I have had my limited edition 700xp for about a year now-some things are impressive -some not,, power -impressive,,, ride - incredible,,,, looks-great, hauling-will pull a house down,,, reliability-well soso,, the belt drive broke a belt at 150 hrs leaving me on the side of the road with kids for about 2 hours....and I really dont trust the machine- they can't be trashed on like a 4 wheeler,, they are great for putting or crawling around-- but forget getting sideways in one--ahh smell the belt slipping-- it sucks for real hard riding(nothing beats a shee) ya if your a real putting around kinda person this is for you-it will climb up a freaking wall also.... the shifter in and out of gear is kinda clunky--- If they put a 5 spd with a shaft it would be one bad machine--but all belts suck- no matter how hard they try to play them up.....I m going to sell it- I am moving to indonesia(bali) in three weeks-- wonder what I can get over there? whatever it is it will be shaft drive! My sons 250ex has been beat on and beat on-still running...... hey is honda coming out with a machine? Frog

 

I can't BELIEVE Honda has not announced a side-by-side! Now we must wait until the next show in September of 2007. However, if Honda gets it's act together they could swamp the competition. How about a light-weight semi-sport 4x4 machine with FI, Rubicon tranny, electric power steering, and IRS? No belt, no carb! While they are at it, add manually lockable F&R differentials. Are you listening Honda? Naw! That would not be smart marketing, just trickle enough features out each year to keep customers coming back! [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-happy.gif[/img]

 

What about the horse power and torque comparisson? I see the Mule has 38lbs of torque how much horse power? Is the ride really that bad? The diesel seems nice. I own a '03 powerstroke now and wouldn't look back. This is why I am looking at this too. Anyone?

 

For my use, the Rhino works well for me.I like the small bed and the dump ability.Its easy to trailer,and very comfortable to ride in with the bucket seats,I also like the braking. I wish Ford or GMC would build a small vehicle like it! I just don't like the build quality of Polaris anything...

 

Got a Bobcat with a diesel engine, got it stuck twice, because it doesn't have enough power to pull itself, anybody else had this problem?

 

id pick rhino.. those things fly and there a blast

 

For all-out sport untility...Rhino and RZR. For all-out woods crusher that's hard to stop, and ultimate in quality, stump-pulling ***** and *****-to-the-wall work, and an almost verticle climber...KUBOTA. The rest I can't attest to, but these machines are what I ride with regular, and they all have an area they shine in - if not in function, then certainly in the pocket! My Kubota is the regular tow-truck in the harsh stuff we play in.

 

This is a great thread. I'm new to this forum, but the title says it all for my dilema. I've used the Bobcat out on a construction project where we developed a large laydown area on hilly terrain in central Texas. My vehicle was the Bobcat diesel. I drove that thing all over the place, even after the rains. It climbed the hills well and never got stuck unless I got it into deep/soft mud [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-wink.gif[/img] . I was surprised by golfer1920's comment. My complaint was that it was loud. But I'd definitely describe it as a workhorse.

My decision now is: should I get a Bobcat for the retirement property (hilly, woodlands, TN) and put up with the noise, or should I go for the Mule or the Ranger. [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-confused.gif[/img] I'm going to be using it for a little farm (140+ acres, mostly woods), planting trees, carrying feed, and crusing around on trails and off trail. I want a rig that is durable (for my limited budget), comfortable, good 4x4 performance, reliable, and capable of carrying something. The speed isn't the primary motive, but I might want to run down the road to a neighbor's place and not be limited to 20 mph. With that said and under that type of use, let's see where this thread leads to now. You'all out there definitely have a lot more knowledge and experience. I'm looking forward to your comments and opinions.

 

The two gators we have are really maintenance nighmares. They are always stored in side but the seats still have to be replaced yearly. They are very poor quality but you would expect better at $150.00/each. The clutches are good for about a year, theres another $300 or more. The chain drive is always requiring tightening.They are a good idea but John Deere has really let down its customers.
The only good thing i can say is the little diesel motor is very good..