 |
| The
John Deere 31" Sport Seats are well
worth the upgrade from the factory because
these seats are really comfortable compared
to the standard bucket seats & the
ability to customize your Gator straight
from the factory is a huge bonus from
John Deere |
Inside, the Gator line up offers a digital instrument
cluster that shows speed, rpm’s, an hour
meter, odometer, clock, water temp and a 4WD notice.
You can also opt for the field kit, which we felt
is worth the upgrade. The Gator also offers three
different types of seats, a standard 20”
bench seat, standard 21” bucket seats, or
the upgraded 31” sport seats, which we preferred
hands down as they gave a lot more neck support.
The seat belts come with a driver side warning,
just like in an automobile.
Now for the best part: the John Deere buying
experience. Buying a John Deere UTV is a very
different experience than purchasing a UTV from
any other manufacturer. With John Deere, it
is more like purchasing a brand new car from
a dealership. John Deere gives you a list of
options to choose from, and we have to stress
that there are many, many options and possible
combinations to choose from. After you make
your choices, your Gator is built to order,
with no need to purchase additional expensive
aftermarket products or go through the hassle
of installing those products yourself. And for
those who are on a budget, the best part of
that is there is no additional charge from John
Deere for installation of any accessories you
choose, and those parts are also discounted
if purchased at the same time you buy your vehicle.
While we were doing our test ride, we had the
opportunity to drive the 2011 Gator 825i with
power steering, which is an option that will
not be available to the public until January
of 2011, but we were very impressed with the
easy handling and steering capabilities and
cannot wait until this version is available
for purchase.
| |
|
| For
2012, we would like to see the Gator come
with a tilt steering wheel because the
current position feels like your driving
a tractor more than a performance vehicle |
For
the Gator to live up to its name, John
Deere should raise it air intake snorkels
& gas tank because it wouldn't take
a really deep water hole to drown out
the Gator |
 |
| Overall,
the John Deere Gator performed extremely
well on our test ride & it would be
right at home on the farm with a big appetite
for working, but also has a fun side with
its improved suspension & engine performance |
We did think that the Gator was a little on the
heavy side, but the stability of this UTV was
awesome and not once did it feel tippy. We hope
that in the future that John Deere will add a
passenger side hand hold, and possibly update
the chassis in order to reduce the weight a bit,
but overall we think that the John Deere Gator
825i definitely has its place in the market of
working UTV’s and with the wide variety
of work accessories, it is surely the best in
its class.
If you are in the market for a good work horse
UTV, you cannot beat the John Deere Gator, especially
if you are a farmer and already use John Deere
tractors and such as it provides a certain convenience
with fuel, and you know that with John Deere you
are getting top quality and reliability.
