JD Gator experience?

[Sledgehammer]

Any experience here with a JD Gator TS?  I was given a chance to purchase one and was looking for insight. This one is a 2012 model, 2 wheel drive, electric bed hoist, with 284 hours. Owned by an older person. I understand it is basically a golf cart vs a modern side by side and would be used for maintenance around the place primarily. Been kept inside. Thoughts and opinions??  I know it’s green but......😊

[Lazy WP]

I don’t know anything about that model, but I had a 850d, diesel. I loved it. It would go places the 4x4, 4 wheeler would never dream of going. Topped out at 35mph, which is the same speed as my Frog horse could run. Frog ran out of fuel after 2 miles. Gator was good for 50 miles. Probably a good thing I had my rifle in the scabbard on the roll bar. 😡

[iowaboy1965]

Drove one everyday at work when I started here. The ts isn't a bad horse but a lil under powered for deep mud or snow but would probably be ok all in all. We went from the ts to the TX, I think, at work. Lil bigger engine and rear suspension along with 4 wheel disc brakes. Not that you need all that for what your doing.

The electric lift can strip out if overloaded iirc. Some had em and some didn't when I started. Now they get them all without as we carry tool boxes all the time and don't need the dump anyway.

[iowaboy1965]

If the price is reasonable I would say get it. Looks and sounds like it's probably a good one.

[iowaboy1965]

The TX will run 20 or 25 mph I'm thinking. The ts about 10 or 12at best

[Rick G.]

We had three of those two wheel drive TS’s where I used to work. They were really beat to crap but kept on ticking. We had to watch the engine oil level in one because it used a lot of oil. This one in your pic looks to be in really nice shape. 

I wouldn’t be afraid of getting that one at all, especially for light duty yard work.  Parts should be easy to get.

Check that one to see if it has a Diff. lock lever in the center next to the shift lever. That comes in handy to lock the rear axle if needed, for better traction in soft or wet spots.  Be sure it is disengaged when not needed though. It will make the machine much harder to turn if it’s engaged. You might check to see if the diff lock works before you buy it. The diff lock is only supposed to be engaged / disengaged when the machine is at a standstill.

But yeah for what it is, no 4WD, and light duty work, they are not bad. I have a JD Gator HPX with a V-Twin liquid cooled Kawasaki engine, with 4WD, and that is a nice unit as well. 

[iowaboy1965]

It should have the dif lock lever. And thinking back my comments about under powered are based on hauling a fully loaded waterloo 11 drawer top box as well as parts or other stuff. On the txs we now run if we leave the adjustable shocks as delivered mine will bounce off the bump stops once in a while. So I'm hauling a lot of weight around. Empty or more normally loaded I bet you would be jist fine 99 % of the time.

[Tonyinca]

 Todd ,

  I have one just like it , bought it in 2014 used on the Almond ranch pretty much like a P.U. or tractor.

    I still have it and use it everyday on my retirement ranch of 20 acres almonds . 

     They are indestructible , we change oil and air filter and its never let us done and never been to shop.

     changed battery twice and we have ruined few rear tires running over rough stuff and that it.

    Dont be afraid of it.

  Tony

[Rick G.]

Here’s the only pic I have on my phone right now of our HPX 4x4 Kawasaki V-Twin liquid cooled Gator. That’s wifey on it when we were out clearing brush and cedar, dressed against sun, bugs, and snakes. Lol.

Our HPX has a separate rear frame, painted black, with adjustable shocks for the rear wheels. The TS is solid rear axles, no suspension. Our Gator is at 710 hours today. I had a guy offer me $5,500.00 for it this past Fall. That’s a heck of a lot more than I paid for it several  years ago. I thought holy cow, but decided we need it, I’d be lost without it, so told him I had to keep it. 

 

[iowaboy1965]

2 minutes ago, Rick G. said:

Why is that rear wheel so cockk-eyed like that in your one pic??????

I think its an illusion. But it does make you think that doesn't it!

[iowaboy1965]

I was thinking they were made for deere by bombardier? Or maybe the older ones were?

[jass1660]

Had a ts, tops out at 21 mph by gps. Bought it used in 2010 with 500 hours cost $5k. Would pull empty hay racks around and raked hay with it once in a bind.

[Dirt_Floor_Poor]

11 minutes ago, iowaboy1965 said:

I was thinking they were made for deere by bombardier? Or maybe the older ones were?

The Deere “Buck” ATV was, I don’t remember hearing the Gators were. 

[nomorejohndeere]

 

[1480x3]

I have 1 that looks to be same vintage/model as Art's. Bought it in 03 at Ted Everrate Auction. Sold 43 of em that day, mine was last one carried through on forklift as it wouldn't run. Had "weak engine" written on hood. Paid 1800 for it. Put a battery in it and am still using it today. No hr meter, electric dump, or serial tag on it. Since owning have changed 4 busted fenders, couple sets of tires, couple more batteries, one front shock, starter this spring, only recall 1 oil change but can't imagine i have not done a couple more, muffler, and drive belt. Lights quit a few years ago. It just keeps going

[vtfireman85]

All else being equal i wasn’t ever in love with the belt drive side by sides. But I think if the price was right, and you had the need that looks like a decent machine. Don’t hear much bad around here about them

[88power]

We have a fleet of the TS models i think I'm taking care of 7 at the moment as a whole we have at least 15 in the past 15 years or so we've had around 30, things to look at is if they sit a lot the primary clutch gets sticky makes it jerky when you take off and hard to shift, we don't really have that problem with ours get ran like trucks some 7 days a week but almost every model this can happen to some say there's away to clean it to fix it or theres a guy they call the gator doctor he rebuilds them, the oil filter is awful to get to especially if has an alternator kit on it, has a kaw engine could be up to 5 different models all we have have been a tad cold natured, some where bad for breaking push rods but we've took a got the pieces out put a new one in and they go back to running some better than others, front suspension has bushings that will go bad you can get new ones fairly cheap and replace them, rear has no suspension but if you keep it greased they live a long time, have seen quite a few front wheels the centers bust, have had a couple the secondary clutch come off it will bend the shaft 9 times outta 10, the trans axle case is easy to split easier than changing the oil filter on a new one because i believe they use a torque multiplier to put them on

[bitty]

Looks like it needs red paint and some new decals ...... 😁

[Rawleigh99]

I have a 2004 4x6.  Not much ground clearance, rides rough and a little primitive, but the price is a lot less than these glorified things they sell today that cost as much as a used pickup.

[yellowrosefarm]

Like 88power, we have a dozen or so at work, most with 3-4000 hours on them.  They get run by everybody, probably the most used piece of equipment with the least repairs. And, you can still buy a new TS gator.  One thing to look out for, though the one in the picture does not exhibit this, is the exhaust pipe turning white between the engine and muffler. That means its running too lean and will very shortly cough the valve guide out of the head and either start pecking badly or bend the push rod. Drilling the jet out just a bit will cure it. And  replacing a head isn't crazy expensive if it does happen.  Also, if you ever have to pull the clutch off the engine, buy the tool that's sold for that.  The aggravation it will save will far out weigh the minimal cost.  These are great machines, handy as a shirt pocket.