WI Gator 825i with The BOSS 6?6? Power V-XT Plow

[Gator Hunter]

I bought my Gator back in November of 2011: 2011 John Deere Gator XUV 4x4 825i

Options:
Camo Design
Maxxis BigHorn 2.0 Wheels and Tires
OPS Rear Screen Kit
Heavy Duty Front Brush Guard
Heavy Duty Front Fender Guard Kit
Cargo Box Fender Guard Kit
Brake and Taillight Protectors
Heavy Duty Rear Bumper Kit
Floormats
Cargo Box Bed Mat
Cargo Box Power Lift Kit
Front Seat Adjust Kit
High Performance Slip-On Exhaust


742743

[Gator Hunter]

I then added the a Roof and Plow before I even had it delivered to my house.

OPS Poly Roof Kit - Black

The BOSS 6?6? Power V-XT Plow
Smart Technology System:
- Smart Hitch 2 ? Quick attach and detach
- Smart Touch 2 ? Handheld Control
Blade Width:
- Straight 78?
- Vee 68 ??
- Scoop 66 ??
Blade Height:
- Inside 25?
- Outside 30 1/2?
Blade Material: 14 Gauge Steel
Blade Weight: 400 lbs
Hydraulic Package:
- Plow Lifting and Angling
- Comes off with the Plow
Selling Points I liked:
- High Blade Lift Ability
- Fast Blade Response
- Minimal Ground Clearance Loss when Plow is off

744745746

[Gator Hunter]

Next I bought the windshield

OPS Glass Windshield w/Wiper

747748

[Gator Hunter]

I also needed to buy a larger trailer. My double-up Karavan snowmobile trailer was only rated to hold 950 lbs. That won't cut it with a 1630 lb Gator plus the 400 lb. plow. Plus I would like to bring my Quads up North at times. So I bought a new Triailer.

18’ Trailerman Tandem Trailer / Car Hauler
- Dual 3,500 lb. Axles
- Treated 2x6 Deck
- Dual Heavy Duty Loading Ramps

749750

[Gator Hunter]

My other "toys"... Quads and Snowmobile

751

[Regulator]

Wow Gator Hunter....you have sweet collection of toys!!!!...you are like me, but I collect old Harleys...I have 5 old HD's that I love to ride and tinker with...I've brought a few basket cases back to life and I really enjoy seeing the finished bike when I'm done...

Those Boss V-Plows are the cats ass for sure!!!...it's a bit overkill for me here in MD, but damn they do look badass most certainly!!!...I have the regular 72" plow with the hydraulic lift, and that's really plenty for the amount of snow we usually get...

That trailer looks really nice too...a question about it though...are there dual ramps that slide in underneath the bed in the rear???...I couldn't tell by the pics...I have an open 12' trailer that I haul my Gator on now, but I intend to get another enclosed trailer for it like the one Deputy (Larry in Maine) bought for his...I have an enclosed motorcycle trailer that's 14 ft long that I use to carry 2 bikes in, but it's a single axle trailer, and the roof is too low to get my Gator inside it...I like an enclosed trailer in case I go somewhere away from home with the Gator to "hide" what's inside if we were to stay at a Motel or whatever...I have a few electronic goodies installed inside the cab that I wouldn't want someone trying to rip them out too easily...

Thanx for posting those pics...I really enjoy seeing other people's rides...you've got a nice "go-fast" group of toys for sure!!!

Larry in MD :Jestr:

[Deputy347k9]

What a stable! :hray:

[ratrod]

pretty sweet setup you got there. whats the front seat adjust kit? and how do you like that windshield?

[trussman]

Super looking fleet!

[fire gator]

you should be able to play with plow tomorrow due to forcasts

[Gator Hunter]

Fire Gator... I sure hope I get to finally use the new toys in the next couple of days... the forecast was saying 6-8" of snow earlier today, but tonight they knocked back to 4-6". We'll see! Bring it on!

[Gator Hunter]

Thanks everyone for the kind words about the pictures I posted... you asked for pics, so I gave you some! More pics to come...

I need more storage... my 1,400 sq/ft garage is packed!!! And my camper and trailers are all out in the elements. Hopefully in spring I'll get detached garage up.

Today I picked up my order. I installed the Soft Rear Screen and Organizer and the Deluxe Cargo Box Cover. I also put on a rear view mirror (idea from seeing Regulator's - Thank You!), a new shift handle, and a suicide knob. And I found a cool little magnetic and rechargable beacon light for the back end of the Gator when I plow.... technically I'm suppose to have it visable from 360 degrees but with a poly roof, I don't have a spot to put the magnet. And I don't go on the county road.... just a big (1/3 mile) gravel easement road.

[fire gator]

we will now when it stops I guess the more technology they have doesnt seem to improve the acurracy of the weather forcasts maybe i will have to get fire deptartment gator out in snow tomorrow as well to see how it acts in snow

[Gator Hunter]

Ratrod

The front seat adjust allows the seats to move position forward and back.

And you asked how I like windshield.... I love it!!!!! So glad I went with that style. Plus it will allow me to get the backwall / window and poly door kit later on. Believe it or now, once I put the windshield on, I could actually feel engine heat in the cab area, even with all the rest open. I believe the guys that claim their cabs get up into the 60 degree range with full cabs, without a heater! Another selling point.. had the roof at first without the windshield.. out hunting.. pouring rain on the way back in... great the roof protected me but everytime I hit the breaks, the water poured off the roof onto my lap. Not good.

[Gator Hunter]

Regulator

Yeah the trailer has 2 heavy duty ramps. You can see them in the one picture with just the trailer... just behind the wheel well, you can see 2 sliver pins which hold the ramps in place in transit. They are heavy buggers... probably 60 lbs a piece.

[ratrod]

so with that seat adjustment kit can you move the passenger seat?

[PartsGuy]

Very nice gator!! I am from WI also. Can i ask what dealer you got it from?

[Gator Hunter]

Ratrod - Yup, you can get a kit installed to make the passenger seat adjustable.

[Gator Hunter]

Partsguy - RandS - Riesterer and Schnell Inc... they have like 7 locations around WI.

[PartsGuy]

Cool, i have heard of them. Checked them out online, might have to go to the nearest one when its time to order a RSX when they come out.

[Gator Hunter]

We got snow! But not what I was exactly hoping for....

I had the chance to plow this past weekend for the first time, but only 4 inches, instead of the originally 8" they were calling for. I did have some deeper drifted areas in the one foot range.

The BOSS plow controller takes some getting used to as far as how to hold it and shift at the same time. I am considering strapping it to my thigh which will make it easier to shift with the right hand.

I haven't posted pics yet, but I added a suicide knob which makes steering one handed sooooo much easier! I was very pleased with how mine worked. Suicide knob in the left hand and the controler and shifting was done with the right.

As far as the plow, well, it laughted at the snow and blew right through it. The Gator had tons of power. Thank God for the windshield because the snow was light and some did blast around the blade of the plow and the windshield protected me from getting covered in snow.

The thing I enjoyed the most was the ability to drive up to snowbank and power the plow up with the next load of snow. I have to get pics to show you guys just how high up the BOSS plow raises up! Amazing. I couldn't do that with my ATV and blade....

I'm waiting for that next "real" snowfall to really see what it can do. :BG:

[Hunter]

Question: When the plow is not attached, can you still use the front receiver hitch (assuming you have one installed) or does the Boss mounting gear block it? I'm considering a Boss plow, but I also use the front or back receiver hitches for my winch. Still wanted that functionality (winch) when I'm out in the woods.

[Gator Hunter]

The BOSS mount does in fact block the front receiver hitch.... by about a 1/4 inch! I'm not sure if that mount could be set differently. It's a question I have to ask my dealer who put that plow package on. Anyone else with a BOSS on a 825i have this issue?

[gomeroh]

I have the exact same BOSS setup on my 825i and the plow mount does indeed block the front hitch. Noticed that when it was being installed and I don't believe there is any work around for it. I did install a power steering unit on my Gator which made plowing a whole lot easier... that coupled with the suicide knob made it easier to operate. Before the power steering, if the plow was in the raised position it about took 2 hands on the wheel to steer the darn thing, which meant dropping the plow control and then having to pick it back up. Heavy winter gloves make it complicated enough to run the plow without having to grab the thing and try and get your thumb in the right position again.

My biggest complaint right now is that I have the front shocks set on their heaviest position... which isn't heavy enough to compensate for the weight of the big BOSS V Plow. It works fine when it's riding on the ground but that transition from being carried to being down really digs the depth control pads into gravel or whatever BAD. Anybody have any clue as to how to easily beef up the front end any????

[Regulator]

My biggest complaint right now is that I have the front shocks set on their heaviest position... which isn't heavy enough to compensate for the weight of the big BOSS V Plow. It works fine when it's riding on the ground but that transition from being carried to being down really digs the depth control pads into gravel or whatever BAD. Anybody have any clue as to how to easily beef up the front end any????

I can't answer your question, but I actually have a question for you...have you put counter-weights in the cargo bed back behind the rear wheels near the tailgate to counter-act the heaviness on the front end???....Trussman on here did that and he said his 825i worked great that way...he started off with just 250 lbs., but said that he actually needed 500 lbs. for the next time he was going to plow...I'm pretty sure he said he was real happy with it that way....read through he posts and maybe ask him to give you a bit of advice since he has already got it down to a science....the bonus would be to get to see his sweet looking rig when you go through his posts...it's one of the nicest looking 825i's I have seen so far...

I've actually been thinking about how to build a 1 or 2 inch lift kit for the front end of my Gator since I haven't seen any for sale yet online...as soon as it gets home from the Dealership, I'm gonna work on that...

Good luck with getting it right...

Larry in MD :Jestr:

[gomeroh]

Hmmm.... I put some weight in the back end (2 110 lb tractor weights) but didn't try 500 lbs! It's definitely worth a shot to try. Thanks Larry!! I'll check through the system for Trussman's comments.

[ratrod]

the boss plow is somewhere in the neighborhood of 420 pounds so to counter balance it by adding at least that if not more weight to the rear of the machine makes sense.

Larry, I've also been considering a 1 or 2 inch spacer for the front end. I haven't looked that close at it yet but depending on how the shocks mount, it shouldn't be to hard to turn something out on a lathe.

[Regulator]

Ratrod...mine should be home from the dealership tomorrow sometime...when I get time, I am gonna look at what can be done for exactly what you said...a spacer for the shock mounts...I don't have a lathe, but I can do a bit of fabricating using what tools I have...a torch and a sledgehammer works wonders sometimes...hahaha!!!

Larry in MD :Jestr:

[Gator Hunter]

gomeroh,

For your shock problem:
Yes, try more weight in the back end. The plow weighs 400lbs and I have 420lbs in the back (sand bags). I may even add a couple more bags.

For the issue with the plow shoes digging gravel:
1. Do you use your plow in "Float" mode? If you just drop the plow, it keeps some down pressure. I would try using the "float" mode. The controller turns red in color when in float mode. Double press the down arrow or hold it down until it lights up red. Then the plow is in float mode.

2. Do you pack the first decent amount of snow before plowing each year? I've been plowing a loooong gravel easement and driveway for years now. Your shoes will dig gravel (even an ATV plow) if it's not frooze down and packed with snow. I typically drive up and down the drive with my truck, one tire track wide at a time and pack the first 3-4 inces of snow. Let that freeze up and happy plowing!

[Gator Hunter]

gomeroh... one more thing... put that weight in the bed all the way back along the tailgate. You want that weight on the back side of the axle.

[kingwood1]

just wondering how you liked the plow, i got the same setup and am wondering if the plow is to much for the gator?

[Gator Hunter]

kingwood1,

I love the plow! I am very happy with my decision to go with the BOSS. I looked at after market brands as well as the JD plow, but I read too many reviews with issues with that JD plow. And the JD plow isn't cheap to begin with either. And I wanted a snow plow that was made tough and easy to use and the BOSS is both.

On that note, I haven't had much of a chance to really put it to the test. So far we have only had about 12 inches of recorded snow for the year! ...with melts in-between. Currently, I have about 2.5 inches of snow in the lawn right now. Last year at this time we must have had 40+ inches of snow. We had one storm that dumped 16" alone. The last couple of years I believe we went over 70 inches for the winter!

For the past 6 years, I plowed with an Honda Foreman (450cc) and a "Cycle Country Brand 53" State Plow" with no winch.. all manual lifting of the plow. It worked but it stunk in so many ways!

In my opinion, the Gator is plenty of a machine to handle the BOSS. And no, I'm not affiliated with the company at all... other then living a few hours south of where they are made in Iron Mountain, MI.

Also, I have no intent of using the BOSS to push around sand, dirt, or gravel. That's not what it was made for. If you are looking for a multi-purpose, buy a flat gravel blade.

Hope that helps... Or maybe it just muddled your decision further... ha!