The Farmboss HD was equipped with a three-pot 1,200cc engine. Married up with the Chinese-built power plant was a belt-driven CVT transmission capable of 55km/h.
On first impressions, build quality came across as poor. However, the Farmboss surprised us with its performance.
Cab
The Farmboss had the least refined cab out of the five UTVs tested. The control layout was understandable from the get-go. However, without consulting the owner’s manual we couldn’t figure out what a number of the lights represented.
Equipped with aftermarket LED lighting to both the front and rear of the machine, the Farmboss outshone the other UTVs on test. The windscreen wiper was retrofitted, and did not offer enough coverage. The handbrake was a little flimsy, and a buzzer didn’t sound if the machine was driven while it was still engaged.
Driving
Similar to the Kioti, the Farmboss had a high seating position. Initially, the foot pedals felt very close together leaving it easy to press both the accelerator and brake together but as we spent more time with the machine, we got a better feel for it.
Gear changes often needed persuasion with a slight touch of the accelerator. However, once the gear was found, there was no shortage of poke from the 25.2hp engine. The lack of rubber mounts and bushings around the engine and transmission left the machine with a lot of vibration on idle.
The Farmboss had no issue with traction off-road, partly due to the grip of the tyres that were fitted. While under load, the Farmboss surprised us with its performance. Like the Kioti, it performed just as well with a load in the rear cargo box as it did without.
Features
The Farmboss was the only machine that came with a spare wheel. Although this slightly hindered visibility to the front, it is worth having in the case of damaging a tyre.
The fuel, air and oil filters are all safely tucked away in a little compartment at the side of the machine. When it comes to servicing, it’s just a matter of opening the door.
The Farmboss had the highest air breather by a long shot.
We felt that a better job could have been done sealing up the wiring to the tail lights and, in general, under the bonnet. It didn’t come with a seven-pin plug – a feature that would be required by many users.
Watch the full UTV test below
- Machinery
- Farm machinery
- Focus
- UTVs
- Videos
- Video
- Diesel
- Fuel
- Towing
- Tyres
- Gary Abbott