Suggestions for 6 - 16 Hilly Wooded Acres?

[Martian]

>For me the obvious choice is a JD XUV 825i.

Hmm... that thing gets some pretty glowing reviews! JD hadn't really been on my radar, so thanks for pointing this out.

No problem,
I have the HPX currently (pretty much the older XUVs without the speed and handling) and went to my dealer just to pick some parts up and sat on and test drove the XUV and wow did it ever have a lot of pick up. If I hadn't bought my HPX about a year before the XUV came out, just doesn't make sense for me to get another UTV yet. So I didnt have a chance to really put it to work but it stacks up the same or better to everything my HPX does and does that thing ever surprise me. I don't know if your gonna have snow where you are but here in Michigan we get big snowfalls regularly. One time we got about 2 - 3 feet of wet heavy snow. I always plow with my gator because it's the only thing I got with a cab but I figured I'd end up on my 5410 (an 85 HP utility JD) to plow the driveway. The HPX plowed through the snow like butter. I couldn't imagine how much better the XUV with how much more HP, speed and torque more it has than my HPX. If it made any sense as to upgrade to the XUV in the situation I'm in I'd have it now. Just wished I'd waited a year and found myself with it. I'm sure you would love the XUV though. I have yet to hear a complaint about them.

 

[jcombs]

do you think an RTV 500 would be too small?

I use my RTV 500 in the way that you've described. You'll find that your ability to pull out stumps is limited to very small ones (I'd hesitate to call what I've pulled out with my RTV 500 stumps), but I think it would do well with the other tasks. I've sometimes wondered if I should have gown with the 900, but I very much question how well the larger unit would do in the tight woods around here.

 

[MrChris]

I'd have to agree that JD and Kubota are your two best options for a working UTV. Go see Joe up at Nelson tractor in Blairsville. They carry both brands. PS. When you need horse manure for your organic garden, let me know.

 

[ike]

John Deere 825i is awesome looking but I can't get past its Chinese built engine. Have not heard of any complaints yet though. I also considered the 825i but I went with the Kubota 900xt.

John Deere is more expensive, no power steering, no hydraulic lift (slow electric over hydraulic option) for bed, belt transmission, and thirsty! I still think its the best looking out of all the UTV's.

 

[wyndham6]

Hydraulic dump bed on kubota is great. Have a ranger and a kubota utv 1140. Greatly prefer the real transmission of the 1140 to the belt driven transmission of the ranger. The belts burn up. If you have steep hills going down to the river the tractor like transmission of the kubota keeps you from having to brake so much. I think kubota is the only one with this type of transmission.

 

[Martian]

If you truly want just a work horse you can get a gator TH6x4 diesel. Talk about power. There's nothing that thing couldn't do vs any Kubota.

My point being though that A: with the wider range of gators any of them can stack up better against any Kubota. B: The XUV gives more of a crossover between work and play that no others can. They spec out nearly the same as the RTV 1100 (Couple hundred less in the bed but that's about it) but offer speed, handling and maneuverability that would be offered with something like a Polaris crossover, but a Polaris wouldn't be such a work horse. If you want fun get a Polaris, if you want straight work a Kubota and Deere would be about the same with the Kubota being priced higher. If you want a mix of both (which the OP wants) the Deere is by far the best option.

 

[wyndham6]

You're funny. I guess we all like what we have and that is why we bought them. They are all great, and sure beats walking!

 

[wyndham6]

One more thing to consider: how many people do you envision driving around in your UTV? Our Ranger has two bucket seats up front with a hump in between and that is limiting. A small person can sit on the hump and wont like the bumps, and you can squish someone in the dump bed. Manufacturers pale at the thought of this, and the concern is probably deserved. I am in love with the bench seat in the front, and the bench seat of the back on our Kubota RTV 1140. I even installed a rumble seat in the dump bed! If it is just you and work getting done, it doesn't matter. If you want to also use this gizmo to ferry people around, consider something that will accommodate at least three people (bench front seat).

 

[JOHNTHOMAS]

If you truly want just a work horse you can get a gator TH6x4 diesel. Talk about power. There's nothing that thing couldn't do vs any Kubota.

My point being though that A: with the wider range of gators any of them can stack up better against any Kubota. B: The XUV gives more of a crossover between work and play that no others can. They spec out nearly the same as the RTV 1100 (Couple hundred less in the bed but that's about it) but offer speed, handling and maneuverability that would be offered with something like a Polaris crossover, but a Polaris wouldn't be such a work horse. If you want fun get a Polaris, if you want straight work a Kubota and Deere would be about the same with the Kubota being priced higher. If you want a mix of both (which the OP wants) the Deere is by far the best option.

I'll have to say your one of the worst I've seen on the TBN forum in putting down a brand (Kubota) even though you try to slip in a slight reluctant good point rarely about the Kubota to imply your not prejudice against Kubota. To obvious. Anyone can see it.
Maybe you should always preface your input with "WARNING: I HATE MY KUBOTA DEALER AND LOVE (OR ARE A JD DEALER) MY JD DEALER". Then the reader could know up front where your opinions are coming from.
I shopped brands before buying with no feelings for Orange over Green (Actually was leaning more toward Green since they have all the toys and other Brand Advertising Stuff) or Blue. I decided after evaluating price and features to go Orange and have for 13 times. Can I possibly be wrong 13 times?? Maybe in my mind and absolutely in yours but you don't operate or pay for my purchases so your opinion isn't worth much to me. Especially since your prejudice against Kubota, the industry standard.
Now, keep on hating your Kubota Dealer and Loving your JD dealer and keep on looking over the fence to our side and continue comparing every thing to our Oranges. Do you wonder why you keep comparing every thing to Kubota?:laughing::laughing::laughing: Maybe you should.

 

[Martian]

I'll have to say your one of the worst I've seen on the TBN forum in putting down a brand (Kubota) even though you try to slip in a slight reluctant good point rarely about the Kubota to imply your not prejudice against Kubota. To obvious. Anyone can see it.
Maybe you should always preface your input with "WARNING: I HATE MY KUBOTA DEALER AND LOVE (OR ARE A JD DEALER) MY JD DEALER". Then the reader could know up front where your opinions are coming from.
I shopped brands before buying with no feelings for Orange over Green (Actually was leaning more toward Green since they have all the toys and other Brand Advertising Stuff) or Blue. I decided after evaluating price and features to go Orange and have for 13 times. Can I possibly be wrong 13 times?? Maybe in my mind and absolutely in yours but you don't operate or pay for my purchases so your opinion isn't worth much to me. Especially since your prejudice against Kubota, the industry standard.
Now, keep on hating your Kubota Dealer and Loving your JD dealer and keep on looking over the fence to our side and continue comparing every thing to our Oranges. Do you wonder why you keep comparing every thing to Kubota?:laughing::laughing::laughing: Maybe you should.

If you took it as "I hate Kubota" I apologize, I don't hate Kubota in any way. Kubota makes really nice tractors, there's no denying. Kubota makes really nice UTVs, there's no denying. The hydrostatic in a Kubota is far superior to the belt, even though I've had no problems with my belt. The ability to actually have hydraulics is far superior. The cab is far superior, it comes with heat and ac right out of the fat, you have to get a new ROPS with the deere and then add the glass to it. The cab on the gator looks no better than what an after market cab manufacturer would do, the Kubotas looks and feels like factory. The Kubota can have about 100 more pounds in the bed. The 1100 is a great machine for many people it just doesn't serve my purposes which are pretty well the same as the OPs. I mainly go through the woods. Where I wouldn't want a cab, it would get scratched and logs would be breaking the glass. A lot of times I have to park where if I had a cab I couldnt open the door. I also use it in the wide open dragging my horse pastures where the 44 mph would really come in handy. There's a big difference between 25 and 44, (I currently go 25 in my HPX and would love the XUV, just can't afford it). If I wasnt going to be using it in the woods where I just can't have a cab I would look more closely at a Kubota. It would be really nice while I plow with it but it wouldn't suit my other purposes. If you thought I was degrading Kubota in any way I apologize, that was not my intent.