This web site is getting more hits suggesting that individuals interested in purchasing an 825i are stopping by. An independent assessment (mine) may be of interest.
The 825i was purchased in for a variety of reasons.
1) Timber stand improvement - The cab design sheds branches just as we hoped. That means no lights on top. We have driven it through brush that I wouldn’t walk through. The glass cab protects you from limb whip and thorns that are not fun in an open station tractor. And the glass has yet to scratch or break.
2) Controlled burns in reconstructed prairie and oak savannah
3) Crop scouting and soil sampling
4) Fence row spraying and plot seeding
So driving in the timber, in the fields, on the road between fields, over a frozen river (for streambank erosion control), in the snow and in sand/gravel/dirt.
Here is how we have outfitted the 825i:
1) Factory stock bench seats plus heater, windshield wiper, front brush guards and front fender guards. Stock rims and tires.
2) We made a paper template and made floor mats from ½” think foam exercise mats from Sam’s/Costco.
3) We made a bed mat from a ¾” stall mat for livestock. If we did it again, we would probably use a ½” thick mat as ¾” is very heavy. But when using it to pick rocks, I appreciated the ¾”.
4) Instead of installing a dedicated winch which is never where you need it, we had the dealer install a Viper Elite 4500# winch (VIPER-EX4500 ; https://motoalliance.com/Site.Store.go?action=gotoProductDetails&id=61) with synthetic cable on a 2” receiver mount. That means that we can use it on the front or rear 2” receiver, a 2” receiver mount on the trailer used to haul the buggy or a mount built to hook around a tree (boulder, anchor, etc.). This winch comes with a snatch block which has a sharp edge on the outer edge of the pulley which needs to be ground off before using it with synthetic cable. This winch also has a Rf remote control system which is waterproof which allows us the above flexibility. We now know that if we were doing it over, we would find a way to mount the contactor and Rf control system for the winch directly on the winch mounting bracket. That would let us move the winch to other vehicles as well. Maybe a mod for next year.
5) We swapped out the RED 12 volt DC cable connector bodies installed by the dealer for GREY bodies. We found a supplier of RED bodies at $45@ while GREY bodies were $3.50. (http://www.solarseller.com/anderson_sb_quick_connect___disconnect_cable_connectors__accessories__stage_wiri.htm ) The electrical contacts are identical – but different color bodies are designed so that they do NOT interchange. This is primarily a work vehicle and I wasn’t about to fork out $90 to hook up a sprayer and seeder. The color is part of the part number. Different companies are granted exclusive rights to a color. The bodies are designed so that they can be hard bolted to something or have fasteners (pull points) attached for easier disconnects. We’ll see how the current system (zip tied) works with winter gloves on.
6) While we were at it, we bought and added boots for the front/rear connectors on the 825i and also connector covers.
7) $3.50 connectors enable long extension cords to use the winch off vehicle. We were going to buy 40’ of battery jumper cable but figured out that one could buy to two 20’ 4 ga jumper cables for less money. By using one 20’ cable when that is all that is needed increases the current capability and minimizes voltage loss. The local Sam’s Club has them for $20.The spring clamps from one set of jumpers will be hooked up to a connector so that we can jump another vehicle directly from the front/rear connector. With care, one can get 4 ga stranded wire into 50 amp pins.
8) The first time we drove it on the road, I felt like an exposed target. We immediately ordered and installed the flasher/turn signal kit.
9) The second time I drove it, it was night and it was immediately obvious that one could easily outdrive the stock lights. We purchased two 4” square 35 watt HID lights from a small business that specializing in retrofitting farm tractors (http://www.larsenlights.com/) . One is a flood (SF17 Wide Flood) and the other a long range spot (SF17 Euro Beam). They are mounted on the front brush guard. It took 4 tries before we got them mounted right. Had to elongate the holes in the mounts on the brush guard mounts, elongate the holes in the light mounting bracket, change the rubber isolation mount and grind down the front of the light mount by 3/16”. A ¼” re-enforced isolation pad between the brush guard mount and the light’s base allows the light base to slide forward over the weld bead which keeps the grill from limiting the adjustment to the light. That comes pretty close to centering the lights in the opening so the “look” is right”.
10) Found some aircraft parachute release activation switches (Eaton Electrical Toggle Rocker Switch DPST on E-bay that fit the standard dash cut-outs for individual switches. A little black magic marker covered the white lettering perfectly without changing the texture. And the price was right.
11) Not being able to see the gear shift lever at night was bugging some other users. So we acquired a couple of little blue accent LED’s (CUA25400) from JC Whitney. One is mounted in the “hood” above the instrument panel and points down on the switch panel. The second is glued to the dash and illuminates the shifting levers. Both are hooded so you can’t see the light directly.
12) Not being able to read manuals or write notes in the cab at night was bugging me. Looked at the JD interior light ($55) and chose to play with a 24 white LED array we found on Amazon (24 SMD LED Panel Hyper White with 2 adaptors (194 DE3175) 12V Dome Interior lights). We fabbed a mount for the LED and the switch from a little piece of 3/8” acrylic that drops into the opening which Deere provided in the overhead console. That turned out even better than expected. It is very bright and looks OEM. The switch was mounted in that same piece of acrylic.
The 825i was purchased in for a variety of reasons.
1) Timber stand improvement - The cab design sheds branches just as we hoped. That means no lights on top. We have driven it through brush that I wouldn’t walk through. The glass cab protects you from limb whip and thorns that are not fun in an open station tractor. And the glass has yet to scratch or break.
2) Controlled burns in reconstructed prairie and oak savannah
3) Crop scouting and soil sampling
4) Fence row spraying and plot seeding
So driving in the timber, in the fields, on the road between fields, over a frozen river (for streambank erosion control), in the snow and in sand/gravel/dirt.
Here is how we have outfitted the 825i:
1) Factory stock bench seats plus heater, windshield wiper, front brush guards and front fender guards. Stock rims and tires.
2) We made a paper template and made floor mats from ½” think foam exercise mats from Sam’s/Costco.
3) We made a bed mat from a ¾” stall mat for livestock. If we did it again, we would probably use a ½” thick mat as ¾” is very heavy. But when using it to pick rocks, I appreciated the ¾”.
4) Instead of installing a dedicated winch which is never where you need it, we had the dealer install a Viper Elite 4500# winch (VIPER-EX4500 ; https://motoalliance.com/Site.Store.go?action=gotoProductDetails&id=61) with synthetic cable on a 2” receiver mount. That means that we can use it on the front or rear 2” receiver, a 2” receiver mount on the trailer used to haul the buggy or a mount built to hook around a tree (boulder, anchor, etc.). This winch comes with a snatch block which has a sharp edge on the outer edge of the pulley which needs to be ground off before using it with synthetic cable. This winch also has a Rf remote control system which is waterproof which allows us the above flexibility. We now know that if we were doing it over, we would find a way to mount the contactor and Rf control system for the winch directly on the winch mounting bracket. That would let us move the winch to other vehicles as well. Maybe a mod for next year.
5) We swapped out the RED 12 volt DC cable connector bodies installed by the dealer for GREY bodies. We found a supplier of RED bodies at $45@ while GREY bodies were $3.50. (http://www.solarseller.com/anderson_sb_quick_connect___disconnect_cable_connectors__accessories__stage_wiri.htm ) The electrical contacts are identical – but different color bodies are designed so that they do NOT interchange. This is primarily a work vehicle and I wasn’t about to fork out $90 to hook up a sprayer and seeder. The color is part of the part number. Different companies are granted exclusive rights to a color. The bodies are designed so that they can be hard bolted to something or have fasteners (pull points) attached for easier disconnects. We’ll see how the current system (zip tied) works with winter gloves on.
6) While we were at it, we bought and added boots for the front/rear connectors on the 825i and also connector covers.
7) $3.50 connectors enable long extension cords to use the winch off vehicle. We were going to buy 40’ of battery jumper cable but figured out that one could buy to two 20’ 4 ga jumper cables for less money. By using one 20’ cable when that is all that is needed increases the current capability and minimizes voltage loss. The local Sam’s Club has them for $20.The spring clamps from one set of jumpers will be hooked up to a connector so that we can jump another vehicle directly from the front/rear connector. With care, one can get 4 ga stranded wire into 50 amp pins.
8) The first time we drove it on the road, I felt like an exposed target. We immediately ordered and installed the flasher/turn signal kit.
9) The second time I drove it, it was night and it was immediately obvious that one could easily outdrive the stock lights. We purchased two 4” square 35 watt HID lights from a small business that specializing in retrofitting farm tractors (http://www.larsenlights.com/) . One is a flood (SF17 Wide Flood) and the other a long range spot (SF17 Euro Beam). They are mounted on the front brush guard. It took 4 tries before we got them mounted right. Had to elongate the holes in the mounts on the brush guard mounts, elongate the holes in the light mounting bracket, change the rubber isolation mount and grind down the front of the light mount by 3/16”. A ¼” re-enforced isolation pad between the brush guard mount and the light’s base allows the light base to slide forward over the weld bead which keeps the grill from limiting the adjustment to the light. That comes pretty close to centering the lights in the opening so the “look” is right”.
10) Found some aircraft parachute release activation switches (Eaton Electrical Toggle Rocker Switch DPST on E-bay that fit the standard dash cut-outs for individual switches. A little black magic marker covered the white lettering perfectly without changing the texture. And the price was right.
11) Not being able to see the gear shift lever at night was bugging some other users. So we acquired a couple of little blue accent LED’s (CUA25400) from JC Whitney. One is mounted in the “hood” above the instrument panel and points down on the switch panel. The second is glued to the dash and illuminates the shifting levers. Both are hooded so you can’t see the light directly.
12) Not being able to read manuals or write notes in the cab at night was bugging me. Looked at the JD interior light ($55) and chose to play with a 24 white LED array we found on Amazon (24 SMD LED Panel Hyper White with 2 adaptors (194 DE3175) 12V Dome Interior lights). We fabbed a mount for the LED and the switch from a little piece of 3/8” acrylic that drops into the opening which Deere provided in the overhead console. That turned out even better than expected. It is very bright and looks OEM. The switch was mounted in that same piece of acrylic.