Kawasaki Mule

School me on them, thinking about buying one. I'm wanting a single seat 4x4. I noticed there are two different motor sizes, a 400cc and a 600cc. Going to use it for ranch chores, spraying mesquite and pear, and a little for hunting. Just not sure if the 400cc has enough power.

Not sure about the Mule...but I had a 400cc yamaha ATV that did everything I wanted it to do. Issue wasn't power, it was getting that power to the ground. Seemed like the bigger cc bikes just spun their tires a lot more. You won't win any races with the 400, but you should be able to do everything you listed with it.

Get a ranger 400 or 570. Don't do mule.

Not a fan of Polaris. Thanks though.

Another vote for ranger. Own both and ranger is 10000x better

Solid advice.

I vote for the Commander.

I will not buy a Ranger. Have seen many here on ranch that guest have owned and there not for me. Please let's not turn this into a Mule vs Ranger thread.

Any reason other than speed?

Smoother ride and much more power. Won't even get into braking or cooling systems, cause this isn't a mule vs ranger thread.

Wasn't comparing the two so much. I'm also considering a mule for strictly utility work. I was leaning that way because you see so many with 10+ years of service and thousands of hours. I was looking at the diesel.

Hahahaha!!!

I'm using it for the ranch so speed is not an issue. Website says top speed of 25 which is plenty for me.

I have 2, a 4010 and a 3010. I've had one for about 8 years and the other for 4 or 5 no issues with either, can haul 600lbs of feed and 4 adults with either one. The 3010 doesn't have an electric choke or power steering I would suggest getting both.

They are awesome for all around work but they are too slow for me.

Most Rangers have one fatal flaw in you want them for general purpose. The tail lights wrap around and does not give them the full 49 inches all the way through the tailgate. Try to haul a piece of plywood in one.

awesome workhorses......just full choke it if the engine is cold. They last forever

I would go with the 600. I have owned or worked out of both Ranger and Mules. Both have pluses and minuses. I own a Ranger now and it will go places a Mule won't and be smoother with a better payload. I am now looking at the Cub Cadet diesel for the price. I like they way they are built. What you can haul in one is dependent on how creative you are in loading it.

Which ver one you get make sure you seats for Lori and I!

I know a dairyman that has run John Deere Gators for years. These folks are extremely hard on them, don't maintain them such as regular oil changes, etc., abuse the heck of them, work them to death. And they seem to just last forever.

My dad has the Mule 610 4WD. Its a 05 or 06 model (whatever the first year they came out) and its been flawless. He services it every year. Like others have said, you won't win any races but its super tough. He put a lift with 26 in. tires on it. If the going gets muddy and thick, he just puts it in low gear and keeps on going. He's never not been able to go somewhere or turn the tires. (He lives in South Arkansas, so it can get muddy and swampy). For the price, they are hard to beat.

I bought a 2012 Trans-Mule BNIB. It has EFI and power steering. It also has suspension on all four wheels. I added the CV Joint protectors all the way around plus a HD brush guard on the front. I have it rigged for quail hunting so I show it very little mercy. Let me just say that the next problem I have with it will be the first. It is a tank. Not fast, but just tough. With the new EFI, cold weather starting is no problem. I have cranked it at 3 degrees with no problem at all. The new power steering is really great. It is not going to win a race many times, but I feel like it will be there everyday for you and not in the shop. It has never left me stranded but once and that was because I ran it out of gas on my lease once. That was after 2.5 days of solid quail hunting with maximum load on the whole time. I endorse the Mule.

if you are using the CV boot protectors be careful if you go through mud - it can accumulate next to the boots and then when the mud gets hard it will rip/tear your boots - clean the mud out as soon as possible - I learned the hard way on my Ranger to the tune of $1600 to replace 6 boots

My rig has never seen mud ever. I hunt West Texas Panhandle and mud is but a fading memory in that region. Thanks for the advice though. I will remember to check from time to time.

I bought a 610 4x4 new in 2006. It has the 401cc engine. I use it on my ranch for exactly what you are talking about. I also use it to pull my diesel trailer to my equipment when it is in the field or pastures. It will run about 28 mph which is plenty fast for me. I upgraded the battery to a lawn tractor size. They are about 1/2 the price of an atv battery and have more amps for spotlights when I am hunting coyotes out of it. I have no complaints about mine. By the way, I see you are near Breckinridge. I bought mine at Sandy Creek Marina. They were good folks to deal with.

Looking at the Yamaha Viking as well, it looks like a good machine.

Cant go wrong with the mule, My hunting buddy bought an 07 Mule 3010 a few years ago from another buddy, it has been rigged for quail hunting since day one (stays at my house, I use it for roading & bird training our dogs in my neighborhood). When we got it, it had 320 hours on it, we have only put like 200 more on it but it has never had anything but spark plugs, oil changes & fuel filter. The buddy that he got it from got a new one & says it doesn't have the low end torque that this one has, but he has a bigger dog box & cab on the new one.

this reminds me of the Ford or Chevy debates

Stompy, I have a Rhino 450 and it is plenty of power for me. It will do 35 but I rarely get it over 25, will pull my 5x10 utility trailer loaded down with blinds and feeders, carries 6 bags of corn easily, is rated for 8. When I purchased 6 years ago I weighed the Rhino vs the Mule and went with the Rhino because of my faith in Yamaha products, had a better top end speed that as I said I rarely use, had a larger gas tank capacity and had better ground clearance, like 12.1" vs 8".

The Yamaha Vikings do look good and they just came out this year with a 6 seater. Mule is also coming out with a new model this year that's not an ugly duckling like they were when I looked.

Friend has a big viking three seater and that thing is the roughest idle i have ever seen! From what I've read online, they all do it, something with the big one cylinder engine. Once you give it a little gas it smooths out, but idle, it rattles your teeth. At idle everything moves with vibration.

I just bought a mule 400, its the 600 xc 4x4 special edition, i also have a mule 3010. The 3010 definitely has more power, but even for the 400 it seems to go thru stuff with ease in low gear. My dad had a 600 when they first came out, we went everywhere and it was just a two wheel drive. Dont care to fly around deer lease, as i just putt around to the stand and back. It so dang good on gas its crazy, the mechanic told me to just be sure to run stabile marine in it for the carb. I run a little marine stabil and sea foam in all my small engines now.

Decided on the new 2015 Mule-Pro. Ordering next week. Thanks for the info guys.

I went from the 610XC to the 4010 transPro. I can say either machine will crawl out of the canyons just fine. I needed a 2 seater and it was a no brainer to make the move to the 4010 since I already had seen what the 610 could do. I like the 6' bed when in 1 seat mode too. Had I known the Mule-Pro was coming out I would have held off and got it but all I can say is for workhorse the mule IMO is hard to beat. You made a GOOD DECISION.

Never Kawasaki again.
Had a TERYX. Miserable ride, oil gets into the breather box, just an overall ill thought out unit.

I have both Polaris Ranger 800 Mid Size and Honda Pioneer 700.

The Honda is by far the better product.

I think you'll enjoy it.

We love our 2011 Mule 4010 Trans.

It's slow but does the job, 100% of the time.

Yep. I don't need to go 50 across my place. I like to see it.

you got that right...

Polaris

The new Mule Pro FXT is AWESOME! The ride is unbelievable! I think you will be very pleased.

You will be happy. Not fast but a very sturdy, reliable, and dependable machine.

This is what you want