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Mule pro #7039859 01/16/18 12:30 PM
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Midwaytmm Offline OP
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Can somebody tell me if this is a belt drive similar to Polaris? Still looking at these, one dealer said yes , other said no. Can’t find straight answer ..... thanks

Re: Mule pro [Re: Midwaytmm] #7039921 01/16/18 01:35 PM
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68rustbucket Offline
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Has a belt that runs between 2 clutches

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2uCT89oJVho



Re: Mule pro [Re: Midwaytmm] #7040105 01/16/18 03:48 PM
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DTCOOPER Offline
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yes, it's a belt driven CVT, just like most (if not all) UTVs..


Daniel
Just Because... That's why.
Re: Mule pro [Re: DTCOOPER] #7040183 01/16/18 04:35 PM
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don k Offline
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Originally Posted By: DTCOOPER
yes, it's a belt driven CVT, just like most (if not all) UTVs..
Not Kubota.

Re: Mule pro [Re: Midwaytmm] #7040313 01/16/18 05:39 PM
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Been using kubota for years. No problems. Just tired of kidneys bleeding at end of the day . Most of the use is loaded down, going 5-10ish mph . Been trying to research for a while. Seems my kind of use is exactly what tears cvt units up. Am I wrong on this. Had a Polaris for a while. That pos was short lived . But I’ve discovered all of them are belt drive now. Mule was last hope. Do the clutch kits help with slippage/wear at low speed? Thanks

Re: Mule pro [Re: Midwaytmm] #7040431 01/16/18 07:11 PM
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Run my pro mule dx in low range while following bird dogs. Have had any slippage yet. I think the clutch kits are helping when running larger tires



Re: Mule pro [Re: Midwaytmm] #7041335 01/17/18 12:07 PM
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I run my DX behind my bird dogs in high range nearly all the time and it has never slipped or been noisy. I do put it in low when going up a steep grade but that is rare because the engine has great low speed torque. On the other hand, I have a Polaris 570 Sportsman 4 wheeler that has to be run in low range at low speeds or it makes an awful racket. Other than the noise I have no complaints with the Polaris and I use it a lot. I have been running Mule's for years and have never had any problem with a belt or clutch and never had one slip or make any noise. I am on a lease this year that is the roughest country I have ever hunted. If the Mule can stand up to what I am putting it through this season it will be a tough machine.

Re: Mule pro [Re: Midwaytmm] #7041600 01/17/18 03:03 PM
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Fatdaddy Offline
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Honda is not belt driven

Re: Mule pro [Re: Midwaytmm] #7041646 01/17/18 03:28 PM
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Navasot Offline
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There is a reason 98% of them use belts

actually more than a one... dont get caught up in the direct drive it just means more labor, more maintenance and bigger $ down the road

Re: Mule pro [Re: Midwaytmm] #7041657 01/17/18 03:32 PM
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Honda uses one of the very true DCT trans... and still has reasonable speed.. but there are alot of extra steps to take when engaging diff locks and 4x4

Kubota has an HST trans like a tractor... and is about as slow as one too

Re: Mule pro [Re: Navasot] #7041661 01/17/18 03:33 PM
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don k Offline
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Originally Posted By: Navasot
There is a reason 98% of them use belts

actually more than a one... dont get caught up in the direct drive it just means more labor, more maintenance and bigger $ down the road
Sorry, but I beg to differ. The last Kubota I put a little over 3000 hours on it. Put a new fan belt and a water pump in 6 years and that is it.

Re: Mule pro [Re: don k] #7042119 01/17/18 08:34 PM
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Originally Posted By: don k
Originally Posted By: Navasot
There is a reason 98% of them use belts

actually more than a one... dont get caught up in the direct drive it just means more labor, more maintenance and bigger $ down the road
Sorry, but I beg to differ. The last Kubota I put a little over 3000 hours on it. Put a new fan belt and a water pump in 6 years and that is it.


Not all break down... Kubota is actually one of the more reliable vehicles because of their diesel engine which I assume is what you got?

Im strictly talking about transmission and if one goes down... and that its high gear should have the turtle sign and the low would show a snail

Re: Mule pro [Re: 68rustbucket] #7042123 01/17/18 08:35 PM
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Originally Posted By: 68rustbucket
Run my pro mule dx in low range while following bird dogs. Have had any slippage yet. I think the clutch kits are helping when running larger tires


This will solve about all slippage problems people get from belt machines.. really is the only cause of the Honda trans having issues is using the wrong gear

Re: Mule pro [Re: Midwaytmm] #7045314 01/20/18 12:17 AM
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Midwaytmm Offline OP
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What’s the reason most using belt drive? Assume speed, but that’s just a guess? Everything goes fast now

Re: Mule pro [Re: Midwaytmm] #7045735 01/20/18 11:24 AM
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Cheaper to build and work on. Very reliable.
Originally Posted By: Midwaytmm
What’s the reason most using belt drive? Assume speed, but that’s just a guess? Everything goes fast now

Re: Mule pro [Re: Midwaytmm] #7045804 01/20/18 01:52 PM
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What is the reason for CVT belt drive?
Besides what arandy said above, it also has the CVT function.
At low speed, the front pulley is small and back pulley is larger.
As motor speeds up, the clutches on front pulley squeeze the sheaves together and the front pulley effectively gets bigger.
The rear pulley, which is spring loaded holding the sheaves together begins to spread as the belt gets tighter.
The faster the engines turns, the larger the front pulley gets(by squeezing together), which makes rear get smaller as it spreads apart.
If you keep the throttle steady, the UTV will speed up (high ratio) going down hill and slow down (low ratio) to pull a hill.

And it does everything including clutch function, smooth acceleration and automatic ratio that changes on the run, as needed without any intervention on our part other than throttle input.

This drive system is also used heavily on snowmobiles so it has been used and tested a long time.

Most ATVs and UTVs I have worked on usually have pretty easy access to the belt to change it when needed.

As a side note: I'm ONLY getting about 8-9 years per belt in daily use on my 2001 Mule at approximately 30 bux per belt delivered off ebay.

Last edited by Vern1; 01/20/18 01:55 PM.

Cheers,
Vern1
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Re: Mule pro [Re: arandy] #7046053 01/20/18 05:03 PM
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Originally Posted By: arandy
Cheaper to build and work on. Very reliable.
Originally Posted By: Midwaytmm
What’s the reason most using belt drive? Assume speed, but that’s just a guess? Everything goes fast now

Re: Mule pro [Re: Midwaytmm] #7046500 01/21/18 12:09 AM
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Ok thanks. Only experience was with Polaris, and won’t do that again

Re: Mule pro [Re: Midwaytmm] #7049690 01/23/18 02:58 PM
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Why?

You slip the belt?

Re: Mule pro [Re: Midwaytmm] #7050466 01/24/18 12:41 AM
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Yes sir quite a few times burnt one up. Between that and the cv joints on ranger and 4 wheeler, I wouldn’t buy another Polaris. I know there’s lots of folks that have them, and love them. I don’t. And not intended to start arguments, so I hope it wasn’t taken that way. Use them for work everyday. For me, they weren’t dependable

Re: Mule pro [Re: Midwaytmm] #7073414 02/10/18 07:45 PM
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Got to ride in a mule pro with a guy the other day. Was very impressed. Probably only spent 30 min in it though . May sound a little strange but thought I’d throw it out there since I’m seriously considering buying . If anybody that owns the 4 seater model wants to bring it down and use it for the night , we’ll take you out hunting . You drive it around the properties. I’ll just stop you occasionally to get out and kill pigs. I’ve got extra rifles/thermal. Just want to see how it operates in rough conditions. I work in pretty much the same conditions I play in , so it would be perfect demo. Same offer open to anybody that has the John Deere equivalent. Let me know thanks

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