Christmas Mule

[jinman]

Santa delivered a bright red Kawasaki Mule to my girlfriend right on time, Christmas morning. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif He couldn't get the bed-lift delivered in time for Christmas, /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif but it's supposed to arrive by UPS any day now. It's the Power-Hoist hydraulic lift that's supposed to dump 1,200 lb. When it arrives I'll post full details of the installation and my review of its operation.

I saved at least $200 by buying an 8ft rubber pickup bedliner from Tractor Supply and cutting it for a custom floormat and bedliner. I even have enough left over to cut a custom floormat for my neighbor's Mule.

The smiling person in the attachment is my girlfriend just after finding the Mule "under the tree" where Santa left it. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Bird]

I don't know about that, Jim. That girl looks too young for you. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif And you're gonna have to get that metal canopy they sell for the Mule. It not only provides shade but it's strong enough you can stand on it when you use the Mule for a rolling scaffold.

 

[jinman]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( That girl looks too young for you. )</font>

Yep! Too young and way, way too good looking. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Bird, I asked the dealer about the metal cover and he told me all the new ones are fiberglass. Go figure. /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif Anyhow, I don't think she plans on using it for a scaffold, but the bed is so stable she might use it from time to time for a short boost.

The windshield is amazing. It makes it almost like driving a car with the windows down. We'll have to watch low limbs though. Since it's plexiglas, it will probably be easy to scratch. I'm sure we'll be trimming limbs along her trails pretty soon.

 

[Bird]

Jim, I can't remember what those windshields cost, but my brother and I shopped material to build our own for his Mule, but never got around to doing it. My neighbor bought the vinyl canopy for his Mule; made some shade, but as I expected, got torn up by tree limbs before long. My brother bought his Mule in Denton, but then had the canopy put on by the dealer in Waco and it was insulated, strong enough to stand anywnere on it, and pre-wired for a dome light on the bottom side (although we never put a light on it). Too bad if they've done away with that one. And of course, I think the hydraulic dump is the best choice, and that's what my brother was going to have installed on his, but that dealer in Waco had an electric screw type dump that he installed a lot cheaper and it always worked well; had no problem dumping all the dirt we could pile on it. I think I'd trust the hydraulic one more, but couldn't complain about the electric one. If fact, when my brother sold his place and went back to full time RVing, the Waco dealer bought that Mule to take to his own farm.

 

[Docsknotinn]

That sure looks like you had a great Christmas ! Did Santa bring two keys ???? Looks like a lot of fun. I spent the last two days waist deep in snow and testing my vocabulary as I got my Fun Buggy stuck in the snow a few times. Not much fun after cutting for four hours. A mule is on my short list after I auction the Golf Cart /forums/images/graemlins/mad.gif How big is the engine in that one ? Dave

 

[jinman]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( That sure looks like you had a great Christmas ! )</font>

Thanks, Dave. We had a wonderful Christmas and the Mule was just a small part of a cheerful family gathering. And to answer your question about the keys... Yes, there are two keys, but mine is only a back-up set. I've made certain my girlfriend knows that the Mule is hers to do as she pleases. I made sure she was in the driver's seat from the beginning. She actually moved her tractor out of her carport to make a place for the Mule. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

The Mule's engine is a liquid cooled 617cc engine that produces around 18 hp. With the 4WD, you get a 2-speed range transmission. Top speed is about 25 mph, but it is rated to haul 500 lb of passengers and 830 lb of cargo in the bed while pulling a trailer load of 1,200 lb. That's plenty of "guts" for the types of jobs around a farm. If you're interested, go down to a Kawasaki dealer and look at one. I think you'll be impressed. After looking at several others, I was really impressed with the innovative features of the Mule. The basic 4wd Mule is a little over $8,000, so it's not cheap. However, I looked at a E-Z Go Workhorse that was $7,400 for 2wd, only a 16hp engine, and not built half as well as the Mule. When I saw the Mule, it became the standard by which everything else was measured. /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

 

[Docsknotinn]

Jim. The one thing I really dislike about the EZGO is the way it starts. You press on the gas pedal and pull the choke. If you take your foot off the gas it stops running. Does your run like a car or tractor ? I mean you start it with a key and it idles until you shut it off. I went with the cart because I got one a few years old with new tires lift kit and bed for $3500. Its a LOT of fun and it generally works very well but it just does not suit my needs as well as a mule. I also did not want to spend that much until I get a Pole Barn up this coming year.

 

[Bird]

Dave, since Jim's apparently not up yet, I can tell you that, yes, it starts with the key and idles until you turn the key off like a car.

 

[jinman]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I really dislike about the EZGO is the way it starts. )</font>

You are awake much too early for me. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif Heck! I'm on vacation this week and I get to sleep-in until at least 6:00 am each morning until after New Years Day. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

Bird is right, Dave. I must have asked the EZ-Go dealer 3 or 4 times if there was any way to keep the engine running while using the bed-lift and he said, "No." The 350 Workhorse also has a parking brake on the top of the brake pedal and kids playing can easily release the brake. With the handbrake on the Mule, it's possible, but much less likely. The 480 Workhorse does have the hand brake, but it's between the bucket seats. The Mule has the brake release on the left side of the driver's seat.

The Mule's seat is a bench seat. You can get three small adults or two children and an adult easily on the Mule's seat. The seat rotates up and forward to gain access to the engine oil filler and dipstick. There is no need to lift the bed to check the oil. The fuel gage is a float/mechanical gage on the fuel tank. You can read the fuel level by looking at the top of the fuel tank, but there is no dashboard mounted fuel gage. The mule holds 5.3 gal and sips the fuel pretty slowly. If you don't run the tank dry, a little less than a 5-gal can of gas will fill it up.

Dave, I think you are wise to wait until you have a cover for the Mule or plan on having a waterproof blanket to lay over the dash and steering wheel when parked outside in the rain. The instructions for washing the Mule say to cover the horn button in the center of the steering wheel with tape (I think my girlfriend will use a large kitchen trash bag.). The book also says to cover the keyhole with tape. Those are probably because Kawasaki has had some warranty claims for water in those switches, but it's something to consider. Kawasaki also sells a dust cover (like a car cover) for the Mule if you don't have a shelter.

The Mule will not be as quiet as an electric golf-cart, but it is really quiet. It has a very good muffler and it exhausts rearward and down behind the rear axle. The water jacket on the engine also has a lot to do with making it quiet. You can hold a normal conversation even when travelling at full speed (honestly - the windshield is probably a big help too.).

The only other thing some folks might consider a negative is that you have to come to a complete stop and let the engine go to idle to change gear ranges or forward to reverse. If the engine isn't at idle, you WILL grind gears. Of course, it's also important to be stopped to engage the rear differential lock. Because the front differential is limited-slip, the Mule really is 4wd.

Kawasaki has some good financing rates right now. Their 36 month rate is 4.9% and 0% if you pay it off in 12 Months. Also, in Texas, you can declare an agriculture exemption and there is no sales tax. You can depreciate the Mule like any piece of farm equipment. I'm not sure about your state, but you may also have similar benefits.

I'd also suggest you look at the Yamaha and Polaris machines. If Kubota gets their new vehicle to its dealer network in sufficient numbers, that's also a great looking machine. My first impression with the Kubota is it's "bullet-proof." I'm just afraid the stripped-down version will be expensive. With a full load of "options" that are standard on other makes, you may end up with a $14,000 vehicle. We'll see.... /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

 

[Docsknotinn]

No doubt the Kubota will be well out of the range I want to spend. Its just for camp so I don't want to get too crazy. I have to save that for a bigger tractor /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif My EZGo is a gas model so I think its comparable to some of the older less HP UTV types. Its pretty amazing what it will do but I need to go through snow as well. It did a lot better once I put 400# of shelled corn in the bed. I'm only up this early because after two days of chain sawing in waist deep snow I went to bed at 6pm last night /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif You now you're getting old when you cant even stay up for the news. My biggest concern on a UTV is theft until I get a garage. I guess I dont figure any one will be stealing my Fun Buggy but then you never know what people wil do. Dave