Bill601
Member
I keep thinking of an old S-10 4x4 pickup. Even if you had to sink a couple thousand into it, you'd be money ahead of a cheap side by side. Just my 2 cents.
My wife and I have been looking at getting a side by side for running up and down the mountains in southeast KY. It seems the cheap ones start at about 8000 and they go up from there. The JD Gators can easily be 25000. Even used the resale seems fairly high for what it is.
My daughter was looking at a 2013 RAM 4x4 shortbed - 185000 miles. It was $6500. I took it for a test drive and it seemed fine - it needs a new heater core which I'm factoring in.
I can't really see why the side by sides are so high when a truck like this probably can about everything for just driving around the homestead - and maybe once in a while driving into town.
Why would someone get a gator/side by side if you can get a beater 4x4 truck for less money? What am I missing here?
What are you thoughts on this?
Wow, I guess I am in the minority opinion here, but side by sides (or UTVs) are NOT really farm equipment. This is MY opinion and here are my reasons. They are toys. They are SUPER high priced (as you are finding out) and the parts availability is almost non-existent after about 10 years.
As you see, you can get a fully street legal truck for less. This is a truck with heat, enclosed cab, radio, wipers, maybe A/C, and a ton of other features. If you get a 'beater' it will go most places the UTV can go. I have a beater Jeep TJ and that will go any place a UTV can go. But I can also drive that down the shore, I can take it in deep snow, it can haul a lot more than most UTVs. I can also put 4 people in it!
A UTV is a 'fun' vehicle, but limited to off road use. They are not really as durable and repairable as a small 4X4. I'm not saying UTVs are worthless, but I when you think of them more as a toy than a tool, you can better compare them to a 4X4. If you are mostly using it for work, and live in places that get cold, snow, rain, etc, a 4X4 is the way to go. If you are only looking to ride around a larger property, and don't need to use it for real work in all conditions, a UTV is fine.
You can answer that question for yourself. We cannot do it for you, only can saw what we would do in our own situation.My wife and I have been looking at getting a side by side for running up and down the mountains in southeast KY. It seems the cheap ones start at about 8000 and they go up from there. The JD Gators can easily be 25000. Even used the resale seems fairly high for what it is.
My daughter was looking at a 2013 RAM 4x4 shortbed - 185000 miles. It was $6500. I took it for a test drive and it seemed fine - it needs a new heater core which I'm factoring in.
I can't really see why the side by sides are so high when a truck like this probably can about everything for just driving around the homestead - and maybe once in a while driving into town.
Why would someone get a gator/side by side if you can get a beater 4x4 truck for less money? What am I missing here?
What are you thoughts on this?