Ranger vs Kubota video..

[Robert_in_NY]

You can't bring a buddy along on the tractor

One area I think the Kubota would have a serious advantage over any gasser in fuel economy would be during idle. I don't know how much time you guys are idling your vehicles, but I leave mine running quite a bit while I unload the payload. On a tangent, if Robert in NY has livestock and uses a UTV to haul square bails of hay, I can see where he'd do a lot of work (a lot of work!) without wanting to use a hydraulic dump.

That is true but if I am running the loader I don't usually want a buddy around. Its too dangerous to have someone on the tractor and I worry a lot if anyone is around me as I am working. I had a friend of ours working with us when we put in our new septic. I was digging the leach field with a Bobcat 331 while they were installing the top tank. As I was swing to dump the bucket I catch something out of the corner of my eye and almost knocked him into the undercarriage as for some reason he walked tight to the excavator. Ever since then I have been very strict about anyone being around me while I am working with equipment. I thought he knew better but ended up being lucky he didn't get hit (he came close as he put his hand up against the excavator to brace himself just as I stopped it).

As for leaving it idle, I don't do that very often. It is a habit I started since I take Ava with me quite often I don't leave any machine running unattended. She knows how to start the ATV as it is and she usually plays around either in the truck, on the tractor or on the ATV while we are working (some times she helps but it depends on how long we are out there). Once you start something like shutting machines off you do it all the time even if you don't plan to

I do like the diesel option and as I said in a previous post I would love to just fuel up at either of my tanks and if I recall the Mule has a diesel option also. If the XUV had a bench seat I would be looking at that also. There are a lot of options and variations to weigh out as well as cost. I would love to get the most for my dollar while still being ideal for my farm. So you can tell I have a lot of thinking to do once I start demoing these machines.

We have deer but they don't use a lot of hay. I can see using the UTV to haul feed because we usually have two people, although I am not able to dump 100 pound bags of feed now but I can open gates and play decoy during this time of the year. Depending on how much feed we take down there we normally take the TN with loader as we can put 1000 pounds in the bucket easily. Most of the UTV beds look like we will run out of room after 5- 100 pound bags but it might work out anyway. Maybe we will get a bright idea to build up a 5' wide trailer and have the feed guys just pile the feed on that so we can use it for running feed, pounding post in the vineyard or for apple harvest if I want to pick more crates (half and full bushel crates) then the UTV's box will hold.

My main use for the UTV is the box and the bench seat as I need to be able to haul things and people

That is another thing I am weighing strongly, the size of the UTV box is important to me as I would like to haul as many crates as I can without always needing a trailer. That is usually the second spec I look at when I look at UTV specs.

 

[Skipholiday]

When Robert picks his utv I think it will help there sales..

Wish I was closer I would offer my 2 for demo..

BTW Robert.. Suzuki Samurai's can be had very reasonable.
60 plus horses, they are shorter than any utv and can be adapted to almost any type use..

 

[jcmseven]

I still strongly feel that the diesel in the Kubota will get far better fuel economy, even unloaded, v. the Polaris machine. I cannot attest to the Polaris economy but I get roughly double the fuel economy out of my diesel Gator v. the gas one I had previously. The weight difference here is about 150 pounds between my machines.

John M

 

[Robert_in_NY]

When Robert picks his utv I think it will help there sales..

Wish I was closer I would offer my 2 for demo..

BTW Robert.. Suzuki Samurai's can be had very reasonable.
60 plus horses, they are shorter than any utv and can be adapted to almost any type use..

From watching you guys play with your Samurai's I have been tempted. But we don't have very many around here and I am not sure if the back of the Samurai is as open, easily accessible and useful as the UTV boxes

Once I finally demo all these machines I hope that I can help others with this decision by listing what I consider pros and cons (of course I have to be careful about listing any cons for the RTV ). I do plan to put a post up with a review of all the UTV's I demo similar to my best utv thread. Basically one thread with info about all the different UTV's I tried out and hopefully a lot of pictures.

 

[Skipholiday]

We could make a dump bed for a Samurai..

Whatever you get, You will have fun.. I wish I could afford one of each..

My neighbor has a trail wagon (purchased for $4800) I paid $8700 for my XUV.
Every time I see him in the woods he is smiling..

Happy is happy.. No losers

 

[pappy19]

I just read where Polaris has a real problem with faulty radiators in their Rangers from 2005 to current. Polaris factory says it is back ordered on the new radiator design until at least April 2008. I guess they forgot to show that in the video.

 

[Robert_in_NY]

They also forgot to put in the fact that a lot of RTV 900 owners are not happy with the transmission not working the way it should (which is why Kubota added that little thing to the dash to help with this untold problem).

All companies will have problems, they are fixing the problem which is what they should be doing and if they are replacing all the radiators from 2005 on up then it is understandable they are backed up.

Just as Kubota stood behind their machines (although the tranny is still not perfect), Polaris is showing they are standing behind theirs as well.

Why does it seem like so many RTV owners are getting bent out of shape over a simple promotional video put out by a competitor. What do you think Polaris is going to do, promote the RTV

 

[coobie]

We own 2006 Kubota RTV 900 with full cab encloser,heater,and snow plow.My wife and I are in our 50,s so Iguess we don,t need 40 mph speeds and all the off road mud slinging the ranger has to offer.I can tell you though we do like the tuffness and durablity our RTV 900 offers around our farm from snow plowing to daily duties.I am sure the ranger is a fine machine but we will stick with are old farts durable Kubota.LOL. coobie

 

[zeuspaul]

Why does it seem like so many RTV owners are getting bent out of shape over a simple promotional video put out by a competitor. What do you think Polaris is going to do, promote the RTV

One would assume from the thread title an unbiased comparison. The thread title and original post infer nothing about a promotional video with a Ranger bias.

Zeuspaul

 

[Robert_in_NY]

One would assume from the thread title an unbiased comparison. The thread title and original post infer nothing about a promotional video with a Ranger bias.

Zeuspaul

I saw the thread title and watched the video. In the video there was a Ranger competing against the RTV. So the thread title was accurate. Once you start watching the video the first image you see is the Polaris logo and the words "Ranger Rodeo". So as soon as you start to watch the video you already know it is a Polaris supplied video.

I really don't see why this matters though. Does not knowing other companies try to sell their UTV's with promotional material upset RTV owners? Or should Skip have known better and warned RTV owners in the title that this video does not promote the RTV?