Rodeo Drive

Oct 1, 2007 10:16 AM, By Karen McMahon

On a sunny summer day, Team FIN farmers gathered to test-drive nine utility vehicles in our third UV Rodeo. Once again, the UV field improved and our test-drivers encountered several surprises

Send eight farmers into a gun club preserve with nine brand-new utility vehicles and what do you get? Eight farmers who want to buy one. Even the die-hard ATV owners wanted to deal on a vehicle while still at the rodeo.

UVs are coming of age. Clearly the quality, features and durability of vehicles have improved since the last Farm Industry News UV Rodeo held just two years ago.

“The industry has raised the bar since we first tested UVs,” stated Paul Gervais, Tracy, MN. “The parking brake on every one of them held on the hill. Backing up the hill was not an issue with any of them. They perform better. And all the vehicles are getting safer. It is interesting to see the number of players now in the UV field.”

This year, Team FIN farmers tested UVs from nine different companies ranging from the well-known manufacturers in the business like Polaris, Kawasaki and Arctic Cat to lesser-known brands like Land Pride, Bush Hog and PUG. Farm Industry News invited all major companies to participate.

“Overall, I was really impressed with most of them,” reported Keith Brown, Merrill, IA. “About 70% of them had fantastic rides, good suspensions. But durability is always a big question. I don’t know how they will last. It’s a lot of weight and hauling on not much more than motorcycle engines.”

Top scores
To help growers answer questions about how UVs will perform on the farm, our Team FIN drivers put the vehicles through tests designed to resemble farm jobs. Then they filled out detailed score sheets. The scores were tabulated and the top scorers in each test and overall were identified.

Rising to the top of the rankings was the new John Deere XUV 850 diesel, which is a big change from two years ago when a Deere Gator sat at the bottom of the testers’ list. “The Deere vehicle was way better than the last Gators I rode here,” stated Clark McPheeters, Gothenburg, NE. “This one is not in the same class. I would buy one this time.”

Second place went to the powerful Polaris Ranger XP Browning Edition, which was just a few points away from the Deere vehicle. And following close behind was another surprise, the Land Pride 4420 Treker. “I call Land Pride the most improved from two years ago,” reported Kent Lock, Avon, IL. “Land Pride has got it together. I am impressed.”

Listing the vehicles by total score doesn’t tell the whole story. Team FIN farmers varied widely in their preferences and scores. So we report the four vehicles with the top scores in each test category to help farmers determine what vehicle is best for their own needs. Because the UVs are so competitive, it is no surprise that many of them make the top four in at least one category.

Maintenance
Some farmers like to service their own vehicles so Team FIN testers scored each UV based on ease of maintenance. They looked at how easy it is to change the fuel and air filters, change the oil, and lubricate the vehicle. In this category, the scores were very close. Only one point on a scale of 1 to 5 separated the best from the worst. The Deere XUV earned the top score and the Kawasaki Mule came in second. Feterl’s PUG was third and the Cub Cadet 4x4 was fourth.

The four top vehicles in this category all had high scores for the convenient locations of the oil, coolant, spark plugs (when applicable), battery and air filter. Plus the vehicles required little lubrication and the brakes were easy to adjust or change.

Loaded hauling
Farmers need to use their vehicles to haul tools and supplies, so this event duplicated hauling a light load on the farm. About 240 lbs. of salt bags were thrown in the UVs’ cargo beds, and the farmers drove the vehicles up and down hills, testing brakes, power and suspension.

The Polaris Ranger with its big cargo bed and engine was the clear winner of this event. Universally the drivers scored the Ranger high for power, handling and braking with the load. About a half point behind were the next three UVs: the John Deere XUV, Arctic Cat Prowler and the Land Pride Treker.

Some of the drivers reported that, although this weight was low for a test, a few of the vehicles did struggle going up the hills.

Continue reading on next page: More UV ratings and information