John Deere Gator

[bob]

Have any of you used or own a John Deere Gator? If so 4 or 6 wheels? I'm thinking of getting one for work and play. Please give your feedback.

[grasscapeinc]

I've used one, what do you want to know about it?

[lawnforce1]

I have used one on a farm in FLA. Mostly for loading quail feeders and racing around. They are very useful for hauling small loads and they can scoot if ya want to use it as a &quot;go-cart alternative.&quot; <p>The 6 wheeled model with the locking diff. is the one I would vote for.

[OBRYANMAINT]

I rented one this week for hauling bed edgings and mulch....gotta say I will be in the market for one next year

very user friendly payload is great and they really leave no marks on a wet lawn

The one i used only had a 10 horse motor seemed small but it did the job....curious if they have a bigger gas model

it was a four wheel model, 2 wheel drive and did have a diff lock but never needed it

[Runner]

My sister in law's dad, - or is that My brother's father in law,...oh well, anyway, he has one for his nursery and Greenhouses, and he likes it real well. I've even seen on out on Warwick Hills golf course! Was it a work crew? No! It was doubling as a golf cart!:) We have a local dealer around here that donated one to his son's school district's athletic department for the football and other athletic programs. Now, THERE'S a good plug at the home games!

[MikeLT1Z28]

we used to have one where i worked for golf course type stuff and security patrols. was very hard to tear this thing up ( i took care of it, some of the kids there didn't). not sure what HP it was, 4 wheels, 2 wheel drive. it was one of the first gators from back around '93 or '94. had a dump bed on it too.

[summitgroundskeeping]

Cushman. Oh my god thoes things are the biggest life saver. Check them out, you won't be disappointed.

[summitgroundskeeping]

http://www.cushmanco.com

check them out, I love these things to death.

[shadow]

I do know that curtis makes a plow for the gator and I do belive its at least 6ft wide or maybe even 7:D

[FrankenScagMachines]

I worked part time for a JD dealer that had all variations of both the regular and "trail" gator. They are great. You'll like it. Ask me whatever you wanna know and i'll answer it. The 4x2 gasser model has a 10hp Kohler and the 6x4 gasser has a 14 or 16hp Kohler. Not sure about the deisels, but they are all great to run! Very powerful, they have an automatic tranny that when you let off the gas completely it will stop, give it alittle and she goes, give it more, it goes more! Not just extra speed from the engine but also a variator pulley with belt drive. Brakes work good. The diff lock is nice too, but remember that the 6 wheeler has a 2' or so bigger turn radius than the 4 wheeler. No shocks in rear, just in front, but the frame does not wiggle at all. At least not empty. They will do 18mph at top speed. Very nice.
www.johndeere.com slow website for most normal PC's, but be patient.
Eric

[lee b]

I just bought a new trail gator last week, 4x2, I love it. It's really handy around the farm and I've put a 25 gal. spray tank in the back for spraying around commercial accounts. It can haul quite a load and goes fast enough {especially for the kids}. The price was pretty good too, $5500.00 plus tax, about what you'd pay for a good 4-wheeler, but alot more versitile. The 4x2 has a 10hp air-cooled engine and the 6x4 has a 18 hp. liquid-cooled engine, the 10hp. has plenty of power, so the 6x4 must really be a brute.I think you'd enjoy one.:)

[GLS]

I don't own one, but would love to have one.

If the 6x4 diesel isn't enough, check out the heavy duty progator. I got a close look of it at the world headquarters here in Moline...it's huge! However, the price tag is $17,000.

http://products.deere.com/Deere/Images/progator2030_48579_p.jpg
(that cab is optional)

[Mr.Ziffel]

You need to decide what you're going to use it for before you decide which model [or make] to buy. I have had a Kawasaki Mule 4x4 for two years and it's been great. I also had two Jacobsen [same as EZGO Workhorse] commercial golf course maintenance vehicles with the diamond plate steel bodies and tilt beds which I used a lot in summer, not as much when wet and muddy because of their lack of ground clearance.

I wanted a power tilt bed and after I sold both Jacobsens, I looked at Gator, new Mules, Polaris, Cushman, Pug and EZGO. I bought the EZGO ST480 which has an 18HP Briggs OHV engine, differential lock, power tilt bed with liner, windshield and roof for a little over $6100. It also has large off road tires with high ground clearance.

I didn't need another 4x4, but wanted the diff lock just in case but haven't needed it yet. I wasn't happy with my Mule dealer [long story] so didn't want to go there again and didn't want to pay what they wanted for all the others which was several thousand for a comparably equipped vehicle. I've had the 480 for a few months now and if I was doing it again, I'd probably just go for the ST350 which has the 11HP Robin engine [same as on my Jacobsen's] and no diff lock, because I haven't needed either the extra power or the diff lock yet and the price was almost $800 less.

I have heard that the Gators, EZGO's and others with the belt drive and variable-slip drive clutch don't work as well as the chain drive in the Mule or shaft drive [I think] of the Polaris, but I test drove the EZGO extensively through mud and large puddles and couldn't get it to slip and I've had no problems with it since I've had it. I've recently had my guys cleaning out some old stables we couldn't get a tractor into and they've been filling the bed heaping high with HS, driving right out of the mud pit, through the wet fields and dumping the piles right where I want them. It'd be easier to load if I could use the tractor, but the power dump feature just paid for itself this week.

A friend of mine in Idaho has a TrailGator in olive drab with a cab, canvas sides, a heater, etc., and it looks like a mini Army truck - very cool, but he's got over $12K in it. He just uses it to drive around the gun club and has a great time with it but he could do the same thing for a lot less with another vehicle. Good luck with your purchase.

Will M>

[darryl gesner]

For a serious utility vehicle, check out these tructors.

http://www.tructor.com/oldindex2.html

[darryl gesner]

ooops, this is the link to the full site: http://www.tructor.com/

[zero_turn_mowers]

I know this is a old post but I was doing a search on John Deere Gators, I just bought a JD Trail Gator 6X4 Desiel has the power lift, hitch on rear, floor mats, and a bar gaurd on the front, I didnt ask when I bought it but is there any difference between the Trail Gator and Reg. Gator.


Tim

[bob]

Originally posted by raptor_1970
is there any difference between the Trail Gator and Reg. Gator.


Tim

Usually the Trail Gators have more standard options- like brush guards for example.

[Florida 5 Star]

At work we have used the Kawasaki Mule 4x4 but we run the darn brakes down a lot using them every day. If you need a small load carrier I would sugest the Polaris Ranger MSRP $8799 it as all wheel disk brakes which will be an issue if you intend to keep the unit for a while.
Fun toys but you can also buy a darn good used small 4x4 truck for that amount.

[guff1972]

John Deere now has a 4x4 gator which we just got in at the dealership were I work. It would be worth your time to look at one of these, it has some pretty nice features over the regular gators

[Grassmechanic]

Ck out a Club Car XRT. All Aluminum frame and dump box. Full automotive suspension. I think we paid $6,700 for it. Faster and better riding that any Gator (we had 2 6x4's). Cost around $6,700.

[GreenMonster]

I have a 6/4 gator that I use around the house, and have been really happy with it. I have a "road" that goes down the side of my house to a beach. I haul sand down there with it, haul firewood, mulch. It's supposed to haul 800lbs, and it does that with NO problems. The road to my beach is also about a 30% grade, and it climbs that (or steeper) without locking the differential. I've NEVER got it stuck, and believe me, I should have. My beach was dredged years ago, and drops off very sharply. I can back up so much that the front tires are almost lifting off the ground, hit the hydraulic lift, dump the sand, and pull out (w/diff locked).

With very low tire ground pressure, you have to try to tear up grass, even with the "aggressive" tires.

Biggest dislike is wide turning radius. You can almost forget about turning with the diff. locked.

typical J.D. Quality.

[twbuild]

I had one 4wheel & one 6wheel model they dont work very well on hills. Suspension is useless.

[txlawnking]

While I was in Iraq, we had lots of Gators to use. Me being over there as a mechanic, I also had LOT'S of Gator's to fix.. IMO, they are NOT up to par with the quality of your average JD product.. The clutch is a frequently damaged item, the suspension is useless, as previosly metioned the turning radius of the 6x4 is deplorable ( they are virtually impossible to turn with the diff locked ) and the overall build quality seems real "homeade" or go-cart like.. All of the ones I worked on/used were the diesel 6x4's.. I assure you the Yanmar diesel they have will outlast the rest of the machine probly 3 to 1. If it were my $$$ I would look at the Kubota, or Kawi real hard. Matbe even the polaris.. BTW that Trucktor thing is huge, but awesome!!!

[JRSlawn]

igo a 4x2 plow cab and blade for sale pm me

[Oldtimer]

Before you buy look at a Kubota if there is a dealer who can keep one in stock long enough for you to get there.


Oldtimer