New gator HPX diesel

darkday · Apr 25, 2006

Well a couple weeks ago we ordered a new 2006 gator HPX diesel and today it finally arrived at the dealer. It should be here pretty soon but they dont have the brush and fender guards so until they come we are stuck with our old diesel 6x4. Im going nuts during the wait so I want to start a discussion about the differences of the 6x4 and HPX or just anything related to the HPX like impressions ect. God I cant wait! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Turkeyman · Apr 25, 2006

We are thinking about the diesel HPX or an RTV- why did you choose the 06 HPX?
On your 6x4, which 4 tires are getting the power? On the Polaris 6x6 all 6 tires get power.
Thanks for for thoughts.

JESSE1 · Apr 25, 2006

Well, I had an '01 6x4 Diesel and traded it for an '04 HPX Diesel. You're going to enjoy a much smoother ride with the HPX. The HPX will handle mud much better than the 6x4; the 6x4 had too much flotation and couldn't get down in the mud to get traction. I also like the hydraulic dump on the HPX compared to the electric screw dump on the 6x4. The brakes on the HPX are much better than the transmission brake on the 6x4, also the parking brake works great on the HPX. The 6x4 was a good machine but the HPX is just a lot better!

darkday · Apr 25, 2006

We got a decent trade in for the 6x4 gator that we had before along with that we also had a commercial walk behind mower that we traded in. But in addition to that I trust john deere better then almost any other company out there for reliability. Looking at the RTV I noticed it has a bench seat which I dont think I would like either. As far as the 6x4 was concerned it only had the rear 4 wheels powered which kind of made it difficult to get traction at times. During the winter you can glide over snow no matter what depth because you wouldn't sink in at all once there was a thin crust on top which i found kind of cool.

I will agree mud was definitely a problem with the 6x4 more so then I would have thought but yet still a lot better then a lot of things out there. I cant wait to see what kind of mud the HPX will handle. We had the electric dump on our 6x4 but we decided its not worth the 1 grand to get it again on the HPX we just don't really use it that much as most heavy hauling is done by our front end loader.

jcmseven · Apr 25, 2006

I have enjoyed my Gator HPX (2005). I made a few pix of it in the photo section, as it has a few modifications. So far, after thirty hours of use, I really like it. It has some real strengths, such as a marvelous job pushing snow with the 72" Eagle Plow I bought with it, and hauling things. It really hauls heavy loads well and can do so on any hill easily. I have the diesel and like it better than the gas model I demo'd before. The only complaint I have about it so far is that it lacks suspension travel thus one has to be careful off roading with it. It is also fairly wide, making getting into tight spots a little tough at times. For true off roading, I think the Polaris or the Yamaha are probably better as they have more suspension travel, but for hauling heavy loads and doing work related things, plus having some fun, the Gator is tough to beat. They look good too, which means something. Suspension travel aside, the Gator I have has never had a problem in any situation in which I have tried it, but my Gator has very aggressive tires and a little dealer mod to the front differential to help it too, so I cannot assess how it would do without those things.

John M

JESSE1 · Apr 25, 2006

The HPX handles a lot better in slick conditions because the front wheels are driven and it will pull in the direction you want to go while the 6x4 would tend to skid forward. Your '06 will handle even better than my '04 because it has the limited slip front differential.

John Deere has lost sales because the HPX doesn't have a bench seat. I don't need one but a lot of people do.

JDGREEN4ME · Apr 26, 2006

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( John Deere has lost sales because the HPX doesn't have a bench seat.)</font>
It is a shame that bench/bucket seats can't be offered as an option, I guess it would cost too much money. For my use I prefer the bucket seats but can see where a bench would be beneficial for others.

Turkeyman · Apr 26, 2006

Will only putting 60- 100 hrs on the diesel in a year hurt it? One of my partners think a gas would be better for that reason. Not sure if the gas would have the power we need for some of our hills. I do like the bench seat in the RTV better, as we often have 3 people.

Thanks for al the insight.

JESSE1 · Apr 26, 2006

The worst thing you can do to any diesel is let it idle for long periods. I occasionally shift into low range and run at wide open throttle for about a mile to maybe blow out a little more carbon from the muffler. I also run Rotella 5W40 synthetic which really helped cold starts last winter.

I don't think there's much actual difference in power between the gas or diesel. The diesel feels more powerful and has a better sound. I do know I only have to fuel my diesel HPX about once a month and I drive it every day.

darkday · Apr 26, 2006

/forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif Well they still dont have any of the accessories on it but they deliever it today.. Man I can't believe it! It feels a LOT faster then the 6x4 and just everything about it is nicer. I dont like about it the brake pedal is a lot of work to use but it is years ahead of the mechanical brakes on the 6x4. The only other thing I dont like is you sit kind of high in the seat so I feel like my center of gravity its way higher when its not quite that much higher but it is still a few inches higher. Ill post back in a day or so when ive had more time to get to know it, I think im going to go and drive it some more /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif but heres a couple of pics.