This was an eye opener. We hunt a LOT, we farm everyday and speed isn't our 1st priority in any way. But shopping yesterday I saw the diesel Kaw and we had went to the dealer to compare a Polaris Ranger 1000 v. The Can Am 1000 when my eyes lit up looking at the Kaw diesel. We farm with diesel tractors. I like their fuel efficientcy and torque over gas. We were just making our final comparisons to come back and purchase our choice later in the week. If I had bought that diesel and found the top speed to be under 20 mph. I would've been PISSED. Granted when we head out at 4:30 am speed isn't the issue but our driveway through the neanfields is 1.25 miles long and roaring at full throttle and hearing that noise to just travel our normal speed of 10-14 mph is an abomination. The trails to hunting stands off our driveway in Ky are like your trail in the video with 2 creek crossings and BIG hills for 300 yards at a time. So glad I saw this video. Diesel utv's aren't in my future now. Thanks.
I'm sorry that the DX isn't going to be able to help you. Honestly, had I known.... I also would have passed and went to a Can Am UTV. I have an aversion to Polaris due to buddies having to to periodic belt changes while my previous 8 year old Yamaha Rhino 660 that never had a failure, just one front wheel bearing, 1 torn CV boot and 2 sets of brakes. I sold it and bought this to get the massive power dump bed. Kawasaki really dropped the ball, they could have discovered this in pre-production testing and went back to the design room and changed it. Turbo diesel? Change the CVT? Larger displacement? Maybe even a combination of all of these things? But as it is, the severe speed penalty for the diesel will prevent many large property farmers or those wanting to traverse hills off almost any degree from considering what is otherwise a phenomenal machine with many great attributes. Attributes that are sadly crushed by the performance.
Well diesels don’t rev out like a gasoline does. There also built more for work and to pull a load not so much for speed. These will out last any of the gas powered versions. I had the kubota rtv 1100. It was hydrostatic. Would do maybe 25-30 on flat ground. But I got it for work around the farm. Not to race. Done more then it needed to and had 4,000 hours when I got rid of it. Never had any major problems. Normal maintenance.
Mine has the same problem, goes slower up hills, but mine seems to be faster than yours on hills. I go about 10-12 MPH up hills in high or low without a load. I did not know that I needed heaver springs for hauling wood and rock and I found Elka shock and spring package from a dealer in New Mexico, a better ride than the OEM shocks and it actually its own lift kit.
I have the 2016 dxt and it gles 30 -31mph on flat and even on the steepest hills goes 17-18mph in high. Low is very slow but i do not see what you see in high with mine. Much nicer than my 2006 gas that maxes out at 25mph downhill
How does the soft cab and heater work in cold days, just curious as I,am specking the mule pro mx eps with soft upper doors, full glass w shield and plastic roof, hard poly rear window ???? all direct Kawasaki, although seozmick makes good cab as well. ??
I have the basic plastic roof, and the kawasaki glass windshield. I use pool noodles to fill gaps in front and rear of that plastic roof. The glass windshield has 4 plastic cam locks that do keep the doors from closing tightly. On a 10°F day with a hoodie on, I'm not cold... but also not hot. It's enough that we are satisfied at the deeply reduced cost compared to a full hard cab. It's not equal to the Kubota factory cab in any stretch of the imagination. But if you want this machine, this is a fair way to go. If I were song it all over again though, I'd likely go Kubota due to the fantastic resale value. I paid around $20,000 for my Mule Pro DX with HD coils, heat, glass, hydraulic dump bed, Warn winch, 72" Warn plow. It would have cost just a couple grand more to go Kubota, but to sell my kawasaki today would likely see me having trouble getting $10K. If I had a 2 year old Kubota with 120 hours on it right now it would still fetch near new prices.
I'd never buy a diesel UTV. I saw that the Kubota does the same thing and so does the Polaris/Bobcat. I'd be a gas guy. I like the Chery 3 cyl gas engine. It is tried and true in not only Kawasaki but also in the John Deere Gator. It's so smooth.
I would absolutely look at and use them for you. I could then make a video explaining the virtues or the shortcomings if the product. Please email me at larry0071@gmail.com
No, I didn't. I was primarily worried about getting all of the fluids and filters swapped out. I should look at gutting the spark arrestor... that is trouble waiting to happen.
@@LarryMusgrave I did a short video on the spark arrester and Hester Motorsports did a video on moving the air-filter intake to make it more like a snorkel. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-FVOAsPkQEuY.html
Since the distances you travel are not excessive, 6 or 8 mph is an acceptable speed. It is still faster than your husqvarna mower. Wonder if the governor on fuel pump allows any adjustment? EPA restrictions, fuel pump is electronic? vs mechanical? Don't know?
Bill, I wish I knew about turning up pumps. I would think that the right person could look at this engine and turn the right screws to unleash some additional performance while pulling up the hills.
Are you disappointed with your purchase? Would you rather have had the gas for speed? I'd like to know how it does fir plowing snow and towing if you don't mind sharing a video on that. Not too much out on the diesel mules.
Mark, I'll admit that at times I wish I could let the hooligan side of myself go free with the Mule... But in the hills here it's about limited to 8mph. On level roads it gets up to 28-30. The gas thing.... Here is the thing. I don't trust Cherry engines. If I was buying gasoline, I think I would have had to go with the new Subaru powered Kubota.
Oh, plowing snow... This machine is superb. The machine is large and heavy enough that it plows without drama, where my Rhino would be getting pushed sideways and spinning this thing just drives on by. Totally different snow plow experience between the Mule and the Rhino 660 I had.
It would be nice if you were near me in Pittsburgh PA, I'd say come over and we can play with it a bit. You'll never get a real feel for it in a dealership parking lot. Mine has the hydraulic dump bed, and with that I've hauled and dumped literally tons of shale and dirt digging french drains. It hauls weight easily and the powered dump bed handles it like a champ. I recommend that you consider that option no matter if you do gasoline or diesel. I did that and the HD coil spring set.
Correct, there is no clutch to wear out as you think of in a car. Kawasaki uses a belt drive with infinite ratios similar to a snowmobile, but much heavier duty. The Kawasaki mule is not known to have a problematic or unreliable drive system like the Polaris. I would still consider the Yamaha system to be the very best belt driven system made, but kawasaki is for sure my next choice.
Yah i know about cvts. . But i think yamahas are more expensive than this kawi? What i like about kawi is that they can offer you more sears than other brands or models. .
