Steiner 440 Review - Likes and Dislikes
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- Опубліковано 15 вер 2024
- I forgot to mention 1 other dislike and 1 other like. This machine only runs in reverse at half the forward speed-really annoying if you back up much!
Once you figure out which way activates the weight transfer system, the machine no longer "crabwalks" when mowing sideways on a bank. If you own a steiner, you know what i am talking about!
I got a low-hout Steiner 440 last year. After the first couple weeks, it seemed weak going forward and it didn't want to go in reverse. That was a head scratcher, because my 430 can drive all over, easy. After calling a Steiner dealer, he suggested checking the low/high gear linkage to verify both axles were in gear. Sure enough, it appears that the rear was in neutral. It has been running great all year. I've bush hogged hills of briars, thorn bushes, multiple species of vines and it keeps on chugging along (I have the rough cut deck)
The tractor is rough around the edges for sure, but if you aren't afraid of some mechanical work, these can be pretty good machines. If you look at the service bulletins on the 440, you will find linkage updates for gear shifting, forward/reverse, parking brake, and a revamped front end that allows the mower deck to lift higher. I have not purchased any of these kits, as the tracking has been performing to my expectations.
You mentioned Ventrac did you try them out before you bought? How do they compare?
I’m interested to know too.
Nice review. You should make a video mowing steep hills. I wish I could mske a video showing the hills we used to mow with the 420 and 430. I can tell you some of the hills were greater than 30 degree slope. We mowed some really steep hills, As long as it gets traction it would climb it.
My complaint is in burn belts and doesn’t mow tall grass well but it’s a decent machine
what i got out of this video is , that it is very windy where you live .
Nice honest review.
You say you can't lift the mower deck high enough?
Do you have the redesigned front hitch lift arm assembly and hydraulic cylinder? It was supplied to me as a kit, free of charge, by my Steiner dealer.
Watch my video: "Steiner 440 with Factory Redesigned Front Hitch and Hydraulic Lift Cylinder".
I don't like how the ends of the roller on the 72" mower leave marks on my concrete driveway. Ventrac solved that problem on their mower decks.
Thanks, i will look into that!
I have several 420s because I live on a very steep hilly area. The Steiner tractors are very capable, no complaints about that. One thing I don't like is this, I have stalled the 420 tractors on a steep sloop and let me tell you, that is a scary experience. The parking brake set-up is a parking brake, if it works at all, and not practically placed in an emergency. If you stall or run out of gas on a steep slope........you are going to go for a very uncontrollable ride until something stops you.
Most important thing to know about Steiner tractors is............they are NOT designed for maintenance and repair. These things are poorly designed and they will drive you crazy fixing them. Simple stuff, like changing the belt on the mower decks is much more complicated than it should be. Access to hydraulic lines to change them........forget it, what a PIA. To get to anything around the hydraulic pump requires you to disassemble 1/2 the tractor.
As mentioned in this review, you cannot get Steiner service manuals, probably because they didn't design them to be serviced or repaired.....in my opinion. Also, parts are HARD to find and expensive. That is why you will find people who need a steep slope mower and own older Steiner's will generally buy several just to have parts available.
Based on what I've seen on Ventrac, I think they are designed much better when it comes to repairs, but I have never owned one.
got a question for you? does the steiner have rear hydraulic remotes?
no but it does have front aux hydraulics
crazydoug66 so it has a front main set? and a second aux set?
Ventrac is better
Garbage machines, 450 is terrible. Money pit..
This is a review of my 440, not 450. No major problems with mine after 4 yrs, and none with my 30 yr old 420, except for replacing the engine after 30 yrs. I guess they made some changes to your 450-you should do a review and let others know.
No dealers, overpriced, hard to work on, mower is crap, sign me up.
I have 5 dealers within an hrs drive. I thought my first steiner was overpriced, until i had it 30 yrs (and still have it). You are right about the 440 being hard to impossible to work on, but fortunately few repairs. I do have friends with mowers i like better, but they won't mow the places i mow, so that makes them useless to me. In my opinion, there are cheaper mowers if you are only mowing flat landscaped lawns and don't mind replacing them every few years.