What John Deere Gator Best for Poultry House

If y'all're in the market for a new side-by-side, we have good news: Our team of farmer evaluators tested iii machines that all stand up up to the daily demands of farming. They had about 6 months to put the UTVs to work on their operations, and, at the end, each auto received a perfect or near-perfect rating.

The Successful Farming Product Test Team

Southwarduccessful Farming magazine has a long legacy of testing ATVs and UTVs. Our team has completed three extensive evaluations: in 2007, 2013, and 2017. At each evaluation, we had a crew of riders evaluating multiple machines, taking each through a series of tests. In 2018, we decided to expand our coverage and bring our testing to the subcontract, using the Successful Farming Product Test Team. Beyond UTVs, these farm evaluators also examination a diverseness of shop advances and tools less unremarkably plant on farms.

LISTEN:Steel deals - Used utility vehicles 

2022 Kubota RTV-XG850 Sidekick | 5 of 5 stars

True to its name, the Kubota RTV-XG850 was a trusty sidekick for the Heineman family throughout the 2022 summer and harvest. Paul Heineman, forth with his brother, Craig; nephew, Brett; and sons, Andrew and Marcus, used the Sidekick for a number of chores, including fixing fences, checking the moisture of corn and soybeans earlier heading to the field during harvest, and hauling rocks out of fields.

When asked what he liked most the Kubota Sidekick, Paul Heineman says, "It'southward probably easier to say what I didn't like." As you lot'll see, the listing of features he enjoyed is long. "It's a very functional auto, easy to drive, easy to haul things in, and easy to become in and out of," says the corn and soybean farmer from Ogden, Iowa.

One of the well-nigh useful features on the UTV was the electrical dump box. "This was actually overnice when I picked up a rock or two or five. It made information technology really piece of cake to dump," says Heineman. "The Sidekick was very solid and when I loaded it up with some rocks, they got pretty heavy pretty quickly. It handled the load actually well, and the suspension worked very well on this auto."

The Sidekick's hardiness also extended into towing. "We hooked the corn heads up to the Sidekick to pull them upwards to the shop to fix them or to make clean them. The machine can pull quite a scrap, and the four-wheel drive worked well," he adds.

Heineman'south other favorite characteristic: the lights. "The Sidekick had very good lights on the front end, so I could meet at night when I was working," he says.

Across the lights, the Sidekick too came equipped with a windshield and radio, which Heineman says were squeamish features to accept on the machine. If he could have added one more than accessory, it would be a rearview mirror.

The top speed for the Sidekick is xl mph, which was plenty fast for Heineman to goose egg from field to field. This is i of the areas where the Sidekick stands out from the other models in the Kubota lineup (most max out at 25 mph).

Equipped with power steering, the Sidekick was "really comfortable to drive," says Heineman. "The doors worked well, then I could slide correct in, and the machine started well. It was also easy to shift dorsum and forth and put into iv-bike drive."

While putting the Sidekick in gear was like shooting fish in a barrel, Heineman's one complaint on the machine was how jerky it was. "When I first put the Sidekick in gear and stepped on the accelerator, there was a slight lunge. That was kind of an issue when I was backing up and somebody was trying to claw up," he says. "I figured out real quick that I had to take one human foot on the restriction and one on the accelerator to endeavour and smooth that out. That was probably the biggest matter I didn't intendance for."

2022 John Deere Gator XUV865R | 5 of 5 stars

For more than than a decade, the Bakers accept used the same John Deere Gator on their subcontract in Orangeville, Illinois.

Mark and Kim Bakery with the 2022 John Deere Gator XUV865R.

"We used information technology twice a solar day, every mean solar day, and it'south merely been a skilful, durable machine for us," says Mark Bakery, who runs an operation that includes grain, hemp, and a dairy with his married woman, Kim, and their two sons, Zach and Chad.

Last year, the Bakers got an upgrade: a 2022 John Deere Gator XUV865R.

"Our older Gator didn't have a cab or air conditioning. We just used it for chores. In comparing, this is like a Cadillac," says Kim.

While she'due south survived without information technology before, Kim says that the air conditioning is a must. "The best two features are the air-conditioning and the libation," she explains.

Marking also appreciates the creature comforts of the new Gator. "This cab is very soundproof and tight. When I close the door, I actually feel like I'k in an automobile," he says, calculation that elementary features like cup holders also make a big difference. "It's just well laid out. For example, the cup holders, in that location are six to be exact, considering y'all can never have besides much coffee."

Like the cab, Marker besides appreciates the layout and design that went into the rest of the machine.

"The Gator has a unique area where I can access the battery. The nice matter about that is, there are a couple of posts on there that I can employ if I have a dead battery, and I can actually use information technology to jump a piece of equipment," says Marking.

The Gator is too upward to the claiming of towing other equipment, including grain platforms and hay racks.

"Information technology'south amazing – the amount of torque they have provided us to use," says Marker. "It's very stiff while geared low – not a fast auto. Information technology has over 2,000 pounds of pulling power, and I am merely amazed by that."

In improver to towing, the Bakers also haul a full pallet of seed in the back during corn planting and say the car "handles quite well."

Even with a full load, the Gator is "very stable and very low to the footing," says Mark. "It's very responsive as I'm turning and steering."

Still, the Bakers take experienced one issue when the machine is loaded down.

"Information technology is a tad bit under power with the Air-conditioning on, especially going up and downward hills with a load," says Mark.

Their other big complaint? No radio!

"A radio is available for extra cost, but I recall information technology should come with information technology," says Kim.

Mark agrees. "When my wife rides with me, I take to sing to her, and she's getting tired of that."

2022 Can-Am Defender DPS | 4½ of 5 stars

In 2013, the Fred family in Rochester, Indiana, purchased their beginning UTV, which speedily became the vehicle of choice on their diversified dairy and row-crop operation.

"UTVs are really handy, and they are replacing the ATVs because y'all tin haul stuff and hold multiple passengers," says James Fred, who farms along with his dad, David; brother Eli; uncle Nib; and cousin Scott.

James Fred in the 2022 Can-Am Defender DPS

READ MORE:A walk around the new 2022 Tin can-Am Defender Pro HD10

Since that first purchase, the Freds accept owned multiple Polaris Rangers. Last year, the family tried out a Tin can-Am for the first time, specifically a Can-Am Defender DPS.

"The Can-Am is a solid machine. It feels really heavy duty," says James Fred. "I was impressed by the setup, the design, the ride, and everything."

The Tin-Am rapidly became Fred's main manner of transportation around the farm. He used it to check hay fields and to haul gear to the fields for tile repair jobs. "The Defender did a really good job of handling anything thrown at information technology. Information technology was never short of ability," he says. "I used the Defender to pull unloaded hay wagons around the subcontract likewise every bit header carts. It had plenty of power, and I could put it in four-wheel drive if I had any traction issues."

One of the showtime things Fred noticed nigh the automobile was how smoothly the car shifted. "Going forward or astern, the motion wasn't hasty at all," he explains. "I also liked the way the shifting was set up – in different locations, not in a straight line. I knew what gear I was in at all times."

In addition to smooth shifting, the break besides gave riders a smooth ride. "I could go across rows and not feel like I was going to bounce out of the seat. The interruption was very solid, and I was impressed," says Fred.

The seats themselves were another positive attribute. "The seat cushions had adept back support," he says. "I could also put my feet underneath the seat. In other machines, in that location's a wall there so I feel cramped. In the Defender, I felt like I could arrive a more comfortable position."

Within the cab, Fred also appreciated the amount of storage. One of the unique features about the Defender is a removable glove box that tin be used equally a toolbox.

The Defender as well came equipped with multiple accessories, including a flip glass windshield ($1,229.99), a rear window glass with a sliding panel ($724.99), LinQ tool holders ($49.99), and a rear cargo calorie-free ($134.99). "The total glass windshield kept me out of the atmospheric condition, fifty-fifty when conditions weren't ideal. But information technology hinges open so I can go some airflow going through if I want. The rear window has a sliding window, likewise, so I could get some cross ventilation going through there," says Fred. "The tool holders in the bed were nice for shovels, because otherwise I'thou throwing shovels in the back and they are e'er sliding around."

While Fred enjoyed those accessories, he found the rear cargo light to be particularly valuable.

"I would never guess that information technology would exist so handy, but anytime I was operating in the dark and flipped that on, it was almost as bright every bit the headlights. I could run into what I was doing in the back or even if I was just bankroll up in the dark."

When asked to rank the machine, Fred gave the Defender an almost perfect score: iv½ out of 5 stars.

"Overall, I feel like it can't become much better for the money," he says.

There were a few things he'd arrange to get the Can-Am to 5 stars.

"When I changed the engine oil, I noticed the oil filter was a cartridge with three removable screws. It wasn't necessarily too hard to access, only usually I call back of a spin-on as being the nearly convenient type," says Fred, adding that it would be squeamish to have an RPM and an engine temperature guess.

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Source: https://www.agriculture.com/machinery/atv-utv/farmer-tested-farmer-approved-utvs

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