I'm in need of a sturdy, agile, and nimble firewood hauler. I have 3+ wooded acres and need to get busy chainsawing, chopping, and hauling! I'm on a steady slope with a stream at the bottom. I took my 2wd Deere lawn tractor with lawn cart to the bottom, filled the lawn cart with a small load of wood, and couldn't find traction in the soft dirt. (Harbour Freight 'come a long' to the rescue) First, I thought about getting a 274 Military mule , but I'd be too concerned about damaging such a piece of history. Then I considered a standard 4x4 Quad, but for the same money I could get a mini truck! I'd like to have an extra low gear and diff lock for the loose soil. I would like to get something less than $4000 after mods, i.e., lift and tires. I appreciate all constructive input! Tom
Hard to find diff. lock on anything except a Suzuki. The Suzuki (in the price range your looking for) will have 2 switches by your right knee. If there is only one, it does not have diff. lock. There are a lot of discussions on this site about the difference between axle lock and diff. lock. dan woodysminitrucks.com
Thanks Dan! I figured with parts availability, price and features, the Suzuki Carry is the way to go. Good point about the diff lock vs. Axle lock, I wouldn't have thought of that.
One thing you need to keep in mind is the Suzuki's that are typically equipped with Diff and Axle lock or 90s model trucks which have the smallest cabs of all trucks. Another truck you might want to keep in mind is a Hijet climber, they are also equipped with Diff lock and you can find them in later model units with EFI. Your best bet, for the price range you're looking to stay in would probably be doing a search of cragislist.
Finally pulled the trigger on a Carry! Its a 4spd 4wd dumper with A/C, diff lock, and plow from Craigslist. So far I've adjusted the clutch (will require replacement soon) and repaired a hanging driver side front caliper. During the pre-purchase test drive I couldn't maintain momentum between shifts to get to second gear. (This was good ammo in price negotiation) Removing the caliper and cycling through its full range with the brake pedal and a big C clamp cured this. I'm looking to upgrade the tires/wheels next. It has blue coil springs up front (I suppose for the weight of the plow) and longer rear shackles on stock tires. Wondering if 23/8/12 will fit without further lifting? Thanks for all the info thus far!
