4 WD, Hi-Low, have to shift gears (so), cab, larger bed. My place isn't too rugged, no canyons or large rocks. Just investigating a small vehicle to put around with the wife and kids as well as work from a bit. Price of a used mini truck is way under a new Ranger.

So why not? What am I missing?

I also have a 2005 Grizzly 660 I have no plan of selling.

Suspenion sucks and cab size is not made for anyone over 5'6

Most those trucks have about less then 5" of true suspension travel. Your daily driver pickup truck probably has 6-8

But you can hardly kill them

I'm 6.3 and I had one. It was great minus the part I had to keep my head out of the window to see down the road and I felt like I was Ina clown car. But one of my guides is 5.4 and he loved it...

do a search here - several threads on these trucks with a lot of info

Depends on the manufacturer and model as to what you will get. Some are built tougher and with more power than others. We had 4 automatic transmissions ones on the ranch. All were 4x4, had A/C and heater. One had tilt steering. One had extended cab and one had a regular cab(but later we added an extended cab allowing seats to inch back making it easier to get into). Two were 4 door models. I am 6'1" tall and had no problem getting into any of them. The 4 door models had a lot more cab room but less bed in the back than the 2 door with the extended cab. The single cab had a lot of bed space and the bed sides were all hinged/removable to allow easy access when using the bed. The good about these also is the radiator was under the hood instead of under the seat, they did not get a dirty radiator from road dust when driving. They are very smooth riding and very quiet running down the road. The heated cab was nice in the winter. The downside back then was the availability of parts and where to find them. Then finding someone to work on the engines. Nowdays it could be better. Also where the front wheels/axle sat made them easier or harder to get into if you are taller. If the axle is in front of the door then easier to get in and out. If it is under the front door makes it tougher to get in and out(less leg space). One the models was a Suzuki Carry single cab(added extended later) and it had less power in 4 wheel drive than the others. The 4 doors ones carried 4 people okay and had enough power to move around in flat terrain. I know the owner of that ranch sold this ranch and bought one in the Hill Country. He kept the one 4x4 auto 4 door with pics below. He ended up selling it due to it not having the power to climb those steeper hills. Here are a few pics of it. He added a camo paint job, rears spot lights, front bumper and rear deer carrier (not much bed space and it was lower to the ground). 3 of the models we had were newer with 1000km or less. One had over 30,000km on it. They make great wet nasty winter weather for working or hunting out of. Lastly it takes a month to get used to getting in on the wrong side(right hand drive) and you always have guests wanting to drive(don't know about right hand drive).

I wondered about parts and how tough it was to get them. I also wondered about how hard it is to work on them. I saw one for sale that had been lifted and had some nice mud tires. It made me take notice. I'm 5'9" and 185, wife is 5'4" and 125. So we probably won't have trouble getting in and out. I don't need to hill cimb and I've only got 70 acres and lots of dirt county roads around me that leads to fields I have permission to hunt. What I really need is the power and the four wheel drive to go through sloppy Blackland praire type mud.

Good stuff fellas! Keep it coming.

They are lighter in weight than a Ranger or Mule(the ones we had were). So with wider tires they will probably do better. The tires in the pics are wider than the original tires on the mini-truck and are for of a UTV/ATV. If you have good grass cover on your pasture roads you should be okay.

I squeezed into one before and it wasn't completely horrible, and you know how girthy I am

Just called a bud that had a Ranger and a Mini Truck at the same time. I asked why he sold the Mini Truck, what was wrong with it. He said they aren't bad, but the bench seat of the Ranger allowed him to have both kids with him, but the mini truck wouldn't. Solid rear axle won't ride as smooth as in independent rear suspension like a Ranger, and you have to shift gears on the mini truck. He told me of some folks that have used mini trucks for a year then sold them and got a Ranger. So it looks like I'm back to leaning more toward a Ranger. Then he tells me to consider a Gator since they make a diesel. Well, I keep a 100 gallon off road diesel tank for the tractor and skidsteer. Hmmm, may have to go that route.

I think Kubota makes a diesel one and so does Kawasaki in the Mule. If you are worried about mud I imagine the extra weight of the diesel would be just like a truck and the gas would be better.

I had a Mule and have a Ranger...no comparison on ride and performance. I'd never buy another Mule.

Thanks, Judd

Polaris makes a Ranger in diesel, too. It's spendy, but it's an option.

Only one ive had experience in was a left handed manual(5-speed) 4x4. It had lots of power in 4-low, but was supper slow. Seemed to have plenty of power putting around. Used it to pull around a 12 foot flatbed and it seemed to do fine at that. It had the skinny tires on it and did OK in the mud, sure if it had some ATV tires on it would do much better.

I forgot about that...yep, I'd pick that one over the Gator/Mule/Kubota.

Rangers are like a divorce...they are expensive because they are worth it

Pm Nav about the new mahindra UTV

I really like the ranger. Hard to beat except when it gets really cold

I've got a fab shop. May have to get practiced up on my aluminum skilz. I don't want to soak in the cold either.Sure won't pay the dealership what they want for acessories.

I just bought a diesel Mule from Kawasaki City in Irving. They had some leftover new 2012's at a really good price. They have both the standard and trans Mules in stock. They quote out the door pricing and were less than the other dealers I looked at. I'm pleased with what I got. Started right up this morning when it was 11 degrees.

Jeep

They can be had cheaper than a new Ranger.

should have never gotten rid of my 76 cj5 lifted on 35's ... sold it and bought a 2013 rhino

rights roof from my dealer is 419.00 found the same roof online 176.00 shipped

It's ugly. I like to look a little sporty in the field.

a buddy of mine has a mini pickup. he likes it to drive around his property. hes about 6'3. he drives the back roads with it.

But he can't get great pictures like this after the hunt;