Gator/Mule vs Four Wheelers

[CKC1586]

What are your opinions on which you prefer, a Gator or four wheeler?? I will be needing a "chore buggy" and had thought that I wanted either a Gator or a Mule especially with the dump box, but the more I read/hear about folks using their four wheelers I am reconsidering. My property is very wooded and hilly and much of the ground is clay, slippery and sticky as snot when wet. My brother uses a 6X Gator and I really like that little thing and figured I needed a similar unit. Sure has a fancy price tag.
Sure would like to hear from someone that has had both. Opinions??

 

[bigbull338]

well if your farm is wooded id get a 4 wheeler b/c you can go in the woods w/o hanging up and a mule will get you hungup in the woods the last price i had on a mule was $8500 and the big 4wd drive 4wheelers are $7000 scott

 

[CKC1586]

Boy I like that price difference, the Gator was close to $9,000! I about choked, that is why I was moving toward the Mule. Been doing alot of clearing and now I need to haul it out and my truck can't get there yet.

 

[bigbull338]

sounds like you need a 4wd 4-wheeler an trailer to haul that stuff to a pile scott

 

[CKC1586]

Yup that is what I am thinking will be the ticket.

 

[WORANCH]

I have a mule (diesel 4x4 ) I like it alot better than the 4 wheeler , it will haul alot more and I have diesel here all the time . Don't have to haul in gas ..

 

[CKC1586]

I have a mule (diesel 4x4 ) I like it alot better than the 4 wheeler , it will haul alot more and I have diesel here all the time . Don't have to haul in gas ..

Any trouble getting in and out of tight spots? Mud? I have been really impressed with what I have read about the Mule. It does seem like it would work better than dealing with a trailer behind a four wheeler. We work the Gator pretty hard at my brothers, she takes a beating.

 

[Crowderfarms]

I have a mule (diesel 4x4 ) I like it alot better than the 4 wheeler , it will haul alot more and I have diesel here all the time . Don't have to haul in gas ..

Any trouble getting in and out of tight spots? Mud? I have been really impressed with what I have read about the Mule. It does seem like it would work better than dealing with a trailer behind a four wheeler. We work the Gator pretty hard at my brothers, she takes a beating.

We have a3010 Mule. Handiest vehicle on the farm.It goes most anywhere, has a Warn Winch, pulls a small utility trailer with no problem.4x4 with differential lock, and low range gear. I highly reccomend Mules.Great for checking cattle, fixing fences, and hunting too.Easy for the Wife to operate as well, she's uses it all the time. ;-)

 

[WORANCH]

I have a mule (diesel 4x4 ) I like it alot better than the 4 wheeler , it will haul alot more and I have diesel here all the time . Don't have to haul in gas ..

Any trouble getting in and out of tight spots? Mud? I have been really impressed with what I have read about the Mule. It does seem like it would work better than dealing with a trailer behind a four wheeler. We work the Gator pretty hard at my brothers, she takes a beating.

no problem with mud ,as crowerfarms said 4x4 with differential lock, and low range gear.
It is bigger than the 4 wheeler but it is easy to drive , and easy to get on and off of .

 

[eric]

For $9000 couldnt you get into a used small pickup truck? Maybe a Ranger or Toyota or something. I always wanted a Mule until I priced them, and I bought (3) 4 wheelers for what the diesel Mule was gonna run me a few yrs back. 1 that a 16' trailer stays hooked up to for picking up broken limbs / big rocks and stuff, 1 that I use for most everyday chores and a smaller one that the kids use for riding around on while we're outside working. I always thought the best thing about the Mule was the cab, keeps you out of the rain/snow, and yes, climbing over the seat on the 4 wheeler does get old after awhile.
So I guess I am saying that as long as it's your money, I'd go for the Mule. Personally, we had just bought this place and needed to spread the money around a little more back then. Thus the 3 for 1 deal seemed logical to us. We could work and the kids could run around on the other ones. Not sure I'd make that same choice today! But man, how do they justify the $9K price on those things? Heck, you can buy a plain jane F150 for $13K nowadays, with vinyl seats/standard/no a c ....

 

[dun]

4wd Mule is the handiest piece of equipment on the place. No problem with mud but it can get highceneterd when trying to crawl over logs in the woods. Easier on and off then a 4wheeler, can haul passengers, but they are a little wider and not quite as manuverable as a wheeler. They are pricey but well worth the money. Put a rood on it for rainey weather and and windsheild too if you can afford it and you'll have a great piece of equipment. For really nasty cold yuck type of weather I use a Ranger pickup, but when it's muddy the mule will go places the truck can;t without scarring the pastures. The truck also isn;t near as easy to get in and out of the woods with.

dun

 

[JMHayes]

A gator is overrated and priced. Bought one for fencing and feeding cows. It was always stuck and in the shop. Those things are made for yard work and barely that. A 4-wheeler is alot tougher and lighter than a Mule or Polaris Ranger so it won't rut up your fields as bad

 

[Beefy]

when i workd for the equestrian team we went through jsut about every atv you could dream of. they all seemed to tear up. the best ones we had was a jakobson (cant tell you much about it other than it was orange, 4 speed, and had big tires and kicked butt) and then the mule was pretty good. all the pioneers we had sucked big time to put it nicely. golf cart type vehicles wouldnt last a week.

on the farm i have had a honda 300 fourwheeler since about 91 and it is easily the best investment we've made. had to replace the battery once and the seat cushion once (horses ate it). good in the mud, hauls anything i ever need to haul, good gas mileage, reliable, easy to navigate especially in the woods (one bad thing is its hard to make sharp turns if for some reason you have to "run" a cow with it and hard to put in reverse quickly if one turns back). could go on and on about different ways to use one. have pulled pickups out of the mud with it, pulled a calf with it once (dont recommend though! they both lived but only used it as a very last resort), use it all the time to pull up unwanted trees in moms yard, check on the cows daily with it and they are trained to exit the field when they hear the engine rev, and one of my favorite uses--chasing coyotes. hey, i bet thats why we dont have coyote problems!!

 

[MrBilly]

We have two gas 4x4 Mules and love them. Both with roofs and windshields. Never has gotten stuck in the mud. THEY DO NOT scar up the pasture. Their tires are wide and the foot print is minimally destructive.

You do need a 4x4, anything less will get stuck.

We are older, and throwing a leg over a 4 wheeler on days the old back is bad, would not work for us. I tried them all, and the ride of the Mule was the easiest on our backs, so we bought one then a couple years later another.

I thought the gator was too harsh of a ride, had no roll bar and therefore no ioof or windshield was possible without additional expense. I also did not like the Gator's chain drive being exposed to tall weeds, etc. All the drives in the Mule are belts and they are enclosed in shields so not debris gets into them. A minor point, but this time of year we have fescue going to seed and it can reach 12-16 inches before I get to topping it.

The new Kubota looks interesting, we took one for a ride just before we bought the second Mule. We did not like the hydrostatic tranny. Wife and I took one for a ride at a dealership and when you take your foot off the accellerator, we darn near both went forward over the hood. They tell me you get used to decellerating carefully. No one told us about this before we went down the street in this little town nearby.



Have fun.

Billly

 

[Crowderfarms]

Seems like everyone is try to get into the Utility Vehicle market now, From EZ go the golf cart people,Polaris to Husquvarna. We've had our 3010 Mule going on 2 years. Never once have we had a day it would not start and go.20 degrees out and it starts with no problem.We went with Kawasaki, because they have been around so long, and if there was a problem to come up, parts are easy to get.The only thing that I can find that is a flaw are the cables that allow the tailgate to stay centered when you drop it.They broke with a lightweight load on em'There's a whole catalog of optional parts for them too. Some as you might guess are very pricey, from cab heaters to windshields, roofs, doors etc. We rough it, just have a roof, winch, headache rack. Love the taste of those gnats when you cruise your pastures in the summer right before Sunset ;-)

 

[CKC1586]

Thanks a bunch for all of the input. Looks like my leaning toward the Mule initially is the direction I will continue go. Seems to be a bit more versitle that the four wheeler. The "comfort factor" is also a big issue, just had another birthday and they are kinda taking a toll! All that stupid stuff you do as kids catches up with you in a big way.

 

[Campground Cattle]

Be sure to get the 4x4 model I love mine but is 2 wheel drive. I have problems with it getting high centered and stuck.

 

[CKC1586]

Be sure to get the 4x4 model I love mine but is 2 wheel drive. I have problems with it getting high centered and stuck.

Definately!! My land is very hilly and that clay is snotty when wet. Thanks.

 

[Crowderfarms]

If you get one, try to get the 3010 or it's equivalent, the extra power and payload is a plus. Mine's a gas burner, my buddy has a Diesel, but cost him over 11.000.00The new model with 2 sets of seats is neat, but impractical in my opinion, because it sacrifices cargo area. Looks like a jungle tour vehicle.I know Uncle Sam's been using the 3010's in Iraq.

 

[endebt]

i bought a rpptor 7 years and would not be without it . i haul 3 225lb lick barrels in it . ipull 600ft barb wire fenceing. i have a15 gal. sprayrig and a trailer i pull to chop mest and catus. i got a chance in jan. to get a 4 wheel drive one and jumped on it, if mine broke down at 12 noon and i figured out i could not get it fixed soon i would call up and order another one . this ranch will not be without one fwiw. i do not get flats on my truck because it does not go to the pasture. i feed hiefers and bulls every moring rain shine sleet or snow in my raptor. i can gather my cattle in it and they know when i am coming.