Kubota vs Mule, anyone?

[huntresss]

Is there anybody here who has driven both a Mule and a Kubota that could give me an unbiased comparison of the two?

We have a diesel Mule 4010 Trans 4x4 and it's getting time to get a new one, but we've been having a little trouble with the service dept. of our local dealer, so we're considering the Kubota RTV 1140. We're looking for a machine that's going to be strictly a workhorse, hauling our hunters around and picking up their hogs. We're not worried about how fast it will go, nor how smooth it is, as long as it gets us up the hills, across the creek and through some pretty rough terrain. The Mule has worked out great for us, but it just looks like the Kubota is built a bit better. I also like the idea of a hydrostatic transmission instead of the belt drive (we have to change our belt yearly on the Mule since we pretty much always have a load).

If anybody has any experience and can compare the two, I'd sure like to hear what you have to say.

[BoneDigger]

For work the Kubota gets good reviews. Not so much for hunting. But, for what you describe I think I would go the Kubota route. Go to www.tractorbynet.com and do a search. Lots of great information there.

Todd

[Mayhem]

arent they virtually the same machine.

[Blue Tick]

I have an rtv 500. Not the size your looking at but it is a horse. It pulls very well, hauls well an the 4x4 works great. I've put it in some pretty nasty stuff and had no problems at all. I really like the efi and hydrostatic transmission in a machine it's size. I looked at them all and decided on this one. My only complaint is it can be a tad rough in the ride in bad conditions.

[160class]

Only thing I didn't like about the kabotas was how when you let off the gas they came to a stop
We have a mule no problems with it

Both are great machines

[tommyp]

polaris ranger much smoother!

[BoneDigger]

polaris ranger much smoother!

I have one and they are great, but...

Where in his post did he mention Polaris? He asked about Mule versus Kubota.

Todd

[HELLRAZOR]

I got a 4010 transmule for work and hunting and so far no problems.

[Mr.RonGilbert]

I own a Mule and have driven the Kubotas at work.. very similar machines. The ones at work are slow too, they may have been governed. Never really had any problems with either one.

How do they match up price wise? I went with the Mule because of the price out the door.

[JMG]

Have a Mule 4010. At work, all we use are Kubotas, both the 2 & 4 seaters. In my opinion, no comparison. Granted everyone drives the Kubotas differently at work, but at 300-500 hours most of them have had to have transmission work. All of them feel like the drive shaft in the front end is about to come thru the floor. Not sure what causes that since most of them have never even been in 4wd. They also ride alot rougher than the Mule, and most of our driving is on streets. So the next question for you is "If it ain't broke, why fix it?". No way I would buy a Kubota scooter, but I do love my little orange tractor. Hope this helps.

[tx07]

Brother in law owns a mule. We have kabota at work. They suck, too low to the ground and seem to strain to move like they are too heavy.

Mule seems ok but still gets stuck easy sometimes.

[Big_gun]

how many hours and what year model is your 4010??? whats wrong with it that it needs to be replaced???

[Shortbow]

I have driven both. I do not like Mules at all. I think mules are for little old farmers who want something to ride out to check the mail and to not have to walk out back to his shop.

I really do like the RTV, it is a very nice UTV and is a work horse. It's down side is that it is heavy and slow but I very good and dependable.

Personally I think the Ranger is by far the best UTV on the market. I do not like polaris fourwheelers but I think their UTV blows all the others out of the water.

You may think that you do not care about speed or how smooth but I can honestly say that the Mules rough rides can make it down right horrid to have to drive sometimes plus trying to fit 3 men on one seat is a pain in the butt (pun intended).

[Steves ATV]

The Mules are more reliable than the Kubotas. Kubota parts usually quite a bit more expensive as well. Without the dealer being the factor, Mule all the way.

[huntresss]

I knew this was the place to get some good feedback! Thank you for your opinions.

Only thing I didn't like about the kabotas was how when you let off the gas they came to a stop
We have a mule no problems with it

Both are great machines

From what we've read, that problem has been addressed in the newer models. One neighbor said it felt like he was going to be slammed into the windshield when he stopped. They used to have an automatic braking system that engaged when you let off the gas, but now they roll to a stop.

polaris ranger much smoother!

Not interested, thanks. (see comments below) I also failed to mention that we're only looking at the diesel models as we need the extra hp. We had a gas powered Mule the first year they came out with the four passenger model and it pales by comparison to the diesel model we now have.

I own a Mule and have driven the Kubotas at work.. very similar machines. The ones at work are slow too, they may have been governed. Never really had any problems with either one.

How do they match up price wise? I went with the Mule because of the price out the door.

The Kubota is going to be about $1500 more, but it's for our business so if it's more dependable it will be worth the extra money.

Have a Mule 4010. At work, all we use are Kubotas, both the 2 & 4 seaters. In my opinion, no comparison. Granted everyone drives the Kubotas differently at work, but at 300-500 hours most of them have had to have transmission work. All of them feel like the drive shaft in the front end is about to come thru the floor. Not sure what causes that since most of them have never even been in 4wd. They also ride alot rougher than the Mule, and most of our driving is on streets. So the next question for you is "If it ain't broke, why fix it?". No way I would buy a Kubota scooter, but I do love my little orange tractor. Hope this helps.

The problem we're having with the Mule is not with the Mule, but the service dept. at the only dealership in town. The last two times we took it in for repairs they had it for three weeks and four weeks, respectively. Somebody supposedly forgot to order the parts. We can't afford to be without our machine that long. The Kubota dealership, on the other hand, services our tractor and gets it back to us the same day. The machines that are having the tranny problems...are they being driven on concrete, and are they lifted?

how many hours and what year model is your 4010??? whats wrong with it that it needs to be replaced???

We basically have to trade in every two years before the Mule gets too many hours that it isn't worth anything. We take very good care of them, but we also use them for several hours each day driving our hunters around, driving on some pretty rough ground.

I have driven both. I do not like Mules at all. I think mules are for little old farmers who want something to ride out to check the mail and to not have to walk out back to his shop.

I really do like the RTV, it is a very nice UTV and is a work horse. It's down side is that it is heavy and slow but I very good and dependable.

Personally I think the Ranger is by far the best UTV on the market. I do not like polaris fourwheelers but I think their UTV blows all the others out of the water.

You may think that you do not care about speed or how smooth but I can honestly say that the Mules rough rides can make it down right horrid to have to drive sometimes plus trying to fit 3 men on one seat is a pain in the butt (pun intended).

We're driving up and down rocky hills, muddy clay lined creek crossings and on narrow trails that wind through the woods- we might be able to get up to 10 mph on the very few (short) flat straightaways. In our case, speed really doesn't matter. Being able to haul 4-5 adult men and 5-6 large hogs in the bed up a steep grade, or pull a log splitter and a bed full of logs through the timber, or a half ton of corn out to the feeders....now that's important.

Thanks for the comments so far. Please keep them coming! We're going to try and get the Kubota guys to bring one out for us to test drive on the ranch this week. I'm a little concerned with clearance. We had the Mule lifted 2", but the Kubota already has 7.5". It just looks lower and we may have a little trouble in the winter when the roads get wet and rutted.