I've been very happy with my Gator 825i...it's a very efficient snow mover and does equally well on the trails in northern Maine. For an all around UTV I think it's tough to beat. I bought it new in 12' and it's taken all Maine winters have had to offer, two foot plus storms it cleared with ease and I do not plow every 6" like some....when the storm is done I plow.
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If I had it to do all over again I'd still buy the Gator 825i![]()
As to the Title of this thread question. All you can afford.
We tried to decide for a long time on our small farm what would we get? Had a four wheeler atv that the carb would gum up every time we turned around and that was so annoying. One day a guy said I'll trade you my golf cart with new batteries and charger for your four wheeler. Well we spent $2k buying it and when we couldnt fix carb it was a shop bill. I said sure. Its been love ever since. We used this electric golf cart more in 3 months than we did that four wheeler in 3 years. It really needs some tlc now. The right rear passanger spring has actaully started to reverse arc from the abuse we put this thing through. Almost all the bushings are gone. Only thing we ever did to it was break off the roof, replace an occasional corroded wire, and charge it.
I will say it cost us about $2k. Still way cheaper than one of those $15,000 dollar new UTVs that I really want. Or even a good used one at $6k+. We have had this thing in ditches, mud, water over the floor board, etc. Never stops. When the it is time to replace it and that time is coming sooner than later I really think we will get another, but maybe with a lift kit.
Same experience here... We picked up a '97 EZGo electric cart. Then bought a new Honda P500. The cart is used daily for all kinds of short trips around the place whereas the now 2 year old UTV has about 15 hours on it. The cart is simply too convenient to just jump in and go. Instant go, quiet, much more maneuverable, and almost fuel free save for the electric cost to recharge. Only maintenance cost we're had was a new set of batteries after the first 4 years of use. The golf cart has a bed and is always loaded with a leaf blower, loppers, chain saw with fuel and chain oil.
The only time I pull out the UTV is when I pull a trailer load of logs around, about 1200+ pounds, to the burn pile.
I'm not suggesting that the golf cart is more useful than the UTV for everyone in every case. For a thousand acre ranch... no question. But for our little 13 acre place, the cart fits the bill in most cases.