Any reason you didn’t go with the Steiner Tough Cut? Do you run any other attachments? I really liked the 450, but really disappointed that they aren’t coming out with more attachments.
I have run same Steiner deck with a 430. Now owning a Ventrac I will say the 27 HP Kohler did quite well. The 32.5 gS Kubota is a beast in the Ventrac. The diesel model, Well lets say this... it is testing in progress. I will let you know.
@@TheLawnCareLifeinMowssouri all good. I'm considering buying one to replace a sub compact tractor I use with a brush cutter and flail mower that just doesn't have enough horse power. I am wanting something that will perform better for mowing down heavily overgrown fields without having to go to a larger tractor. This looks like it fits the bill.
Yeah, you could have a lot of fun just doing brush jobs with that little machine. Plenty of power and so many different attachments to choose from if you wanted to expand services. Thanks for watching! 👍
i have the ventrac 4500z and a 60 inch mower and i pull another 60 inch mower to do over 5 acres of lawn.. tried the steiner and was not happy with it...more attachments, more confortable ride, better service for my area with the ventrac. with 32.5 hp and mowing on hills , ive got more than enough power. the only issue ive had with the ventrac is the first year i had trouble with the digital readout and the gas gauge does not work half the time in the winter..ive had the ventrac for 3 years and 900 hours on it..
Thanks for sharing your experience with the two machines. Did you try the 450 or 440? I haven’t had the chance to try out the Ventrac yet. Really wanting to try it out though. They definitely have a LOT more attachments!!!! What made the ride more comfortable? Are you satisfied with the engine? Or would you buy a different engine if you could do it again? Appreciate your response. Thanks so much for watching!
for the comment about the chicken and the egg the steiner family made the steiner first sold it out after ten year no compete clause in sale contract , started making new version of same mower and called ventrac
@@TheLawnCareLifeinMowssouri nice and have u use the ventrac and I haven’t used or demo the stinger or ventrac I was just curious if u have and which one u like
You mentioned the tractor died a few times while mowing. Looking at what you’re cutting, I bet the safety turn off kicked in because you got out of the seat. There’s a sensor in the seat that when you lift out, it stops the machine.
My Ventrac dealer ended up fixing the problem a couple of months ago. It ended up being the anti-backfiring fuel solenoid. Replaced it and it’s been running great ever since. I thought it was probably a safety switch as well. Thanks for taking the time to watch!
Great video but I can't help but notice how many different levers there are on the Steiner. It makes me appreciate the Ventrac SDLA lever system all the more. I keep my hands on the same controls and can manipulate all machine movement and attachment hydraulics. I have a 4200VXD and a 4500Z. I have the Tough Cut, Stump Grinder, PowerRake, AeraVator with Gandy seedbox, Slip Scoop, Power Bucket with Grapple, Versa-Loader with Bucket and Auger, 72" offset Finish Cut Mower Deck, Broadcast Spreader, Snow Blower with deep snow kit, Sod Cutter, Trencher, Tiller. My family business does mostly grading/leveling and drainage installations, followed by stump grinding and brush/lot clearing
Awesome! Would love to see some videos of your work with the Ventrac! I’ve never used one, but have been wanting to demo one. What’s the best engine out right now?
@@TheLawnCareLifeinMowssouri Head over to my channel here and subscribe! I have a few videos up of me doing work with Ventrac and some maintenance stuff as well to give a better closeup view of some of the attachments. The best engine is a topic of hot debate! Ventrac offers engines in diesel and gas. I use the most powerful Ventrac offering with a Kubota 950CC 3 cylinder producing almost 33HP. The diesel which is the same block only produces 25HP and also less torque than the gas. That's a BIG difference in power. The gas uses about 1.6 gallons per hour at full throttle while the diesel is about 1.2 gallons. I need the power and wish I had more power!
I love the steiner and my bucket and finish mower...does great...the rough cut leaves me very upset. I was sold this very expensive 6 foot mower and was told it would compete with like sized bush bogs...and yes it does cut up to 1.5 inch stuff pretty well but it is terrible in grass or hay. It lays the grass down flat and misses it with the blades. Causing the mower to need to be run over the same spot several times to get a clean cut. I am thinking of removing the front rubber shield to see if that will decrease the bending of the grass enough to increase quality of cut. BUT when I called and talked to my rep that I bought this 32,000 dollar machine from he said "oh yeah you will need to buy the reverse pulley kit for it...which will reverse one blade to make it cut grass batter". I call bs. Who has one of these and they are not gonna bush hog meadows or tall grass? I am upset...and it is frustrating because now I am stuck with it. If I was not afraid of breaking something I would use the finish mower, it does very well in taller grass...but if I hit a rock or a big stick I could total that deck. SO...what is a man to do?
I would check into the Ventrac flail mower deck and see if you could demo one. I know what you’re talking about. The Rough Cut is designed for more like saplings, briars, thickets, etc. I think that flail mower deck would work great for you.
Someone else, I think his name is Steiger something, got the reverse pulley and totally changed it for him. Also, maybe look into Kavli blades. I heard those are awesome.
I would like to try out the Ventrac controls too. That Kubota would be stalling on that mess lol. It was tough. Ventrac still hasn’t gotten back with me and set up a time to Demo.
Robert Nebel I haven’t compared the Ventrac to know how it stacks up to the Steiner. But I do know the Steiner 450 is a pretty tough machine. The previous models may not stack up to the 450? What are some of the things that you like better about the Ventrac? Like I said, I haven’t demoed the Ventrac. So let me know what I should look at on the Ventrac when I get the opportunity to demo it. Thanks in advance!
@@TheLawnCareLifeinMowssouri first of all. That bullshit little foot pedal the steiner has linked to its hand control needs to go. The ventrac doesnt have that. With the steiner tough cut . We were snapping belts constantly. Or it would break down. Ventrac...never happens. That being said when it did run it was a beast at cutting. But when you are going down a 30 degree slope on a steiner without foot pedals....... the ventrac....foot pedals..... slope gauge. No breakdowns. Torque..power... its just overall a much smoother and much more well built machine
@@TheLawnCareLifeinMowssouri lets put it this way... the steiners made the machine..sold the company to someone. And when the non compete ran out ,they started venture industries which made the ventrac. They then poached all of the good engineers from steiner. So in essence the ventrac is still a steiner in some way shape or form because it also was made by the steiners. I heard ventrac was recently sold to toro but nothing major has changed as ofnyet if at all
Yeah, back in December Doosan Bobcat actually bought Bobcat Mowers, Ryan, and Steiner. At the same time, Toro bought out Ventrac. So, there’s not much telling what the two companies will end up doing in the future.
Well the Steiner Brand is the original. The Steiner brothers sold the company and started Ventrac years later. The main difference between the two is that Ventrac has way more attachments. The Steiner has the bigger engines however 37hp Vanguard EFI.
@@TheLawnCareLifeinMowssouri I was unaware of that.. that being said, I still want to put my money on the gas driven Kubota over the Vanguard motor..how do you feel about that?
Yeah, I’m not sure how the Kubota performs. I have two Vanguard EFI and they are solid so far. I know a couple of guys with the Kubota and love it! But I don’t have any experience running one personally.
@@TheLawnCareLifeinMowssouri we run the Vanguard EFI on our commercial mowers & love them. Something to consider if choosing a Ventrac is that the Kubota gas is carburetor engine. The only EFI engine in Ventrac line up is a 31hp Kawasaki.
I personally prefer Ventrac not Steiner because they are easier to use. Hand controls. They also tend to hold up on hills better than a Steiner. Also Ventracs have more power on command. They also look a lot better.
I bought a Steiner 450 32 and I just bought a Ventrac 4520p , The Steiner is so much stronger and a much better machine, all these Steiner haters clearly never used a newer model. I ordered a Steiner 450-37 today the Ventrac is sold and gone!
One of my best buddies has 2 Steiner 450’s and absolutely loves them! I demoed one back in 2018, but the Dealer never was straight with me on a few things so I passed on it. My buddy has one of the best Steiner dealers around, so he has top notch service. Thanks for watching!
Good video but you always always need to show your machines ability to cut saplings especially small pine trees. That’s the invasive species of tree here in East Texas.
faceious2006 Thanks for watching! Wish I would have had more time to get into some thicker brush and put it to the test. Definitely would like to in the future!
I have the ventrac with the 31 Kawasaki efi. I can honestly say this would never do what I have done with mine. We mow twice as high brush on 30 degree hills. The ventrac mows it plus going up and down the hills. I’m sure this is good but I know the ventrac will do more...
The Steiner has a bigger engine - 37hp Vanguard EFI. Plus the Steiner has dual hydro pumps instead of just one like the Ventrac. Do you follow JBS Lawn and Landscaping? He’s putting the Steiner to the test on every job and it has never let him down. Ventrac is a solid machine. The Steiner brothers created the Ventrac years ago after they sold their original company.
It’s a nice looking machine , as a multiple Steiner owner since 1989 and a current Ventrac owner , I just hope you didn’t buy that machine .. The dealer support network and product support just isn’t there with Steiner , that’s why I went to Ventrac they are leaps and bounds better . There are some aspects of the Steiner I like better but overall you would be way ahead with a Ventrac . I’m not sure if it’s me but my Ventrac with 6 less hp seems to go thru that height grass easier at that slow speed . I can mow that height at about 5 mph and you are nowhere near that . Not sure why I know the Kawi is a beast of an engine .
When I cut this overgrown field it was very thick. The deck was set really low and I tried going at different speeds. I was trying to figure out the perfect combo. The engine on the 450 was the Vanguard 37hp EFI. The engine itself never bogged down or sounded like it was struggling , but the rough cut would get so full of grass that it would choke it up. I think the deck needed to be a little higher.
I haven’t had a chance to try out the Ventrac, but hoping this Summer they will get back with me on a Demo. Would like to really compare the two. Only con to Steiner is that they’ve told me for 2 years that more attachments are coming but I’ve yet to see them. Whereas Ventrac already has most of the attachments out already.
I too have owned 3 Steiners and 1 Ventrac.....I have had the exact opposite experience as far as product support although this was many years ago. My Ventrac had many electrical issues that started within my first 2-3 years of owning it. Not starting, stalling while running down a hill(no brakes!), and PTO would only sometimes engage. Ventrac finally gave up on their machine even after I PAID a Ventrac dealer to replace every wire. They told me they’d give me a discount on my next machine! I bought a Steiner and will never look back. Don’t get me wrong, the Ventrac was a nice machine, maybe even a little more refined, but getting ready to mow and your pto will not work. Then again, maybe this was an isolated incident, but it was enough to steer me away for good.
John DiMartino, I agree, Ventracs will go through anything. I love my 4200 turbo diesel, had it for 15 years, used a Steiner- HATED IT. Ventrac, your one tractor solution.
I gave this a thumbs down as your title suggests that you are "Comparing" the steiner AND the Ventrac.. No comparison in this video, seems more like an ADVERTISEMENT. As a future owner of either unit, I would have enjoyed you doing BOTH vehicles to see the comparison. Also, for being a 37hp EFI this unit bogs considerably.. maybe they should make a SMALLER cutter. One last thing I feel needs attention is the cut qaulity... it looks terrible, I would prefer a side chute so that the grass was thrown clear instead of trying to EAT it all and causing bog issues as well as cut quality issues.. My 800 dollar brush hog cuts better than this 25k machine... it makes the decision to purchase one of these even harder... I had a demo (Ventrac) brought out to my farm, the unit could not handle my apple orchard hill and spun... I need a unit to mow my orchard, for the last 24 yrs I have used my tractor... it is NOT a fun situation and I have had several close calls... WOULD be nice to have a side by side comparision... thanks...
Hey Carl! Thanks for the tip on the Title. I never really thought of it that way. I was more curious to try out the Steiner to see how it performed. The title was geared toward Ventrac owners, hoping to get some input from them to let me know how it compared to the 450. As far as the power goes, I really think that something was off on the setup. Meaning that it wasn’t set up correctly because it really did struggle cutting that field. Or maybe that’s just how it really performs? Not sure exactly as it was my first time running the machine. But it did smoke a couple of belts and I was creeping through it. That video was from a few years ago. Since then I have tried out the Ventrac 4500K and it does an amazing job tackling some tall/thick stuff. I haven’t put it on a slope yet, so I have no feedback there. I will be testing it out on some slopes here soon and make sure everything is set up correctly to get real world results. So stay tuned! Thanks for watching and I appreciate the feedback. 👍
1st. That machine is a beast. It drilled through that rough with ease. Impressive.
Thanks again for watching! Yesssss, this thing can handle some TOUGH stuff! #livinTheSteinerLife
Mine is being delivered on monday. Im pretty excited to test it out.
Awesome! What attachments will you be running?
I have a 450 37 EFI it is an absolute Beast I've got the ventrac tough cut mower unreal
Any reason you didn’t go with the Steiner Tough Cut? Do you run any other attachments? I really liked the 450, but really disappointed that they aren’t coming out with more attachments.
That is quite a machine. Definitely made to clear overgrowth with ease.
Can’t believe how easy it knocked out that overgrown field. Thanks for watching man! 👍
I have run same Steiner deck with a 430. Now owning a Ventrac I will say the 27 HP Kohler did quite well. The 32.5 gS Kubota is a beast in the Ventrac. The diesel model, Well lets say this... it is testing in progress. I will let you know.
What attachments do you currently run? Thanks for the info! 👍
You got any more videos using the Steiner with Touch Cut deck?
No, I don’t. Just demoed the Steiner for a day.
@@TheLawnCareLifeinMowssouri all good. I'm considering buying one to replace a sub compact tractor I use with a brush cutter and flail mower that just doesn't have enough horse power. I am wanting something that will perform better for mowing down heavily overgrown fields without having to go to a larger tractor. This looks like it fits the bill.
This little guy out performs a lot of tractor/bush hog setups. Definitely something worth looking into.
Looks like a fun machine to use. I'm sure it would it's keep with brush mowing jobs.
Yeah, you could have a lot of fun just doing brush jobs with that little machine. Plenty of power and so many different attachments to choose from if you wanted to expand services. Thanks for watching! 👍
i have the ventrac 4500z and a 60 inch mower and i pull another 60 inch mower to do over 5 acres of lawn.. tried the steiner and was not happy with it...more attachments, more confortable ride, better service for my area with the ventrac. with 32.5 hp and mowing on hills , ive got more than enough power. the only issue ive had with the ventrac is the first year i had trouble with the digital readout and the gas gauge does not work half the time in the winter..ive had the ventrac for 3 years and 900 hours on it..
Thanks for sharing your experience with the two machines. Did you try the 450 or 440? I haven’t had the chance to try out the Ventrac yet. Really wanting to try it out though. They definitely have a LOT more attachments!!!! What made the ride more comfortable? Are you satisfied with the engine? Or would you buy a different engine if you could do it again? Appreciate your response. Thanks so much for watching!
BEAST !!!!
Haha. Yes it was!
Beast! 💪💪
Absolutely! 😎. Thanks for checking it out! 👍
for the comment about the chicken and the egg the steiner family made the steiner first sold it out after ten year no compete clause in sale contract , started making new version of same mower and called ventrac
Yup, for sure. Thanks for watching. 👍
How fast can u go and what is the limit on hills
Top speed is 9.5mph. You can hang hills at 20° all day long, but you can tackle 30° slopes for up to 10 mins. Hope that helps! Thanks for watching. 👍
@@TheLawnCareLifeinMowssouri nice and have u use the ventrac and I haven’t used or demo the stinger or ventrac I was just curious if u have and which one u like
I haven’t demoed the Ventrac yet. Really wanting to try it out next! Hoping to get one or the other this year. We’ll see how things go.
Toro just bought out Ventrac, dont know if thats good or bad
I hear ya man. We probably won’t know for 2-3 years. But a lot of people have already voiced their concerns.
So, does go for Steiner and Ventrac? "The Toro thing"
@@JsCrazyCutzLLC Steiner is owned by Schiller grounds care they own Mantis, Ryan, Steiner, Bob Cat, Little Wonder.
J's Crazy Cutz, LLC I have no idea at this point. Toro bought out Venture/Ventrac and Bobcat bought out Steiner/Ryan/Bobcat Mowers.
What is the price range
Around $25k maybe?
You mentioned the tractor died a few times while mowing. Looking at what you’re cutting, I bet the safety turn off kicked in because you got out of the seat. There’s a sensor in the seat that when you lift out, it stops the machine.
My Ventrac dealer ended up fixing the problem a couple of months ago. It ended up being the anti-backfiring fuel solenoid. Replaced it and it’s been running great ever since. I thought it was probably a safety switch as well. Thanks for taking the time to watch!
Great video but I can't help but notice how many different levers there are on the Steiner. It makes me appreciate the Ventrac SDLA lever system all the more. I keep my hands on the same controls and can manipulate all machine movement and attachment hydraulics. I have a 4200VXD and a 4500Z. I have the Tough Cut, Stump Grinder, PowerRake, AeraVator with Gandy seedbox, Slip Scoop, Power Bucket with Grapple, Versa-Loader with Bucket and Auger, 72" offset Finish Cut Mower Deck, Broadcast Spreader, Snow Blower with deep snow kit, Sod Cutter, Trencher, Tiller. My family business does mostly grading/leveling and drainage installations, followed by stump grinding and brush/lot clearing
Awesome! Would love to see some videos of your work with the Ventrac! I’ve never used one, but have been wanting to demo one. What’s the best engine out right now?
@@TheLawnCareLifeinMowssouri Head over to my channel here and subscribe! I have a few videos up of me doing work with Ventrac and some maintenance stuff as well to give a better closeup view of some of the attachments. The best engine is a topic of hot debate! Ventrac offers engines in diesel and gas. I use the most powerful Ventrac offering with a Kubota 950CC 3 cylinder producing almost 33HP. The diesel which is the same block only produces 25HP and also less torque than the gas. That's a BIG difference in power. The gas uses about 1.6 gallons per hour at full throttle while the diesel is about 1.2 gallons. I need the power and wish I had more power!
I’ll definitely check it out. Thanks! That’s one thing I like about Steiner, they offer the 37HP Vanguard EFI. Wish Ventrac would as well.
Steiner 430 max by Jacobson with blade and mower deck and my dad had a Steiner two
Do you still have it?
@@TheLawnCareLifeinMowssouri yes
Nice!
@@TheLawnCareLifeinMowssouri do you have tiktok
I have the app, but I don’t ever use it. Do you have vids on there?
I'm sure you would get good use out of it if you had it.
Ohhhhh yeah! Especially this time of year. It can do so many different things with all those attachments!
I love the steiner and my bucket and finish mower...does great...the rough cut leaves me very upset. I was sold this very expensive 6 foot mower and was told it would compete with like sized bush bogs...and yes it does cut up to 1.5 inch stuff pretty well but it is terrible in grass or hay. It lays the grass down flat and misses it with the blades. Causing the mower to need to be run over the same spot several times to get a clean cut. I am thinking of removing the front rubber shield to see if that will decrease the bending of the grass enough to increase quality of cut. BUT when I called and talked to my rep that I bought this 32,000 dollar machine from he said "oh yeah you will need to buy the reverse pulley kit for it...which will reverse one blade to make it cut grass batter". I call bs. Who has one of these and they are not gonna bush hog meadows or tall grass? I am upset...and it is frustrating because now I am stuck with it. If I was not afraid of breaking something I would use the finish mower, it does very well in taller grass...but if I hit a rock or a big stick I could total that deck. SO...what is a man to do?
I would check into the Ventrac flail mower deck and see if you could demo one. I know what you’re talking about. The Rough Cut is designed for more like saplings, briars, thickets, etc. I think that flail mower deck would work great for you.
Someone else, I think his name is Steiger something, got the reverse pulley and totally changed it for him. Also, maybe look into Kavli blades. I heard those are awesome.
@justinbeamon6624 Yeah, I remember that channel. Good videos. Never heard of those blades though. Gotta check into that.
Ventrac has different controls, I have the 32 hp kubota gas and you aint gonna stall it
I would like to try out the Ventrac controls too. That Kubota would be stalling on that mess lol. It was tough. Ventrac still hasn’t gotten back with me and set up a time to Demo.
@@TheLawnCareLifeinMowssouri I can't recall ever stalling but I have smoked the belts
Lawn Commander Yeah I tried that too lol. It was because I wasn’t running it in float though.
My company had one of these. It’s shit compared to the ventrac. We took a loss and got rid of it. Now we have 4 ventracs. They are waaaaay better
Robert Nebel I haven’t compared the Ventrac to know how it stacks up to the Steiner. But I do know the Steiner 450 is a pretty tough machine. The previous models may not stack up to the 450? What are some of the things that you like better about the Ventrac? Like I said, I haven’t demoed the Ventrac. So let me know what I should look at on the Ventrac when I get the opportunity to demo it. Thanks in advance!
@@TheLawnCareLifeinMowssouri first of all. That bullshit little foot pedal the steiner has linked to its hand control needs to go. The ventrac doesnt have that. With the steiner tough cut . We were snapping belts constantly. Or it would break down. Ventrac...never happens. That being said when it did run it was a beast at cutting. But when you are going down a 30 degree slope on a steiner without foot pedals....... the ventrac....foot pedals..... slope gauge. No breakdowns. Torque..power... its just overall a much smoother and much more well built machine
@@TheLawnCareLifeinMowssouri lets put it this way... the steiners made the machine..sold the company to someone. And when the non compete ran out ,they started venture industries which made the ventrac. They then poached all of the good engineers from steiner. So in essence the ventrac is still a steiner in some way shape or form because it also was made by the steiners. I heard ventrac was recently sold to toro but nothing major has changed as ofnyet if at all
But if you are looking at the two there isnt even a question that ventrac makes a much better machine. Its 6thousand more for a reason
Yeah, back in December Doosan Bobcat actually bought Bobcat Mowers, Ryan, and Steiner. At the same time, Toro bought out Ventrac. So, there’s not much telling what the two companies will end up doing in the future.
So the Ventrac is the original as I understand it..does the Steiner compare?
Well the Steiner Brand is the original. The Steiner brothers sold the company and started Ventrac years later. The main difference between the two is that Ventrac has way more attachments. The Steiner has the bigger engines however 37hp Vanguard EFI.
@@TheLawnCareLifeinMowssouri I was unaware of that.. that being said, I still want to put my money on the gas driven Kubota over the Vanguard motor..how do you feel about that?
@@TheLawnCareLifeinMowssouri ...also, do you think the Steiner "rough cut" is a little more substantial than the Ventrac version?
Yeah, I’m not sure how the Kubota performs. I have two Vanguard EFI and they are solid so far. I know a couple of guys with the Kubota and love it! But I don’t have any experience running one personally.
@@TheLawnCareLifeinMowssouri we run the Vanguard EFI on our commercial mowers & love them. Something to consider if choosing a Ventrac is that the Kubota gas is carburetor engine. The only EFI engine in Ventrac line up is a 31hp Kawasaki.
Great video. I like the ventrac better
Thanks for watching! What do you like better on the Ventrac? I’m hoping to Demo one soon. Thanks!
The Lawn Care Life in Mowssouri . Better looking and a lot of attachments to use
I personally prefer Ventrac not Steiner because they are easier to use. Hand controls. They also tend to hold up on hills better than a Steiner. Also Ventracs have more power on command. They also look a lot better.
I bought a Steiner 450 32 and I just bought a Ventrac 4520p , The Steiner is so much stronger and a much better machine, all these Steiner haters clearly never used a newer model. I ordered a Steiner 450-37 today the Ventrac is sold and gone!
One of my best buddies has 2 Steiner 450’s and absolutely loves them! I demoed one back in 2018, but the Dealer never was straight with me on a few things so I passed on it. My buddy has one of the best Steiner dealers around, so he has top notch service. Thanks for watching!
Good video but you always always need to show your machines ability to cut saplings especially small pine trees. That’s the invasive species of tree here in East Texas.
faceious2006 Thanks for watching! Wish I would have had more time to get into some thicker brush and put it to the test. Definitely would like to in the future!
I have the ventrac with the 31 Kawasaki efi. I can honestly say this would never do what I have done with mine. We mow twice as high brush on 30 degree hills. The ventrac mows it plus going up and down the hills. I’m sure this is good but I know the ventrac will do more...
The Steiner has a bigger engine - 37hp Vanguard EFI. Plus the Steiner has dual hydro pumps instead of just one like the Ventrac. Do you follow JBS Lawn and Landscaping? He’s putting the Steiner to the test on every job and it has never let him down. Ventrac is a solid machine. The Steiner brothers created the Ventrac years ago after they sold their original company.
It’s a nice looking machine , as a multiple Steiner owner since 1989 and a current Ventrac owner , I just hope you didn’t buy that machine .. The dealer support network and product support just isn’t there with Steiner , that’s why I went to Ventrac they are leaps and bounds better . There are some aspects of the Steiner I like better but overall you would be way ahead with a Ventrac . I’m not sure if it’s me but my Ventrac with 6 less hp seems to go thru that height grass easier at that slow speed . I can mow that height at about 5 mph and you are nowhere near that . Not sure why I know the Kawi is a beast of an engine .
What was your biggest struggle for dealer/product support with the Steiner? And what do you feel makes Ventrac better?
When I cut this overgrown field it was very thick. The deck was set really low and I tried going at different speeds. I was trying to figure out the perfect combo. The engine on the 450 was the Vanguard 37hp EFI. The engine itself never bogged down or sounded like it was struggling , but the rough cut would get so full of grass that it would choke it up. I think the deck needed to be a little higher.
I haven’t had a chance to try out the Ventrac, but hoping this Summer they will get back with me on a Demo. Would like to really compare the two. Only con to Steiner is that they’ve told me for 2 years that more attachments are coming but I’ve yet to see them. Whereas Ventrac already has most of the attachments out already.
I too have owned 3 Steiners and 1 Ventrac.....I have had the exact opposite experience as far as product support although this was many years ago. My Ventrac had many electrical issues that started within my first 2-3 years of owning it. Not starting, stalling while running down a hill(no brakes!), and PTO would only sometimes engage. Ventrac finally gave up on their machine even after I PAID a Ventrac dealer to replace every wire. They told me they’d give me a discount on my next machine! I bought a Steiner and will never look back. Don’t get me wrong, the Ventrac was a nice machine, maybe even a little more refined, but getting ready to mow and your pto will not work. Then again, maybe this was an isolated incident, but it was enough to steer me away for good.
John DiMartino, I agree, Ventracs will go through anything. I love my 4200 turbo diesel, had it for 15 years, used a Steiner- HATED IT. Ventrac, your one tractor solution.
I gave this a thumbs down as your title suggests that you are "Comparing" the steiner AND the Ventrac.. No comparison in this video, seems more like an ADVERTISEMENT.
As a future owner of either unit, I would have enjoyed you doing BOTH vehicles to see the comparison. Also, for being a 37hp EFI this unit bogs considerably.. maybe they should make a SMALLER cutter. One last thing I feel needs attention is the cut qaulity... it looks terrible, I would prefer a side chute so that the grass was thrown clear instead of trying to EAT it all and causing bog issues as well as cut quality issues..
My 800 dollar brush hog cuts better than this 25k machine... it makes the decision to purchase one of these even harder... I had a demo (Ventrac) brought out to my farm, the unit could not handle my apple orchard hill and spun... I need a unit to mow my orchard, for the last 24 yrs I have used my tractor... it is NOT a fun situation and I have had several close calls...
WOULD be nice to have a side by side comparision... thanks...
Hey Carl! Thanks for the tip on the Title. I never really thought of it that way. I was more curious to try out the Steiner to see how it performed. The title was geared toward Ventrac owners, hoping to get some input from them to let me know how it compared to the 450.
As far as the power goes, I really think that something was off on the setup. Meaning that it wasn’t set up correctly because it really did struggle cutting that field. Or maybe that’s just how it really performs? Not sure exactly as it was my first time running the machine. But it did smoke a couple of belts and I was creeping through it.
That video was from a few years ago. Since then I have tried out the Ventrac 4500K and it does an amazing job tackling some tall/thick stuff. I haven’t put it on a slope yet, so I have no feedback there.
I will be testing it out on some slopes here soon and make sure everything is set up correctly to get real world results. So stay tuned!
Thanks for watching and I appreciate the feedback. 👍