mini skid steer and ZTR or ventrac?

[JCLawn and more]

So the question is pretty simple, would a 31 hp ventrac replace my 26hp diesel kubtoa ztr and a 25hpish diesel mini skid steer or not?

[ashgrove landscaping]

eh a little but nothing replaces a skid steer really. The machine is just too dynamic.

[JCLawn and more]

What do you think it won't be able to do besides fit though a 36inch gate?
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[White Gardens]

Originally Posted by JCLawn and more

What do you think it won't be able to do besides fit though a 36inch gate?
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In comparison to a Ditch Witch or Vermeer, it won't have the dump height, or the speed and maneuverability.

Not sure about the attachments for a Ventrac either. With a mini skid, the attachments are almost endless. My favorite is the back-hoe attachment. Keeps me from having to rent a mini-ex.

Does the ventrac even have a loader?

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[JCLawn and more]

Originally Posted by White Gardens

In comparison to a Ditch Witch or Vermeer, it won't have the dump height, or the speed and maneuverability.

Not sure about the attachments for a Ventrac either. With a mini skid, the attachments are almost endless. My favorite is the back-hoe attachment. Keeps me from having to rent a mini-ex.

Does the ventrac even have a loader?

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Yes, it has 90 percent of everything a mini has, it can go faster same hydrolics but not sure on the gmp but they have a stump grinder that runs off of it. You could adapt the loader and run any mini attachment and run the aux lines to the bucket to run whatever. Also the loader has more reach I'm pretty sure.
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[White Gardens]

The only thing I could find on the Ventrac web-site is a slip-scoop loader. Really it's just for transporting material and not really loading material.

Here's why I would buy a Ventrac.

1.) If I had massive slopes to mow.
2.) If I had a large acreage to mow.
3.) If I didn't mind being slower than a snail when moving material.

The Ventrac has it's limitations, but is still a good machine. A mini skid is way more productive though in the end.

As for attachments, you can find all the same for a mini skid, including the the stump grinder. Plus you could use a trencher or auger drive.

Hauling a ventrac looks cumbersome also. I can load my mini skid and have it chained down in about 8 minutes.

The dump height is where the mini skid shines, along with maneuvering wayyyyyyyy faster. In one day I move 35 tons of material with my mini. I seriously doubt a ventrac can do that.


EDIT, did just see the versa-loader and trencher attachment. I'm still not sold on it's productivity for producing in high volume work though.

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[White Gardens]

Hing Pin Height is 80" on the Vermeer S650TX

Hing Pin Height on the Ditch Witch is 81".

So your looking at a 60"+ dump height with both machines. With a 4 in 1 bucket, then you would be close to 80".


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[SDLandscapes VT]

8 minutes to chain that down white--seems like a long time

we strap the ditch witch and can have it secured in three to four minutes

and to the OP the mini skid will own the ventrac in the more earth moving type applications

ventrac would be good for mowing large and/or steep acreage and frankly would make a heck of a sidewalk machine for snow removal

[White Gardens]

Originally Posted by SDLandscapes VT

8 minutes to chain that down white--seems like a long time

we strap the ditch witch and can have it secured in three to four minutes

I was being conservative.

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[JCLawn and more]

Originally Posted by White Gardens

Hing Pin Height is 80" on the Vermeer S650TX

Hing Pin Height on the Ditch Witch is 81".

So your looking at a 60"+ dump height with both machines. With a 4 in 1 bucket, then you would be close to 80".


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Ok not that I am set on this machine but I am keeping you honest here, the lift height is 77inches with the ventrac, the standard bucket is 5cu ft and they have a mulch bucket that is 9cu ft. so a 1/3 yard. I moved 10 yards of top soil, 10 yard of mulch, spread it out, dressed the lawn, blowed the leaves off the lawn, dug out 4 bushes/trees with pos 25hp gas dingo in 10hrs that could hardly lift 500 lbs. I dont know if the rental company limited the lifting power or what, but the engine would not work when the lifting power was maxed out.

Here is the reason why i ask this question. A new diesel ztr is 15 grand and new 31hp mini is about 25-28 grand. A ventrac would be 20 plus attachments. So for 28 grand I could have a 72 mower, a loader, and a stump grinder and I think would be easier on the lawn doing mulch than a mini, but I don't know if the venctrac would have the lifting power. The ventrac would be an awesome mowing machine but I don't know if if can keep up with a ztr but I saw a video with mowing at 10mph so I dont know. I also plan on using it in the winter time but bother machine would work just as well, I think the mini skid I could drive it onto a flat bed to it would be easier to haul. The ventrac would have more power on every attachment because it don't use the hydros except for the post hole digger. It only has a 9.5 gpm aux pump so I could run quite a bit of stuff but not as much as a mini but it would even run a brush hog off the aux http://www.quickattach.com/shop-by-d...h-buster-mini/ so ya, those are my thoughts.