Best 4 x 4 for farm hack
Discussion
I don't know anything about off road 4wd, what would you recommend for this kind of usage?
We've just moved to a smallholding on the Pennines, we're half way down a steep slope so our fields are below us and the main road above us, accessed by nothing but a track. I need something:
Which will get us out to the road in Winter.
Around the fields
Tow a trailer through fields to move stuff around (stone, firewood etc)
Has a sizeable diesel engine for torque and ease of towing
Lockable diffs (3?)
Reliable and strong mechanicals
A tow ball or something to bolt one to.
It does not need to be pretty, lovely to drive or even have an MOT nor will need one, no insurance or tax either as it'll never see the road again. So rust isn't a problem unless it's threatening to snap in half of something. I do have welding gear so can patch thick chassis, but would rather not.
Not bothered if pickup or hatchback.
I'd say a budget of around £1000 so probably something Japanese, I'm guessing anything with 'Rover' in the name will be out of range.
I've seen a 2.5 TD Shogun for a Grand which looks tidy in the pic, mechanicals supposedly ok, needs welding to cills & rear chassis. Don't know if the rust is a show stopper for what I want.
What about an '02 Merc ML270? I've read some threads and reviews on here saying they aren't well put together, but not sure which bits aren't screwed on right or if it's suitable for this use. Seen one locally for £750 which is tempting.
Many other Terranos, X trails etc.
Any ideas what or what not to buy?
We've just moved to a smallholding on the Pennines, we're half way down a steep slope so our fields are below us and the main road above us, accessed by nothing but a track. I need something:
Which will get us out to the road in Winter.
Around the fields
Tow a trailer through fields to move stuff around (stone, firewood etc)
Has a sizeable diesel engine for torque and ease of towing
Lockable diffs (3?)
Reliable and strong mechanicals
A tow ball or something to bolt one to.
It does not need to be pretty, lovely to drive or even have an MOT nor will need one, no insurance or tax either as it'll never see the road again. So rust isn't a problem unless it's threatening to snap in half of something. I do have welding gear so can patch thick chassis, but would rather not.
Not bothered if pickup or hatchback.
I'd say a budget of around £1000 so probably something Japanese, I'm guessing anything with 'Rover' in the name will be out of range.
I've seen a 2.5 TD Shogun for a Grand which looks tidy in the pic, mechanicals supposedly ok, needs welding to cills & rear chassis. Don't know if the rust is a show stopper for what I want.
What about an '02 Merc ML270? I've read some threads and reviews on here saying they aren't well put together, but not sure which bits aren't screwed on right or if it's suitable for this use. Seen one locally for £750 which is tempting.
Many other Terranos, X trails etc.
Any ideas what or what not to buy?
Edited by Evoluzione on Thursday 29th July 13:41
ML270 isn't tremendously good off-road.
I used to run 3 Daihatsu Fourtraks and they were pretty much mechanically indestructible and very capable off-road. I imagine they've all rusted away by now, but if you can find one, they really are very good for the sort of use you're planning.
The Mitsubishi should also do a good job.
Might be worth considering upping your budget, as if the track to the road is that bad, the roads may also be challenging, and it could be handy to have something which is road-legal.
ETA: I sold the last Daihatsu a couple of years back for €500, to someone who wanted to do the same as you. It had stood for 5 years outside. We put a battery on, pre-heat and it started first turn of the key!
I used to run 3 Daihatsu Fourtraks and they were pretty much mechanically indestructible and very capable off-road. I imagine they've all rusted away by now, but if you can find one, they really are very good for the sort of use you're planning.
The Mitsubishi should also do a good job.
Might be worth considering upping your budget, as if the track to the road is that bad, the roads may also be challenging, and it could be handy to have something which is road-legal.
ETA: I sold the last Daihatsu a couple of years back for €500, to someone who wanted to do the same as you. It had stood for 5 years outside. We put a battery on, pre-heat and it started first turn of the key!
Edited by sunbeam alpine on Thursday 29th July 12:25
Pretty much anything with a separate chassis with lockable centre diff minimal requirement, get a set of remould mud terrains on it, or better still make sure its on 16" wheels and put tractor tyres on it, unstoppable.
This sort of thing
https://www.tractortyresdirect.co.uk/crossply-driv...
This sort of thing
https://www.tractortyresdirect.co.uk/crossply-driv...
Edited by Smint on Thursday 29th July 20:20
Evoluzione said:
Thanks for the replies, tractor tyres I never thought of and seem a bit excessive at first, but why not If they work?
A Freelander 2.0 TD4 has just come on the market at £1k, what do you think? Looks tidy and unmolested, but a bit down on power perhaps.
My opinion is a cheap Freelander would be a liability, especially if you want it to work for a living. A Freelander 2.0 TD4 has just come on the market at £1k, what do you think? Looks tidy and unmolested, but a bit down on power perhaps.
If you must buy a cheap Land Rover product as a farm hack, I'd get a 200TDi or 300TDi Discovery.
Evoluzione said:
Terracans seem to hold their value for some reason so no-where near £1k.
Hyundai Santa Fe has a face only a mother would love and only 2.0, but plenty around for £700 or so?
Kia Sorento are usually cheaper and more common than Terracans, but i'd be looking for a short or MOT failure (short MOT preferable so you can drive it home) pick up, not only a handier vehicle especially if you can find one with a hardtop to keep things secure-ish and dry-ish, but they usually have more wheelarch space for fitting heavier treaded tyres.Hyundai Santa Fe has a face only a mother would love and only 2.0, but plenty around for £700 or so?
Evoluzione said:
Blackpuddin said:
Good luck finding something vaguely decent for a grand. Everything will be rusty at that money, especially Mitsubishis (L200s and Shoguns). Ranger has a decent rep in the trade.
You need to read my opening post a little more carefully.
Blackpuddin said:
Evoluzione said:
Blackpuddin said:
Good luck finding something vaguely decent for a grand. Everything will be rusty at that money, especially Mitsubishis (L200s and Shoguns). Ranger has a decent rep in the trade.
You need to read my opening post a little more carefully.I might have a look at this later as it's not far away:
How things look shouldn't come into it, but inevitably they do and I quite like the look of it. It's the one mentioned in the first post, sadly not a 2.8, but a 2.5. Manual 'box.
I'll look at some resto' pics on the 'net before I go to find out the rust areas.
I was going to point out it won't be an issue transporting one, but actually it might be. I have a trailer, but it's got short sides on it which will fit a 6 ft or 1.8m wheelbase width on quite easily. I'm thinking this thing will be wider than that so will have to think again.
Any pointers on that and what to look out for gratefully received. I'm thinking a thing of that height will be a bit easier to view underneath than a sportscar!
How things look shouldn't come into it, but inevitably they do and I quite like the look of it. It's the one mentioned in the first post, sadly not a 2.8, but a 2.5. Manual 'box.
I'll look at some resto' pics on the 'net before I go to find out the rust areas.
I was going to point out it won't be an issue transporting one, but actually it might be. I have a trailer, but it's got short sides on it which will fit a 6 ft or 1.8m wheelbase width on quite easily. I'm thinking this thing will be wider than that so will have to think again.
Any pointers on that and what to look out for gratefully received. I'm thinking a thing of that height will be a bit easier to view underneath than a sportscar!
InitialDave said:
ElectricSoup said:
How has nobody said Toyota Hilux?
Because the answer is Toyota Hilux.
I don't want to know what state a ~£1k Hilux would be in.Because the answer is Toyota Hilux.
It might be a farm truck, but it still needs to be in one piece and work.
I think at £1k and never going to see the road again, then a £1k Hilux will be a far better bet whatever state it's in than a £1k anything else really.
I'd suggest the OP goes to some farm auctions to see if he can find anything suitable.
I may live in town, but my parental home is 38 acres of wet Welsh hillside down a half-mile sloping unmade track, and the never-see-the-road-again farm hack we've got down there is a 2003 Nissan Navara. It's fine. If OP can find one of them, it'll do. I think it's got to be a pick up rather than a Shogun type SUV for farm use. So much more practical in my experience.
Edited by ElectricSoup on Friday 30th July 11:02
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