Review of John Deere Gator w/ seat belts

John Deere Gator w/ seat belts
By: Peg Perego USA Average Rating: 4.0 Total Reviews: 9
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Kids fall in love with jeep!

On: 2008-05-20

I have a Family Childcare Home with approx. 13 children ranging in age from 4 months to 11 years old. The only bad parts about this toy is that I have to argue with the 10 & 11 year olders about being too big to ride on the car and cannot get the 6 children ranging in age from 3 - 5 years to take turns riding the jeep. We actually have to time each childs useage . My neighbor is now going to purchase one for his son who is turning 3 next month. The jeep comes with seat belts and is well balanced so actually safe for everyone. It has some pep and 2 speeds forward (also reverse), so adjustments can be made. Lots of great fun for the children!! I would recommend this car in a heartbeat. We love it!!

My 3 year old can drive!!!

On: 2008-05-19

I think this is a great product. Bought this for my son (3) and he LOVES it! I was worried that he wouldnt be able to steer it (told that these battery powered items are hard for a 5 year old to steer) but he does GREAT. Still has a bit of a problem judging how far he should be to not hit my bushes but his 5 year old sister does wonderfully. Ran into the tree his first time around but watched his sister and picked it up pretty quick.

Its a bit slick on the wet grass, handles the turns well and doesnt go up a slight hill at all (plastic tires, what do you expect). Currently have it on the slower speed which is just fine with me! Took my husband just a little over an hour to put it together (kids had fun with the huge box it came in).

Both kids have a blast driving and also riding - no fighting! Also can go backwards w/the help of passenger (had fun with that). Cant wait for them to help me with the yard work hauling things back and forth.

The only problem I had was the delivery. It took over a week for the carrier to call me (I had sent them two emails). But it was waiting for us on our front porch on my sons 3rd birthday - couldnt have been better. I plan on getting the extra trailer since everyone has so much fun. Will have to think about the extra battery, may not be necessary.

It was the hit of his party. Going on three days with the single 24 hour charge. The kids rode it for at least two - three hours Saturday and an hour both Friday and Sunday. Still going strong.

tires

On: 2008-03-15

well many things about this product need to be pointed out.. but I will start with this... the tires are so smooth that the spin just trying to go up our driveway.. i feel like i need to invent some rubber tires for it. the dump bed is also very flimsy.. on the other hand my son still loves it..

This toy is the greatest

On: 2008-02-06

My son and the kids in the neighborhood love this toy. It is by far the favorite ride on toy in our court. They love putting stuff in the back and haul it around. They even like being the passenger. It drives really well in the grass and on the pavement. We bought this for my son used. It didnt work when we fist bought it, but called Peg Perego and they helped troubleshoot the problem. They were so helpful(the best customer service I have ever had), It needed a new motor, they shipped it out for only 11.00, and it was very easy to repair. This is one of the greatest things about this company they make it easy to do all of your own repairs, instead of having to bring it in to a repair shop which is costly. The replacement parts are also very affordable. Power Wheels wont let you do your own repairs; they wont even sell you the parts.

The Fun and Functional Gator

On: 2007-12-31

My son is 5 years old and he has had a battery operated jeep wrangler since 2 years old he luvs. However, he would complain he could never carry anything in his jeep and I decided to buy him the John Deere Gator.

I had researched other similar products and came to the conclusion this one fit his needs for fun and being able to help out and carry items or our dog when we worked or played in the yard.

The Gator was very easy to assemble and it was ready in less than an one hour. Basically you have to put on the windshield, truck bed, rear wheel guards, seats, seat belt and stickers. However, you must charge the battery at least 18 hours on the first charge according to the instructions. I would suggest anyone buying this to plug in the battery at least a day before giving the Gator to a child so they will be ready to ride.

The Gator has some serious power as my wife sat in the back and our son drove her around the yard. She is 120 pounds and it just cruised right around no problems. The only issue and its no biggie is the plastic wheels. They do not grip very well in grass and dirt on an incline and is what I expected since they are PLASTIC! However, to solve this problem i put electrical tape around the center portion of the wheels and this helped tremendously with traction. Also, one can buy special made rubber bands that fit on the wheels to increase traction but the tape worked for us.

I give this 5 stars...so far has proved very durable, battery life has been good, the adjustable seats are a big plus and the reverse is nice to get out of the tight spots.

Fun for the kids, but ...

On: 2007-09-04

I must agree with all the other reviews. The Gator is loads of fun for my 3 year old son. He drives all day. Battery life is very impressive. It has been over a month of non-stop driving in our yard. Our drive way is loose gravel so it would slip a bit but I took care of that by placing a load on the bed; works great.

We started my son on the low gear but he soon found the shifter. This is my only dissapointment with the product. The shifter is made out of plastic, as is the entire vehicle, and not very durrable. It is almost broken off completely from my son shifting. Should be made out of at least solid plastic not hollow...medal would be best for the price tag! Now I am stuck trying to look for a way to fix the shifter.

However, other than the shifter problem my son loves it. I am hoping the gears and the tires last :o) from all his driving.

Its nice to look at...

On: 2007-08-24

We have mixed feelings about the tractor. It looks adorable and my 3 year old loved it the first week. His 1 1/2 year old brother loved sitting in the passenger seat while his big brother learned how to drive. I expect they will regain interest as they get older and learn to have better control of it. We are disappointed that it couldnt make it up the small incline to our neighbors yard. It did pretty well on the driveway incline, but not dirt. We are also disappointed that the reverse broke within the first week. My husband took it apart, tried gluing the part into place, but the glue didnt set well. He managed to fix it, but for the price we paid for the tractor, I am disappointed anything broke within the first week. We are also disappointed in the truck bed. The hooks to keep it closed already seem worn after only a few weeks of play.

Its nice to look at...

On: 2007-08-23

We have mixed feelings about the tractor. It looks adorable and my 3 year old loved it the first week. His 1 1/2 year old brother loved sitting in the passenger seat while his big brother learned how to drive. I expect they will regain interest as they get older and learn to have better control of it. We are disappointed that it couldnt make it up the small incline to our neighbors yard. It did pretty well on the driveway incline, but not dirt. We are also disappointed that the reverse broke within the first week. My husband took it apart, tried gluing the part into place, but the glue didnt set well. He managed to fix it, but for the price we paid for the tractor, I am disappointed anything broke within the first week. We are also disappointed in the truck bed. The hooks to keep it closed already seem worn after only a few weeks of play.

Great Fun!

On: 2007-05-24

My son got this for his third birthday three weeks ago and he has been riding it every day since. We started him out in the lower speed and did have to put a little weight in the back (hes light himself) to get it to pull hills. But, it was so easy for him to maneuver that we took the lock off the higher speed and now it can go ANYWHERE, even in damp grass. He has a blast with it and it has paid for itself in smiles already. I was impressed with the lasting power of the battery. You do have to loosen a screw to get to the battery but we dont even remove the battery when charging it, just plug it in...not too bad. Its very sturdy. The seatbelts are great and he loves the horn. I dont regret buying it one bit.

Impressive looking ride-on

On: 2006-12-31

Gave this to my nephew for Christmas. Its very nice. Although its all plastic it is tough and sturdy. The directions will require patience. My nephew and I love the seatbelts(always nice to remind kids to buckle up). The battery is a pain to get to and charge which is why I gave it 4 and not 5 stars. I was concerned about all the reviewers who said that the traction was poor. Christmas day we took the gator outside. In order to get to the driveway my nephew would have to go up a small but steep hill. I tried to stop him so he wouldnt be disappointed if he couldnt make it up the hill. But, he just hopped in and up that hill he went. My mouth dropped open because the grassy yard was also damp. No slippage. No problem. I just looked at my sisters and laughed. It did great on the grass, gravel and side walk. As for the gears stripping Ill have to wait and see.

Impressive looking ride-on

On: 2006-12-30

Gave this to my nephew for Christmas. Its very nice. Although its all plastic it is tough and sturdy. The directions will require patience. My nephew and I love the seatbelts(always nice to remind kids to buckle up). The battery is a pain to get to and charge which is why I gave it 4 and not 5 stars. I was concerned about all the reviewers who said that the traction was poor. Christmas day we took the gator outside. In order to get to the driveway my nephew would have to go up a small but steep hill. I tried to stop him so he wouldnt be disappointed if he couldnt make it up the hill. But, he just hopped in and up that hill he went. My mouth dropped open because the grassy yard was also damp. No slippage. No problem. I just looked at my sisters and laughed. It did great on the grass, gravel and side walk. As for the gears stripping Ill have to wait and see.