Side by Side question

I'm looking to purchase a new 2018 Kawasaki Mule side by side.  This purchase stemmed from looking into a golf cart purchase but thinking I need something a bit more rugged given the terrain.  Choking back the costs and have two key questions:

I'm very interested in following this post as I'm in the same boat, need to upgrade my old gator and don't want something that looks like it flew in from outerspace.  I like the looks of the Mule.   I have my gator insured under my homeowners insurance policy not sure if thats the best or not, neighbor has his on his car policy and it's costing about the same as another car.

I have a Club Car XRT 1550 which is a real utilitarian type side by side. It has the Kubota diesel engine and is a real workhorse. It has a bench seat that beats bucket seats in my opinion. I don't have enough sense to post a link but google club car xrt1550. Club Car made the side by side for CaseIH, New Holland, and Husqvarna, and maybe others too. Not hard to find parts for either. Even though mine is a authentic Club Car, I always call the local CaseIH dealer to get anything I need. As far as insurance, all I had to do was add it to my farmowners plan and give them the specifics of it.

We have golf carts on the farm and I have been looking at side by sides because I think the golf cart is not enough vehicle and it beats the crap out of me riding across the pastures. I felt the same way about the prices and I bought an old CJ-7 and kept it for a while, but I sold it because to me it was too big for what I was trying to do. I like the Polaris Ranger but haven't bought one yet. We have looked at kubota polaris Kawasaki and Kioti. The diesel versions vibrate excessively at idle( kubota and polaris) not sure about Kioti but out all of those the Kioti seems to me to be the best one built. But if I go with gas it will be the Polaris Ranger

If a fast ground speed is important then maybe skip the Mule.  Maybe the new ones are faster but they used to only go about 25-30 MPH down the road but one thing is for sure you won't be able to find anything that can outwork a Mule from my observations.

Will add that mine is insured on my car insurance policy, comp, collision and liability.

Wow, Insurance came back with a quote of $375 a year. Buddy has a Kubota w more horsepower and pays $75! Guess time to do some calming around!

I bought a rusted out 2001 Ferd Ranger 4x4 from my brother 4 years ago for $800. That's my mule and I can drive it to town to fill the tank up.
 I don't have to worry about it getting stolen, air conditioner and heater work great, and I can sit in out of the weather during deer season. After I put tires and brakes on it when I got it, my only expense was a new fuel pump last fall, plus gas, oil, and Illinois tags and insurance.
 No way I could afford a $10-12,000  toy, when I have this.


Edited by CTuckerNWIL - 24 May 2018 at 10:54am

Still running the Yamaha gas cart with bed I had built on the back for five years now. We all pitched in about 15 years ago and bought parents one for their 10-15 acres and all the grandkids/great grandkids could not tear that thing up, so I found one locally on CL. When I picked up the lease on the 100 acres attached to my 25 I brush cut the fence lines and the old "yammers" can drive it but close on clearance as the small tree stubble sometimes scrapes the lower tube frame and the main wiring harness had to be tucked up out of the way. Local dealer wants 1300.00 for a lift kit and he get's my tires/rims/hub caps, NOT. Can't kill the darned thing and figured I would grab a new 2WD Mule when the Yamaha finally gave up the ghost as a big Dallas dealer runs a special every year for mid 4K range on a loaded 2WD Kawasaki. But the golf cart keeps pluggin along, even bringing in new calves hog-tied in the bed or across my lap from a good mile away. We are pretty dry here and I have no hills to speak of so it works for me but all smaller gates I have installed are set up to accept the Mule as well, for when that day comes.

Farm has a 2017 Mule which replaced a 2008 700xp Ranger...which I bought.

Mule

Rides and drives more like a pickup. Has steel bed and a good hard cab with heat was added. It will go anywhere the ground clearance allows. Not nearly as sporty as the Ranger and also will not traverse the deep mud nor logs rocks etc as well as the Ranger. Crossing creek bottoms is interesting due to reduced ground clearance. The Mules tranny is better than the Ranger....no cvt to get wet and slip. Overall it’s more of a truck.

Ranger is more sporty, better clearance and drives faster. No power steering on the 700xp. Suspension has way more travel than the Mule.

what tucker said,    with my cj5 icanput a tow bar on it to go down the interstate or just drive it , dont have to haul it long distances

new mule is great pro fx, polaris ranger are reliable also. i switch to a polaris general to work and play and i am happy with it. bed space is limtied

I just replaced my new holland side by side with a new textron stampede. They are Artic Cats new name. German engineered engines made in St. Cloud Mn. Extended cab. Wow what a machine. Now owned by the same company that makes Bell helicopters and Cessna airplanes. Very handy powerful and smooth. I am impressed.

I learned today I gotta gits them doors off the cab of my new to me EZ-GO, my other EZ-GO has the hyd dump box on it, I might try to switch that over to this one. so far the golf cart types have been good to us, and have always done what we needed them to do. if I need 4x4 i'll take the cub 4x6 out, it has the big tool box and more box space if needed. it's powered by Honda. Buhler Industries here has a mule they bought new, it has a PTO on it as they use it to test some equipment. of course the employees have about destroyed it by beating it and rolling it, just un-supervised stupidity! i'm sure they would destroy any brand. I sure would like to test drive an ARGO some day!