Buyers Guide For Utility Vehicles – Which Vehicle Do You Need?
Farming Utility Vehicles, also know as ‘side by sides’, ‘UTVs’, ‘CATs’, are an important vehicle to have when it comes to running a farm, piece of land or estate. If you’re in the market for an upgrade or a first time buyer, our buyers guide for Utility Vehicles will give you a few reasons on why you should have one and what you should buy.
Farming Utility Vehicle Benefits
These fantastic machines offer a variety of benefits as well as being as versatile as a compact tractor along with having the utility of an off road vehicle and easily operated like an ATV. Speed wise you can expect up to and around 32mph which is great for getting from A to B but they are also lightweight enough that they can traverse muddy areas or grassland without leaving a large track behind. So let’s get into the main benefits of a Farming Utility Vehicle:
Utility Vehicles Are Comfortable
One of the many plus points is just how comfortable Utility Vehicles are as they are designed to tackle tough terrains with ease. They come with independent suspension for a smooth ride and rack and pinion steering systems that make handling a Utility Vehicle a dream.
Utility Vehicles Have Engine Options
With 3 types of engines available, you can find the right vehicle to suit your needs and preferences when it comes to using fuel types.
– Petrol: Utility Vehicles with petrol engines offer a slight advantage over Diesel Engines when it comes to cost efficiency and noise pollution. A petrol engine is also a little easier to repair incase of emergency and more simple things such as oil changes and routine maintenance can easily be done on site. When it comes to cost of running, petrol engines use gas than a diesel engine and a petrol engine is less efficient, but the margin is not big enough for it to be a worry.
– Diesel: A diesel powered Utility Vehicle will normally be slightly more expensive to purchase and repair. This however is offset by the diesel engine being more powerful and less likely to need regular maintenance or repairs. The load carrying capacity and pulling power will be higher on a Utility Vehicle that has a diesel engine due to extra torque. Diesel UTV’s tend to hold their value longer than their petrol powered counterparts also and it can be argued they are the better investment on that alone. This is only a real benefit if you’re looking to upgrade fairly regularly though.
– Electric: The electric motor is the newest innovation when it comes to propelling UTV’s, although it has been used in vehicles like Golf Karts for some time. A few of the major advantages of using an electric motor is that it’s quiet and has zero emissions, with an increased level of responsiveness when handling the vehicle. If the vehicle is properly charged and maintained, you should have no problem using it all day.
Drive Train Options For Every Occasion
Depending on your needs, Utility Vehicles have a variety of drive train options giving you the option of 2 Wheel Drive, 4 Wheel Drive and even 6 Wheel Drive.
– 2 Wheel Drive: Perfect for lightweight haulage over flat terrain types. Easy to drive, with good mileage and can even be transported easily due to it’s more compact size.
– 4 Wheel Drive: When you’re working on muddy, steep or rough ground, or generally need to transport heavier equipment from A to B , a 4 Wheel Drive would be advised. No one wants to be stuck in the mud losing time and money so having a vehicle with a stronger engine and a good amount of horsepower to get you out of those tighter spots.
– 6 Wheel Drive: A 6 wheel vehicle has the best traction out of all of the options, featuring a 4 wheel drive with 2 load bearing wheels in between to distribute a larger weight load evenly. The main use of these are very much heavier loads. As the weight is distributed evenly across the vehicle, you will leave little to no tracks. Of course if you’ve got 6 wheels instead of 4 wheels you’ve got 50% chance more of getting a flat tyre and having to replace it. Something to consider when making your choice.
A Utility Vehicle Has A Lot Of Extra Accessories
Being able to upgrade your vehicle is certainly an advantage, especially with the ever changing weather conditions in the UK. Not every model will feature all of the options so you may have to pick the brand that suites your needs the most, function over form!
– Dump Beds: A handy add on for transporting bedding, mulch, dirt and so on depending on your project at hand.
– Cab: A cab will offer you more protection and comfort from the elements and can be either Hard or Soft. IF you’re planning on using your UTV all year round then a cab will come in handy for every season
– Sprayer: A sprayer can be used to spray fertilizer, herbicides and various agricultural chemicals around your farm land and can be easily attached to the bed of your UTV.
– Windshield: Without having a full cub, a windshield accessory won’t keep the rain off of your head but it will stop debris and rain from blowing in on you as you drive around your grounds and will also help to improve visibility during different weather types such as rain or fog.
– Vacuum Cleaner: This handy attachment can do is great for keeping livestock and estate areas clean and will double as a street sweeper if need be. Clean up from the comfort of your UTV.
– Snow Blade: Make shoveling snow a thing of the past with this huge improvement over the snow shovel. It’s not as big or expensive as a snow plough but it can shift snow out of the way and can also be used to level driveways or push dirt around if need be.
– Tow Ball: Need to be able to two a smaller sized flatbed trailer? With a Tow Ball welded to the frame, you’ll be able to drag around various attachments depending on the size and horsepower of your chosen UTV.
While UTV’s will never be able to fully replace compact tractors, they certainly have a part to play in the day to day running of farming and agricultural businesses. If you need more information or help finding the right UTV for your business, contact us today. If you’ve enjoyed our Buyers Guide For Utility Vehicles make sure to check our blog section regularly for more ‘Handy’ guides and tips.
