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2 of 2 found the following review helpful:
Great Toy Jul 19, 2010
In a nutshell:
Pro's
+Powerful, 12v 2-speed - moves (2) 50 lb children (100 lb total) on even ground through grass and over tree branches (w/ governing screw removed)
+Two-seater, carries two children seated in front comfortably given the total weight is within reason (<120 lb?)
+Included dump bed w/ tailgate, carries rocks, toys, and sometimes another child (warning: children may fall out!)
+Braking, the vehicle locks/brakes the tires when the accelerator is fully released
+Packaging, smaller pieces shrink wrapped and kept together
+Customer Support, responsive
+Aesthetics, looks tough for a child's toy
Con's
-Lack of horn, seriously?
-Seat belts, not an absolute necessity but older models had them
-Flimsy in places, dump bed tail-gate is very weak and the vehicle floor could be stronger
-Instructions, I hope you like pictures because that's all you get.
We purchased our Gator at a local brick and mortar for a similar price to Amazon (very popular but the chain shall be the Unnamed). Overall, the product is great. It is a wonderful toy given it has faults - just be cognizant that it is not perfect. I purchased the unit knowing the complaints with the stock battery units. I didn't take a chance and was preemptive in buying another battery. The experience has been positive thus far. Dropping a few extra dollars on an aftermarket battery is a good idea.
I went to a local battery specialty store and bought a 12v deep-cycle aftermarket battery (~$40) to replace the OEM. Aftermarkets can be bought cheaper but I settled. You can strip the external OEM battery housing w/ the electrical connector harness and install it directly onto an aftermarket battery of similar size and make (sealed, safe). It was a breeze to install (stock harness uses a spade connector that matches the aftermarket battery) and fits perfectly. My kid was riding it as soon as I put it together as the aftermarket battery was already charged and playtime was over before the battery died (2-3 hours of playtime). The aftermarket charges using the stock charger.
The included toy documentation had numerous warning inserts about never letting the battery run dead (which causes permanent damage) and ensuring a 100% charge before first use. That may indicate the battery complaints posted on Amazon involve improper battery usage/recharing. However, the fact that these warnings were printed on inserts (rather than in the instructions) indicates to me that this was something the manufacturer probably added after initial sales. Repeated customer complaints? Make your own judgments.
As to battery access issues listed on other reviews this is not a problem. Leave the screw that holds the battery compartment out as there are two strong clips that hold the compartment shut - the screw is unnecessary. Slide out a steel retention bar and just be sure to route the wiring on top of the battery unit before pushing it into the compartment. Slide the bar back in, slap the cover shut. Ride on.
The instructions are a particular annoyance - they contain only pictures and sometimes you don't know what you're looking at in a diagram for a few moments. There are no verbal instructions. Be aware there are two sets of instructions - the large main booklet but also a smaller booklet inside the lining of the screw package (tells you which screws go where). I didn't see the screw booklet until after it was assembled. The stock pictures in the instructions/promo materials are sometimes necessary to assemble. This is not a showstopper but it can be aggravating with a 3 year old harassing you to hurry up - "Is it done yet?".
The vehicle moves my 43 lb 3 year old and his similarly-weighted cohort without problem. I removed a speed/power governing screw listed in the instructions/on the vehicle - 1st gear is just too weak. The vehicle zips over *even* terrain, bushy grass, and large fallen branches with ease here in the suburbs - YMMV. I can't comment directly on performance with inclines but I'd expect it to operate fine w/ 50-75 lbs uphill on a good battery charge.
The dump bed is nice although the tailgate is very weak. Riding in the back is possible but one child did fall out as the plastic surface is very smooth and the tailgate flips open easily. Despite the warnings I'll be putting some friction tape in the bed and probably remove the tailgate - stopping other children from clamoring into the back is an effort in futility.
I ran into an issue with the bolts molded into the seating pulling out. This was after screwing some retention knobs to secure the seating. This didn't make the toy unusable but this was not a cheap ride-on - not something you'd want to see. Peg-perego will be replacing the seat without issue. I suggest being very easy on tightening the retention knobs when installing the seating (on the easy end of "hand tight"). Be sure to check if the knob spins and feels "stripped" - it's not the knob that is stripped the bolt is actually loose of the seat molding and needs replaced.
The vehicle body itself is flimsy in some areas. The flooring could be a millimeter or so thicker due to pouncing children and the windshield is held on by only two small screws. Replacement parts can be purchased cheap, though.
The Gator we purchased does not have seat belts although it is evident that other versions did at some point. I do not believe it is necessary for helmets given the vehicle speed. However, I will be purchasing some nylon straps for seat belts to prevent passengers from getting in/out of the vehicle while moving - that poses a greater danger.
My kid and his friends love the Gator and I will probably be adding LED headlights, horn, and tail lights to the unit.
 Poor traction May 31, 2010
I will make this short and sweet. The instructions were a bit tough to follow. The gator is a ton of fun for my 4 and 5 year old. Easy to drive. MY BIGGEST PROBLEM...we had to put a cinder block in the back part to give it traction. We weren't trying to off road it where it would need 4 wheel drive we were just trying to drive in bumpy grass. It is rear wheel drive and all the weight is in the front. But the cinder block doesn't work all that well. It is a fun machine that the kids love but a poor design for a John Deere.
3 of 3 found the following review helpful:
 Great fun! Apr 05, 2010
We just got this put together for spring and the kids LOVE it! They played on it nonstop for 2 hours and 15 mins before the batt died. This is the absolute hands down best ride-on I've bought for them - ever. That includes all the barbie jeeps, corvettes, and wally world specials I've gone through. Let's break it down:
Pros:
Very fast in 2nd gear - It'll move it. Put any pets up for their sanity.
Battery lasts 2 hours - We had 160 lbs of kids riding this thing for 2 hours and 15 mins before it died. They rode on rocks and rough terrain mixed with grass and smooth stuff and I was very surprised it worked that long.
We did charge it for 48 hours before the first run, so maybe that juiced it up nicely.
Dump feature - works well but doesn't dump all the way for small things like dirt.
Traction - This thing climbs over rocks, grass, dirt, pretty much anything reasonable for a child's toy. Spun out occasionally with only one kid in it but that wasn't a problem because once one played with it they all joined in.
Cons:
Horrible instructions - Just pictures of screws and general areas of the toy. Best of luck! And the stickers are misnumbered. I think everyone gets different numbers just to mess with you while you're putting stickers on it.
Cheap plastic bed with false support - There's a metal bar that runs along the top of the bed that supports it and keeps it from bending when you lean on it or put stuff in the bed. It's not bracketed to anything though and breaks off in the first half hour. Fail.
Batter compartment - Way too difficult to pull the battery out. Could have made it much easier.
No seat belts - IDK if it's not on the newer version or if they just weren't included, but mine didn't have seatbelts. No biggie since even our 2 yr old can hang on just fine.
Turning radius - Turns in about 20 feet of space. Could have halved that and still made it safe for kids.
All in all it's a great toy, even if it's got a few flaws. I'd buy it again in a heartbeat, though I think I might try the motorcycle battery idea some others suggested for longer battery life. Will report on that later this week!
1 of 1 found the following review helpful:
I'm a believer! Apr 01, 2010
I am a mother of a 3 year old John Deere fan! We live on a farm where there is no such thing as a flat or smooth surface. I was very hesitant to put out this kind of money for something that was sure to get stuck on every rock, twig and stump. We purchased this for my son this Christmas and I am now a believer in Peg Perego! This gator plows right through the roughest of terrain. It has seen mud, rocks, tree branches, small stumps, big hills and has defeated each one! My son adores it! One word of advice - the high gear is fast! Don't switch it until you know your child has control and can steer!
worth every penny!!!! Nov 18, 2009
this has been the best investment so far! we bought this for our son christmas eve 2008 @ wally world for $300. i did not put it together so couldn't tell you how easy it was, but it was completed by midnight after the kids went to bed. you need to charge the battery i think for 18 hrs before using it. our son was 2 1/2 when he started using it. it took him a while to learn reverse, but once he got it, good luck getting him off. i put it as 5 stars for educational b/c His grandfather says he drives so well. (he lets him steer the real tractor now). ours did not have seatbelts, so cannot comment on that. but his older cousins (5,7 yrs)come over and that's the first thing they want to do. it says not to ride in the back for safety reasons, but i have caught the older cousins riding in the back without a problem besides me yelling @ them. I do not let them ride on the pavement, only grass and dirt to keep the wheels in good condition. my son wishes it had some sort of horn.
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