Content area
Full text
The ads are everywhere. John Deere touts its Gator 825i as being the fastest and most powerful Gator yet.
I tested the new crossover utility vehicle on my beef feedlot, cow/calf and grain farm, located on the border between Minnesota and South Dakota, last fall. We used the Gator for a variety of jobs - from basic transportation and cattle roundup to fixing and fencing.
This machine really catches the eye with its all-aluminum John Deere yellow wheels with polished aluminum accents. The machine I tested had the green and yellow color scheme and a bench seat.
Engine
When my dealer drove the Gator off the delivery trailer, its new 50-hp, 3-cyl. electronically fuel-injected motor made it sound as if it were a race car. With dual overhead cams and four valves per cylinder, the motor is probably the most advertised part of the machine.
The motor is very snappy and sounds pretty cool. Watching the rpm display on the digital gauge display tells me that at 20 to 25 mph this engine is running somewhere in the neighborhood of 3,800 to 4,800 rpm. At the top published speed of 44 mph, the motor runs just shy of 6,000 rpm.
I was able to use the machine all day without having to refill the 5.3-gal. fuel tank, which is easily accessible, located directly under the driver's seat with an easy-to-read gauge on the tank.
The Gator is well built with a full metal covering on the underside...