Best utility vehicle?

Which UTV is best?

  • Total voters
    26
lockedup5

lockedup5

overcompensating underachiever
Joined
Jan 30, 2008
Location
Burke County (Hildebran)
I am a member of my local fire dept. and they have appointed me to a committee to research UTV's. Due to this last snow and some of the calls we had it was discussed and pretty much everyone agrees we need a utv so I'm here asking advice from ya'll. I really need advice from the guys that have had experience w/ these things.

Things it will be used for:
-parades
-events such as football games, car shows, festivals for transporting patients/personnel
-medical transport(getting patients to the ambulance during snow)
-personnel transport
-hose and equipment transport on scene
-search and rescue

I'm wanting advice on which make/model would serve our purpose the best. I know they are mostly alike but would also like opinions on which are the best. I know very little about these things so anything will help.
I was asked to research them all but was informed that the John Deere gator is the only one we can get a state contract price on. But price is no big thing we just want the best vehicle to suit our needs. If I've left out any vehicles that need to be in the poll let me know cause this thread is the beginning of my research and I really don't know what is out there.


Thanks
 
Club car makes a nice one also, xrt1550, auto 4wd for inexperienced folks that may be driving it, no buttons to worry about, 23 hp kawasaki, or 20 horse kubota diesel. Also sold as bobcat, my dad has one, will handle like 1000 pounds in the steel box I think.
 
The diesel Kubota my mom has is great.
I swear it will pull anything around the farm.

Very heavy duty and I'd expect it would last longer than the Rhino's / Mule's / Rangers.

Gators are pure junk. Don't waste your money.

The three Kawasaki Mules we bought 3 years ago have over 500 hours each on them and they are pretty stout. We paid 7k each for them. They are 4wd and 2 seater models
 
I don't have input about one brand or the other. But I would suggest getting a stripped down model and giving someone like Ride's the task of stretching it to fit a 6' injured person, boxes for gear and so on. Have the committee get together and come up with the needs and then have it all Incorporated into it.
 
Kubota RTV. If they can spring for the extra $, go with the RTV1100; with the enclosed hard cab and heat and a/c.
 
upnover said:
I don't have input about one brand or the other. But I would suggest getting a stripped down model and giving someone like Ride's the task of stretching it to fit a 6' injured person, boxes for gear and so on. Have the committee get together and come up with the needs and then have it all Incorporated into it.
Click to expand...


X2 check out the bed on this cart, for sale too, but is more city oriented looking. The bed is a good idea platform though.

http://www.buggiesgonewild.com/golf-carts-parts/41687-fire-department-lifted-medical-club-car.html
 
upnover said:
I don't have input about one brand or the other. But I would suggest getting a stripped down model and giving someone like Ride's the task of stretching it to fit a 6' injured person, boxes for gear and so on. Have the committee get together and come up with the needs and then have it all Incorporated into it.
Click to expand...
Don't know if they'll go for cutting up a new 10k machine. Well probably just bolt something in the bed that extends.
 
Thanks for the input everybody. After a little research I found out there are to many to choose from and we don't have the time to test drive and research all of them. That's why I came here for advice. Keep it coming.
 
If you're eyeing Club Car, steer away from the models with Briggs engines in them. We're a dealer for them where I work part time, and the quality just isn't in that engine. The machine surrounding it works perfectly, though!
 
We have several 2 and 4wd gators at work, both battery and electric, and we have a 6wd ranger. I'd take the 6wd ranger over any of the others, but they are 15k-ish new. What kind of budget are you working with? It's ride is very smooth and you just about can't get it stuck. We had it high centered on the rear differential once, but other than that it'll go where you want it.

So here's a vote for the ranger, but only the 6wd models.
 
We've not really discussed the six wheel models so four wheel is really what we need. As far as budget this is a taxed based department so the sky is the limit haha. The way it sounds the gators are pretty much crap but as said it's the only one on state contract price and I hope the officers don't push for it because of that. I think we need to buy the best not just base on price. Thanks for the info.
 
Back
Top