John Deere Turf Gator 4x2 pedal start, Hämeenlinna

John Deere Turf Gator 4x2 – a well-driven legend

For sale: an almost worn-out, once-rusted and patched-together vehicle, once known in better days as the John Deere Turf Gator 4x2.

This is the Pedal Start model, meaning it starts by pressing the accelerator pedal. No separate starting procedure is needed: just press the pedal and see what happens.

Over the years, rust has eaten away at the floor structures to such an extent that they have had to be patched. Miraculously, the rest of the vehicle does not seem particularly rusty or like it is hiding rust.
The original bed has disappeared and been replaced with a wooden structure. I have tried hard to work out how this happened.

Despite everything, this technical marvel still works!

Powered by a single-cylinder petrol Kawasaki engine,

the first start of the day is looooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooong... but once warm, it purrs along nicely. The automatic choke probably needs attention.
As this is a Pedal Start model, the starter motor is truck-sized, so it can be cranked continuously for up to 30 minutes.

• Moves forwards.

• Reverses.

• CVT service carried out a few years ago.

• Stops when required.

• Pedal Start works. (Turn the power on; the vehicle starts when the accelerator pedal is pressed. It switches off when the accelerator pedal is released. ECO ECO)

• Front lights work.

• Reversing buzzer works.

• The seats are intact.

• The chassis is loose. Every front-end joint has a life of its own, but they have at least reached some kind of consensus about the direction of travel.

• One tyre is in genuinely excellent condition.

• The other tyres also hold air.

• Rust damage: patched or replaced with wood; the floor has been welded. The bed is made of plywood and other wood. The tailgate can be opened, and the bed can be tipped manually. The original plastic bed liner is on top.

• The rear of the frame and the engine compartment are tidy considering the overall condition.

For some reason, it has not yet realised that it ought to die.

This is no longer merely a vehicle, but a moving compromise between the metalworking industry, forestry and bad decisions.

Sold in its current condition. Not for anyone looking for something like new. Any other possible hidden faults come with the purchase.