Efficient Farm Jeep Options

Toplink

I have started doing a bit of part time farming and I have been using a car to get in and out a rough boreen (1 mile) every day which isnt doing any favours to car. Along with that on wet days I have to get soaked herding before going into to work.

So next year I am going to invest in a 4x4 which will allow drive around the field on wet days and also a jeep is obviously more suitable to going in and out a rough terrain.

My only issue is that I'll be going a 50 mile return trip every day 5 times a week. Lets say 15000 miles a year on average.

Another thing is I'll need the ability to carry a few kids as I have to do runs to the creche on the way.

So... 4x4, efficient, reliable and not a full commercial.

Does the Mistubishi Outlander looks like a decent option????

49801

Could you use 4*4 solely on the farm and declare it off road and use green diesel
Maybe you could pick up a older 4*4 that's not worth much and keep your car as is.
But you will never be able to bring the 4*4 on road.

No such thing as an efficient 4*4 and if you do go that route you'll curse it every time your pumping fuel into it not to mention the road tax.

Toplink

Its not really an option at present as its an out-farm that doesn't have a shed on it as yet. But I do take your point on the efficiency argument.

I would also like the option of pulling a trailer and bring a few cattle to the mart if needed too.

Timmaay

Subaru Forester? How muchy do ya want to spend? The new foresters are on the C tax band, something under 400quid a year to tax, which is good for a jeep.

dharn

How about a crew cab, you could carry the kids, commercial tax, they are allhard on diesel

whelan2

dharn wrote: »

How about a crew cab, you could carry the kids, commercial tax, they are allhard on diesel

are crew cabs not deadly dangerous in frosty weather -on the road-as there is no weight on the back?

dharn

Dont know, same length as most 4x4 s so with crew cab probably not much lighter on axle than a commercial lwb jeep

whelan2

dharn wrote: »

Dont know, same length as most 4x4 s so with crew cab probably not much lighter on axle than a commercial lwb jeep

a few lads i know have them and they all said they have gotten fair frights after having normal jeep , met 1 lad coming sideways around crossroads during the winter with his kids in it:eek: I suppose its the same as everything else if you know theres a danger you will allow for it

dharn

A yere all mad up your country, wherever that is

RightTurnClyde

I've been told this by a few people lately, so it's only second hand info. But a LWB landcruiser, discovery or pajero, that's passenger, ie 3 rows of seats, can be now classed as commercial if the 3rd row of seats are taken out.
So by converting a 7/8 seater LWB to 5 seater you can change it's classification to commercial.

If it's true, if you picked up a LWB commercial, you should be able to put in the second row of seats and safety belts and you're good to go.
As I said a few people have said this to me, one who has done it, but tis only here say.

sheebadog

RightTurnClyde wrote: »

I've been told this by a few people lately, so it's only second hand info. But a LWB landcruiser, discovery or pajero, that's passenger, ie 3 rows of seats, can be now classed as commercial if the 3rd row of seats are taken out.
So by converting a 7/8 seater LWB to 5 seater you can change it's classification to commercial.

If it's true, if you picked up a LWB commercial, you should be able to put in the second row of seats and safety belts and you're good to go.
As I said a few people have said this to me, one who has done it, but tis only here say.

You could only do that with the Toyota Amazon, but I think that they closed that loophole.

billie1b

Nissan Pathfinder Elegance Extreme, have one myself, 7 seater, all leather, 4x4, tow bar, work horse, never any problems with her, gets me 650km to 750km per full tank

whelan2

billie1b wrote: »

Nissan Pathfinder Elegance Extreme, have one myself, 7 seater, all leather, 4x4, tow bar, work horse, never any problems with her, gets me 650km to 750km per full tank

whats the tax on that and how many litres does the tank hold?

RightTurnClyde

Shebadog , no the rules have changed for some reason. Go on to autotrader and you will see 2013-2014 landcruisers and discoverys 5 seater commercials for sale.
Have an 8 seater landy, thinking about taking out the 3 rd row or changing for one of the 5 seater commercials. But the extra seats are very handy for doing kids rugby minibus on the weekends

moy83

RightTurnClyde wrote: »

Shebadog , no the rules have changed for some reason. Go on to autotrader and you will see 2013-2014 landcruisers and discoverys 5 seater commercials for sale.

Can it be done with older jeeps I wonder . It would be handy for the cheap tax

RightTurnClyde

@moy83, don't know. Mine is 08 and a few people have come into the yard with "oh take out the backs seats and cut the belts, she'll be commercial"
There's a crowd out the airport road in cork you then take it to to get classed as commercial

billie1b

whelan2 wrote: »

whats the tax on that and how many litres does the tank hold?

€1080 per year and 70 litres

Farrell

whelan2 wrote: »

are crew cabs not deadly dangerous in frosty weather -on the road-as there is no weight on the back?

They're not as good as the std jeep but better than pickup with weight on the back axel, which leaves them doggy with 1/2 full trailer or slippery road. But you can put weight on the back.
Handy bringing passengers, & meal / fodder to your out-farm

Zr105

Yes disco's pajeros and cruisers can now be gotten as a 5seat commercial with commercial road tax(330 or what ever it is) since i think 20/21st march. Until now these could be bought "commercial" meaning that you only had to pay 13.5%vrt rather that 30/33% or what ever the normal is, but untill now had to pay the full road tax
It was/ is also possible to claim back the vat if registered etc.

I'm not exactly certain about older jeeps but as far as i know you can do it but have to go to a specialist to get the jeep re certified as a 5seat commercial,


And on the crew cabs, it really depends the older ones(l200, old model Navaras) certainly were twitchy as hell on frosty days. Think whilst newer ones still aren't as good as a normal jeep they are somewhat better. They also tend to be longer in the wheel base that a normal jeep.

And if your going full size jeep you'd want to be budgeting for 20-25mpg and less with anything behind it.

You could consider the likes of a rav4 or Santa Fe either, 2ltr engines and 2ton towing normally. Probably a little better on mpg and still capable enough for the bit of off road, especially with a decent set of boots under them

C0N0R

Suzuki grand vitara? 2l and can be got commercial or passenger. Mother has one but no idea what it's like on diesel. Meant to be rather good off road for what they are.

RoscommonTom

What about a rav 4, not great for pulling loads but should be sound for a bit of of roading, not too dear and a 2.2 litre shouldnt be too bad on dieael

Reggie.

whelan2 wrote: »

a few lads i know have them and they all said they have gotten fair frights after having normal jeep , met 1 lad coming sideways around crossroads during the winter with his kids in it:eek: I suppose its the same as everything else if you know theres a danger you will allow for it

Yeah your right here. Very little traction on the back wheels.

Sam Kade

I had a patrol once 3.3 litre 30mpg main vehicle £10/week on road diesel, back in the good old days Only problem was they were rust buckets Anyone I know that buy jeeps now don't keep them very long as they are too costly to run.

grazeaway

OP, what kind of driving will you be wanting it for?

If it's only needed for driving to the farm, doing the school run, doing some light trailer work and a bit of going into fields that aren't too wet and tracked. The you won't need a big 4x4 like a land cruiser. In that case a rav 4, Vitara, Santa Fe or freelander would be what you need. Most are around 2L so would be similar to a a family car, tax, insurance and running cost while.

If you need to do all the school runs, and farm work but also need to do at lot of heavy trailer work then a crew cab would make more sense. Heavier on juice yes but that weight I'd needed for pulling big trailers. The weight on the back of a commercial land cruiser and a hilux pickup with a rear canopy are almost identical.

Either way match what you get to what you need.

epfff

Zr105 wrote: »

Yes disco's pajeros and cruisers can now be gotten as a 5seat commercial with commercial road tax(330 or what ever it is) n
You have me excited and it's a bankhollisay weekend where can.I find out more

Zr105

epfff wrote: »

Zr105 wrote: »

Yes disco's pajeros and cruisers can now be gotten as a 5seat commercial with commercial road tax(330 or what ever it is) n
You have me excited and it's a bankhollisay weekend where can.I find out more

I'm not exactly sure, was talking to a guy about it on wednesday last week and he'd just been off the phone to check, i think possibly to tax office, as he'd been told about it that morning and they'd confirmed it to him.

rangler1

Zr105 wrote: »

epfff wrote: »

I'm not exactly sure, was talking to a guy about it on wednesday last week and he'd just been off the phone to check, i think possibly to tax office, as he'd been told about it that morning and they'd confirmed it to him.

I believe that some counties aren't allowing them to be taxed at the cheap rate, but because they are commercial, they are a good bit cheaper to buy any way

blue5000

Toplink wrote: »

I have started doing a bit of part time farming and I have been using a car to get in and out a rough boreen (1 mile) every day which isnt doing any favours to car. Along with that on wet days I have to get soaked herding before going into to work.

So next year I am going to invest in a 4x4 which will allow drive around the field on wet days and also a jeep is obviously more suitable to going in and out a rough terrain.

My only issue is that I'll be going a 50 mile return trip every day 5 times a week. Lets say 15000 miles a year on average.

Another thing is I'll need the ability to carry a few kids as I have to do runs to the creche on the way.

So... 4x4, efficient, reliable and not a full commercial.

Does the Mistubishi Outlander looks like a decent option????

OP I think you need two vehicles, a 10 yr old land swb cruiser can be bought for less than 3k, 111 for doe and 2-300? (shows how much I know about taxing veehicles:o~) odd for commercial tax, you will take a hit on the mpg at 25mpg with a light right foot. Park it at the top of your farmroad if you can or at the house if you can't.

Other vehicle is a diesel 4 or 5 yr old car, you'll have the low(er:eek:) carbon tax and 50 mpg and 3 kids max in the back.

Anything else is a bad compromise, you'll either get bogged in a field with a light jeep or curse it when you have 5 cattle to take to the mart.

Toplink

Thanks for all the helpful responses,

I think a lighter 2L option will suit me fine as I wouldn't have a need to pull anything over 2 tonne to be honest. Bringing 3 or 4 weanling to the mart would be the heaviest work that it would have to do.

Leaving a jeep at the head of the road isn't an option as its an outfarm with the start of the boreen close to a main road so it would probably be stolen/vandalized.

So it down to selecting what the best of the lighter jeep options are.

weatherbyfoxer

One person Running a jeep and a car is lunacy. Tax, test, insurance servicing and parts x2!!!..I reckon you would run a big jeep with a heavy foot for less!

I bought a new dmax crewcab in 07 and still have it about 167k on the clock and no problems it does 33mpg, commercial tax 333 per year and 550 insurance per year goes anywhere I want and no problems with a full 12x6 ivor Williams full of cattle once you take your time

_Brian

I've an xtrail.
Handy on diesel. 4wd covers most ground, even with trailer.
It's a passenger so tax is a bit steep at €900 but it's feck all more than any 2L diesel.
Comfortable as a car on long journies.
No bother other than servicing and tyres, and it's easy on tyres. I just took two tyres of the back after doing 110kms.

Reggie.

_Brian wrote: »

I've an xtrail.
Handy on diesel. 4wd covers most ground, even with trailer.
It's a passenger so tax is a bit steep at €900 but it's feck all more than any 2L diesel.
Comfortable as a car on long journies.
No bother other than servicing and tyres, and it's easy on tyres. I just took two tyres of the back after doing 110kms.

110 kms ya didn't get too far

yellow50HX

_Brian wrote: »

I've an xtrail.
Handy on diesel. 4wd covers most ground, even with trailer.
It's a passenger so tax is a bit steep at €900 but it's feck all more than any 2L diesel.
Comfortable as a car on long journies.
No bother other than servicing and tyres, and it's easy on tyres. I just took two tyres of the back after doing 110kms.

What year is the x trail? I had an 03 one for a while and it was grand and comfortable to drive and good to pull a trailer and ok in the fields I was dissapointed with the mpg. Best I got from it was about 29/30 driving up and down to Waterford, was getting only about 25 around here and had issues with the fly by wire too. Seems it should have getting nearer to 40 mpg. If it had I would have kept it.

Deepsouthwest

weatherbyfoxer wrote: »

One person Running a jeep and a car is lunacy. Tax, test, insurance servicing and parts x2!!!..I reckon you would run a big jeep with a heavy foot for less!

I bought a new dmax crewcab in 07 and still have it about 167k on the clock and no problems it does 33mpg, commercial tax 333 per year and 550 insurance per year goes anywhere I want and no problems with a full 12x6 ivor Williams full of cattle once you take your time

Have a 05 dmax here, good enough jeep all things considered, but definitely pretty heavy on juice, probably not helped by mostly short trips from yard to house to fields etc

yellow50HX

weatherbyfoxer wrote: »

One person Running a jeep and a car is lunacy. Tax, test, insurance servicing and parts x2!!!..I reckon you would run a big jeep with a heavy foot for less!

I bought a new dmax crewcab in 07 and still have it about 167k on the clock and no problems it does 33mpg, commercial tax 333 per year and 550 insurance per year goes anywhere I want and no problems with a full 12x6 ivor Williams full of cattle once you take your time

Not nessasairly, depends on what you are ruining and how. If you are using a single car say a Toyota aventis 2l diesel to do everything then it will the normal driving fine but if you are using to do a lot of trailer work espically heavy work it will put a huge strain on it and use a lot more juice not to mention the extra wear and tear.

A 10 year old jeep doing low mileage won't be buring a huge amount of diesel and you won't changing out tyres every year.

mayota

_Brian wrote: »

I've an xtrail.
Handy on diesel. 4wd covers most ground, even with trailer.
It's a passenger so tax is a bit steep at €900 but it's feck all more than any 2L diesel.
Comfortable as a car on long journies.
No bother other than servicing and tyres, and it's easy on tyres. I just took two tyres of the back after doing 110kms.

Would you do much towing? Would it pull much weight?

_Brian

Rated for two ton.
Ton and half is most I pull and it's happy with that. Probably 28/30mpg pulling and it does 38mpg regular driving. I've no EB liscence so keep away from large trailer work.

The one I have is exec spec, all electrics, heated seats, AC, tinted windows, sunroof and leather seats. They are cheap enough to pick up as the higher tax puts people off.

JohnBoy

have been running a 2006 Rav4 since christmas, will get itself out of a wet field and will pull 2 tonne on the road. I'm getting mid thirties out of it, wouldnt want to put three child seats in the back every day but it'll do it at a pinch, no problem for three people. Boot is decent enough and can swallow a lot with the seats folded down.

I was very suspicious coming from a discovery to the rav4 but it's doing the job just fine, for a lot less diesel every month.

Farrell

JohnBoy wrote: »

have been running a 2006 Rav4 since christmas, will get itself out of a wet field and will pull 2 tonne on the road. I'm getting mid thirties out of it, wouldnt want to put three child seats in the back every day but it'll do it at a pinch, no problem for three people. Boot is decent enough and can swallow a lot with the seats folded down.

I was very suspicious coming from a discovery to the rav4 but it's doing the job just fine, for a lot less diesel every month.

Would of expected better mpg, crew cabs can do that & you can put 3 kids in seats in the back

_Brian

Kia Sportage??

Friend recently bought an 06 4WD version for very reasonable money, €5k
2L so tax is only €710.

Nice looking jeep and seems comfortable inside although I wasn't for a spin in it..

Plenty of low milage 05/06 on DD at the moment...

muddle84

49801 wrote: »

Could you use 4*4 solely on the farm and declare it off road and use green diesel
Maybe you could pick up a older 4*4 that's not worth much and keep your car as is.
But you will never be able to bring the 4*4 on road.

No such thing as an efficient 4*4 and if you do go that route you'll curse it every time your pumping fuel into it not to mention the road tax.

Just so you know, even if you declare a 4x4 off the road it is still illegal to use green diesel in it. The chances of being caught are significantly lower but all the same, customs could come onto your property and dip it, regardless if it is declared off the road or not!

I also agree with you on the efficiency, if you want fuel efficiency, forget about a 4x4.

_Brian

muddle84 wrote: »

Just so you know, even if you declare a 4x4 off the road it is still illegal to use green diesel in it. The chances of being caught are significantly lower but all the same, customs could come onto your property and dip it, regardless if it is declared off the road or not!

I also agree with you on the efficiency, if you want fuel efficiency, forget about a 4x4.

How is that??
Do you have a link ?

The quarry beside me have shunters and a 4x4 all running on green since forever.

yellow50HX

JohnBoy wrote: »

have been running a 2006 Rav4 since christmas, will get itself out of a wet field and will pull 2 tonne on the road. I'm getting mid thirties out of it, wouldnt want to put three child seats in the back every day but it'll do it at a pinch, no problem for three people. Boot is decent enough and can swallow a lot with the seats folded down.

I was very suspicious coming from a discovery to the rav4 but it's doing the job just fine, for a lot less diesel every month.

Yeah would like one alright. Might change the caddy for one when I need to start taking the kids more regularly while still needing to chuck stuff in the booth and doing some trailer work. Had a carina estate before and it was great for carrying around bags of feeding but too low to go down the passages and fields, caddy will just about clear the ground.

Zr105

_Brian wrote: »

How is that??
Do you have a link ?

The quarry beside me have shunters and a 4x4 all running on green since forever.

It's completely rediculous but unfortunately I've heard it before, and it was actually a case that happened in a quarry, the run about (declared off road no plates left on it probably a window or 2 gone) was dipped and they kicked up over it being on green...

muddle84

_Brian wrote: »

How is that??
Do you have a link ?

The quarry beside me have shunters and a 4x4 all running on green since forever.

A neighbour got pulled by customs in town and dipped, caught with the green stuff in the tank. The customs called out to the home place the next day and dipped a hi-lux that had not seen a road, tax or insurance in forever also, but he still got done for it! It didn't matter that it was declared off the road. Green Diesel is only for agri/construction machines!!! They don't need a warrant or anything!

tabby aspreme

_Brian wrote: »

How is that??
Do you have a link ?

The quarry beside me have shunters and a 4x4 all running on green since forever.

Machinery used exclusively for "road making" are governed by different taxation fuel and driving license requirements

Green farmer

I find it's a catch 22 a lot of the time. It's very hard to combine a vehicle that is strong enough to tow 2 tonne and still be economical. If you do manage to find one, the chances are that that vehicle will be fairly new, ( post 2008 when road tax for economical diesels dropped), and you'll end up asking yourself, if you really want to pull the puddings out of a good car, even if the towing capabilities claim 1.8 tonne or 2 tonne .

sonnybill

I need to get a crew cab for carrying child as Swb LC is brilliant but not big enough - looking at 2013 ford ranger 2.2 148bhp out of uk ? Anyone with experiences of them ?

twofish101

muddle84 wrote: »

A neighbour got pulled by customs in town and dipped, caught with the green stuff in the tank. The customs called out to the home place the next day and dipped a hi-lux that had not seen a road, tax or insurance in forever also, but he still got done for it! It didn't matter that it was declared off the road. Green Diesel is only for agri/construction machines!!! They don't need a warrant or anything!

Yep this is true. A lad I know in revenue said it to me as we were using old 4x4 trucks for off road and using the green, he said as they were not exempted vehicles we could be prosecuted if we were dipped even if it was obvious the vehicles were not road going.