Busy Gator clocks up over 400km weekly on Cavan suckler farm

Based in Clifferna, outside Cavan town, Jimmy Carroll runs a herd of 70 spring- and autumn-calving suckler cows alongside a civils and plant hire business. With both sons, Raymond and Ollie, involved full time in the family business, Jimmy tends to take care of all things on the farming front.

In 2019, the Carrolls decided to buy their first John Deere Gator, an XUV865M model that has been changed twice since.

With the farm fragmented through six different blocks, a considerable amount of time is spent daily travelling between each to check stock. “Before the Gator arrived, we always kept an old farm jeep, but between keeping it taxed, tested and filled with white diesel it was becoming costly to keep on the road,” Jimmy explained.

Having seen a Gator in Meath Farm Machinery’s yard, Jimmy quickly decided that it would replace the farm jeep and prove a better machine off road. “We looked at some of the other machines at the time, but the John Deere was diesel and was the best finished off, inside and out.”

Intended to be used all days of the year, Jimmy decided to go with the full-spec XUV 865M model kitted out with the fully enclosed cab with a long list of refinements including a heater, radio and LED light package.

Engine and transmission

Up until last year, the XUV865 sat at the top of John Deere’s Gator utility crossover vehicle category in both M and R trim configurations. Late 2024 marked the arrival of the new flagship 875 series, bringing with in increased cargo box capacity, an updated rear suspension design and tuned rear shock absorbers along with a few other minor updates.

The XUV865M is powered by an 854cc, Yanmar-built diesel engine. This three-cylinder setup churns out a steady 22.8hp. Part and parcel of most small-capacity diesel engines, the Gator is a little on the noisy side, especially when the engine is cold. However, Jimmy feels that this is massively outweighed by the fact it is road legal and taxed and insured as an agri tractor meaning it can legally use green diesel. Further compounding his praises for the Gator is its fuel economy. It is fitted with a 42.8l fuel tank.

“Roughly speaking, we’d burn one tank of diesel per week, averaging 420km. The fact it runs legally on green diesel results in considerable saving every year in comparison to running a farm jeep running on white diesel,” he said. “Almost all farms have a green diesel tank on sitetoo, which avoids having to go into town to the pumps.”

The machine is equipped with a two-speed CVT transmission, while it has a rated top speed of 50km/h.

Both the engine and transmission are positioned underneath the rear cargo box, leaving accessibility very good from a maintenance aspect. Considering the majority of their work is road travel between farms, the lads would like a little more forward speed but don’t consider it a deal breaker.

Once off road, the transmission performs well with 4WD and diff-lock on hand for when conditions get tough.

Cab

The Carrolls chose to fully option the machine when it came to the extras. In addition to the LED light package and fully enclosed and heated cab, they opted to fit a radio and sunvisors.

Firstly, Jimmy said that access to the cab is great and once seated, it is comfortable. Although the previous two machines were also equipped with plastic doors and glass windows, Jimmy feels that each machine has progressively gotten quieter and smoother, but is unsure if it’s down to improved sound insulation or a reduction in engine noise.

The simple control layout and ability to hose out the floor of the cab are major benefits.

“It’s a lovely nimble machine to drive, even more so now that we optioned the semi road tyres,” he said. “They’ve left the steering feeling lighter and helped reduce vibrations. The previous off-road tyres were only lasting six months, where the current set is on almost a year and still have plenty of thread left. Their capabilities off road are the only slight compromise.”

The rear electric tipping cargo box has a capacity to carry 454kg. Jimmy mainly uses it for transporting bags and buckets of meal between farms.

Now on their third XUV865M Gator since 2019, the Carrolls consider it a tool the farm couldn’t work without.

“It’s one of the most used machines on the farm and proves ideal for travelling between farms considering our land is so fragmented. I’d consider it a much safer alternative to a quad and it provides a great feeling of safety especially around livestock.

“Our last machine – when we traded it at two years old – had 38,000km clocked up. The running costs compared to an older jeep are minimal, not only in fuel but the fact there is no CVRT test. Other than diesel, I’d safely say between €300-€400 per year keeps it serviced and maintained. As with all John Deere products, the fit and finish we would consider as probably the best in class.

“Since the start, we have dealt with Meath Farm Machinery and their service has been excellent. Any issues have been sorted straightaway. The only thing I’d fault about it – and UTVs in general – is their price. They’re a costly machine for what are arguably a luxury item. When we bought our first machine, they were substantially cheaper. The fact we have a strong trade in leaves the cost of replacement somewhat reasonable,” Jimmy said.