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XUV 550 Reviews

77K views 40 replies 14 participants last post by  Bradhill 
#1 ·
Looking to buy my first Gator. Trying to find current reviews of the XUV 550 but all I can find are reviews that are 3 - 4 years old. Those talk a lot about bad shift cables & blown gaskets. There are a lot of negative reviews. Does anyone have current reviews of this model? Have the problems been fixed? Who makes the engine - Briggs & Stratton? Would appreciate any comments. Thanks.
 
#2 ·
I owned a 2014 550 and had good luck with the machine. Only had to have 4x4 cable adjusted once in 80 hours. My only complaints were it was just too slow on the road and some what underpowered. Very nice entry level sxs for the money. Main reason I traded for a 825 was power steering and bigger bed. Hope this helps...
 
#5 ·
That company buys a hugmongous amount of ink... Good luck with your choice
 
#6 ·
the new xuv590 will fix all of the problems the 550 had. Deere just released the new model for 2016 the XUV590i. its fuel injected and has a top speed of 45mph. it is on the same frame but has power steering option and the same digital display as the 850/860 gators. they increased the fuel tank to 7.4 gals and changed to a new v-twin engine. the overview looks really good. still available in 2 seater or 4 seater. have 10in ground clearence and still has all the attachments. and at around the same price. IMO id wait a lil longer and talk to your dealer about the xuv590i before u went to polaris or cam-am.
 
#8 ·
I bought my 550 in August 2014. Now she has 205 operating hours. And I've never heard here about the described probs.
25 oh ago, the display was changed in warranty adjustement.

The B&S engine is reliable and "worthy". You can get the whole engine for the price of a Yanmar crankshaft. I'm perfectly satiefied w/ my 550!

btw.
 
#9 ·
.....Who makes the engine - Briggs & Stratton?.......



"Briggs & Stratton Corporation, headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, is the world’s largest producer of gasoline engines for outdoor power equipment".

"Briggs & Stratton produces some of the world's most reliable lawn mower engines and small engines. For over 100 years, we have manufactured engines that are durable, reliable and just easy to use and maintain. Every year, 3,000 employees build over 10 million small engines right here in America".
 
#19 ·
Thanks!


Sent from my iPhone using my index finger
 
#21 · (Edited)
.The new engine is an inline twin, fuel injected and liquid cooled. So, I think that rules out Kawasaki. So, I am back to thinking a motorcycle engine...


I guess a BMW will do....
 
#25 ·
550

We have owned the john deer 550 for only 2
yrs and little hrs main issue is hard shift and poor start. Dealer said what do you expect when buying the cheaper model!
Had independent shop look it over and transmission is bad. Not used for rough off road only on property to get around and haul wood. Wife cant evan put it in gear anymore. Buyers beware.
 
#26 ·
We have owned the john deer 550 for only 2
yrs and little hrs main issue is hard shift and poor start. Dealer said what do you expect when buying the cheaper model!
Had independent shop look it over and transmission is bad. Not used for rough off road only on property to get around and haul wood. Wife cant evan put it in gear anymore. Buyers beware.
Well, then it's time to kick the dealer...
 
#27 ·
JD is clearly investing money in the utility vehicles.
 
#29 ·
I don't think all are bad but I think there are a significant number of problems. More problems than Deere would like. There is no excuse for the clutch. That type system has been used in industry and on ATV's and UTV's for decades and is a mature technology. I feel Deere simply specified too inexpensive an engine. Briggs Vanguard engines have been made for a decade and can be quite reliable but Deere's model has a very inexpensive and non-standard carburetor that is the source of some of it's problems. Then they choose to run the engine at a higher rpm which could have contributed to the head gasket problems.

My engine was so much trouble I re-engined it with a Honda when it only had 100 hours. The person who bought the Briggs engine I removed from my machine was having so much engine trouble he wanted a spare so he could drop in the working engine and pull out the bad one to repair outside the machine.

I went through the clutch replacements with Deere but the hard shifting always returned. When I went with the Honda engine I replaced the Deere clutch with a Team clutch that MBdiagman tuned for me.

My dealer was great. They always covered repairs under warranty but it rarely went 10 hours without a problem. Several times it was less than 5 hours between problems and it simply spent too much time being fixed under warranty. After the replacing, customizing and re-engineering and finally feel I have a good reliable machine that can do work.


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I wonder how Allwrappedup was able to post as a guest and has no post count? I thought you had to register to post.
 
#30 ·
I wonder how Allwrappedup was able to post as a guest and has no post count? I thought you had to register to post.
IF i had to guess its the new owners changing a few things on the website.

back to the 590 it is a Chery engine they are using. we actually thought they were gonna use the same as the 825 but that makes more sense to use a 2cyl model. they are keeping all of the same attachments and i fore see this being a great machine. the 560 which is just a renumbered 550 will still have a carb. i dont have much more info than that at this point sorry guys. we have one on order but i dont know when its gonna get here. working in parts has its perks but sales gets the know
 
#32 ·
Well folks, thanks for all the discussion/dialogue about the XUV 550. It has helped me make my decision and I finally pulled the trigger. Although I am a long time fan of John Deere products, and continue to be, after doing lots of research it was clear to me Polaris simply has them beat in this category.

I went with a red Polaris Ranger 570 2 seater. Equipped it with glass front & rear, sport roof, poly doors with slider windows, heater, Pro HD 4500 winch w/ synthetic cable, plow & rear view mirror. Expecting delivery before Christmas. What a great present for my bride! How excited do you think she will be??
 
#34 ·
I haven't been on this site for a year. I had looked at the RSX 850, then bought the 570 just like you describe. Big mistake for me. Bushings, bearings, tie rods, leaks, loose bolts and wires. Polaris quality is seriously lacking. I hope yours does better.

I traded it in with only 900 miles on it for a Yamaha Wolverine. Night and day improvement.
 
#33 ·
From the XUV560 features... Engine

Delivers quick acceleration and provides a top speed of 28 mph (45 km/h)
Powertrain 34.8 cu in. (570-cm3) gasoline engine
The Gator™ XUV560 Crossover Series Utility Vehicles are powered by a 34.8 cu in. (570-cm3), V-twin gasoline engine. The carburetor is tuned for rapid throttle response, reliable cold-weather starting, smooth mid-range power delivery and quiet idling.

The engine offers the following performance and reliability features:

  • 16 hp* at 3600 rpm
  • Tuned to deliver 0- to 15 mph (0 to 24.1 km/h) acceleration in 3.5 seconds
  • 28 mph (45 km/h) top speed
  • Dynamically tuned carburetor for rapid throttle response upon demand while allowing the engine to burn clean under light loads.
  • V-twin, 90-degree overhead valve design maximizes power and torque and provides longer valve life
  • Designed for cold-weather starting (tested to -20°F [-28.9°C])
  • Full-pressure lubrication system
  • Spin-on oil filter with drain bracket and oil drain valve enable easy servicing
  • High air-flow air filter
  • Laminated and contoured engine blower housing cuts noise levels while reducing oil temperatures 25-30 degrees
  • T6 heat-treated aluminum alloy connecting rods and piston ring package
  • 200 -W(16 maximum amp) stator charging system for accessory capability
  • Dual-header pipe to muffler maximizes airflow and provides a unique V-twin sound
  • Spark-arresting muffler is USFS approved
  • Low fuel consumption and large 4.9-U.S. gal. (18.9-L) fuel tank
  • Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and California Air Resources Board (CARB) compliant

* The engine horsepower information is provided by the engine manufacturer to be used for comparison purposes only. The actual operating horsepower will be less.
 
#35 ·
Some 550s have a lot of problems

I am new to FUVs and bought my 550 XUV in 2011. Nothing but problems since then with only 200 hours in 4 years so not heavy use. 1) 3 broken parking break cables; hideous design where the piece that attaches to the brake pedal is cast aluminum and prone to breaking; it has to be taken back all the way to the engine for replacement and costs about $350. 2) bad clutch 3) hard to shift - right now the engine needs to be turned off to shift into any gear 4) bad head gasket. I can't comment on other gators but this one was definitely a lemon and based on internet posts all of these have occurred with multiple owners. John Deere has not fessed up to most of these issues and I have spent over $2000 in repairs so far, not to mention about 8 weeks in the shop. I'm not familiar with the other brands but I will definitely think hard before buying Deere again.
 
#36 ·
The good news is the head gasket problem has largely been resolved. So, if you replace your head gaskets with the new ones it should take care of that problem. As for the clutch there are two on this board who "tune" them and in my experience it's nothing short of amazing.

As for the parking brake cable I think Deere made a mistake by actuating it with a foot pedal. People can use the strongest muscles in their body and I've seen some folks use insane force when engaging it. Just a few clicks. Generally I engage the brake enough to prevent the vehicle from rolling. If I'm on a hill I'll go one click more but never to the extent of my strength.
 
#37 ·
I have the JD 550 and have had to replace the clutch and still have problems with gears shifting. Has 285 miles on it and dealer says they see a lot of the same issues. Not under warranty and cost 733.00 to fix and by reading the posts here seems may not fix the issue. Hope a recall is issued.
 
#38 ·
I would not hold my breath for a recall. If the problem reappears there are some on this forum who are experienced in tuning and hand fitting the clutch so it will no longer be a problem. After having my clutch done by someone who cares it's been flawless.
 
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