Test drove used John Deere Gator 6x4, have questions

[part-time-Farmer-NC]

I have/had a 2002 2 wd gator, sone still has it. Its rugged enough for most things. That has the centrifugal pulley/clutch system like my Mule. They seem to all take a little bit of revving to get to top speed (20 ish mph). THe 6x6's are beasts for working conditions I have always thought. That turning radius though is a show stopper for me. I am on the lookout for about UTV should mine ever die or my wife "needs" it during hunting season.

Good luck on your decision.

 

[Hay Dude]

Some thoughts on your potential purchase. John Deere 6x4 gators are good simple Utiility vehicles that like anything has pros and cons. Yanmar Diesel is bulletproof. 6x4 will do well in most terrain but is limited by ground clearance and a drive belt that is not enclosed. Any water on that belt and you are getting another vehicle to tow it out of the puddle. Leg room is limited. Cabs are nice but amplifies the noise to a level you may not like after a few miles. They are also heavy increasing load/reducing top speed and limit the ability to perform service/ maintenance. 6x4’s are slow. Early ones did 16 MPH, newer ones got into the lower 20’s. Turning radius is terrible due to the 4 rear drive wheels. These are some initial thoughts. Understanding how you want to use the vehicle would allow me to provide feedback more specific.

Below is a link to the John Deere Gator Forum. A good resource for owners.

John Deere Gator Forums



Some feedback specific to your numbered items.

• The brakes are internal wet disc and probably will not have to be replaced. Some units did have an issue with noise when stopping. (sounds like a sick whale) John Deere came out with an additive to reduce/eliminate this noise. Pour it into the transaxle.
• Not certain about the heater. On my 6x4 L/C gas unit the radiator is under the front passenger seat. I do know that the diesels were very cold blooded so getting heat out of one will take allot of work/load.
• Electrical problems need to be diagnosed per the circuit with the issue. Do be aware that the wiring harness runs through a channel in the frame so access can be challenging.
• Rear Tires. Note that off road tires can be up to 20% plus or minus difference in diameter. Air up the tires to specification, measure the diameter and if 2 are smaller use them for the front set. The axle on the front set of rear tires is actually ½ “ higher than the rear axle. This is to improve the steering.
• Rear diff lock is working and does demand more power as you are driving both sides..
• Another diagnostic opportunity

Yes, allot of electrical issues. DIY not too expensive. Having someone else do it could be costly. Source a Technical Manual so you have the electrical diagrams.

To me, $8K is high. $4-$5K maybe. Personally I would rather look at a 855D. 4WD, Yanmar diesel, fully enclosed clutches and belt. Slightly faster. Good ground clearance and suspension.

Hope this is of some value as you look at JD utility vehicles.

Very helpful, thanks

 

[tommaple]

When I was looking for a side by side I settled on a John Deere Gator because of the large bed size and power hoist for dumping. I planned on using it in the woods for hauling firewood in drier weather and maple sap in the spring. Maple season is wet snow and rain or as some people call it "mud season". I don't like making ruts or skidding turns that damage the tree roots. I have a friend that has a 6x4 Gator who also makes syrup and he removes one set of rear tires so he doesn't tear up his woods when turning. I ended up getting a 625i gator. The four wheel drive allows me to climb a steep hill with a 100 gallon sap tank in the back with no tire spin or slippage. As far as speed is concerned, it does 21 mph which is twice as fast as I need to travel through the woods. After 7 maple seasons there are no ruts on my trails.

 

[Mcdust]

I’ve wanted (or thought I did) a John Deere Gator 6x4 with Curtis Cab for 10 years.
Finally, a local one came up for sale that I thought I’d take a look at.
This one is 25 years old with 1700 hours. Electric dump bed and curtis cab.
Used on a horse farm. It’s in excellent conditions. Original paint & plastics look great. The metal Curtis cab was excellent. Seats were perfect. Definitely stored inside.
I drove it around his property a bit. My impressions are that it seemed slower than I expected. Maybe this is just the way they are.
The drive belt was recently replaced. It started and idled perfect. It accelerated a little slowly, I guess you can’t expect speed form an 18HP Yanmar diesel trying to move such a heavy vehicle?

So here’s the problems I saw:

1. When I applied the brakes, they worked, but when the brakes were pushed harder, they made a groan/grinding sound. It stopped, but the sound didn’t seem normal. Any idea what this might be?

2. It has a factory heater under the seat. The switch didn’t turn the heater on. Owner claimed the fan quit, or possibly the fuse was blown.
3. It has factory turn signals. Fronts work, but not back lights. Probably wiring issues as evidenced by wires hanging loose. I definitely like the idea of lights for working alongside the road. Owner said taillights were replacements. OK, not a big issue.
4. Rear tires were low on tread. Pretty straightforward. But how much should a set of 4 “factory” rear tires cost including mounting?
5. When the rear diff was locked, it was noticeably slower and definitely more difficult to steer. I perceived this as a “good thing” meaning the diff lock was locked and working properly?
6. Cab is equipped with windshield wiper, but switch did not turn it on. Another wiring issue.

I have zero experience with them and didn’t know what to expect. So my questions are pretty basic. Seems like a lot of electrical repairs.

Seller asking $8,000 but said he would take $6,000. Knowing it needs 4 tires and a lot of wiring diagnosis/repairs- Is this a good deal? It seems like it based on others I have seen advertised with rust, higher hours, etc.

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I have toyed with buying a new one and paying it off, but they are $20,000. Don’t know if the new ones are any better, but they look more plasticky.

I bought a JD 620I from a friend a long while back and its done well. I use it twice a year to go out at low tide on mud flats to deploy and recover marker buoys as well as other chores on the property.. My friend also had a six wheeler and said it was hopeless. Mine has a kowasaki twin that sits for long periods and always fires off no problem. my only negative is no power steering. It is very hard to steer on low speed maneuvers and for all the money it would seem to be a no brainer.
Also why diesel? Mine does everything I ask and is quite fast, the Police even borrow it for big events in town! Good luck.

 

[Hay Dude]

I bought a JD 620I from a friend a long while back and its done well. I use it twice a year to go out at low tide on mud flats to deploy and recover marker buoys as well as other chores on the property.. My friend also had a six wheeler and said it was hopeless. Mine has a kowasaki twin that sits for long periods and always fires off no problem. my only negative is no power steering. It is very hard to steer on low speed maneuvers and for all the money it would seem to be a no brainer.
Also why diesel? Mine does everything I ask and is quite fast, the Police even borrow it for big events in town! Good luck.

Gas is a no-go for me. We run everything on diesel fuel.

 

[troverman]

I can understand that. I have a mixed fleet. 3 diesel trucks, diesel tractor, gas one ton dump, gas Gator, gas ATV, mowers, etc. Gas has its advantages and disadvantages, but if everything is diesel…well easier to keep it that way

 

[Hay Dude]

I’m probably going to focus on a 4x4 diesel gator and pass on the 6x4.
The 6x4 looks good & heavy duty, but the test drive left me wanting better turning radius and more speed.
I’m sort of surprised that deere hasn’t upped the HP on the 6x4 from 18 to 24.

 

[paulsharvey]

We got kinda lured into buying a SxS through JD gator ads. They were advertising $999 down and $99 per month. I saw that and showed wife; thats less than 2 cell phones... did research, decided the gator wasnt for us; we wanted mixed use, fun, work, trails, ect. After a lot of reading, decided the Honda 700-4 was right, and go to dealer; boom, first offer was like $479/month.... $1000 dealer fee, destination fee, sales tax, $1500 for a hard roof, $900 for a half window, $1200 in other dealer extras... Had them remove almost all of the accessories.


But, my point was, the newer JD Gators, small 615? CC, has the speed of a strictly utility vehicle, the payload of a sport style, and wasnt right for us.

 

[Hay Dude]

I also have driven one of my Customer’s Kubota UTV’s.
I like the cab a lot, but when I started driving it uphill, I was surprised how doggy it was. The HST soaks up a lot of power.

 

[paulsharvey]

So, I 100% get comments about not needing the speed, but we did/sometimes still do, drive ours on 35 mph neighborhood roads. Kinda roads most people are running about 45-50 mph. I dont really want to be stuck rev limited at 29 mph. Our Honda did 43 mph before tire upsize, and now its right about 49 (on GPS). Brother in law has a Talon, and it does 75 mph, which is faster than I want to do on one. It's fun, but 100% toy.

I would rate the Pioneer as truly 50/50 work vs toy.