Ranger VS Gator XUV

[jcmseven]

Marshall is exactly right. I, for one, am guilty of supporting JD products. I feel I have a good reason to. After 10 tractors and three UTV's, and one ZTR, two push mowers and a line trimmer, all of which performed quite well--I am a JD supporter. That said, I DO NOT feel the XUV is for everyone. If one has heavy work or hard pulling to do, or intends to haul a bed full of material regularly and does not care about top speed, the JD is for them. JD in the XUV has really trumped the competition on suspension and ease of use. The four wheel drive system is really nice and is true four wheel drive, not an all wheel drive system. The only thing so far I do not like about my XUV is it needs more power. It runs better than my HPX and is pretty fast,especially on flats, but with the big tires, low engine power and clutch system, it is not the match of a Polaris 700 in speed, especially on hills. I really wish JD would have at least put a 30 hp engine in this machine, it would have been perfect then. I like the performance and love the machine, but if I were more using the machine for fun, rather than work, the Polaris might have the edge. Having tested and inspected some of the Polaris units, though, the build quality is not quite the same.

John M

 

[TOMMYHPX4X4]

Marshall is exactly right. I, for one, am guilty of supporting JD products. I feel I have a good reason to. After 10 tractors and three UTV's, and one ZTR, two push mowers and a line trimmer, all of which performed quite well--I am a JD supporter. That said, I DO NOT feel the XUV is for everyone. If one has heavy work or hard pulling to do, or intends to haul a bed full of material regularly and does not care about top speed, the JD is for them. JD in the XUV has really trumped the competition on suspension and ease of use. The four wheel drive system is really nice and is true four wheel drive, not an all wheel drive system. The only thing so far I do not like about my XUV is it needs more power. It runs better than my HPX and is pretty fast,especially on flats, but with the big tires, low engine power and clutch system, it is not the match of a Polaris 700 in speed, especially on hills. I really wish JD would have at least put a 30 hp engine in this machine, it would have been perfect then. I like the performance and love the machine, but if I were more using the machine for fun, rather than work, the Polaris might have the edge. Having tested and inspected some of the Polaris units, though, the build quality is not quite the same.

John M

the xuv is way to heavy for it to be fast . the frame is made to tough. it's useing the hpx frame they are trying to take a humvee and make a baja buggie out of it and it just won't work . the hpx frame is a working frame and that's it sure it can get up to a nice speed but that's it .if you try and ride it rough that reaend is gonna tearup sooner or later. mark my words they are gonna see that too and next yer they will change the frame of the xuv to make it lighter. i said it in a post before they released it and all we had was pictures to look at that it looked like they just took a hpx frame and slapped a new rearend on it and thats really all they did .i was gonna trade my hpx in for a new hpx but i might just wait til next year to see what the 08 xuv will look like. i think that will be the better one and if they don't change it well then who knows i might give polaris a try . a polaris is a really big seller down here too because of the swamp and it's abilty to go through alot of mud and water so resale is easy on the polaris the hpx resale is easy too . now the rhino's and mules don't resale so good.lol i like john deere but i was really disapointed in their design of the xuv . my hpx does 30mph right now and it has a 20hp motor i should just take and have it bored out 4 over and gain a few hp and then i would have more hp than the xuv. after all the hpx and xuv have the same engine .or just spend some money and drop a 29hp motor in it.lol it's only 1,800.00 for a 29hp kawasaki engine with the same measurments as the one thats in it now.then i would be up there with the polaris .i don't know why john deere didn't drop the 29hp engine in there when they was designing the xuv???


Small Engine Warehouse: FD791D-S01 - Kawasaki Engine 29hp Horizontal 1 1 8 x3 3 4 Keyed Shaft ES Liquid Cooled Fuel Injected Muffler

 

[a37b]

the xuv is way to heavy for it to be fast . the frame is made to tough. it's useing the hpx frame they are trying to take a humvee and make a baja buggie out of it and it just won't work . the hpx frame is a working frame and that's it sure it can get up to a nice speed but that's it .if you try and ride it rough that reaend is gonna tearup sooner or later. mark my words they are gonna see that too and next yer they will change the frame of the xuv to make it lighter. i said it in a post before they released it and all we had was pictures to look at that it looked like they just took a hpx frame and slapped a new rearend on it and thats really all they did .i was gonna trade my hpx in for a new hpx but i might just wait til next year to see what the 08 xuv will look like. i think that will be the better one and if they don't change it well then who knows i might give polaris a try . a polaris is a really big seller down here too because of the swamp and it's abilty to go through alot of mud and water so resale is easy on the polaris the hpx resale is easy too . now the rhino's and mules don't resale so good.lol i like john deere but i was really disapointed in their design of the xuv . my hpx does 30mph right now and it has a 20hp motor i should just take and have it bored out 4 over and gain a few hp and then i would have more hp than the xuv. after all the hpx and xuv have the same engine .or just spend some money and drop a 29hp motor in it.lol it's only 1,800.00 for a 29hp kawasaki engine with the same measurments as the one thats in it now.then i would be up there with the polaris .i don't know why john deere didn't drop the 29hp engine in there when they was designing the xuv???


Small Engine Warehouse: FD791D-S01 - Kawasaki Engine 29hp Horizontal 1 1 8 x3 3 4 Keyed Shaft ES Liquid Cooled Fuel Injected Muffler

I think you should buy another brand since you think the xuv is a piece of crap. My xuv rides twice as good as my neighbors hpx, plus it has alot more power and snap to it.
The front suspension was changed also on the xuv.
Why would you want a new one since you say your 2004 hpx spins all four wheels? I read that in another forum also. I guess that John Deere came out with true 4 wheel drive in 04 instead of 06. Is this true?

 

[Kahuna]

The "true" 4 wheel drive came out on the 06 HPX. The 05 HPX still had the one front wheel spinning under a load. 06 is also the year they changed from the mechanical 4 wheel drive engagement to the electronic toggle switch.

As far as I can tell, the XUV and 06 HPX have the same 4 wheel drive system. I have had a 05, HPX, 06 HPX and now have the 07 XUV. The true 4 wheel drive is a really good feature. You can flip the switch when you anticipate a need then it only engages if the rear wheel sense a slip. You have to be careful not to engage the front wheel drive if your back wheels are actually spinning faster than you are traveling. I have never done this but the manual said it could cause damage.

 

[a37b]

The "true" 4 wheel drive came out on the 06 HPX. The 05 HPX still had the one front wheel spinning under a load. 06 is also the year they changed from the mechanical 4 wheel drive engagement to the electronic toggle switch.

As far as I can tell, the XUV and 06 HPX have the same 4 wheel drive system. I have had a 05, HPX, 06 HPX and now have the 07 XUV. The true 4 wheel drive is a really good feature. You can flip the switch when you anticipate a need then it only engages if the rear wheel sense a slip. You have to be careful not to engage the front wheel drive if your back wheels are actually spinning faster than you are traveling. I have never done this but the manual said it could cause damage.

Thanks for the answer Kahuna, I thought that was the case. I have taken my xuv in places that my 6x4 gator wouldnt have gone. I dont think the xuv irs is as light made as most of the other independent rear suspensions out on the market. This thing will haul a full load and hardly squat at all.
Thanks MM

 

[TOMMYHPX4X4]

I think you should buy another brand since you think the xuv is a piece of crap. My xuv rides twice as good as my neighbors hpx, plus it has alot more power and snap to it.
The front suspension was changed also on the xuv.
Why would you want a new one since you say your 2004 hpx spins all four wheels? I read that in another forum also. I guess that John Deere came out with true 4 wheel drive in 04 instead of 06. Is this true?

dude what is your problem where did i ever say it was a peice of crap??? and as for as the two front tire both spinning yes they both spin when i'm in the mud so how can i exsplain it can you. and why would i buy another brand i could always just get anther trusty old hpx.lol and as for as why would i want a new one ?? why do people trade in cars after a few years !!!!!!!!!! because they want a new one!!!! thats why. don't come into this forum and start puttin word into peoples mouths that they didn't say. and don;t come in here and start trouble. there are defects in every new product that comes out and if you buy it you have to deal with it but when some points out the defects don't get madd at them for it . i own a john deere too and i will more than likely buy another one in a year but i don't think i will buy a 07 xuv if i get an 07 model it would be another hpx i can get it to do 30 mph easy and with the 27" tires i never get stuck and if the 4 wheel drive system is even better than my 04 man i am sure to never get stuck.you can go back and copy and paste any thing you want from any forum you want that i write on and i'll stand by it cause if you notice i stand by my hpx.lol

 

[mars1952]

Marshall is exactly right. I, for one, am guilty of supporting JD products. I feel I have a good reason to. After 10 tractors and three UTV's, and one ZTR, two push mowers and a line trimmer, all of which performed quite well--I am a JD supporter. That said, I DO NOT feel the XUV is for everyone. If one has heavy work or hard pulling to do, or intends to haul a bed full of material regularly and does not care about top speed, the JD is for them. JD in the XUV has really trumped the competition on suspension and ease of use. The four wheel drive system is really nice and is true four wheel drive, not an all wheel drive system. The only thing so far I do not like about my XUV is it needs more power. It runs better than my HPX and is pretty fast,especially on flats, but with the big tires, low engine power and clutch system, it is not the match of a Polaris 700 in speed, especially on hills. I really wish JD would have at least put a 30 hp engine in this machine, it would have been perfect then. I like the performance and love the machine, but if I were more using the machine for fun, rather than work, the Polaris might have the edge. Having tested and inspected some of the Polaris units, though, the build quality is not quite the same.

John M

Hi John: You are missing my point about brand loyalty and your post unintentionally helps to make my point. People get stuck on one brand to the point that they get mad or offended when some one suggests that another brand might be better. I used to be a Chevy/GM fan. For 20 years that was all I drove (I had a bunch of them. I fixed them up and sold them.) Then one day I test drove a Ford and I discovered that they are pretty good cars too.
Manufacturers compete. One year one will be better the next year the other guy will improve. JD seems to have set it's sights on the Polaris Ranger with the Gator XUV but at least by the specs the Gator XUV still falls short of the Ranger. The Ranger still has more HP, faster top speed, larger payload, more towing capacity, more suspension travel, higher amp alternator, more seating capacity and the engine is made in the USA. I really don't see how that translates into the Gator XUV out working the Ranger XP. You make it sound like the wheels will fall off the Ranger if you try to work it. The Ranger has a long track record of people using it hard (to the point of abuse) and it has held up very well.
I went to the local JD dealer yesterday and looked at the XUV. It is a nice looking UTV much nicer than the older Gators. I admired the cast lower A-frames. I might buy a set of the rear fenders to put on my Ranger. But I still think that the Ranger has the edge over the XUV. You could be very happy with the XUV as long as your neighbor doesn't get a Ranger and start working circles around you. Let me give you an example.
One day I was mowing a section of field that was about 3 acres. My neighbor was mowing a 12 acre field. I was using my 32 Hp tractor with my 5 ft mower. He was using a 65 Hp tractor and a 10 ft mower. He started after me and finished well before me. I had plenty of time to think about how nice it would be to have more Horsepower.
Good Luck, Marshall

 

[a37b]

dude what is your problem where did i ever say it was a peice of crap??? and as for as the two front tire both spinning yes they both spin when i'm in the mud so how can i exsplain it can you. and why would i buy another brand i could always just get anther trusty old hpx.lol and as for as why would i want a new one ?? why do people trade in cars after a few years !!!!!!!!!! because they want a new one!!!! thats why. don't come into this forum and start puttin word into peoples mouths that they didn't say. and don;t come in here and start trouble. there are defects in every new product that comes out and if you buy it you have to deal with it but when some points out the defects don't get madd at them for it . i own a john deere too and i will more than likely buy another one in a year but i don't think i will buy a 07 xuv if i get an 07 model it would be another hpx i can get it to do 30 mph easy and with the 27" tires i never get stuck and if the 4 wheel drive system is even better than my 04 man i am sure to never get stuck.you can go back and copy and paste any thing you want from any forum you want that i write on and i'll stand by it cause if you notice i stand by my hpx.lol

I dont have any problem DUDE. I am not starting any trouble, are you a moderator? What defects are you talking about? Have you driven an xuv, how can you make judgements by looking at something? It seems that you had trouble on this forum before with other people. I am here to learn from people. Just because I just joined doesnt mean I cant say what I think.

 

[claykin22]

The bottom line is that we all get both emotionally and financially attached to our toys... No one wants to go out and spend 10K on the UTV they have put a lot of time and thought into purchasing, and then come home and read another's opinion that tears down that product.

Brand Loyalty is huge. Being a sales manager, I can say that we spend just as much on Brand awareness as we do Product awareness. John Deere and Polaris both have good products, and good customer loyalty.

Being from a farm, I am particularly loyal to john deere, and always admired the gators that some of my neighbors had. When I went to college I interned for a company that ran field borders for GPS mapping, we used Polaris Sportsman 500's, and a newer '04 Ranger. We used these to the extreme over rough terrain (often times worked ground), and in the dead of winter when the ground was frozen. We were constantly taking the 500's in for repair & service. The Ranger was a little better, but we couldn't run it as fast, and in my opinion, that is why we didn't have just as many issues with it. Too many times we would drive 200 miles to a farm, get out of the truck, get in the trailer, and then the ATV wouldn't run (even though it ran the previous night when we loaded it!) or even worse, it would get you to the other side of a mile long field just to fall apart on you there. It left a bad taste in my mouth for Polaris, and as a result I didn't even consider it when purchasing my XUV.

I know that isn't the case for every Polaris product, and the old rangers and the XP are two different machines, but it goes back to brand loyalty.

 

[Skipholiday]

Heck yes I am brand loyal.
#1 reason I went with JD was location.(No Polaris dealer close)
#2 reason I went with JD is that my dealer is loyal to her customers (that goes a long way with me)

The quality of all utvs is really improving. The Big Country sold by Cub Cadet is even looking up.

Anything that gets you off your tail and on the trail is good.
It doesn't cost a cent to test drive. Go meet the dealer of the utvs your interested in. Drive the product and make a decision.
Don't give your business to some yoyo's that won't stand behind their product~!

BTW I think I will get a Polaris soon. The Rzr really looks good. I will keep my xuv and rhino tho..