Leaf/Snow Mover

[GravelyGuy]

Here are some better pictures of my Gator XUV with the new blade that I'm going to use this fall and winter. This thing comes in handy for so many things, I love it. The blade is giving me some trouble right now though. I'm being told it's normal. Check out my thread over on plowsite.com if you want.

Upgrades:

Powertach Blade
Rear Mesh Screen
Bedliner
Hydraulic Dump Bed
Rubber Mats
Brush Guard
Brake Lights/Turnsignals
Poly Top
Windshield
Heavy Duty Front Suspension
Homemade Wooden Sides
Alloy Wheels

[GravelyGuy]

Here's a few more...

[zim bob the landscaper]

that thing is awesome.

[Lawn Freak]

Sweet, looks like too much fun

[deere615]

Sweet Gator!

[02DURAMAX]

You'll have fun plowing!!!!

[ojpent]

those are awesome I was driving cubs version @ my dealer last week there a blast..

[GravelyGuy]

Thanks guys, I can't wait for the snow this year. I am also going to try using this on the big properties that get leaves a foot deep.

I'm trying to decide if I should chain the tires, but I don't want to damage concrete drives. I think If I just add a couple hundred pounds in the bed I should be fine without chains. I havn't been able to get it stuck yet!

[Marek]

How much was the plow ? It looks HD. Does the mount stay on the deere or does it come off easy ? On thier site it looks like the RTV mount hangs really low.

[GravelyGuy]

How much was the plow ? It looks HD. Does the mount stay on the deere or does it come off easy ? On thier site it looks like the RTV mount hangs really low.

The plow was $2400. The mount is only held on by three bolts and two pins, but is is heavy and awkward to get into place. I'm going to leave it on all winter and then just take it off in the summer. It won't affect normal driving other than making it a little harder to turn. It's not that low, I wouldn't go over any jumps with it on there though.

[Lakewlc]

what did the whole thing cost you?

[lawncare18]

You got any pics of your mowing set up?? How many accounts you have? use the gator a lot working??

[GravelyGuy]

The gator with all upgrades was $16,911.00 with taxes. Yeah I know I could have had another truck for this amount. I have two trucks and they can't do what I can with the Gator.

I will get some pics of everything sometime in the off season. I have around 50 maintenance accounts most of which are full service (mow, spray, shrubs, mulch, snow, etc.) I have a few spray accounts that I don't do anything else for, so I have like 60 spray accounts overall.

I'm mostly solo, but I do have help with any landscape type work and with the snow.

[MileHigh]

That gator is freakin SWEET...I can't wait till I have things like that for my company.

[STIHL GUY]

looks like fun

[Collegepro]

how much extra was it for the hydraulic side to side up and down with the joystick in the cab??? because that would be nice to have that...but like i said im going in tomorrow to purchase mine so ill get my pics on here soon

[Jason Rose]

Sweet ride. I still can't get over what those thing cost though... THat blade is slick being all hydraulic. I had a Quad that I put a blade on once, it was wench up and down but you had to get off to angle side to side, it was slow going up and down and had zero down pressure, basically it was worthless. I bet yours will work MUCH better.

A couple things I see missing on your gator for moving snow;
1. A windshield wiper for the snow that will cake on there.
2. HEAT!!!

[South Florida Lawns]

16,000 and you don't even get a full cab:dizzy: Sweet ride there non the less, and that plow/blade thingy actually looks like it will plow snow compared to those winch blades. Good luck with it, too bad you can't get a bucket on there like those bobcat trucks, that would be neat.

[Junior M]

16,000 and you don't even get a full cab:dizzy: Sweet ride there non the less, and that plow/blade thingy actually looks like it will plow snow compared to those winch blades. Good luck with it, too bad you can't get a bucket on there like those bobcat trucks, that would be neat.
If you think 16,000 is to much, dont even think to look at the price of the bobcat toolcat! they are around the same price of a midsize skidsteer if that helps...

[GravelyGuy]

If you think 16,000 is to much, dont even think to look at the price of the bobcat toolcat! they are around the same price of a midsize skidsteer if that helps...

Yeah the 5600 toolcat thing is really expensive, I checked them out. THey aren't even in the same league as UTV's, much tougher and versatle.

Bobcat does make a UTV that has a bucket attachment though. The Bobcat has an all aluminum frame and overall looked pretty promising to me.

The full cab is like $5,000 BTW:dizzy: The poly top and windshield was $730. I can without doors and heat. I'm coming from snowblowers only.

[glfredrick]

I've now purchased 4 of the 850 XUV for the various college campuses that I serve (Facilities and Grounds).

I like the units a lot.

The latest two that I've ordered have the V-blades, which have the capability of being straight, v-back, and v-forward (scoop). Along with that, I add the heavy duty struts (needed to carry the extra weight of the blade -- ride a bit rough the rest of the year) and various cabs.

I don't like the lowest cost plexi windshield. It is worthless as anything more than a wind screen and impossible to clean without scratching. Shoot for the glass version if you are going cab and windshield.

Otherwise, the units have been worth their weight in gold to me.

[GravelyGuy]

I've now purchased 4 of the 850 XUV for the various college campuses that I serve (Facilities and Grounds).

I like the units a lot.

The latest two that I've ordered have the V-blades, which have the capability of being straight, v-back, and v-forward (scoop). Along with that, I add the heavy duty struts (needed to carry the extra weight of the blade -- ride a bit rough the rest of the year) and various cabs.

I don't like the lowest cost plexi windshield. It is worthless as anything more than a wind screen and impossible to clean without scratching. Shoot for the glass version if you are going cab and windshield.

Otherwise, the units have been worth their weight in gold to me.

No sh!t about the windshield scratching. It's ridiculous how easy it scratches. I used quality soft cloths to apply plastic wax to prevent scratches and all I did was scratch it while applying the wax. These soft cloths don't scratch anything:rolleyes:

No snow yet:cry: They're calling for a mild winter!

[glfredrick]

While we were hit hard with ice this year in Louisville, Kentucky, we didn't't have much snow. The snow we did have proved a nice test for the new XUV and blade setup. We have the jointed V-plow version.

It worked great -- and on a campus setting, it proved to be our most useful and fastest snow moving tool. I'll be outfitting more of these units and saving our truck/plow rigs for major road clearing. In parking lots, wide sidewalks, etc., the XUV shines!

It will also push a surprising snow load. We did have some problems with a broken hinge pin and with the springs stretching out, but that was due to hitting a few places on the roadways while carrying too much speed. We have tunnels for steam lines from the central heating plant to campus buildings, and the access panels to the tunnels in the lots have a sudden drop of an inch. That catches the blade and gives it quite a tweak... Otherwise, the XUV/blade setup is a golden choice.

[GravelyGuy]

While we were hit hard with ice this year in Louisville, Kentucky, we didn't't have much snow. The snow we did have proved a nice test for the new XUV and blade setup. We have the jointed V-plow version.

It worked great -- and on a campus setting, it proved to be our most useful and fastest snow moving tool. I'll be outfitting more of these units and saving our truck/plow rigs for major road clearing. In parking lots, wide sidewalks, etc., the XUV shines!

It will also push a surprising snow load. We did have some problems with a broken hinge pin and with the springs stretching out, but that was due to hitting a few places on the roadways while carrying too much speed. We have tunnels for steam lines from the central heating plant to campus buildings, and the access panels to the tunnels in the lots have a sudden drop of an inch. That catches the blade and gives it quite a tweak... Otherwise, the XUV/blade setup is a golden choice.

Yeah it works very well. The heaviest snow that we had this year was only 5.1":rolleyes: and it moved it with no trouble at all. Most of the time I had it in 2WD and no weight in the back. The traction is impressive.

I'm ready to get this blade off and get ready for spring. I think we're done with snow.

[GravelyGuy]

Another thing, this thing runs forever on a tank of fuel. Diesel was a good choice. It makes me seriously consider the diesel mowers out there. It seems like they would pay for themselves in a season or two and you would have power to spare the whole time.

I was worried about starting and we had had a few night way down around 0 with windchills and it started with no trouble at all.

[CoupesCuts]

How do you get it to all of your accounts in the snow?

[nnj18]

Nice gator but for the price tag I would've bought a used dump....here they want $15000 for one like yours.

[glfredrick]

My XUVs are at my account -- I manage grounds for Southern Seminary. Others would have to trailer, I expect.

About diesel equipment -- virtually our entire fleet is now diesel. An added benefit is that we can purchase off-highway diesel fuel for that fleet. Saves a few bucks.

We're running 2 JD 997s, 2 Kubota ZDs, a Kubota 2400, a Kubota 3060 -- all diesel -- plus 2 Skags walk behinds, and a fleet of Honda push mowers that are gas currently. I'm looking into a JD WAM for hillside mowing.

[GravelyGuy]

Nice gator but for the price tag I would've bought a used dump....here they want $15000 for one like yours.

I haul it around on a trailer to the larger accounts that I need it for.

It was expensive, but try driving a dumptruck right through the customers lawn and into the flower bed with a load of mulch, or around back through the yard to pull something out or clean something up. Also, I was able to clear most of my drives completely with my gator with very little shoveling.

I won't even mention the "just to much fun" factor involved :laugh:

[nnj18]

True but jmo a $15k dump is more versatile?

[glfredrick]

True but jmo a $15k dump is more versatile?

Depends on if you can get that dump into back yards and between parked cars in a lot... I have each, and the XUV gets used 50:1 over the dump, but of course, I'm on a campus. Might not be quite so high a ratio in the suburban world.