This 1988 John Deere AMT 600 can be found posted here on craigslist in Maynardville, Tennessee, and the seller is asking $3,200. Here is the original listing. It’s my fault that the above tip went away, but thankfully, Rocco B just sent in this same exact tip, and the listing is active again. So thanks to both Jack M. and Rocco B. for tracking down this five-wheeler farm find!
“$3,200?! It didn’t cost that much new!!!” Well, according to this 1988 John Deere AMT 600 ad, it was $3,399. You’re saving $199! The dump box has been repainted black; you can see some green coming through in a few areas. We don’t know why that happened, but the graphics are spot-on, so maybe it was a factory thing, or maybe whoever painted it got new decals or something. There’s no mention of it in the listing. The green portion appears to have been repainted, as some of the factory striping isn’t shown.
AMT stands for All Materials Transport, but this John Deere AMT 600 brochure says to remember it by its nickname: Almost a Truck. The seller says this example has the optional hydraulic-assist dump bed option, and they provided a photo showing the bed/box in the up position. That’s a nice feature for sure; otherwise, you’re dumping 600 pounds of stuff by lifting the bed by hand. It also looks a little rusty under there, and you can see at least surface rust in many other areas.
Speaking of surface rust… But this is a tough workhorse; I wouldn’t let a little surface rust or missing paint worry you too much. We saw another AMT 600, the unusual ATV-looking five-wheel model, a decade ago here on Barn Finds. There were a couple of other models, which we have also seen here: the two-seater five-wheel AMT626, and the two-seater AMT622 Transporter. My oddball three-wheeler Commuter Industries TE-380 is an ancestor of John Deere’s AMT series. I think of these things as tough farm and ranch vehicles, not anything to use to go camping. JD must have wanted to tap into the recreational market with this ad.
The 8.5-horsepower Kawasaki four-stroke single-cylinder engine powers the AMT600, and a centrifugal clutch system with a belt provides power to all four rear wheels. The AMT600 has a thumb throttle and a hand brake on the left grip, whereas the two-seaters have a steering wheel and floor pedals. If anyone is interested in a wealth of cool brochures on the AMT series, here you go! I’m sure a few of you have owned or currently own John Deere AMTs like this one or similar. I’m not surprised this one hasn’t sold yet, with the unusual paint, surface rust, and high price. Please let us know your thoughts on them in the comments!
This looks neat. I’ve never ridden one. But I’d imagine that this would be welcome on a large piece of property. 600 pounds for around the house is more than plenty. Looks solid overall I wouldn’t change a thing.
Driven this one and a 6 wheeler. Enjoyed the 6 wheeler much more. Great workhorses these are either way. Turf tires leave practically no marks.
A UTV is more comfortable and practical. A small work horse, like a 401cc Kawasawki Mule is the best little worker. Better seating position, plus a work partner can sit next to you.
I owned one for about 5 years. Mine came without the hydraulic dump-box lift, and was nearly impossible to lift when heavily loaded. I added a hydraulic cylinder, and used a marine hydraulic trim pump to solve that problem. The mechanical disc brakes on these are notorious for 2 reasons: They are relatively ineffective (even when “working”), and the parts are very expensive ….if you can get them. I solved that problem with a trip to a motorcycle wrecking yard. For about $100 I got the parts I needed to convert to a hydraulic system: Handbrake/master, lines and calipers. Don’t ask what bike the calipers came from – I got them from a big bin, and they bolted on. The brakes worked great after that. The AMT did not steer particularly well when loaded, and took alot of effort. When both axles were engaged it tended to plow forward, especially in mud/snow. My wife hated driving it.
We sold it when we moved about 5 years ago, and bought a Kubota diesel side by side. My wife loves the Kubota.
I see AMTs pop up for sale locally (within an hours drive) a once or twice a year. The one for sale here is overpriced. The AMTs were painted JD green, so someone has painted the box black.
If you need something like this around your rural property, I suggest getting a rig with 4 or 6 wheels. If you like JD, consider a Gator.
If you live somewhere that gets nasty winters (like us), I strongly suggest something with a heated cab.
I’m in the process of writing a book on an operation we conducted in 2002 on Vozrozdeniya Islan in the Aral Sea to remove some left-over anthrax from the Soviet era test facility that was there and we had one of these as our “camp vehicle” – you could NOT kill it! It was an absolute lifesaver! Hauled lumber, people and equipment for “days” without ever skipping a beat!