Deere & Company knows a thing or two about making tough, working vehicles for tough working people who need not the cheapest, but what is often the best machinery available. This 1990s John Deere AMT626 is listed here on Facebook Marketplace in St. Cloud, Wisconsin, and the seller is asking $750. Here is the original listing, and thanks to Lothar… of the Hill People for the tip!
All Materials Transport, or AMT for short, is a good description for these unusual five-wheelers made by one of the oldest continuously-operating companies of all time: Mr. Deere’s firm, Deere & Company. 1837 is when John Deere founded his globally-famous company, and that isn’t a typo; it was 188 years ago! That’s slightly older than I am. He became rich and famous with his steel plow, which was “self-scouring,” meaning that farmers could use it longer without having to stop and clean the dirt and mud off of it. You can see that the polyethylene front guard with twin lights is missing from the front of this AMT, but it’s in the back.
Sadly, that front shield/guard appears to be bent, maybe someone ran into a tree or something, or maybe a bull charged this thing; who knows? I’m sure a new one can be found; parts are still available for the three variations: the AMT600 (single-seater), AMT622, and AMT626, as seen here. Plan on buying five new tires while you’re making a to-do list. The AMT-series evolved from Commuter Industries out of Iowa, which made basically the same rig in both three-wheel and five-wheel versions. I have a three-wheeler but would rather have a five-wheeler if I could find one. Mine has an 8-hp Kohler, and another model uses a 9-hp Kawasaki.
There’s a better photo of the front piece, and it is, in fact, past the point of repair, with the bottom right chunk (seen on the left) being AWOL. Bummer. The front wheel isn’t powered, so unlike a modern 4WD ATV, this one is powered by the four rear wheels. It may not have the traction of a new 4×4 ATV, but they’re still cool as heck, and the dump bed/box is a handy feature. At 900 pounds, they aren’t light, so don’t go too far into the mud. I’m not sure if this one has the hydraulic-operated dump bed or not; it was an option, according to this brochure.
The drivetrain can be found under the dump bed, and this one should be a John Deere “K-Series” 290-cc, OHV, four-stroke single-cylinder, which had 10 horsepower and 14 lb-ft of torque when new. Backed by the CVT-type variable transmission, it sends power to all four rear wheels, and an operator could lock the differential via a left foot pedal when the going got rough. This example is said to run on starting fluid, so it’ll take some tinkering to get it working again. Have any of you owned one of these pre-Gator AMTs?
Wow! This looks amazingly similar to the one some 2 legged jackass dumped out in the desert some miles from town.
These were popular at the golf courses in the area for the groundskeepers but most have since gone on to something more up to date.
Well, I’ll be my nephews uncle, here I thought the Gator was the 1st of these types. While I by no means want to upstage the author, it’s fun for me to research these things a bit more, and BFs and readers are getting extra research, and I’m paying them! It’s okay, with features like this, well worth it.
1st, somebody at JD got more than a raise for thinking these up. Made in my old stompin’ grounds, Horicon, Wis. Rural folks, farmers mostly, had little to get around the farm, save for an old golf cart. They needed something more heavy duty, and these fit the bill perfectly. Who would have thought a company built by farmers, would help them so much with these. 2nd, I read, this has to be a 1990-1992, as the Gator came out in ’92. The motor is a Kohler engine, and had a long standing relationship with JD. The drive, which uses snowmobile tech, is actually well proven, and takes a lot to get these stuck. The single front wheel was deemed a problem, and the Gator went with 2. This does NOT have the hydraulic dump, as other images with one show a lot more plumbing and of course a lifting ram and was electric/hydraulic, no PTO. JD revolutionized the farm in many ways,, and this was one of the best ideas. The front damage is no biggie, it’s a farm, not the Ritz Carlton.
Thanks, SG!
Used these at the golf course. ⛳️ We had three versions actually. One like this, a 6 wheeler and a 4 wheel. The 6 wheeler rode best, but they don’t turn as nice with the duals. Howard’s right takes a fair bit to get these stuck w the diff lock 🔐. Our newer ones had the dump boxes. Nice options.
This thing is really neat. If you have a large piece of property it would really come in handy. While I’m not sure someone would restore it, it would be nice to see it fixed up and out back into use again. I remember seeing these years ago but haven’t for a long time. Scotty didn’t have a chance to make this one a convertible lol.
Have a flat? No thanks, I’ve got one!!!
For $750 it’s cheap fun. New Gators, side by side or whatever they’re called, are hideously expensive and for someone with more than a few acres an old 4×4 pickup would be a better choice.
I bought a 1987 AMT 600 several years ago in similar “yard find” condition. The AMT 600 had a single front seat, and motorcycle steering. It was sorta like a WW2 Kettenkrad with rear wheels instead of tracks. After new tires and a tune-up, it ran great… But did not stop…. On my hilly property that was a problem. These were equipped with disc brakes, that used a somewhat complicated and ineffective cable-based mechanical system. Replacement brake parts from Deere were way to dear ($1,500++), with some NLA. I visited my local motorcycle wrecker, and came home with a complete hydraulic brake system including: calipers, lines, and a lever(handgrip) type master cylinder for $100. It all bolted up without any major mods. Some had optional hydraulic power for the dump, but mine did not. I fitted a ($20 garage sale)hydraulic pump for a marine outdrive, and a surplus lift cylinder. We used it for chores around the property for about 7 years. The steering did require some effort (sometimes alot), especially when both rear axles were locked. It was eventually replaced by a diesel Kubota RTVX side-by-side.
What motorcycle calipers did you use?
What motorcycle calipers did you use that bolted up without major modification? My 87 has brakes on one side only after one cable broke at the caliper, and yes, they are NLA.
Ohhhh’OOOOOOOHH’ohhhhh, someone grabbed this JD, was it one of you?