Trail Riding with new to me Kubota RTV

[Doc]

Last month I was shopping around for a Kubota RTV. I need something that size with a dump bed for managing the trails on my property. I was planning to buy in the spring as I don't really need it till then. Of course that is when you find a deal, a deal that is hard to pass up. I bought a 2015 RTV x1100c in great shape for bottom dollar price.

I'm so impressed with this new to me 2015 RTV x1100c. I drove the same trails I normally ride in nicer weather in the Honda Pioneer. Yesterdays high temp was 35, so I'd freeze in the Honda Pioneer. No problem with the closed cab RTV. The gearing is so much different than the older RTV's with H, M and L forward gears. This RTV only has H and L. I never had to use L even once. Some of the hills did slow me way way down. 7mph was the slowest and that happened three times. Still that is better than having to stop to shift to L, then go up the hill in L, stop again to shift again to H. The RTV would recover quickly and get up to 15 to 20mph without straining. Another big difference was on the older RTV's I had to let off the gas to keep it moving up a hill. Letting off the gas on these newer ones does not increase your speed. Pedal to the metal will keep you rolling, no need to let off unless you want to slow down.

She is not a speed demon but it sure is nice to be able to get out of the house for a ride on our back roads and not freeze ur behind off. Wife even packed a little picnic lunch. A very enjoyable afternoon.

Anyone else doing some trail riding this time of year?

 

[PGBC]

That is awesome Doc.
Seen one parked, but never driven, or even sat in one.
How many acres do you have?

 

[NorthernRedneck]

I somehow missed this thread. I looked at the kubota in the past. How's the top speed? My 500 cfmoto uforce does 84kph which is something like 50mph. Fast enough. Mine doesn't have the full cab and doors though. I do have a full windshield and solid roof. With the engine heat coming up, it's enough to keep me from freezing in below freezing temperatures outside. I now have 4200km on it. Not a single issue unlike my POS 'merican made polaris sportsman that's becoming a case of....ride for an hour and spend 3 fixing what broke.

 

[Doc]

Well Brian you really have to hang onto your hats when this hits it's top speed of 22mph. LOL Sad but that's it. And on steep hills, which are plentiful in my area it bogs way down. At times I'm going 7mph pedal to the floor.
I love the machine for it's closed cab with heat and A/C, dependability and dump bed. It gets around my 48 acres nicely. It cannot make it up all the hills but I have a Honda Pioneer for that. The Pioneer will get up over 50mph and that is plenty fast for getting between point A and point B.

 

[PGBC]

22 seems pretty damn slow, i would have guessed twice that top speed, but i assume it has a very small engine.

 

[Doc]

It is a 3 cyl diesel dri ven by a hydrostat tranny. Not belt driven like some of the fast UTV's.. It is a heavy work horse. It is does not compete with Polaris or Honda in the UTV market. This is more of a heavy duty working machine with hydraulic dump. They can get in the upper 20's for speed on flat road. I guess you'd call it a specialized UTV. These are not ones kids get and race into mud holes to see if they can get out. Thank goodness.

 

[austonte]

Looks like you had fun! It's been years since I last rode in a UTV.

 

[Big Dog]

My Mule is a Yanmar diesel and I can get 29 mph out of her. She’s about to get the plow on for Winter and I really don’t wanna have to take the plow off every time I wanna hit the trails. I’ve been given special privileges in a deer camp a mile across trails of childhood friends, 3 brothers, soooooo I just picked up a used Polaris RZR, it tops out at 65 mph.

 

[Doc]

I'm sure you'll love the Polaris too. I still have a Honda Pioneer 1000 for faster trail rides. Said to be capable of 60 but I've only had it in the low 50s and that is plenty for me. I do have oversized tires on it so maybe it was actually upper 50s but I don't really care. Just nice to have get up and go when you need it. The RTV I use more for work on the property. I have a blade on the tractor and my Honda 450ES ATV so no need for one on the Kubota. Last two years I used the blade once or twice at most, and could have got by without it. Not complaining, hope this winter is similar.

 

[Big Dog]

I'm sure you'll love the Polaris too. I still have a Honda Pioneer 1000 for faster trail rides. Said to be capable of 60 but I've only had it in the low 50s and that is plenty for me. I do have oversized tires on it so maybe it was actually upper 50s but I don't really care. Just nice to have get up and go when you need it. The RTV I use more for work on the property. I have a blade on the tractor and my Honda 450ES ATV so no need for one on the Kubota. Last two years I used the blade once or twice at most, and could have got by without it. Not complaining, hope this winter is similar.

I have a 450es too, wonderful and dependable machine! Just sold a Kawasaki Brute Force, paid for half the Rzr! 👍

 

[EastTexFrank]

Strange that this thread should surface again at this time because I was at my local Kubota dealer yesterday to order a UTV. It seems that they don't have any and they can't call around to find one because nobody has any and there is no telling when they will be getting any in stock. He said that he has a bunch on order but he's lucky to get one a month and it may be the x900 or the x1100, he has no say in the matter. He just takes what he gets but he can move it within a couple of days. So, I placed my order and was put on a list and told that I'd just have to wait for 3 or 4 months until my name worked its way to the top. I did call around the other Kubota dealers within a 100-mile radius and was told the exact same thing ... nothing available and no telling when they would have any in stock.

It's a bit of a pisser really as I promised to give my gas-powered Gator to my S-I-L. So, it looks as if I'll be without a UTV until February sometime. I'm ready for this supply chain crap to be over. Do you think that it'll ever be over or is this the "New Normal" that I keep hearing about?

 

[NorthernRedneck]

Most dealerships up here are like that. I haven't seen anything sitting on the showroom floors for months no matter what brand. The car dealerships are the same way. Most have very limited inventory of anything. Except for dodge (who'd want to buy one anyways)🤪

 

[bczoom]

ETF - Have you considered a used RTV? I've been thinking of selling my 2004 RTV900. It's in excellent condition with only 425 hours, tons of options, always garage kept.

My "go to" machine is a 400cc Honda Rancher as it's well suited for getting around and doing light chores. Got the snow plow out the other day and will mount once the snow starts coming in. I will have the 6' blade on the tractor for anything more than a few inches.

My building(s) have gotten a bit overrun with "stuff" and since selling the bunker, I lost 8000 sq/ft of other storage so I've been doing a purge which included another 3 ATV's. It was nice having them but they really weren't needed.

 

[Doc]

I'll 2nd what BC suggested. Most UTV's I would never buy used. Folks run them in deep water, mud and tear them up. The RTV is a different breed. A work horse much like your gator. Those I've only bought used and always done very well. Bought at half price or less and got a machine with 500 or so hours on it. Barely broke in.

One member of the tractor forum has put over 4k hours on two different RTV's and they were still going strong. She works them on a cattle farm in Louisiana. Rough work but they hold up to it.

Check the used market out, you might be pleasantly surprised.

edit to add:
I searched and found this one, at a dealer. New ones like this were in the 24k price range last I checked.

2014 Kubota RTV-X100C Utility Vehicle Cab W/Heat/AC 734 Hours -...

• 2014 Kubota RTV-X1100C Utility Vehicle, Cab With Cold AC • Showing 734 Hours • 24.8 HP • 1075 Lbs. Operating Weight • Variable Hydro Automatic Transmission, Hydrostatic Power Steering • 739 Lbs....

dallas.craigslist.org

 

[Doc]

I have no problem driving a ways for a machine I'll use for years.
This one is in Ok city craigs list. Might be worth checking out. one year newer and cheaper.

Kubota Cabbed RTV 2015 - atvs, utvs, snowmobiles - by owner -...

Kubota rtv. Enclosed cab, hand crank windows, a/c and heat, 4x4 hydraulic dump bed, Diesel engine. Excellent used condition. Hours and miles pictured. Please call or text for more info.

oklahomacity.craigslist.org

 

[Doc]

Hey Frank, I don't know what RTV you are shopping for but I found a couple more. I'll post pics here. If interested I can send them your contact info if you want ...unless you are on FB, then you can contact them direct.
One with just 27 hours. Like new.
Other is an 1140. Great machines. Back seat folds up to give you the biggest bed of any RTV. Sweet machines.

 

[bczoom]

After seeing the listings Doc posted, I think I'll be keeping my RTV. I'd be taking a HUGE loss to put mine in the right price point based on RTV's that are a dozen years newer and only selling for $15K.

 

[Doc]

I also saw an 05 and thought of you Brian. I believe they had 9 or 10k on it. Can't remember the hours on it. But they seem to hold their value pretty good.

Frank, I was looking for an 1140 with the rear seat and bigger bed but the guy would not deal with me, so I made an offer on the 2015 x1100c (closed cab, heat and A/C) and they guy took it. No bartering. I got a 2015 for 10k. Just 700 miles on it, 200 hours. Deals are out there.

 

[EastTexFrank]

Strangely enough I hadn't thought about buying used. I don't know why. I think it was because not everybody uses and treats their equipment like I do. I always assumed that used ones would have been rode hard and put up wet.

That one in Lindale Texas is about 12 miles from me. I think that I'll track him down and give him a call.

 

[NorthernRedneck]

Those kubota rtv's look like a well built work horse. I thought about something like that for around the property with a plow on it for winter. For now though, I'll be sticking with my cfmoto. It's been flawless. I've done a few upgrades since getting it in 2017.
Top to bottom, she's gotten a removable full windshield, 1.5" whiskeybent exhaust tip to reduce engine heat and give it a slightly throatier sound, sound deadening heat insulation under the engine cover, heated seat for the driver, a 2" suspension lift, taller 27" swamp lite tires on custom rims with 1.5" wheel spacers, custom fender extentions to reduce mud spray, a new metal skid plate, and a braided winch cable. I also had a couple pieces of 12" lexan cut then I trimmed them to shape to extend the factory doors up a few inches to reduce the amount of mud spraying up.

I wouldn't say that I beat it but it sees plenty of trail riding over rocky muddy trails. I don't do extreme mudding or water riding but do cross the occasional creek that's up over the floor boards.

I use it for trail riding, hunting, yard work, moving gravel, hauling a smaller trailer to get firewood at the back of the property, and around camp occasionally. I love the dump box which is why a razor style utv would be useless for me. The stock width is narrow enough for most atv trails around here. We don't have organized atv trails up here so it's mostly 50 yr old logging roads all grown in where you can barely tell there's a trail let alone road. I know a wider machine such as a Polaris ranger wouldn't be able to go where I go. I generally go with the mirrors folded in and branches hitting on both sides until I can't go anymore then have to turn around. Which is why I never leave home without an axe and a chainsaw.

Top speed is respectable for a 500. I get around 53mph top speed on a hard surface going downhill with a wind at my back.

 

[EastTexFrank]

Strangely enough I hadn't thought about buying used. I don't know why. I think it was because not everybody uses and treats their equipment like I do. I always assumed that used ones would have been rode hard and put up wet.

That one in Lindale Texas is about 12 miles from me. I think that I'll track him down and give him a call.

I tracked him down through my wife's FB account and talked to him for a few minutes. He is a small, family farm equipment sales company. There is no paperwork or manuals with the machine, just a bill of sale. We have a meeting set up for tomorrow so we'll see what happens.

I'm a complete newbie at these internet sales. Is there anything that I should be aware of or be looking out for? Any help or suggestions would be appreciated.

 

[Doc]

For just 27 hours I'm surprised there is no manuals. Bill of sale from previous owner? You might be able to contact him an ask why he sold. The RTV is a work machine not a true trail / mudding machine. If someone bought not realizing that I suppose they would be very disappointed.
As far as internet sales, nothing special to be worried about especially when you can meet the seller eye to eye and look at the item for sale. All the internet does is put you in touch with the seller. After that it is the standard buy sell deal. I've been buying and selling with the internet for years and never had a problem. I even purchased a truck on ebay from Houston. Had planned to fly down and get the truck but ended up having to have it shipped. I was nervous about the deal since I had not seen it up close and personal but it worked out great. Texas Direct is a dealer I'd deal with again if I can't find what I want locally.

 

[EastTexFrank]

Well Doc, I went to see it this morning and bought it. I should have it home by this week-end. I need to thank you for turning me on to it ... and saving me a healthy amount of cash by not buying "new". It may be 3-years old but it's absolutely immaculate, not a scratch on it. There's a credible story about why it's 3-years old and was only used for 27 hours but I won't bore you with it. When we were digging around underneath the seat, we found the manual, paperwork and spare keys so, all is good. I'm looking forward to getting it home and taking it for a test drive around the place. Even driving it around their place, it's a completely different class of machine from the gas powered Gator that I have at present. No comparison.

Once again, thank you my friend.

 

[bczoom]

Don't forget to head back over to https://www.nettractortalk.com/forums/
It looks like you haven't been there in awhile. It's still probably the best & largest RTV forum there is.

 

[Doc]

Congrats!!!!! That is awesome. It sure looked like a sweet machine, and so close to you. It was meant to be.
I'm glad I could help you out on this. Timing is everything on buying stuff like this. Right place right time can save ya a few bucks. And you don't have to wait till Feb to have a machine. I'm happy for you my friend.

Like BC said, we have some awesome resources on net tractor talk for the RTV. Folks there that know everything there is to know about them and have dealt with most any issue that can come up. I've been told it is the best Kubota RTV forum on the planet.

 

[Big Dog]

The SXS market is crazy right now. New or used Mules are almost impossible to come by. Everything coming in is sold and dealers are telling folks anything ordered now would be deep into 2023 delivery. I was offered what I paid for my diesel from a large TX ranch. When I helped him search, nothing new diesel, 2 used in USA.

Polaris is selling anything and everything. The only finds are Yamaha, Can Am, and off brand. Honda are hit or miss, don’t look for any discounting.

 

[Doc]

Yep, it's insane. Folks having to wait 8 months or more to buy a new machine. That keeps the prices in the used market up there. I've seen nothing that even makes me think there is a light at the end of this tunnel. How long can this crap last?

 

[Big Dog]

Yep, it's insane. Folks having to wait 8 months or more to buy a new machine. That keeps the prices in the used market up there. I've seen nothing that even makes me think there is a light at the end of this tunnel. How long can this crap last?

I’m WAS thinking of combining work machine (Mule) and play machine (RZR) for a Polaris General but imma just gonna wait until the market settles and rekindles.

 

[bczoom]

There's one or two RTV's for sale on the sister site to this forum. One in W. PA, the other if still available is in W. NY
Here's a link

RTV's Wanted or For Sale ..post em here.

Sounds like a pretty good deal.

www.nettractortalk.com

 

[Doc]

Dawg, the RTV x1100c is a workhorse. And the closed cab is simply awesome with heat and a/c. But, if you go that route I'd keep your fun Polaris. They would make a great pair.

I bought our Honda Pioneer 1000 in 2017. 5 seater. Nice machine. Runs like a top. It's my fun machine. I use the RTV x1100c most though as I need it for work. The hydraulic bed is so handy. Closed cab is a dream over the winter months. You'd love one of these puppies. Downside, the 3 cyl diesel is not near as snappy or fast as your Polaris. Top speed of 27 or so. I saw 30 on my gps the other day going on a slight downhill grade. LOL upside: where I'd hesitate to buy a used Polaris or Pioneer as it might have been run hard on the trails, the RTV is not one that the kids get and do trail riding with. So you can feel comfortable buying nearly new and saving big bucks.

You got room in that big ass garage for a fleet of these SxS. One machine rarely fills all needs. LOL