For sand I would submit the mini moke, and for anything regarding irrigation or serious mud I would most definitely go with the three cylinder Suzuki...prick of a vehicle but really came into it's own in mud due to it's light weight.
Cruisers are excellent as a work vehicle or hauling weight but they don't come close to the old square cab chassis diesel Nissan Patrol when it came to mud, the Nissan had lousy seating and not so great build quality but the drive train was absolutely second to none.
A Nissan going full strap across a flood plain full of water is a joy to behold, particularly if it coming to drag you out of a bog.
