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Quad bikes are wonderful things, but what if there’s more than one of you wanting to take a ride? Or you need to carry something bulky but don’t want to have to hook on a trailer? The answer to both questions could well be a farm buggy, also known as a side-by-side or utility vehicle. Though many of the current designs started life as either a golf cart or a parks-and-gardens-style runabout, they’ve now metamorphosed into fully farm-friendly bits of kit. All models we chose for farmboss and other 4 vehicles are diesel powered, have four-wheel drive and reasonable underbody clearance. Gearboxes were CVT belt types. All five models can carry about 500kg. However that’s where the similarities end, for these machines’ performance, noise levels, suspension and general degree of refinement varied massively. The tests · Time taken to traverse a 500m track · Hill climb with a round bale on the back and a 550kg trailer · Ability to keep the wheels in contact with the ground, even on undulating terrain · Noise level · Turning circle · Ability to soften out bumps · Storage/build quality Winway FarmBoss 4×4 – Best all-rounder Winway 1000cc diesel UTV-farmboss First impressions: The whole vehicle is well thought out. A High quality, beautiful appearance, look with good ground clearance, a sturdy brushed-steel roll cage, and wide cargo box with collapsible or removable sides. Chassis and suspension Front & Rear Swing Arm Independent Suspension and Heavy duty chassis and frame. The engine bay is a more compact, boxed-in affair than on the other machines, which helps to deaden noise and limit the amount of mud that gets thrown up around the engine and gearbox. Engine and transmission 4x4 Automatic CVT in a high/low gear range and reverse by Electronic Gear Shifting. The engine was the smoothest, quietest and most refined on test – its 1048cc and 3-cylinders pumping out 29.7hp. Capable of 49.7mph in “H” gear range. “L”gear range can pass the steepest of slopes and the muddy road. Driveability Drives more like a 4×4 than a buggy – straightforward and responsive. The gear change located up on the dash is easy to fathom and undemanding. Diff-lock and 4wd are engaged via button pushing that are unlikely to ever give grief. The power steering is exceptionally light. And power Disc Brakes for all 4 wheels - Vacuum Power Booster. Key Specifications: · 1048cc three-cylinder, liquid-cooled, Four-stroke, Swirl · 49.7 mph Top Speed · 11.4 in. Ground Clearance · 1,543 lbs. Load Capacity · Cargo Bed Capacity – 882 lbs. · Towing Capacity – 3,306 lbs. John Deere Gator XUV 850 Diesel UTV  First impressions: Most golf buggy-like of them all, but well built, neat and thoughtfully laid out overall. Chassis and suspension Rubber bushings and engine mounts fail to dampen a raucous, ear-splitting clattering at idle that recedes to nothing once you give the 3-pot Yanmar a few revs.The suspension is relatively hard and willing to “cock a leg” but this doesn’t seem to affect traction. Engine and transmission Yanmar motor and belt-drive CVT put the power to the ground in a smooth, progressive way. And, like the Kawasaki, there’s rarely any cause to shift out of high range. Driveability The centrally mounted gear selector can be a bit fiddly for larger drivers, but electrically-engaged 4×4 is a bonus. Traction is unbelievable and it scaled everything we flung at it, even in high range. Key Specifications
Kubota RTV 900 Diesel UTV  First impressions: The most workmanlike looking of the lot, with a robust roll bar, bull-bars and a useful grille at the back to stop loads sliding forward. Overall build quality is good inside and out, although the gearstick seemed a little flimsy. Chassis and suspension Like most of the other buggies on test, the RTV900 uses a step-frame chassis with the engine and transmission carried in a separate cradle under the load deck. Up front, independent springing comes in the form of a single-wishbone/coil-spring and damper set-up. At the rear there’s a rigid tubular axle carried on leaf springs with shock absorbers. Engine and transmission A beefy aluminum powertrain gives away it’s compact tractor heritage. The 21hp, three-cylinder, 898cc engine and three-range hydrostatic transmission come straight from the Japanese firm’s grounds care product range. In fact it was the only hydro CVT on test. Driveability: The high driving position is a bonus and the layout makes it feel like a proper work vehicle. It’s the only vehicle to have three speed ranges, although we reckon it could manage OK with two. Because it’s hydrostatic, it had to fit a pressure-release system (handled by a dash-mounted knob) to help the lever engage the gears smoothly. It’s a bit of a works and the knob would be better on the floor or on the gear stick itself. A good point was that it was also only one of only two machines to have powered steering, which was positive and not too light. However there’s some power loss (due to the hydrostatic transmission) and the hill climb needed to be tackled in medium range. Key Specifications:
MASSEY FERGUSON 20 MD Diesel UTV  First impressions With its canvas cab, it looks like a dune buggy/rickshaw hybrid. Overall, it feels like a low budget machine, but equally it has high-quality engine materials like aviation grade brake pipes. Chassis and suspension The engine is bolted directly to the chassis which would explain the vibration and racket that it produces. But the MF employs a double wishbone suspension at each corner with coil springs and adjustable dampers. This makes the ride and handling very stable and there’s even an anti-roll bar linking the two rear units. Engine and Transmission A loud 20hp Perkins three-pot lurks under the seat along with a two-range belt-drive CVT. The shift lever presides over a difficult-to-engage, close-gated range box with a flimsy selector linkage. There’s a mechanical diff-lock for the rear and limited-slip diff up front. Driveability The gear layout is straightforward and gears easy to engage. The buggy has plenty of poke and tackled all tasks without complaint. However the starting procedure is tedious – you need to have the handbrake on as well as putting the gear selector in neutral. If the handbrake is applied while the engine is running and it’s in gear, it’ll cut out. The jerky foot throttle also means it’s near-impossible to inch forward or backwards and the heavy steering makes it difficult to maneuver in tight places. JCB GROUNDHOG 4×4 Diesel UTV  First impressions
The most modern-looking, in a moon-buggy sort of way. A bit too much plastic, but components are well made and common to other JCB machines. Our road-ready version looked a little unfinished, with some exposed wiring. Chassis and suspension Suspension is clearly an area that JCB took a lot of time over. Up front it’s pretty standard stuff with MacPherson-style coils and dampers. But at the back it has opted for independent trailing arms hinged just behind the seat and supported by variable-rate springs. Engine and transmission Power comes from a 768cc, 26hp Lombardini three-cylinder engine via belt-driven CVT. Positioned right in the centre of the chassis, this is good for weight distribution but means the Groundhog is decidedly loud. Driveability Though heavier to steer than the others, the JCB is maneuverable and responsive at low speeds. However it has a tendency to wander at higher speeds and can be tricky to get into 4wd and reverse. The belt has a strong tendency to slip on steep hills. When ascending with a heavy load, it’s a case of pausing and waiting until the belt regains traction again.
1 Comment
Paulo Santana
2/2/2014 07:49:53 pm
Hi dear! Could you tell from which website did you find it? Leave a Reply. |
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