UTVs / Side-by-Sides?

I have a Kubota RTV diesel. It works for me-it's more of a second tractor. It has hauled firewood, totes a sprayer, pulls a harrow drag and a roller for food plot work, and provides transportation during hunting season.
It is not a speed demon and wouldn't be much fun to trail ride, but white it serves my purposes nicely. My brother has a 15 year old Kawasaki Mule that is kind of the same machine and is used the same way. I think they are 2 best workhorses available.

 

I have a honda pioneer. No belt, has a dual wet clutch transmisson and 6 speed gear drive with hi and low range. Its also pretty fast and seats 5. I have 2k miles on it with no issues so far. You can run it in turf to all 4 wheels locked together. Most of the levers are cable operated, so no issue with them getting wet like electronics. I have had the bed loaded with firewood up to the roll bar and three people in the front seat. Pulls right up the hills on my place, no issues. The bed is 36" deep, so i can get two rows of stacks in.

 

I bought a Polaris 900 EPS crew - 6 person. When I was looking I checked out the Mule and Gator. The ride on the Polaris is so much better than the other two, much smoother. It was better for creature comforts as well. The other deciding factor is I live out in the sticks and Polaris is the only dealer for 60 miles.

It has lots of power. I wanted more HP as I knew I would be dragging logs and pulling my boat trailers.

The crew is a boat. Very long and turning radius of about a mile. Lots of 3-point turns. We wanted the big one to fit the family. But, if it was just me, I'd get the one bench seat.

Having the speed is nice, but 50mph on the thing is a bit scary. Don't do that much.

I can't compare to others but this is a good work machine.

Definitely get power steering.

 

All the farmers here run old kawi mules.

 

Same here. It's not flashy or fast, but it will haul dang near anything.


It's been a great buggy. 0 issues thusfar nearing 500 hours. All OEM filters & fluids. I have been recently giving the new Kawi Mule Pro a real hard look. I think it will emerge as the next great workhorse of the UTV segment. The Kubota will dump that load in the picture without so much as flinching. The newer models offer better suspension and amenities than this older beast. I am looking at the Kawis for a little more speed in the hills. RTV will pull them, but does so slowly, in L range.

 

Went and looked at the Gators today in person, I gotta say I'm impressed. The 825i and 625i just seem so solidly built, and the bed is massive! Surprisingly the 825i was $12,800 and the 625i was $13,xxx. The 625 was more outfitted but I expected it to be cheaper.

I'm really turned off by the fact the 825i has an engine made in China...the dealer swore up and down they're solid but a lifetime of junk made in China is hard to dismiss. The 625 has a Kawi engine which I like however it's 1/2 the horsepower...

The XUV560 was only $9000 but compared to the 825/625 it looked too small and "cheap". Gotta research the 560 engine though cause for a $4000 savings I can't help but at least consider it.

0% financing is huge in my book. I was planning to trade in a snowsled and pay the difference in cash but with a 0% loan I can just finance it then take my time to sell the sled private party which will fetch me a lot more, then just chuck the money in the bank and make the interest free payments. Pretty solid.

Going to try getting back tomorrow for a test drive and see just how firm the price is.

For you guys that own them, is $12,800 a high or low price for an 825i? Has a roof and some fabric net doors too.

 

I own the 825i. It's a 2012. The options can add a lot of the additional cost, so I won't comment on the price. I will say, that the 825i is popular and sells more than the other models because of the engine, HP, and resale appeal. Ask your dealer how many 825s they sell versus the other two.

The Chery engine it has is a great engine, even though it's produced in China. Don't worry about the engine. In fact, I couldn't be happier with its performance. This is not a 24 HP Kohler engine (and I like Kohler and and own two). I would buy the Chery engine again in a heartbeat. The engines they make are primarily for cars throughout Europe and Asia. I read they are one of the largest automotive engine suppliers in the world.

The bed is huge. I think the Gators are perceived, probably rightfully so, as a farm work horse and not a performance side by side. I think JD was late to respond to the performance attributes that their competitors developed making the Gators behind the 8 ball with customers. The new XUV gators are catching up with the performance, suspension, ride, looks and engine choices. All depends what your looking for. The 825i is a 50hp, 800 cc, twin overhead cam, FIL injected 3 cylinder that goes 44 mph. When I change the oil, it's still clear every time so far. Around me Gators are more popular than others, but that's probably due to the dealers available in my area.

You should drive them all and see what you think. Good luck with whatever you decide.

 

Don't know anything aobut them besides the fact that they are a bit pricey, but the people that have them sure like them!

Hustler MDV

 

The price on the 825i seems low by $2-3,000. I have a feeling it is missing a combo of the 3 most important "must-haves," which is the 4 wheel drive, power steering, and the power dump bed. Be sure to check that out...also, factory mounted rear cargo bed lights are great, and not an expensive option from factory, as opposed to wiring and mounting yourself. I got a fully loaded one with a sticker of $16,000 for $14,260. That $14k was the out the door price, with the first service included. I got 0% for 36 months, but now they're going for several years past that at 0%.
You mentioned the trade in of your sled- depending on what the trade in is versus the private party value is, you might be better on the trade in because the value of the trade comes off the Gator price, meaning you'll also pay less sales tax. Something to consider...

 

They are like my Kawasaki bayou ATV. Most have the same engine as mine. They are truly indestructible.

 

The Kawasaki Mule pro uses this same powerplant. I like the JDs, but I am liking the Kawi pro more. If I were to get a new one tomorrow, it'd be the Kawi.

 

The one I saw for that price did not have power steering. Im pretty sure it had 4x4 but I'll double check, that is a must for me. Do they even offer the 825i without 4x4? I would have thought 4x4 was standard. The hydraulic dump is nice but not a must have for me, and it can always be added. I just want to get the machine for the lowest initial cost I can...I can always add to it. Power steering just seems to me like added complexity/more parts to break, I dont think I'd miss it.

As for the trading in to decrease sales tax...thats a non-issue in NH as we have 0 sales tax, so it makes no difference in that regard. Id actually prefer just trading it in, I cant stand selling things privately through craigslist...so many calls/emails/tire kickers then dealing with people trying to low-ball you...I'd just as well trade it in and be done with it, but unfortunately I doubt a John Deere dealership will be interested in taking an Arctic Cat in trade, so unless I go with another brand the trade-in isnt an option anyway.

I did find someone local selling a 2008 Rhino he says is in mint condition, ~20 hours of use on it...I'm waiting to see some pictures this weekend. I'm sure the Rhino would probably be ok for my purposes but after seeing an 825i in person I feel pretty stuck on that model, Im just so impressed with how solid it looks and how huge that bed is.

 

The green paints gotcha huh? I'm 99% sure 4×4 is standard. Rethink the steering. No you don't have to have it but it is worth it. My wife thought it was a waist of $. & wouldn't be without it now.

 

Sounds like your narrowing it down... Take your time and explore all the options best you can. All 825's are 4x4.

I don't have power steering and it's would be a great option especially when going slow. It can be added later for a little more $$. It's necessary if you ever put a plow on it.

How can anyone have a 10 year old machine with 20 hours? Sounds suspicious...

We're going to need pics with whatever you decide.

 

The power steering is a remarkable difference in handling, I tried both and selecting the model with the power steering was a no brainer- night and day difference, I promise you won't regret paying for that feature. As far as trade in, I asked about trading in a 2010 Yamaha ATV on my Gator, and they said sure, no problem. They called the Yamaha dealer down the road for a trade in price, and offered that. I asked why they were so willing to do it, and they said equipment is equipment, and if it has value they have no problem taking a trade. They said there's always somebody looking for a this or that, i.e. toy, trailer, etc. and that they weren't worried about it. The sales guy kind of laughed, and said that he delivered (2) $700,000 combines that week to a farm in middle Georgia, and that taking a $2,500 trade in ATV on a $14,000 Gator purchase was more of a favor to me as a customer than anything. When I went back by about a month later for some bar oil (place is also a Stihl dealer), I asked how long the ATV lasted. He said it sold the afternoon I traded it in to a guy who bought it for his son. Moral of the story, it doesn't hurt to see what they might give you in trade on that snow machine.

I'm not one to try to bash one product over another, preferring to give the positives of each and let the new buyer make an informed decision. In this case, I have to try to steer you away from the Rhino, strictly for safety reasons. There have been over 450 lawsuits against Yamaha regarding the Rhino and injuries sustained, mainly from rollover crashes. Yamaha stepped away from the UTV business a bit and came back on the market with the Viking, which is a much more stable platform and is a great vehicle. I suppose if you are strictly low speed on level-ish terrain the Rhino would not be an issue, but there were enough problems with it that I feel like I should make you aware.

 

Bumping the thread...lots of differing opinions out there on these things (I mean on other boards).

I've started to look at the Honda Pioneer-4 vs. the Polaris Ranger 570-4. The latter seems to be better priced, and "full-time" 4-seater vs. "flex" with the Honda. Not sure which I'd prefer.

How are the Polaris' for reliability? I know the Honda reputation....but maybe that's a dated perspective.

Kubota has a sportier gas model that is out...but apparently the dealers aren't getting them until August/September. That might be so bad...by the time they get them, maybe they'll need to hustle a bit more to sell them, I don't know.

 

Can't imagine Kubota's version of anything being "sporty".
What are going to use the utv for?

 

I feel like the Ranger 4 seater with only 570ccs may be a bit underpowered? I know a guy with the 2 seat version and he likes it. My boss has a Polaris General 4 seater. He got it to run his kids around on. Not much utility there, but some folks aren't looking for that out of a SxS.

 

48hp and 40 mph. Wow...that thing will destroy my old 900. Depending on pricing....I may end up considering to replace the old RTV instead of a Mule Pro.

https://www.kubotausa.com/media-cen...ng-the-all-new-gas-powered-rtv-xg850-sidekick



Was previously unaware of its existence.

 

Yeah, I guess they are trying to branch out.

Main use would be woodlot management. So I have a 30 acre woodlot...clearing deadfall and thinning less desirable trees.

Other use would be for fun. Trail ride. I don't need the fastest, sportiest thing. My current ride is the Honda 500 foreman....and it's plenty fun. But a 4-seater would fit all of the family.

I plan on using the foreman this year. Then maybe consider a UTV in the fall...if I can get a good price.