550 Gator vs HPX

[wedoweebulldog]

Trying to decide which route to take on a Gator purchase. I am an old construction site guy trying to decide. I need a gator to go up and down a steep slope on my lake property. Basic landscaping and cleanup work,,tree limbs, hauling top soil and carrying gas cans to boat dock. I've sen the 550 in action but am not a hunter that needs a vehicle in the woods. Just some thoughts regarding these 2 options would be appreciated. I would be using this purchase on various construction projects on my lake property.

[GATORDONE]

I'd suggest hpx for your use,for weight and more h.p for your steep hill.:Thmup:

[wedoweebulldog]

I have become aware if you are observant you'll get answers to some or maybe even most of your questions. My neighbor across the lake from me has a HPX that I saw in operation today. The slope of our property is almost the same. He was going, or trying to, from the lower water level to the upper level where his garage is located. It took him 3 attempts to get up the slope. I am sure operator error had something to do with the failed attempts but none the less the attempts were not what you would call successful. After two stabs, backing down the slope each time after losing traction, he finally made it up the grade. The fact that traction was lost gave credence to what the JD salesman had told me about. The HPX and the rear suspension set up are not as effective as the XUV series with the independent rear suspension. Now I need to look at the 625.

[Dane]

I just spent four days hog hunting in a swamp. I took my 550 and a buddy brought his 4x4 HPX so we both spent a lot of time on the same exact terrain allowing a good comparison.

In difficult terrain my 550 was very noticeably more capable. Not even steep or rugged terrain but just sand rolls and ruts would get one of his rear tires up shifting more weight to the others causing him to sink in and get stuck where my 550 just motored through in 2WD.

Acceleration was about the same between the two vehicles but I had him on top end. More noticeable was that I was able to comfortably run faster in rougher terrain. When slogging through deep sand or sinking into muck which really sucks up power there was no noticeable difference so I really have to give credit to the plain olde Briggs engine for power. Surprisingly on cold mornings my 550 started quicker than his HPX. The Briggs in the 550 is air cooled and turns higher rpm's on the top end so the HPX's liquid cooled, slower turning engine may have it in the long run. I think that difference might be important in a commercial, high use application but I don't know if the average user will put enough hours on it to get to that longer engine life.

The box on the 550 is considerably smaller than the one on the HPX. It you need or want to carry a large volume of stuff this could be the major deciding factor. The pivot point on the 550 has proven to be perfect and I can dump a full bed of stone or gravel manually without much effort. The pivot point on the HPX bed looks like it pretty much requires you to buy the powered lift option if you want to dump the bed with anything in there. My buddies bought his with the power tilt so he never tried tilting without it. If you want the larger bed/box size and the four wheel independent suspension than you'll have to step up to at least a 625.

My 550 has a roof, windscreen, rear window and half side panels so it won hands down for rider comfort compared to his HPX which had no roof or windscreen. The enclosure also provided protection against sticks, branches & thorn bushes. It may seem like a small detail to some but the difference with and without some enclosure was extreme. Both vehicles could be enclosed similarly so this does not really favor one over the other but is something to consider when equipping it for how you use it.

Now about the money. My 550 with protection package (front brush guard, roof and bed rails) was less than $9k even with sales tax. The HPX similarly equipped would probably be a thousand more. If you are considering a 625 you'll probably be around $11k which at that point I'd personally step up to the 825. If financing it's easy to slide up into a vehicle costing 50% more as they explain that it's only $75 more a month but if you're paying cash the extra thousands are quite noticeable.

[Dane]

Oh, and I forgot to mention.

The HPX has considerably less ground clearance than the 550 especially in the center of the body because of the straight axle. Not a big deal over most terrain but if you are really going to push it then every inch is important when straddling rocks or driving in deep ruts. It can be the difference between going and cursing.

The HPX was never taken into the water but I don't think it would have done well. The reduced ground clearance and more exposed drive belt & clutches did not look like it would handle water as well. I was driving the 550 into one location through water 6-8 inches deep. Once I was about 50 feet in the nose dropped down and I was in a bit of a hole. I stepped on the gas to let the belly pan part the water. I continued to motor through with water 3-4" deep in the floor board area and the bow wave was somewhere around headlight height. The motor kept running and there was no sign of belt slippage.

Consider the different tires offered with each machine. The aggressive treads offered on the XUV's really do make a difference in sloppy conditions but are hell on the lawn. Turf tires that put more rubber on the ground before sinking in are much more friendly on grass and I think are offered as an option for both vehicles.

Even though the 550 is about 3 inches narrower than the HPX it's bench seat allows three adults to squeeze in if needed and it allows you to enter and exit the vehicle from either side. The bucket seats of the HPX look more sexy and provide more side to side support and better, more contoured back support.

[jergeod]

I will agree with Dane about the water, but the HPX has done outstanding for me. I use it for heavy work around the house and by no means is my ground level I am built on the side of a very large steep hill and the HPX has never given me anything to worry about. If the HPX is going to be used for work and not play that is what JD built these for,power, hauling, stability. I raised mine by adding XUV wheels and tires which made all the differance. Now one thing to think about the HPX is no more, JD left it out of the lineup for 2013. So you would be buying a 2012 leftover if my dealer is correct, might not be the smartest move. OMO.

[nakdboardr]

I am getting an 825i but I was in the same boat...I looked at what I wanted to use it for and all of the add-ons to other models started adding up close to the price of the 825i.... :hdscrh:

[vanderrt]

2597I ordered HPX but talked to the dealer. Because the HPX was still in the build stag my dealer cancelled the order and I bought a 550 S4. The 2012 550 S4 has some problems such as a primary clutch that's too light weight but John Deere stepped up to the plate and replaced it. It shifts great now. Back to the point Gulf Tractor had the HPX, 2 person, that I ordered on their lot. I'm so happy I didn't buy it. It was 2WD no roll cage or top cost 8250.00. I bought the 550 S4, 4 person, for 11,450.00 with the factory option package. What was included in the Factory opion Package was a Roll cage with poly roof 1495.00 rear bumper 140.00, bed rails 150.00, Alum. Rims, and Big Horn Tires about 1,200.00. I bought a signal light package 495.00 installed, Vented Winseild 399.00 (wife installed it for fathers day said it was a breeze), rear view mirrors 90.00, and a winch my daughter bought for me. My neighbor installed the winch for me it took him about 3 hours. I'm a quadriplegic can't do these things for myself but it's wonderful to have freinds and a wife that go out of the way to help. My neighbor also built a transfer handle to help me get into the S4. I live on North Padre Island Texas and it's great on the beach. The deepest sand no problem. I've exceeded the 400lb bed weight a few times but no problems using the manual dump. I would recommend a 550 to anyone but be sure it's the 2013 so you don't have to deal with the shifting problems. Also I would suggest at least a 1 year extended warrantee for peace of mind 425.00. The investment isn't small at about 13,000.00 but I'd do it again. I looked at the 825i s4 20,000.00 like I have mine set up. I couldn't justify a toy costing that much.