utility vehicle..mule..ezgo etc

mdbarb · Jun 11, 2003

I'm starting to feel the need for one of those little utility vehicles with a little flatbed in the back. Small, easy access, tight turning radius - just to bring more than a handful of tools and a bag of cement to the other side of the property (uphill)
Electric sounds nice. It wouldn't be used alot maybe a coupla hours a week. What is available out there? where can I find an older slightly beatup one? What do they cost?

MarkV · Jun 12, 2003

Yes, now that you are a vineyard owner of course you need one of those. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif I've done some causal looking at the utility vehicles thinking it would be the thing for my father-in-law. Everyone seems to be making one now. Bobcat, Polaris, JD, Kawasaki, Pug to name a few. From what I have seen you need to expect $6 – 10K for most of them. If your terrain isn't to bad there are a lot of individual companies that are converting golf carts to utility vehicles by putting a lift kit and off road tires on them. These seem to run 2 – 5K and can be had in gas or electric.

MarkV

cowboydoc · Jun 12, 2003

Like Mark said just about anything you want it available out there in all price ranges. As far as getting one used they don't show up very often. The dealers are your best bet. If you are looking at Gators you can go to www.johndeere.com and then go to used equipment. You can search nationwide here for prices on Gators.

Chief · Jun 12, 2003

I would suggest a diesel John Deere Gator. The trail Gators are pretty utilitarian. The Gators now come in electric models as well now. I can tell you from experience the Gators are near bullet proof. The 101st Airborne, 5th Special Forces, and Special Opns have not been able to tear them up. They just keep going. In fact a unit who shall remain nameless /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif took a diesel trail gator to Afganisthan new and put nearly 1,000 on the gator and only added oil and fuel. The break-in oil was never changed. The unit just required a good service and new tires when it was brought back. If you prefer the electric model, here is the link: E-Gator Link

8NTX · Jun 12, 2003

If you only plan to use it a couple of hours a week, and especially if you want to do this fairly inexpensively, I would recommend a used golf cart. I bought a 1998 EZ-Go electric cart about a year ago on ebay for $1250. You can add a utility bed on the back for about $300. It has worked great for us, going up and down fairly steep hills, down wooded trails, etc. The only time it ever got stuck was in soft sand. I plan to add some knobby tires and a lift kit for a total cost of about $400. It easily pulls my little utility cart/trailer that was designed for my lawn tractor. It really is a good little workhorse and fairly maintenance-free. But probably not bullet-proof. /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

Chief · Jun 12, 2003

EZ-Go carts are pretty tough cutomers too. I had one for a year while I was stationed in Honduras at Soto Cano Airbase. This cart go abuse pretty bad by the GI's. They stole it twice, first time was two enlisted guys who ran it in to the Post MP Commanders quarters. (smart move there ehh?) Second time it was two Captains playing a prank on me. (Captains just love to raz Warrant Officers /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif) Anyway, I pretty much put gas and oil and it kept running but has constant carburetor problems.

SLOBuds · Jun 12, 2003

$7700 list. Wow. Gotta patch a whole bunch of fence to cover that. Do they ever have a 90% off sale?

/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

gobbler · Jun 12, 2003

I was out of town on business last week and happened upon a Cub Cadet dealer on my way back from lunch. I spotted a Cub Cadet utility vehicle out front and stopped. I’m not in the market for one but I had never seen one before. It looks very much like a JD Gator. The 4x2 model that I saw had an 18hp Honda engine. Best part … $5800

Jim

Boone · Jun 12, 2003

Where I work we use electric golf carts with alum. utility beds. The first carts where gas but they had carb problems during the winter so they switched to electric and these carts have been mostly maintenance free. They are plugged in when not in use and that is a cost to owning electric that should be considered.
I see used Gators listed at many of the local springtime 4H auctions.

Boone · Jun 14, 2003

Here is a gas unit that I would love to have. It is a 4x4 Pug. The bed dumps hydraulically, and the front has a hydraulic lift. The seat is tipped forward in the pic to access the engine for maintenance.