Successful Farming Ultimate UTV Evaluation

[houstonscott]

Me neither, that's why we have what we have..A little more speed would be nice but the other benefits massively outweigh that. Don't know about you but I've slowed down in high range but never ran out of momentum regardless of the hill. I don't know what the reviewers were doing...Assuming they didn't either.

Let one of those other machines stop on a steep hill with a load and then continue. Forget it. HS http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=TZ37vHa3MXE Ride along with the real deal in Alaska. I like this, the 1100 is a very special machine. http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQPgX_rzDKk Simply nothing else going to get it done. http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQPgX_rzDKk

 

[pwright]

And still the RTV came out worse, by far, in the evaluation. Didn't get high score in a single category. Not in cargo and storage. Not in fit and finish. Had lowest scores in 15 of 24 categories. Only beat the average score in one category, Steering Responsiveness & Maneuverability (Loaded).

So you can impugn the character of the reviewers and throw out your slurs and insults at the owners of other UTV brands all you like. Won't change a thing and certainly isn't going to make anyone think better of RTVs.

 

[aczlan]

And still the RTV came out worse, by far, in the evaluation. Didn't get high score in a single category. Not in cargo and storage. Not in fit and finish. Had lowest scores in 15 of 24 categories. Only beat the average score in one category, Steering Responsiveness & Maneuverability (Loaded).

Skipping the RTV for a second and looking at high scores, how did they determine the scores?
The Cargo and Storage in particular looks skewed to me. How does the Prowler get ranked best when its box is small (possibly 24"x40"x8"? not listed in their specs) and is only rated to carry 600# when the Gator XUV825i has a 45"x52"x12" box that can carry 1000#,the Polaris Ranger XP has a 36.5"x54"x11.5" box that can carry 1000# and the Bobcat 3400 has 36.5"x54"x11.5" box that can carry 1100#?
That makes their ranking questionable for someone who is planning on actual using a UTV to work with vs blasting down the trail at 70MPH.

Aaron Z

 

[tamu94]

The RTV is the number 1 selling diesel UTV on the market. In my area it is by far the number one seller for Ag and industrial use. EVERY ranch around me is running RTV's. If you are in the market for serious work, the RTV stands out. If you want a recreational vehicle its probably not a good choice.

Like most magazine reviews - the results probably line up best with who has paid advertising in the magazine.

 

[PapaPerk]

I owned a RTV 500 for a bit under 2 yrs and wanted a lot more....then I tried out a 900 and it had the same things I didn't like about the RTV 500......lack of power and poor suspension travel. It was down to the Gator 825i and the Ranger 800...the Gator won by a narrow margin and it was more the warranty and closeness of the dealer....if I lived closer to a Polaris dealer and they had the same warranty as my Gator I would have likely bought one of them instead. I use my Gator on fence lines, hunting, and trail riding. I can fill the bed with cedar fence posts and still go through virtually any terrain, I"m not out running my winch all the time like the RTV....I can also cruise at much higher speeds without punishing myself with the rough ride the RTV had.

The RTV isn't for everyone and just because someone owns another brand it doesn't mean that they have not checked out or owned and RTV. I've seen 2 other newer RTV's sitting on the used lot at the local John Deere dealer in the past couple months, I've yet to see any XUV Gator at the Kubota lot.

Well said!!!!

The RTV is basically a mixture of a tractor and ezgo.

Most UTV are a mix of a 4wheeler and ezgo.

Some like the tractor genes and some like the 4wheeler roots. For most people... 4wheeler roots win. Hence the industry focus towards 4wheeler based machines.

I also chose the 4wheeler based machine and have no regrets! I have tractors to do tractor work.

 

[TableRocked]

sadly, no real tractor here yet.....so I am looking for something much closer to the tractor genre than ATV.....just got rid of 3 Honda powered full suspension dune buggies that went very fast, but my 3 kids kept tearing them up and refused to learn to service them..... the less my vehicle looks like an ATV the less my kids will beg to borrow it..... :thumbsup:

 

[texasjohn]

I guess anything can be torn up...run it into a tree, hang it up on a stump, or turn it over....but failing that, am not sure what you could do to an RTV to mess it up...but, then, I don't have your 3 kids. There are seat belts in it for those who drive on the tippy hillsides!!! It's a wide vehicle with low center of gravity..I think driver would fall out before it turned over.

sadly, no real tractor here yet.....so I am looking for something much closer to the tractor genre than ATV.....just got rid of 3 Honda powered full suspension dune buggies that went very fast, but my 3 kids kept tearing them up and refused to learn to service them..... the less my vehicle looks like an ATV the less my kids will beg to borrow it..... :thumbsup:

 

[KubotaToy]

I think about those other machines every time I get in and put on the AC. HS

What he said:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:

Does anybody find it funny how we support the brands we bought and yet, there are so many more in the market.

 

[pwright]

Skipping the RTV for a second and looking at high scores, how did they determine the scores?

Unless someone gets the magazine and reads the full article we won't really know will we? I know that I'm not going to just assume that all the reviewers were idiots or that the evaluation was rigged based on a lack of knowledge. Others obviously have no problem lowering themselves to that level.

The Cargo and Storage in particular looks skewed to me. How does the Prowler get ranked best when its box is small (possibly 24"x40"x8"? not listed in their specs) and is only rated to carry 600# when the Gator XUV825i has a 45"x52"x12" box that can carry 1000#,the Polaris Ranger XP has a 36.5"x54"x11.5" box that can carry 1000# and the Bobcat 3400 has 36.5"x54"x11.5" box that can carry 1100#?

Definitely curious. But the Prowler does have the capability to drop the sides to become a flatbed. Maybe some found that very useful? It also has the storage areas in the wheel wells. That they called the category Cargo & Storage makes me think that overall load/hauling capacity wasn't the only factor. Obviously the RTV series are real workhorses when it comes to toting material around. That the scores were divided into Loaded and Unloaded suggests that the magazine recognized, to some extent at least, that how much and how well a UTV carries a load is important.

I would have thought other factors would also be important when rating UTVs for working on a farm or ranch but aren't mentioned in the excerpts we see on the website. Things like ease of hooking up other equipment or support for implements. Earlier you brought up the bed height. That's an excellent point for usability. Was it considered? We don't know because we haven't seen the full article. To me having an always locked rear diff would be a real negative but from what was on the web site we don't know how important, if at all, that was.

That makes their ranking questionable for someone who is planning on actual using a UTV to work with vs blasting down the trail at 70MPH.

C'mon, Aaron. Exaggerations like that add nothing to the conversation and only serve to discount your own comments. Where do you see anything in the info about this test that suggests blasting down a trail at high speed was a significant factor in the scoring. One reviewer mentioned "looking for a machine with some get up and go". Another was interested in "the speed the vehicle can move with a load to accelerate chores". Not the same thing.

 

[aczlan]

Unless someone gets the magazine and reads the full article we won't really know will we? I know that I'm not going to just assume that all the reviewers were idiots or that the evaluation was rigged based on a lack of knowledge. Others obviously have no problem lowering themselves to that level.
Definitely curious. But the Prowler does have the capability to drop the sides to become a flatbed. Maybe some found that very useful? It also has the storage areas in the wheel wells. That they called the category Cargo & Storage makes me think that overall load/hauling capacity wasn't the only factor. Obviously the RTV series are real workhorses when it comes to toting material around. That the scores were divided into Loaded and Unloaded suggests that the magazine recognized, to some extent at least, that how much and how well a UTV carries a load is important.
I would have thought other factors would also be important when rating UTVs for working on a farm or ranch but aren't mentioned in the excerpts we see on the website. Things like ease of hooking up other equipment or support for implements. Earlier you brought up the bed height. That's an excellent point for usability. Was it considered? We don't know because we haven't seen the full article. To me having an always locked rear diff would be a real negative but from what was on the web site we don't know how important, if at all, that was.

I would be surprised if there was more to the article than can be found in looking at the articles for the individual machines (at least based on what I have read in similar magazines).
I think it also depends on who will be using the machines (ie: owner operator vs employees, children, grandchildren, etc). There are people who I wouldn't have a problem handing the keys for the RTV to that I wouldn't let drive a Deere XUV 625i if we owned one. Much harder to get into stupid levels of trouble with a RTV than it is with some of the others.

C'mon, Aaron. Exaggerations like that add nothing to the conversation and only serve to discount your own comments. Where do you see anything in the info about this test that suggests blasting down a trail at high speed was a significant factor in the scoring. One reviewer mentioned "looking for a machine with some get up and go". Another was interested in "the speed the vehicle can move with a load to accelerate chores". Not the same thing.

The full "get up and go" quote was:

Jessie grew up riding ATVs on her parent’s farm in Eastern Iowa. However, she hasn’t had as much experience riding utility vehicles so she will particularly pay attention to ease of use and comfort. She is also looking for a machine with a little get up and go. In the words of Ricky Bobby, 'I want to go fast!'

Another:

Joe grew up on a farm in West Central Iowa and has driven 3-wheelers, 4-wheelers, and side-by-side vehicles for more than 20 years. One important feature to Joe is how the machine handles at high rates of speed and on varying terrains. Does it turn easily into corners? Does the machine feel stable when the terrain is uneven? Does the machine handle well in loose terrain like sand or mud?

As for speed, yes, I was exaggerating a little. The Prowler can "only" do 57MPH, the Deere machines can do ~52MPH.

Aaron Z

 

[PapaPerk]

I would be surprised if there was more to the article than can be found in looking at the articles for the individual machines (at least based on what I have read in similar magazines).
I think it also depends on who will be using the machines (ie: owner operator vs employees, children, grandchildren, etc). There are people who I wouldn't have a problem handing the keys for the RTV to that I wouldn't let drive a Deere XUV 625i if we owned one. Much harder to get into stupid levels of trouble with a RTV than it is with some of the others.

The full "get up and go" quote was:
Another:
As for speed, yes, I was exaggerating a little. The Prowler can "only" do 57MPH, the Deere machines can do ~52MPH.

Aaron Z

When you have lots of land and live on dirt roads etc having high top speed is a good thing. Nothing wrong with a machine being able to go fast.

 

[timswi]

When you have lots of land and live on dirt roads etc having high top speed is a good thing. Nothing wrong with a machine being able to go fast.

I agree and I don't believe anyone said that's a problem. We all buy things for different purposes. I wish mine would go 40MPH, but that's the only thing it won't do that I need it to do. I'm happy for the owner of any UTV and I sincerely mean that. What I don't like is the sport utv owners constantly bashing RTV's...You won't find me denigrating any brand of UTV. As far as the review, I think Aaron pretty much summed it up..Many of them wanted go-fast machines...That's fine, an RTV never was one of those anyway.

As someone said that a 23 HP diesel is underpowered, tell that to my Kubota TLB as well as my not-underpowered RTV.

 

[aczlan]

When you have lots of land and live on dirt roads etc having high top speed is a good thing. Nothing wrong with a machine being able to go fast.

If you have a place to do so and people who can be trusted to drive it fast, yes. Its not for everyone though, in our case, it was one of the reasons we didn't get a XUV625i...

Aaron Z

 

[timswi]

If you have a place to do so and people who can be trusted to drive it fast, yes. Its not for everyone though, in our case, it was one of the reasons we didn't get a XUV625i...

Aaron Z

So true..I can let my nephews drive mine around here and not have to worry much about them getting out of hand..Now if they hit something, that's another story...RTV's can leave some damage..Thankfully I don't have any experience with that so far.

One of the other reasons I went with the 1100 is that I can take my daughter out for rides in bad weather. She's disabled and she loves long cruses in off road stuff...Made the purchase worth every penny in the weather we have...She can't tolerate temperature extremes and the HVAC cab fixes that issue.

 

[houstonscott]

So true..I can let my nephews drive mine around here and not have to worry much about them getting out of hand..Now if they hit something, that's another story...RTV's can leave some damage..Thankfully I don't have any experience with that so far. One of the other reasons I went with the 1100 is that I can take my daughter out for rides in bad weather. She's disabled and she loves long cruses in off road stuff...Made the purchase worth every penny in the weather we have...She can't tolerate temperature extremes and the HVAC cab fixes that issue.

Out in the pasture around bulls and having kids with you the cab is a must. HS

 

[timswi]

Out in the pasture around bulls and having kids with you the cab is a must. HS

Thankfully the neighbor has only one bull--Billy and he's got a bad attitude...He does stay in the fenced pasture..We look at him from the other side. He and his harem love the sounds of diesels though..They come over to the fence to investigate...They probably think their dad is coming with feed...Pretty cool sight all and all.

 

[timswi]

Ok, all of the quasi hostility aside, can we all agree that we bought the best machine for our intended uses and we enjoy our machines for the purposes that they were purchased for. Some may have bought something that didn't end up meeting their needs--fine, we all go though that. In the end, if we were able to move out of that situation and into the machine that serves the intended purpose then you're happy, I'm happy, and everyone has a fine UTV--regardless of what it is, or how fast it does or doesn't go.

 

[texasjohn]

OK. So you say UTV and I say RTV and we all play nice....good job...happiness settles on the land.

However, we still have some bad Obama karma hanging around...please find a way to pour the bad-a karma back in the fuel tank so it can be burned and gone. Then, peace and happiness can settle on the land.

Oh, dear, I'm afraid there may troubling times in the land...http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/showthread.php?t=303012&p=3653940#post3653940 ...but I quickly note that one raindrop does not make a flood.

Ok, all of the quasi hostility aside, can we all agree that we bought the best machine for our intended uses and we enjoy our machines for the purposes that they were purchased for. Some may have bought something that didn't end up meeting their needs--fine, we all go though that. In the end, if we were able to move out of that situation and into the machine that serves the intended purpose then you're happy, I'm happy, and everyone has a fine UTV--regardless of what it is, or how fast it does or doesn't go.

 

[TableRocked]

Careful with the Obama comments or Mohammad will take you to the virtual woodshed.....

Drove the demo RTV 1140 CPX unit again today at my Berryville, Arkansas dealer and inspected it with a fine tooth comb...

* The thing climbs extremely steep hills like a billy goat - I absolutely love the built in braking feature actually went down the hill and then backed up midstream without any issues. This thing feels very stable even on its side driving along very steep hills as well.
* Looking closer I see no reason why a LineX bedliner can't be sprayed in the bed (a different sales guy agreed with me)
* No issues with the 2" receiver, this sales guy said the older 1140 CPX version forced you to cut down stuff whereas this newest design, no issue at all
* This sales guy told me he's got a customer with tons of cash who purchased one of these 1140's and then came back in and purchased some of the hydro driven tools, chainsaw $1800, and uses them all around his place. He likes how light they are and the idea he doesn't have to carry fuel. This sales guy said the hydro on the 2014 RTV 1140 CPX is plenty strong enough to power all the tools including a jackhammer, just fine. I found that interesting as nothing is mentioned about that capability in the sales literature. He also pointed out the modern RTVx units this feature was removed but could be added back in for more money if someone requested it.

* If I can get my deal finalized in the morning (my sales guy was out of the office), my 2014 RTV will arrive in 3 weeks from Japan.

 

[timswi]

Careful with the Obama comments or Mohammad will take you to the virtual woodshed.....

Drove the demo RTV 1140 CPX unit again today at my Berryville, Arkansas dealer and inspected it with a fine tooth comb...

* The thing climbs extremely steep hills like a billy goat - I absolutely love the built in braking feature actually went down the hill and then backed up midstream without any issues. This thing feels very stable even on its side driving along very steep hills as well.
* Looking closer I see no reason why a LineX bedliner can't be sprayed in the bed (a different sales guy agreed with me)
* No issues with the 2" receiver, this sales guy said the older 1140 CPX version forced you to cut down stuff whereas this newest design, no issue at all
* This sales guy told me he's got a customer with tons of cash who purchased one of these 1140's and then came back in and purchased some of the hydro driven tools, chainsaw $1800, and uses them all around his place. He likes how light they are and the idea he doesn't have to carry fuel. This sales guy said the hydro on the 2014 RTV 1140 CPX is plenty strong enough to power all the tools including a jackhammer, just fine. I found that interesting as nothing is mentioned about that capability in the sales literature. He also pointed out the modern RTVx units this feature was removed but could be added back in for more money if someone requested it.

* If I can get my deal finalized in the morning (my sales guy was out of the office), my 2014 RTV will arrive in 3 weeks from Japan.

From Japan?...They are assembled in Georgia if memory serves.