Successful Farming Ultimate UTV Evaluation

[hunterridgefarm]

This article was in this months Successful Farming Magazine. The Ultimate UTV Evaluation

They evaluate several different UTV's.

Thought I would share

 

[TableRocked]

Thanks for sharing....I did notice right away that the Kubota RTVx900 was pointed out as having a too little power for steep hills.

RTV owners, I've got almost vertical hillsides that require significant torque to get up and down....I'm fine not having a top speed racer or a huge travel suspension, but if this unit doesn't have the ability to climb hills like a mountain goat, my interest in this unit is over..... I'm definitely not purchasing this unit to use in North Dakota where elevation is a matter of a few feet over 500 miles..... I can purchase 4 brand new Yamaha golf carts for what this unit will set me back..... so if it won't out pull, out climb, out work them at least 5X better, no Kubota RTV in this garage.....

Thanks again for sharing the thread

 

[aczlan]

Thanks for sharing....I did notice right away that the Kubota RTVx900 was pointed out as having a too little power for steep hills.
RTV owners, I've got almost vertical hillsides that require significant torque to get up and down....I'm fine not having a top speed racer or a huge travel suspension, but if this unit doesn't have the ability to climb hills like a mountain goat, my interest in this unit is over..... I'm definitely not purchasing this unit to use in North Dakota where elevation is a matter of a few feet over 500 miles..... I can purchase 4 brand new Yamaha golf carts for what this unit will set me back..... so if it won't out pull, out climb, out work them at least 5X better, no Kubota RTV in this garage.....
Thanks again for sharing the thread

IMO, it depends on what you expect of it. If you expect it to blast up the hill at 40MPH leaving 4 roostertails like some of the sport UTVs will do, you will be very disappointed. We have a RTV500 and it will happily climb hills in low gear pulling a 7000# haywagon. Its slow doing it, but its as fast as the B7500 would be and it seats 2-3 people.
The RTV500 will outwork our golf carts any day of the week (except possibly in a drag race). As I understand it, the RTV900 is bigger, more powerful and faster than the 500, so it should outwork it too, you just might have to put it into a lower range than high if pulling a load up a hill.

Aaron Z

 

[KubotaToy]

They must be using medium or high gear, with my RTV1100 in low I run out traction before I run out of power. Medium does fine with a loaded bed up most hills but you will need to back down on the throttle if you pulling a 2k loaded trailer up a hill.

 

[texasjohn]

I use my 1140 gearing as follows

high range...pulling nothing, seeking speed...often it is too fast to use in the pasture, max is about 25mph on flat asphalt

medium....almost all the time I use it...up hills and with a trailer behind it....total weight pulling is at least 1000 lbs. max is about 15mph

low...if I stop on a hill with the trailer, this is what I need. Also, what I use when pulling heavy loads...just pulled a load of brush out of a 16 foot trailer in low 4 wheel drive, couldn't even feel it.

I have also used low 4 wheel drive to pull a 1000 gallon metal trailer full of water...you do the math...it's heavy...up a reasonable slope...yes, I got a run at it first.

My net...the tests are all done on roads and with people joy riding around with the need for speed and bumps and getting thrown around with seat belts on. Not me, I spend little time on the ranch roads. I USE the vehicle, it carries all sorts of stuff, including people, and moves trailers around well. I've pulled dead trees down with it, pulled windmill towers from horizontal to vertical with it. The engine does not bog down, lose traction first...and it's a heavy vehicle with aggressive tires.

The 1140, seems I recall, has a few more horsepower than the lower models of RTV...the diesel gives you torque and HST gives you reliability and smooth operation, easy driving, easy steering because hydraulic power is already available.

I think you need to think thru what you will use the vehicle for...it's toughest job...then set that situation up and see if you can test drive the RTV and whatever other vehicle under those conditions. Something like a trailer load of wood....or pulling several trees out of the woods...
Net, if you are trying to win a speed race, then the RTV isn't your vehicle...however, if you are planning on working it then it is worthy of consideration.

 

[aczlan]

I think you need to think thru what you will use the vehicle for...it's toughest job...then set that situation up and see if you can test drive the RTV and whatever other vehicle under those conditions. Something like a trailer load of wood....or pulling several trees out of the woods...

In many cases, if the dealer has a used one, they can arrange for you to test drive it at your property and see if you like it. We did that with a Gator before we bought the RTV and with a BX2200 before we bought the BX2660. The Deere dealer

Net, if you are trying to win a speed race, then the RTV isn't your vehicle...however, if you are planning on working it then it is worthy of consideration.

That has been our experience with the RTV500. My only regret is that we didn't get the 900...

Aaron Z

 

[TableRocked]

Great feedback.....I'm now even more convinced this is the vehicle for me....going to pull the trigger tomorrow......dealer agreed to a fresh, new, 2014 model (not the one I demo'd with the rust).....going to check with a few dealerships near me to get the best price.

 

[pwright]

I hope that you didn't really mean it when you said,

RTV owners, I've got almost vertical hillsides that require significant torque to get up and down.... if this unit doesn't have the ability to climb hills like a mountain goat, my interest in this unit is over.....

You really ought to get the dealer to let you try it on terrain you'll actually be using it on.

 

[Industrial Toys]

I find the title kind of funny. I have had my Mule since 2001 and had a Diesel 8wd Argo before that. No REAL farmer around here has any such UTV! They all use their p/u trucks to do whatever they have to do! It's the wannabees and hobby farmers that seem to need these things! Guess the farmers around here just aint successfull!

 

[pwright]

Interesting the way the ratings compare side-by-side (get it? UTV... Side-by-side...).



Thanks for finding this hunterridgefarm.