# Polaris Ranger vs. Gator XUV



## sparta391 (Nov 25, 2012)

What are your experiences with these vehicles? Between these two, which would you buy? Keep it focused on these two please. Will use on the farm for hauling stuff, making trails, probably getting a harrow, and I have to cross a creek. Thanks for the help, and remember between the gator and polaris only.


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## willc2412 (Nov 29, 2012)

Polaris


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## sparta391 (Nov 29, 2012)

I hear about the belt tearing up but it sounds like thats only from abusive stuff like mud bogging


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## Dustin Pate (Nov 29, 2012)

Folks that I do some farm work for bought a new Gator a few months back. I've put a lot of seat time in it and after almost 60 hours on it I am very impressed. PLENTY of power and speed and much more agile than the old gators. I have pulled some pretty heavy trailers with it and it didn't even flinch.


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## sbsparts (Feb 21, 2013)

Hey Sparta, I own a UTV parts and accessories store and I would recommend the Ranger.  They have a proven drivetrain, plenty of cargo room and power, and if you need to add accessories later on, you are going to have a much better selection that you will pay less for than with the Gator.  Gators are also slugs (other than the new RSX 850i).  Their under-powered because John Deere built them like tanks and essentially concentrated on reliability when it comes to the drivetrain.
Kevin Connors
www.sbsparts.com


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## GAGE (Feb 21, 2013)

The Gator would be my choice.


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## Luckybuck (Feb 21, 2013)

From what I hear for low maintenance cost it would be the Gator.


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## MudDucker (Feb 21, 2013)

I am on my third gator and other than an electrical problem caused by a pinched wire, all I have done is change the oil and put gas in them.


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## Wild Turkey (Feb 21, 2013)

Thats a real toss up right there.
Both have good points and bad.
The one thing I dont like about the Ranger is the noise.
Never ran a new Gator to compare.


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## Browning01 (Feb 27, 2013)

Gators are nice because of the reliability but if taken care of rangers are very reliable as well.  My buddy has had a 2004 since new and never had any issues besides regular maintenance, and that thing has had a hard life (including multiple roll overs).  I would pick the ranger without question.  I dont know how much land you have but the Ranger will run circles around the Gator.  If you have a few hundred acres, the Gator is just too slow.


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## Knotwild (Feb 27, 2013)

I work part time on a plantation that has a 6x6 Polaris, 4x4 Polaris, and a 2012 Gator. These things are used hard. The Gator is nice, but more noisy than the Polaris. The Gator also has a problem in that the fuel system seems to load up if doing much idling. You have to get down on it to clear it out. Since it was bought to spray canal edges and such with a lot of idling, it is not working out well. John Deere can't seem to fix it. 

The Gator does not seem to have the power the Polaris machines have for pulling heavy loads/trailers and for what it's worth, it's not as fast (probably a good point). 

Until John Deere gets the idling problem worked out, they won't be buying any more Gators.


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## Dustin Pate (Feb 27, 2013)

Are y'all talking about the new Gator 850 being slow? It goes faster than I care to drive it for dang sure.


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## Robert28 (Feb 27, 2013)

I've been thinking about buying a Gator for the past few months. my dealer told me they're running a special on them currently, $800 off AND 0% for 60 months. that's hard to look past. I'm considering the 625i, 825i, and the 855 diesel. The thing that concerns me about the 825i is the Chinese engine. reliability of it over the long term and the high reving it does. that thing REALLY revs just to move. not sure how that engine would hold up over the long haul. Leaning more towards the diesel and the 625i but the diesel is pretty loud and only has a top speed of 32 mph. that should be ok I guess. the 625i seems like it would be good for me too, but they're hard to find as most dealers lots are full of 825i's and some diesels here and there.


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## southernman13 (Feb 27, 2013)

*Gator*

I don't know about the rest of the gators but it's funny I'm reading this thread. Yesterday I was at sunbelt rentals a good friend of mine is the manager at this particular store. Anyway he had three 550 s4 gators sitting there and I said man I want one of them 4 door buggies there. He said you don't want one of them there junk. All three of them are in the down line and need the engines resealed. Their leaking oil from various places in the engines and there all around the 100 hr mark. Granted they're in a rental fleet, but theyre not old or high hour machines. He said they really like the bobcats the best.


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## Bark99 (Nov 9, 2013)

I have not owned a Gator, but I have owned 3 Rangers.  There is nothing that a Polaris will not do.  I also think that resale is better on a Ranger vs a gator.


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## Bobby Jackson (Nov 9, 2013)

Look to the Canadians,they use their machines hard and quite often their lives depend on them working correctly..
funny thing about Canadians,they also buy the absolute best of everything(a lot different than the americans who insist on everything cheap from China..

All I can say is almost all the machines I saw up there from big/small were Polaris..


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## killitgrillit (Nov 9, 2013)

Polaris, had a 6x6 and now a 4x4, both excellent machines


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## Bobby Jackson (Nov 9, 2013)

you say you have to cross a creek?..this guy didn't do to well with the Gator in a creek.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rB7RQ33EfWM


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## Mud runner (Nov 24, 2013)

Ranger. There are no belt problems. Maybe in the old rangers but no problems with the 2010+. My 10 has had 29.5 Outlaws since day one and I have never had one problem. The new gators are ok but dont have anything for a ranger.


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