Anybody here own a John Deere Gator? I'm probably gonna get one when I make my break out of the city in a couple of years.

I had a job at an amusement park/working farm type place last year. Those concrete jungle suburbanite fuckers loved it there. Anyway, they had a 4x4 Gator there. It was the absolute most abused worst looking thing on four wheels, but gottdamn it never quit. The motor sounded awful, probably no muffler. No brakes. They'd engage at about the last 1/4" of travel and then you'd be greeted with a hairstanding squeal. It had all it's indicator lights taken out. They'd probably be all red anyway. They had a bunch of Mexicans working out there and the Mexicans knew two speeds, full out, or stopped. No in between. We'd load it down with probably a half ton or more of stuff for the concession stands and hammer the throttle. At the end of the day, it'd get loaded with garbage bags so high I couldn't see over the top and I'm about 6'4" and we'd throw a couple more on. That was just an awesome vehicle that wouldn't quit. It'd be loaded down with something and we'd take it up a dirt hill like nothing. It was hell to start when it was cold, for as many hours as it had under the conditions, I can understand it, but after that, it'd start right up. The fact that it got beat like it did and never quit says something. I'd be pretty proud to own one if the one out there is a representative sample of all of them.

I used one at the Dallas Cowboys Stadium when I was commissioned by Jerry Jones to make a "Tom Landry-mobile." Basically I had to modify an airline baggage trailer donated by American Airlines to hold and stabilize a 10 foot tall bronze statue of Tom Landry. Every now and then they get a crane to pull the staute, put it on the Landrymobile, bring it out on the field.



They are pretty neat, but factoring in the cost they seem more like a toy than anythng else. For the same money, I'd rather just get either a beat up used Ford Ranger sized pickup to do the same stuff.... only better.

If I wanted an all terrain golf cart I would probably just buy a quad.

I was talking to one of the managers out there about that. We were joking about what a flaming wreck the Gator was, and why don't they just get a fleet of 3/4 destroyed trucks to do the same stuff? He basically said that trucks were too big to get around in the park part of that place. The Gator does excel in manuverability. If you had some tight trails where you couldn't get a truck up, the Gator would be a good choice. They are pretty expensive but they seem to be worth it. I'd probably go for a used one. It would have really sucked at that job if we didn't have the Gator to kick around in. They're good for checking the line or hauling a half ton of rock. I think they're a great utility vehicle. They also do pretty good in the mud. Plus I like the body style.

I work with a guy who has one. He thinks it's a gutless wonder. He is constantly having to walk home after getting it stuck in the woods, and get a quad to go pull it out. He likes it because his wife can ride with him, but that's about it.

The Gator is OK, but I think the Kawasaki Mule is a slightly better product.

my uncle has one. his has 6 wheels (IIRC) and a little bed on the back like a pick-up truck. he uses the hell out of it on his 100 acre farm. it's certainly not an ATV, but i was surprised at where it could go. he grows some corn and other assorted crops and raises turkeys, but most of his land is central georgia woods and it did just fine on the trails so long as you remembered you weren't on a 4-wheeler. a full-size truck would be way too wide to access most of his property.

we were crossing the power line right-of-way that splits his property and i had to shoot a snake so he wouldn't let sic his 'gator on it . he hates snakes and has small grandkids than play on the property. being the marksman that i am
, i killed it clean with a first round headshot from a 9mm pistol. .



here's my 'trophy' pic:


sorry to get side-tracked, but thinking of gators reminded me of this.

frye

My buddies grandpa has a (Kawasaki) mule, and it comes in real handy when deer hunting. No more having to strap it to a fourwheeler or god forbid carry that damn thing out. The worst memory of my life is when I had a deer on my shoulders walking it back to camp, and my head slipped into its freshly gutted chest cavity. I think my camo shirt is still stained with that blood. I was completely red with blood from my head to my belt.

Bah! Get a real workhorse, get a Cushman. We have an old three wheeled one. Has a three speed manual, high and low range, two cylinder opposed Onan engine, hydraulic dump bed, and a auxillary quick connect hydraulic hook up. This thing will crawl! I can pull a three quarter ton pick up with it. About the only real problem with it is the bendix on the starter is bad and takes a few tries to fire it up. I would'nt take it mud boggin', but it makes life easier.

Bwhahahahahaha!!!!!!!! Sorry man, but that made me spit coffee all over my monitor! Hilarious!