate it and my folks sure will enjoy being able to toodle around the woods more comfortably.

Magicman · May 07, 2014, 07:46:25 AM

Good show, and I love the JD Green. 8)

ozarkgem · May 07, 2014, 07:41:30 PM

I bought a 94 Geo Tracker that had been rolled for 500 bucks back in 99. I cut the top off, took off the doors and cut out the fender wells and put some bigger tires on it. Still using it. Better than anything I've seen on the market. But it is gas.

DR Buck · May 08, 2014, 05:41:37 PM

Looks like mine, only with a back seat. ;D

Jason_AliceMae Farms · May 09, 2014, 12:16:44 PM

MM I like the JD Greene too but I would have been happy with whatever they decided on getting as long as it was comfortable for them and what they wanted. But this one does match one of the tractors so that is nice 8) I want to add something orange to the collection too just waiting for the piggy bank to grow bigger.

Dr_Buck - looks very familiar haha. just the back seat and different wheels/tires. I have a drawbar to throw on it and then later on I will probably move the small hitch mounted winch over to it after I run some wires with quick connects to the front and rear of the gator.