John Deere XUV 550 12V Kids Ride On Gator

Bought this gator for our son for Christmas. In addition to the gator he received the trailer from Santa. On Christmas Day he was excited to get everything set up. Unfortunately, the battery does not charge. Also, the yellow hub caps were not in the box so we couldn’t even put the whole toy together. Very disappointed. We spent over $500 and my son can’t even use this. Hoping the customer service is easy to work with.

Built Well, Higher Weight Limit, Drives Fast

We bought this for our son's third birthday. We were initially skeptical because of the higher price, but a few things caught our eye that made us look at it as more of an investment. For one, the weight limit was higher than most (around 130 pounds). The dual seats was also a selling point as we have another child on the way. The gator should last for many years between the two of them.Pros:- Overall build quality is pretty good (exceptions below). The frame and parts that need to last seem to be built well.- Seats are adjustable (forward and backward) to accommodate different sizes drivers/riders- Back of the gator can hold a lot and is pretty sturdy- Speed - I was surprised at how fast the 2nd gear is. My three year old is easily able to transition between ... MoreWe bought this for our son's third birthday. We were initially skeptical because of the higher price, but a few things caught our eye that made us look at it as more of an investment. For one, the weight limit was higher than most (around 130 pounds). The dual seats was also a selling point as we have another child on the way. The gator should last for many years between the two of them.Pros:- Overall build quality is pretty good (exceptions below). The frame and parts that need to last seem to be built well.- Seats are adjustable (forward and backward) to accommodate different sizes drivers/riders- Back of the gator can hold a lot and is pretty sturdy- Speed - I was surprised at how fast the 2nd gear is. My three year old is easily able to transition between the two speeds (plus reverse) with the lever between the seats.- There is a regulator that comes installed on the lever between the seats. This locks it into first gear (slower gear) but is easily removed with a screw- Batter life seems very good - Our son uses it all day without power fadingCons:- Assembly was tedious - plan for an hour or so to get everything put together. Directions weren't super clear at times too.- Though most of the gator is built well, a few parts are not. The front bumper is very flimsy and will probably fall off at some point. The red latch to pull up (dump) the rear of the gator broke on the first day as it's very thin. Waiting for a replacement. Lift gate is also a little flimsy.- Recommends charing for 18 hours - plan accordinglyOver, we think this was a great purchase and our son is in love with it. It goes up and down the hills in our yard impressively well and can carry quite some heavy items in the back (our sons loves dragging stuff around). Another pro was the trailer you can purchase separately (probably a future birthday present).

Disappointing

Poor traction on grass and flat ground. Battery closure/grill cheap plastic and incredibly difficult to latch. I point this out for safety reasons. Considering the cost of the item and comparable tractors, it’s an expensive item made cheaply and requires you to make additional modifications to make it get traction on flat gravel-watching your kid’s excitement over their new gator deflate because it can’t drive across your driveway that’s an epic fail. I don’t recommend this product for the battery closure issue, the additional work and expense of buying things to give a “gator” basic flat ground traction. The battery life is pretty subpar as well. At this price point it was an epic letdown.

Disappointing quality

We must have gotten a box that had been returned once already as we were missing pieces and some of the bags were open. This thing is so flimsy and has no working buttons. We have another ride on toy by fisher price that is much better quality but I trusted to peg prego name. The back truck box also doesn’t push down all the way (I think it’s broken? Not sure, came that way) so the box tilts up and everything in it spills out. Having said all that my child still thinks it’s the coolest thing ever but we will not be buying this brand again and we do not recommend.

Engineering Failure and Missing Parts

Advice if you do decide to buy this product: make sure to purchase as far in advance as possible. It takes about 2.5 hours to assemble, the battery needs to be charged 18 hours before first use, and parts may be missing (they were for me).Pros:-John Deere (kids love it)-Cargo bed-Runs well (first week at least)Cons:-Worse torque/traction than similar Power Wheels-Forward/ Reverse lever is very cheap and seems like it will break off at any moment-Missing multiple parts (I guess I get to call a 1-800 number for replacements?)-The battery, which needs to be charged AFTER EVERY USE, is locked in place by a tiny philips head screw... so after every time this car is run, you need to unscrew the compartment. A rudimentary latch can be rigged to avoid using the ... MoreAdvice if you do decide to buy this product: make sure to purchase as far in advance as possible. It takes about 2.5 hours to assemble, the battery needs to be charged 18 hours before first use, and parts may be missing (they were for me).Pros:-John Deere (kids love it)-Cargo bed-Runs well (first week at least)Cons:-Worse torque/traction than similar Power Wheels-Forward/ Reverse lever is very cheap and seems like it will break off at any moment-Missing multiple parts (I guess I get to call a 1-800 number for replacements?)-The battery, which needs to be charged AFTER EVERY USE, is locked in place by a tiny philips head screw... so after every time this car is run, you need to unscrew the compartment. A rudimentary latch can be rigged to avoid using the screw, but whomever engineered this in the first place shouldn't be engineering anything anymore.

Great toy, but know this before you buy.

The Peg Perego John Deere Gator works great and my two grandchildren thoroughly enjoy it. However (and this is a BIG however), in order to recharge the battery, the front of the Gator must be removed, which entails either raising up the unit on its rear wheels or getting down on the ground, removing the retaining screw, unclipping the remaining fasteners, disconnecting the battery from the Gator, connecting the battery to the charger, then reversing the process.There are several problems with this process. The first is the cover is not designed for repeated removals and at some point, the screw hole will become stripped (it's plastic), and the clips (which are also plastic) will eventually fail. The second is the recharging process is rather cumbersome (I'm being ... MoreThe Peg Perego John Deere Gator works great and my two grandchildren thoroughly enjoy it. However (and this is a BIG however), in order to recharge the battery, the front of the Gator must be removed, which entails either raising up the unit on its rear wheels or getting down on the ground, removing the retaining screw, unclipping the remaining fasteners, disconnecting the battery from the Gator, connecting the battery to the charger, then reversing the process.There are several problems with this process. The first is the cover is not designed for repeated removals and at some point, the screw hole will become stripped (it's plastic), and the clips (which are also plastic) will eventually fail. The second is the recharging process is rather cumbersome (I'm being quite generous when I say this).In summary, it's a great toy for the kids, but not so much for the adults responsible for keeping it charged. Had I known this from the outset, I would have not purchased it and I don't recommend it.

Hesitant to recommend

My grandparents had a previous Peg Perego that lasted almost 20 years, so when it came time to replace it I thought going with this would be good. However, like other reviews, this arrived missing a part. Once we ordered the part, and the work on assembling continued, we found one of the bolts was stripped, so my husband went to 3 different stores and ended up spending an additional $90 to get the tools to fix it. My husband, who is a mechanical engineer, has literally spent hours trying to assembly this and we're still not there. I hesitant to recommend it, but I'm guessing the cheaper brands are even worse. However, if you don't have someone in the family who is handy with mechanics, you may be in trouble. If you do decide to buy this, I would try to get it at ... MoreMy grandparents had a previous Peg Perego that lasted almost 20 years, so when it came time to replace it I thought going with this would be good. However, like other reviews, this arrived missing a part. Once we ordered the part, and the work on assembling continued, we found one of the bolts was stripped, so my husband went to 3 different stores and ended up spending an additional $90 to get the tools to fix it. My husband, who is a mechanical engineer, has literally spent hours trying to assembly this and we're still not there. I hesitant to recommend it, but I'm guessing the cheaper brands are even worse. However, if you don't have someone in the family who is handy with mechanics, you may be in trouble. If you do decide to buy this, I would try to get it at least a month ahead of when you'd like it so you have time to order new parts, troubleshoot, and assemble.

Missing parts, bad instructions Not recommend

Brand new out of box already missing parts. Purchased for 3 year olds birthday and spent 3 hours building to almost complete the build and then find missing majors parts. Missing the parts that attach the dump bed to the chassis so had to zip tie the dump bed down or return the product. Very tech and mechanical savvy but instructions were terrible. There is no parts list at the beginning so you can’t lay out all the parts and compare it with the parts provided to make sure your not missing parts. Then the instructions provided are terrible they will show a very vague picture on one page then you have to look on a second page to read the instruction provided with very bad detail. As compared to having the parts listed and then writing connect part A to part B you ... MoreBrand new out of box already missing parts. Purchased for 3 year olds birthday and spent 3 hours building to almost complete the build and then find missing majors parts. Missing the parts that attach the dump bed to the chassis so had to zip tie the dump bed down or return the product. Very tech and mechanical savvy but instructions were terrible. There is no parts list at the beginning so you can’t lay out all the parts and compare it with the parts provided to make sure your not missing parts. Then the instructions provided are terrible they will show a very vague picture on one page then you have to look on a second page to read the instruction provided with very bad detail. As compared to having the parts listed and then writing connect part A to part B you will get a very vague picture and then on another page *actual example (click one suspension into place level with the fastening tongues), and again since there’s no listed parts list you are guessing which part the suspension is, you are guessing as to what or where the fastening tongues are and then you have to guess where your supposed to connect these parts as it doesn’t even tell you. Paid over 400$ and couldn’t complete the build due to missing parts would not recommend

Needs work

For almost $400, I expected more. there are a few big problems that need to be addressed by peg perego. first and foremost, the first time I pulled on the red bed release, it broke right in the middle. so I had to give my son a broken toy for his birthday which was a shame. The piece of plastic is just too thin and you will probably break yours as well so be careful.second, the tailgate won't stay shut. whenever my son drives the gator through the backyard, the tailgate falls down. The latches won't keep it secure. it came like this straight out of the box.The instruction manual is also a conglomeration of addenda. they originally wrote the manual in such a vague manner that they had to add two additional sheets to tell you which screws to use when the original ... MoreFor almost $400, I expected more. there are a few big problems that need to be addressed by peg perego. first and foremost, the first time I pulled on the red bed release, it broke right in the middle. so I had to give my son a broken toy for his birthday which was a shame. The piece of plastic is just too thin and you will probably break yours as well so be careful.second, the tailgate won't stay shut. whenever my son drives the gator through the backyard, the tailgate falls down. The latches won't keep it secure. it came like this straight out of the box.The instruction manual is also a conglomeration of addenda. they originally wrote the manual in such a vague manner that they had to add two additional sheets to tell you which screws to use when the original manual just says "use the appropriate screw" without telling you which one to use.last, the tires need better traction as my son gets stuck in the yard trying to drive over green but dry grass. It's kind of silly because the thing has 4x4 stickers but it's maybe one wheel drive.I'm sure my son will still love it, but for $400, I expected more. I hope peg sees this feedback and makes changes necessary to fix their product.

Tires spin in grass

My granddaughter picked this out, to help grandpa around the yard this summer. We were so excited. First, it took my husband 4 hours to assemble. The tailgate is not secure and falls down randomly. There are no bells or whistles like horn, lights or music which I thought would be no big deal. My main complaint are the tires/traction. The tires spin in the grass almost constantly. She had a no-name jeep that she rode all over the yard, and up and down hills and rocks, but not this one! That’s a big disappointment since I paid double the price of the jeep for the “gator”. It does drive around the driveway area quickly. She likes pushing down the lever to reverse. I bought some peel %26 stick traction runners to try on the tires. I also saw one reviewer put large ... MoreMy granddaughter picked this out, to help grandpa around the yard this summer. We were so excited. First, it took my husband 4 hours to assemble. The tailgate is not secure and falls down randomly. There are no bells or whistles like horn, lights or music which I thought would be no big deal. My main complaint are the tires/traction. The tires spin in the grass almost constantly. She had a no-name jeep that she rode all over the yard, and up and down hills and rocks, but not this one! That’s a big disappointment since I paid double the price of the jeep for the “gator”. It does drive around the driveway area quickly. She likes pushing down the lever to reverse. I bought some peel %26 stick traction runners to try on the tires. I also saw one reviewer put large screws in the tires for traction. For the price, I wish the tires were sturdier/built to drive around the outdoors.