Howdy Gents: Checking to see if anyone here has a UTV/Side by side that they use for moving firewood. I've been looking at a Kawasaki Mule for a while now and was hoping folks could chime in if this is a useful machine to have or would it possibly be another one of my countless boondoggles. I have a pretty large, wooded, rugged property and moving stuff around, whether it's firewood or landscape stone has become hassle. Any input would be welcome. Thanks!
2 family members have Mules they have industry best warrantys 3 years iirc. The base one is slow and tops out at 25mph unless anythings changed in the last 2 years. Not sure if thats an issue or how much property or what else you might use it for. Neither one has had any issues with theirs.
I was in the hunt for one a year or more ago and was committed to not buying new and paying new prices! I was initially set on finding a Gator ( well being a John Deere guy). I found a very low hour Kawasaki 4010 that checked all the boxes: 2W/4Wd, locking differential,High and Low range, power steering..The color wasn’t my first choice but learned to live without it. I have been told that the Kawasaki is the easier and lowest cost machine to work on should it be necessary. Also readily available parts.. We’ve been pleased, actually liked the Kawasaki better than the Gator. Edit: Speed is the lowest priority for us as most places we go it would not be prudent to hot rod anyway.. our use is 100% off road and pasture as a work vehicle.
I think most UTV’s would be useful in your scenario. Most folks around here that have UTV’s for work use John Deere Gators or Kubotas. The hunters & toy owners have Polaris, not that the Polaris aren’t solid durable machines. I have not heard anything bad about the Mules. The Kubotas & Kawasakis will have a slower top speed but if you aren’t going any distance on the road it’s not a big deal. My Gator will travel about 40mph. I personally don’t need a UTV that travels over 40mph. Some of the sportier models (Polaris) travel from 55-75mph. I have an 835 Gator, it works well for hauling wood, spraying weeds, checking fences & casual rides around the farm. I would definitely recommend getting 14” rims for whatever you get, they just offer a bit more ground clearance. It sounds like you might need it on your property. You also may want to check on suspension travel & such if your property is rugged. Also your wheelbase, your width will be important on uneven rugged terrain.
I don't recall which thread, probably multiple, but I have seen lots of UTV pics loaded with firewood here...
Kawasaki Mule Pro. They are tanks and will prove it. From day one, I treated mine hard. And I do mean HARD! It has never disappointed me. I have driven through stuff that I shouldn't even think about. Yes, I've broke some plastic, but still got through and over some tough objects. Get yourself a good walking axle trailer and a winch. I've pulled some incredible sized logs from spots I wouldn't access with my truck.
I have an Arctic Cat Prowler 500. Worked out great for us at family property. Cargo box is about 30x46 and can load a decent amount to move from the stacks, right to the back door. 2" receiver and about 1500lb tow capability is great for pulling a small trailer or sled loaded up with wood. I even chain up some logs and drag them up to the house if I don't feel like grabbing the trailer or cutting in the woods. Top speed is about 45 with me and the boy riding, so we can take it out on the ORV trails and still have fun. Good machine in between a work onl machine like a Mule and a performance SxS. Had a Polaris Ranger at the property prior to the Prowler...same deal there. I give the idea 2 thumbs up...
Very handy for firewooding. Will get into places a truck can't (or shouldnt). Brother and I built a trailer to pull behind and that ups the utility and usefulness too. We find many uses on the farm including wood gathering. Sent from my SM-S536DL using Tapatalk
I have a Mule MX. Bed could be bigger, but paired with a trailer I can move about 1/3 cord around pretty easy. Kawasaki is offering some deals right now I think on the Mule line. Other experience is with a Kubota RTV900. They are slow and don't really have a lot of suspension but uber dependable and suited for 100% work. Friends have Polaris 1000 ranger and Kubota sidekick. I haven't really seen either of them worked too much so no real input. lol
We have a Polaris Ranger 1000 premium. Originally were going to get a Yamaha Viking and then a Honda Pioneer 750iirc but both times we got screwed by dealers. Wasnt originally planning on a 1000cc (sohc) as I thought it was overkill for our needs. But I figured it would hold its value better, sell better if we ever needed to, and plow without any trouble. I also wanted something that would go 55 because alot of the trails up north cross roads and highways. Being stuck in my FIL's base Mule going 25 with a mile of cars behind us was a horrible expierence lol. Plow hook up is really easy on the Ranger not sure about the others. Also Yamaha's come with a roof and none of the others do last I knew. Like the post above said Kubotas are slow and also HEAVY very reliable but a harsh ride imo.
The X series Kubota RTV units have significantly more suspension than the regular RTV. 8 ish vs 3 ish if I'm recalling correctly. They ride way nicer with the added travel.
My friend has a Kubota and loves it. It’s not fast but it pulls and doesn’t get stuck anywhere. It’s really easy on fuel also.
That's the way I'm leaning. The X version though. In fact I believe they no longer make the standard RTV as of this year. I like the idea of the fuel efficiency. The 25 mph top speed would keep me out of trouble too.
Kubota RTV is awesome. Kawasaki Mule not so much. Biggest complaint is free wheels when going down hill
If the centrifugal clutch disengages due to low engine RPM, that'll happen...make sure the engine idle speed is not set too low, and might wanna check that the belt is not too worn. Other than that, keep the engine off of idle speed and you should have engine braking down hills. Years ago I had a Honda ATC 185 with auto clutch that would randomly disengage going down hills...that was fun...not! Found out years later once I worked on them for a living that it had a bad one way sprag bearing/clutch assembly.
