Need utility Side by Side

[John_Mc]

The word of caution is don't be drinking and speeding. That would apply to any vehicle.

Don't be drinking and driving period... regardless of the speed.

 

[gsganzer]

You might have swayed me to a 3-seater, especially if my wife is using it.

Including my original 3, here's the overall width of various models
Yamaha Viking EPS= 64"
Kawasaki Mule 4010= 62"
Kawasaki Mule Pro-MX= 60"
Honda Pioneer 700= 60"
Polaris Ranger 570= 56"

 

[grsthegreat]

Never ran the Kubota on any trail, not what we bought it for in the first place. I have a spray rig in the bed and it totes my inverter generator so I can power 110 volt tools when working around the farm.

Far as seatbelts are concerned, the Kubota has an interlock on the belts and it won't start unless the belts are secured. When I'm using it to spray with, I put the seatbelt behind the seat and lock it in, that defeats the interlock.

Like I said, didn't buy it for 'recreation' at all. Bought it for use around the farm, mainly for spraying. My buddy has a Polaris Ranger or some such and it goes like a raped ape and he does the trail thing. We don't and not interested anyway. I do on occasion run it up town to fetch the odd can of mower gas and I was cognizant of that when we bought it and why we didn't buy a diesel Kubota as top speed on the diesel is about 22 mph, whereas the top speed on the gas Kubota we own is 50. I don't want to impede traffic going up town at 22 mph. Around here, you can operate a sxs on the shoulder of a paved road and in town, they are allowed as well. Most town dwellers around here have golf carts, even my renters have one but they don't interest me as they are even slower and I'm not into charging anything electric in the first place, except for starting batteries maybe.

My kawasaki mule still has seatbelts zip tied from the factory……..

 

[grsthegreat]

I just saw this on FB and it's shocked me.

2025 Polaris xd 1500 upfit ranch edition​

$79,494

Thats insane……

 

[5030]

The day I pay 79 grand for a sxs, my wife had better commit me to the insane asylum. I haven't a clue what a new Polaris costs but 79K seems to be a bit over the top IMO. Maybe it comes equipped with a young and willing blonde???

 

[EddieWalker]

Including my original 3, here's the overall width of various models
Yamaha Viking EPS= 64"
Kawasaki Mule 4010= 62"
Kawasaki Mule Pro-MX= 60"
Honda Pioneer 700= 60"
Polaris Ranger 570= 56"

I have the Mule Trans 4010. It will fit a pallet in the bed with the back seat folded up. It's almost always folded up, but it's really nice to have the second row of seating when we have friends over and we're going back and forth from the house to the pond. Same thing when we're showing friends that are visiting and we take them on a tour around the land.

A while ago I went hunting down in Sonora Texas with my wife for free range Sika and Axis deer. The ranch was 4,000 acres and the outfitter had just bought a brand-new Mule Pro. At that time, it cost twice what mine did, but it also did twice what mine can do. Seats 4 comfortably, and we would drive 50 mph down the paved road that went through the ranch, then go over some of the roughest, rocky, cactus filled ground possible looking for animals. While my Mule is great at what it does, there is no way it could do what the Pro did. If I had the acreage, I would pay the extra for the Pro. Or at least look very seriously at it!!!

 

[5030]

Interestingly, Kubota offers several tire options on the sxs's. In our case because we do take it up town rarely, I opted for the DOT approved tires, not that I expect any DOT officer or LE would check the sidewalls for the DOT branding but I prefer to err on the side of caution anyway.

 

[ning]

Bed extenders help a little:

Looks like the corners of the bed have removable caps that you could use to go vertically?

 

[Torvy]

Never ran the Kubota on any trail, not what we bought it for in the first place. I have a spray rig in the bed and it totes my inverter generator so I can power 110 volt tools when working around the farm.

Which spray rig do you use? We have 25 gallon Chapin that fits perfectly in the bed. We use the wand, but it has a boom, too. Separate tank for herbicide or insecticide. Mixes on exit, so only the hose and wand need to be cleaned out. You can have separate tanks depending on what you spray.

We use it to water young trees out on the more remote areas of the farm.

 

[Runner]

Looks like the corners of the bed have removable caps that you could use to go vertically?
View attachment 3421611

I think you're right. I could see making some sideboards by nesting some 3/4 tubing inside some 1" tubing (which is what the Kawi rails are made of.

Could also just mount the sideboards to the clamp-on mounts that you can see on the rails. Those things are very handy. I made those D-ring mounts and also have the bed extender mounted to the inside of the rear clamps.

 

[EddieWalker]

Looks like the corners of the bed have removable caps that you could use to go vertically?
View attachment 3421611

I put a 3/4 inch pipe nipple in the back one and use it to pull my garbage can to the road. I have some 12/2 Romex tied to the garbage can with a loop that fits over the pipe nipple. Simple and easy.

 

[gsganzer]

I have the Mule Trans 4010. It will fit a pallet in the bed with the back seat folded up. It's almost always folded up, but it's really nice to have the second row of seating when we have friends over and we're going back and forth from the house to the pond. Same thing when we're showing friends that are visiting and we take them on a tour around the land.

A while ago I went hunting down in Sonora Texas with my wife for free range Sika and Axis deer. The ranch was 4,000 acres and the outfitter had just bought a brand-new Mule Pro. At that time, it cost twice what mine did, but it also did twice what mine can do. Seats 4 comfortably, and we would drive 50 mph down the paved road that went through the ranch, then go over some of the roughest, rocky, cactus filled ground possible looking for animals. While my Mule is great at what it does, there is no way it could do what the Pro did. If I had the acreage, I would pay the extra for the Pro. Or at least look very seriously at it!!!

I'm sort of leaning towards the Mule Pro-FX 820. With the larger bed, I could always put some removable "safari-style" seats in the bed with an over-the-cab shooting rest. It'd be a cool way to hunt pigs at night. I'd just need to watch the higher center of gravity.

A smaller scale to this

Edit: I'd custom make something myself, but it looks like someone has already designed a high seat hunting set up for these.

 

[ning]

I think you're right. I could see making some sideboards by nesting some 3/4 tubing inside some 1" tubing (which is what the Kawi rails are made of.

Could also just mount the sideboards to the clamp-on mounts that you can see on the rails. Those things are very handy. I made those D-ring mounts and also have the bed extender mounted to the inside of the rear clamps.

My wife and I are considering getting something else to help our garden/land chores; currently we have one of those little pull-behind trailers for our garden "tractor" ride-on mower, but I don't expect that to last forever (so far, so good, but it has no seat, lousy traction and not the best thing to pull the crappy trailer).

We've been considering a SCUT, but a little utv particularly with a dump bed could definitely come in handy. I think the dump bed would get a lot of use.

 

[EddieWalker]

I built a seat that slid into the bed. It was two folding tractor seats that I bought from Northern Tool for a good price. I used it once. It turns out that when we have more people than seats, a group of them want to stand up in the bed while driving around the land.

After a lot of years taking up space in my container, I took it apart and used the plywood for something, and I have no idea what happened to the seats. They might still be in the container, but I don't remember seeing them in there.

 

[tradosaurus]

I looked at a Can Am Defender HD10 XT and Limited yesterday. Looks to be a well built unit. Sales rep said it is the heaviest built unit on the market. I think he forgot about the Polaris 1500. B.

If you opt for a SXS that uses a belt (all but Honda I believe) then make sure the belt is easy to replace. Get seat time in each brand you are interested and make sure you can test drive it.

 

[grsthegreat]

I'm sort of leaning towards the Mule Pro-FX 820. With the larger bed, I could always put some removable "safari-style" seats in the bed with an over-the-cab shooting rest. It'd be a cool way to hunt pigs at night. I'd just need to watch the higher center of gravity.

A smaller scale to this
View attachment 3421615

Edit: I'd custom make something myself, but it looks like someone has already designed a high seat hunting set up for these.
View attachment 3421618

Put a fat person or 2 back there…..do wheelies

 

[gsganzer]

Put a fat person or 2 back there…..do wheelies

With the larger bed of the 820, I don't think the seats would have to cantilever out over the back like that. In fact, I wouldn't want them to. You'd want to be able to lean forward and rest your rifle on the cab roof. Typically, the roof has a rack that would hold a shooting bag that acts as your rifle rest.

 

[jjeff]

My poly windshield got so scratched i could not see thru it. I went with glass replacement. I made my own electric windshield wiper system which did not need to penetrate glass.

Was it hard coated polycarbonate? Going on almost 10 yrs on one of mine, still very usable. Definitely not perfect though, have used hand crank wiper to clear muddy water from it frequently. Has had quite a few harder hits from tree limbs, no cracks or deep scratches. I do take some care when cleaning it though. I know cheaper ones are out there definitely wouldn't consider plexiglass or non hard coated polycarbonate.

 

[grsthegreat]

Supposed to have been hard carbonate poly….but who really knew. The wife wanted a real glass windshield with electric wiper….thats what i got.

Very happy with it. The company that sold me the windshield didnt have a wiper kit, so i had to make my own. Works great. While i was at it i added top front and rear led lights.

 

[EddieWalker]

I wanted a hard windshield. Glass was my first choice, poly was my second. Both were more then I wanted to spend, so I went cheap and bought a $25 plastic windshield from HomeDepot.com

Classic Accessories Kawasaki Mule UTV Front Windshield 18-094-010401-00 - The Home Depot

Classic Accessories Kawasaki Mule UTV Front Windshield instantly shields against wind and rain. Rolls up for easy storage.

www.homedepot.com

The best part of the plastic windshield is how easy it is to roll it up and have it out of the way. The only time we like it is in Winter. But now that temps are in the 80's every day, no windshield is so much nicer!!!