Are Kawasaki Mules OK?

I have been looking for a side by side to somewhat replace my 4 wheeler. I have located a well kept 2007 Kawasaki Mule 3000. One owner. Adult driven. Engine has been replaced - says $6000 in repairs. Same engine as used in John Deere Gators. No scrapes, dents, broken plastic. Tires will last another couple years. Seat perfect. Roll cage. No windshield or top. Probably can buy it for $2300. Seems low. I do not need to go faster than 25 or 30 mph. People say Mules are long lasting and hard working machines. What should I look for when I test drive it? What are your opinions before I buy this one? Thanks.

I?ve been around a few they seemed alright never owned one always wanted one though

I dont know anything about the Mule so I can not help you on that part. If noise and vibration are a concern it might be good to drive a few other brands first just to see. It could be the mule is real quietI just bought a new Polaris 500 side by side with enclosed cab but the doors are fabric. There is no sound deadening, its a cheap model. Engine noise seems to echo in the cab and the glass rear window resonates some sound into my hearing aides. I can still hold a conversation with a passenger though. A friend test drove a Used Deere and he said it was noisy, noisier than my Polaris. I do not know what model or year the Deere was so this is not a fair comparison but it is just an example.

We have a 2008 Kawasaki mule, believe it?s a 610, got it for the wife?s yard work mainly!!! We bought it used, was in very good shape (still is), doesn?t get used a lot but we?ve never had any problems at all with it!!! It?s not a speed demon, think top speed is 20-25 mph, which is fine for what we need it for!!!!

Forgot to add: I?m not at all familiar with the 3000, but if it?s a 4x4 and in as good a shape as it sounds that?s a very good price!!!!

I have a 2011 4010. One throttle positioning sensor wasn't setup properly at factory. Dealer boys don't know squat. Took me 5 years to figure out how to adjust it. I also tricked air temperature sensor. Now it's running great. I know a man who has a 610. Simple one cylinder carb. Very small bed, no power steering. Good luck if you buy a 4010. Great machine for the money. Look at the age of the mechanics. I bought mine new. Have 700 plus hours on it. I do all the maintenance. Dealer charged $175 to service it after 50 hours. 2 quarts engine oil plus filter. 2 plus quarts limited slip 80-90w. $175.

Don't know what I would buy if I had it to do over again. If you don't know how to work on EFI computer controlled engine you may want to buy the 610.

We have a 4010 diesel model, 6 years old with 1200 miles on it, no problems at all. I would have never thought we would use it as much as we do.

If it's "one owner, adult driven" I would be curious why the engine has been replaced.

Son has his second 610, they seem to be bulletproof. Just remember to choke it everytime you try to start it. New 610 has fuel injection, so that problem went away.

We have a 2010 4010, first year they put FI in them. We have had a few problems and the dealers are helpless! I still believe it is fuel delivery, dealers say clutch (it stalls and sometimes has no power). Still looking for somebody who can read the error codes and fix it. But, it is a very usefull machine, we use it daily.

I do not get the one owner adult driven but yet engine replaced, sounds fishy to me' already 6000 in repairs I walk away personally. we have a woods unit around here we use be about same age and all we done to it is oil changes.

Hi Andy, I have a Kawasaki mule 610 4x4 I bought new in 2014, I put a blade on it in 2015 for plowing snow, it started out to be pretty much a toy, but I use it a lot for different things, I wished it had EFI (fuel injection) it's been a good machine, also has differential lock, if you want speed this is not the one, top speed is about 20 mph.

6000 in repairs . What ?!

There's no way they spent $6000 in repairs. Heck, the thing only cost $7000 when it was new. $2300 for an 07 Mule 3000 with a replaced engine is really not low. And what the engine was replaced with makes a big difference as well. A new engine would cost close to that by itself, so that makes it seem unlikely they'd sell it for what they spent on the engine. Which leads me to think they replaced it with a used engine. It may be fine, or it may be 100 hours from needing replaced itself.

I have serveral mules and a couple of kubotas..

The 4010 diesel has 2800 hours on it and run very well despite being a "run over brush" vehicle and a ranch vehicle. also have a gas 4010 version... carb is a total pain in the aspirn till we put a disconnect in the fuel line and run it dry each time. After that, no problems what so ever. Gas model does tend to idle up a bit and make it hard to shift. All are very good in 4wd and rear lock in monsoon seasons where lots of the ranch is virtually under water. They wiggle and jiggle but keep on going through the muck.

Have some newer ones, diesel, and they are great. They are noisy, bumpy, but are virtually indestructible. If you dont overheat them, they will out do anything out there. If you over heat them, the engine is a piece of garbage and will continue to give you problems.

Have the cab a/c kubota models. Smooth as glass, wide open, great a/c and power steering. hydro dump bed. BUT...
you need to clean the side radiator filters more often, and don't EVER get them in deep mud. The kawasaki mule will simply go every where, the kubotas will sink as they weighs twice as much.

Trouble with the a/c and heater is.... that no one wants to get out and do any work, so that vehicle is rarely used for work and more for fence/perimiter checking and range roving... or maybe winter feeding, but not for summer working. Also hard to spray mesquite out of a cab with doors.

SO... depending on what your looking for... a mule for a simple indestructible hard working machine, or a kubota for a high speed Cadillac.