Watch: John Deere XUV865M

The John Deere XUV865M is powered by an 854cc, three-cylinder, Yanmar-built diesel engine. This lively piece of plant produces 22.8hp.

Equipped with a two-speed CVT transmission, the Gator has a top speed of 50km/h. Overall, the machine looked well and came across as being very well finished both inside and out.

Cab

The XUV 865M had one of the nicest cabs of all the machines tested. Its LCD dash was clean, simple and effective. The cab is very roomy, but it is worth noting that it is the widest machine by over 100mm, so if looking for a narrow machine it is worth taking this into consideration.

The control layout was very fitting, including the simple diff lock control. The machine had a very good LED lighting package. The John Deere was the only machine that came with an interior cab light, something we were fond of. We liked the central positioning of the wiper, which gave it a large windscreen coverage, and the cab had a very good heater.

The roll-up windows were simple and effective. Visibility to the rear cargo box was very good. We liked the option of opening out the front windscreen.

The only gripe we had with the cab was that we felt the top of the windscreen was a little low. This, combined with the low seating position and high dash, slightly hindered visibility. The handbrake system used by John Deere is effective, but we would have liked a more traditional approach.

Driving

Overall, the Gator was a pleasant machine to drive given the level of comfort inside the cab. The machine proved nippy once the foot was planted to the floor while braking proved responsive. The ride was smooth regardless of the terrain on which we travelled. A plus side to its low driving position was its low centre of gravity leaving the Gator feeling stable.

The 865M was the heaviest machine out of the five tested, yet had the second lowest rated cargo carrying capacity. Jumping into the Gator after one of the other machines, its wider road presence could be noticed, but on the plus side it had a roomier cab.

The 865M handled the mucky terrain well, partly down to its tyres, which were larger and had a better grip than its competitors. Once the cargo deck was loaded, the extra weight could be felt, especially while climbing and cornering.

Features

Accessibility to the engine at the rear was very good. This was largely down to the positioning of the engine to the rear of the machine.

Access to the radiator was provided at the front of the machine. We found the front bonnet to be a little on the flimsy side.

The model we tested was fitted with a protective bar surrounding the front, sides and rear of the Gator. Although a good safety feature, the bar on the rear not only hinders access to the ball hitch but also comes into contact with some trailers when turning tight. On a plus side, the rear taillights are protected with a cage surround. Watch the full UTV test below