Kawasaki Mules?

[Kingspointe]

Hey guys,

I was just wondering if any of you use kawasaki mules for landscaping. These machines are built pretty strong, and also come in 4wd. They have beds that tilt, and I've heard of guys using wood to make them 6ft long. These would be great with mulch jobs or other areas to transport material back and forth. Just wondering if you guys have any opinions!

Thank you

Zoran Ploscar
Kingspointe Services, Inc.

[deere ZTR]

Check out the Polaris Ranger pretty close to a mule but has a couple things the mule doesnt. The Ranger will run 45mph.

[bruces]

We have one, haven't used it a whole lot for work, but it is great, and a lot of fun. You can get an electric lift on the bed if you want.

It will pull up to 1200 lb I believe.

The Ranger is also impressive, the bed on it is probably a little higher than the Mule. The Ranger seems to be a little more rugged - more off road ready, if you will. The bed on these machines is not very large, but you could add sides or extensions fairly easily.

Either one would be a handy machine to have if you have a use for it.

If I were doing mulch jobs or hauling dirt or rocks, I would probably go with the electric lift on the bed.

[azturfpro]

I use John Deere Gators where I work . I have used mules before but had way too much down time and too many expensive repair bills .

[deere ZTR]

My local Honda dealer said that Honda was going to be comeing out with a machine like that as well more like a ranger or a mule than a gator.

[exmarkhp]

how about a yamaha rhino they do about 45 and work good also

[BSDeality]

do any of those have a selectable live axle? my father is interested in a 4x4 mule-like machine that won't tear up his lawn, but still be able to get through the woods or the mud.

[lars]

Golf courses live and die by utility vehilcles. They are absolutely great at moving materials over grass. I'm assuming on your jobs you can't drive a truck to where you want to go. If that's the case, go with a utility vehicle.

That said, the Mule is a good choice, probably the best up until this year. However, the new machine of choice is by Kubota. It's diesel, capacites are similar to the largest Mules, it's 4wd, and most importantly the new transmission is revolutionary. If you're in the market, you need to check this out. We're getting one this summer. I can't wait.

http://www.kubota.com/UV900/index.html

You could try the Bobcat ToolCat too. It's a loader / UV combination. It's capicity is a little bigger than the Mule / Kubota and it's sure to be more pricey. I'm not sure how you load the bed with the loader though.....mabye you get the loader goning fast enough and flip it over the cab:p

http://www.bobcat.com/products/twm/index.html

[Luscious Lawns]

Yes Buddy...Toolcat and Kubota..


I checked these out at Pro Day here in Atl. Man........ are these machines nice but they are pricey. It does seem the they would make the Toolcat capable of self loading though.

We use a 4wd Mule a lot to do hauling around the larger projects. The dump bed is great and they are selectable 2 or 4 wheel drive. But eigher way they are a big machine and you have to be careful on finish turf not to rut it. The Mule is a little slow on the long run hauling clippings to the compost area about 1/4 mile from the finish turf area LOL


Allen

[bottlefed89]

I love the toolcat, but doubt I'll ever need one. At the farm at school, we get a new gator every year, I think you could do most things with one. The school's maintenance crew has a bunch of mules. I think they get those for the enclosed cab. They're always runnin around doing nothing..... But the 10 guys they pay to do the turf care manage to keep it pretty nice.

[JRSlawn]

I HAVE A JOHN DEERE GATOR 4X2 WITH CAB W/HEAT, SNOW PLOW, BEDLINNER, HD TIRES, HYD DUMP BED, AND TONS OF OTHER EXCESORIESS. I HAS 300 HRS ON IT ONLY USED IT FOR ONE JOB AND TO PLOW SNOW. I AM TRYING TO SELL IT. IF ANYONE IS INTRESTED PLEASE LET ME KNOW.

[D Felix]

Typing in all caps is considered yelling, if you weren't aware...

I will back up the previous statement about the Kubota utility vehicle. We were checking into these things pretty hard a couple of months ago when we thought we may have been working at the new nature park...

We would have been running at least 2 Toolcats (one will load another, saves a third piece of equipment and another operator), as well as 3 or so of the Mules/RTV900's... The Toolcats would have been rentals, as we couldn't have justified spending $70k on both of them for a 6 month project.

From the specs, the Kubota is the way to go. Diesel is standard, you can get an electric over hydrualic dump bed, winch is optional, and best of all is the transmission; its all hydrostatic. The Mules are belt driven, good luck with that after several hundred hours of heavy loads.

The only downside to the RTV900's is that Kubota only has the capacity to make 10,000 of them this year. When they introduced them at the dealers show several months ago, by the time the show was over, they were already sold out. From what I understand, next year should be a better year as far as production is concerned.

Price-wise, the Kubota is about the same as the Mule, around $10k base for the diesel models. The Toolcat will set you back about $35k, but it has a lot more capacity than any of these utility vehicles will have at any time in the near future!

That being said, JD has now come out with a 4x4 Gator that may be worth looking at too...


Dan

[morturf]

I am suprised that nobody has mentioned the Cushman Truckster or Toro Workman. I have had both and they are by far the best for the money utility machines. They are more expensive than a Mule/Gator but they are also made for this type of work. The Workman I have can haul over 2000 pounds and has a hydralic lift not electric. The bed is a whole lot bigger!! Give these a look they are great machines.
mike

[D Felix]

The Truckster and Workman have their place. Mainly on flat ground.:) We had several of them at the golf course when it was under construction 7 years ago, and by the end of the summer, it was all that the mechanic could do to keep a couple of them running. But, then again, we had used them to haul over 1000 tons of pea gravel (yes, that is supposed to say 1000), it may have been closer to 2000 tons, I don't remember... Every green had 4" of pea gravel spread on the base, and the greens were an average of 7000 square feet. You do the math! Plus each green had drainage installed and probably used another ton or two of pea gravel to fill the trenches....

The only thing about those machines that may not be acceptable to some people is the last I knew, they didn't come with 4wd.


Dan

[Grassmechanic]

Check out Club Car XRT's. All aluminum frames, automotive style suspension and brakes, better price than Gator and much nicer than a Gator (I had two XRT's and two 6x4 Gators).

[DALMlawn&landscaping]

At this ranch i worked at, they had a 2x4 gator/gas engine and it was a good machine. we mainly used it during our free time to chase the deer around that were unlucky enough to be caught in the 40 acres that the people high fenced to keep deer out (yes, deer in the no deer zone, confusing i know). that was always enjoyable and loaded with 400lbs of human weight, and another 200 or so in equipment, it held up pretty well going fast(top speed?) over the bumps, across big rocks, through old barbed wire fences and down steep hills after the ranch's deer we go.

a buddy had a mule, 4x4, and it had alot of problems, the golf cart in the shed ran longer than that thing. although, when the mule worked, it got three people, ice chest and chainsaws anywhere in the 1200 acres at his ranch, which was always good and could still chain pull all the trees you could want. we would also pull his 14ft bass tracker in and out of the river with it. can't comment on any of the other brands, but some sort of an electric/hydraulic assisted bed would be my choice for landscaping materials or even 1000-2000 tons of pea gravel...

jmo

-jeff

[lars]

Ok, we're looking at a lot of different things here, and there are almost "classes" for each vehicle.

Club Car vs EZ Go

These are both based off golf carts and are the mainstays of golf courses. They both offer models with 500, 800, and 1000 lb bed loads and offer "off road" models. After having using both extensively, the Club Car is the runaway winner. All aluminum construction, big beds, strong motors. They also have a better air filter than the Ez Go, which can be a big deal since both have them near the ground (and dirt). On golf courses, I have consistantly overloaded Club Cars and they move without a problem. Ez Go's on the other hand, struggle and flex alot more. Personally I think the Club car is the best machine for the money even matched up against Gators and 2wd Mules when you consider the capacity and construction of the machines.

Deere Gator 2x4 vs Toro Workman Jr (Twister)

Both of these machines are 2wd and have big flotation-like tires. The suspensions are a little more like ATV's than golf carts. The winner here is definitely the Workman Jr. Quite frankly, the Gator is a toy compared to the Workman, even though they are in the same price range. For instance the bed capacity of the Workman is 850 or 1250 lbs. The capacity of the Gator is 500 lbs! Workman: 12 or 16 hp, Gator: 11. The Workman is more comfortable than the cramped, knee-banging Gator. Also the suspension is better. Heck, the gator does not even have a rear suspension. It relies on the big tires. I think it's time that Deere updates the Gator, cause it has met its match.

Cushman vs Workman vs Deere ProGator

These are almost pick-ups. Each has a large bed capacity (2000+ lbs) and hydraulics for bed cylinders and other attachments. The Workman/ProGator are virtually the same design. Long bed and front wheels set behind the seats. The Cushman is a little different with a more car-like design. All three are available with a diesel engine. I've used the Workman and Cushman and they both have advantages and disadvantages. The Workman turns tighter and the bed is alot larger. The big bed is the real selling point of this machine. The Cushman has a bigger engine and a 5 speed tranny, and the operator station is laid out well. Personally, I like the Workman. Both of these machines can reach $20,000+. For the price of a Workman 4wd (they are the only one to offer 4wd) diesel you can get 2 Kubotas and fill the back of them with beer.

There are alot of choices out there and everybody has a different design. First, figure out what you need. Do you need 2wd or 4wd? Is bed capacity an issue? Next, compare specs. Just because something looks bigger and tougher, does not mean it is. Heck, those puny looking Club Cars have more capacity than the Gator. Throw in price, and find what is the best machine for your needs. Good luck.