John Deere 865M Gator ticks boxes for Sligo dairy farmer

Milking 70 cows overlooking Trá Bhuí (Yellow Beach), Peter and Margaret Finnegan farm near Templeboy in Co Sligo. Twelve years ago, Peter decided to make the move to a UTV. Before closing the deal on a used John Deere HPX Gator, he looked at and considered an ATV, but felt they were dangerous and didn’t have the cargo-carrying capacity of a UTV.

A used John Deere Gator was purchased in 2010. This proved to be a good machine, but Peter noted that after several years it needed some work so he decided to upgrade. A well-built Kubota RTV 900 caught Peter’s eye at a trip to the Ploughing around the same time. After a quick conversation, the new Kubota was purchased.

He explained: “I held on to my first Kubota for three years. I didn’t like the cab and found it difficult getting it in and out of gear. When the newer 900 came out three years later, I decided to upgrade my UTV again. This was an improved machine but again I was faced with quite a bit of transmission trouble. In fact, I had to rebuild the transmission twice in its four years of operation. It was a good machine but I lost faith in the transmission. In July of last year, I made the move to a new John Deere 865M.”

Engine and transmission

The John Deere XUV865M is powered by an 854cc, Yanmar-built diesel engine. This locomotive produces 22.8hp.

Peter was quick to note the fuel economy of the Yanmar engine. He explained: “The Gator is road-legal and is taxed and insured as an agricultural tractor, so it runs on green diesel. It is fitted with a 42.8l fuel tank and is generally filled once every two weeks. It has great get up and go and is always on the button on a cold morning.”

The machine is equipped with a two-speed CVT transmission, while it has a rated top speed of 50km/h. Peter explained that accessibility to the engine and other components is very good.

He opted to fit the machine with a protective bar surrounding the front, sides and rear.

Cab

He said that the cab and control layout is simple and effective. Initially he felt the cab was very big, but soon grew very fond of this luxury. He added that the LED lighting package is second to none.

He opted for the half-plastic doors over the glass doors as they were significantly cheaper and Peter also felt they offered better sound insulation. However, he noted the locking mechanism on the doors has proved a little gimmicky and water is seeping into the cab through the doors from a channel on the roof.

The ability of the rear cargo box to carry equipment is one of his biggest likes. It has a carrying capacity of 454kg.

Verdict

“We took delivery of the 865M Gator in July. We have dealt with TFM in Tuam for our last two tractors. The backup service was good so we decided to deal with them again for the Gator. We have clocked 400 hours since July and would typically do around the 600 hour mark each year.

“Overall, we are very happy with the machine. With the exception of the plastic doors, which are a little gimmicky, I can’t fault it. It has great power, comfort and it is easy to use. We do a lot of road work with it so I fitted road tyres over the cleated field tyres for longevity. This puts it at a disadvantage in wetter ground, which is to be expected.

“It’s the most used vehicle on the farm. We use it for general everyday work such as going for the cows, fencing and bringing feed to stock. The only thing that’s wrong with UTVs and I’ve always said it is the price. They are €5,000 too expensive and it’s a shame because they are very safe for farm work.”

Machine spec