As far as I know, I am probably one of the few, (perhaps the only) person on here that has owned a Ventrac 4200 AND a PT 425. I will try to answer your questions from my experiences. Just an FYI, I had the Ventrac 4200 31hp tractor, slip scoop, 60” deck and duals. I own 5 acres of which I mow 3 acres of grass. I live in Lancaster County, PA, which is hilly with lots of slopes to cut on.
“90% of the tractor will be used for mowing. I'll mow 4-5 acres regularly, i.e. 2 times each week and I want to mow fast.”
Neither tractor will “mow fast” if that is what you want to do. The Ventrac will cut a little better, but I am VERY pleased with the PT cut. One thing that I found when mowing faster was that the Ventrac’s weight distribution system would “float” the deck over dips in the yard causing high grass spots when you go fast. The PT actually does not do this. If you really want to mow fast, buy the PT and take the extra $5k+ that you will save and buy a dedicated ZT mower. It will store in about the same space as your 60” or 72” deck and cut MUCH faster than either the PT or Ventrac. Then you will also have the PT for the FEL work which the Ventrac cannot touch the PTs versatility.
”I also need something to clear snow from a 600 ft paved drive. In addition, I want something that has the ability to do some limited bush hogging on my in-laws land when needed, which consists primarily of tall thick grass and thistles.”
Both tractors will plow the drive; although the PT will do it better with greater pushing force. Plus I like the way that the PT’s hydraulic blade works better. As far as bush hogging, I don’t know that one tractor has an advantage over the other except if you are mowing on VERY steep slopes. There, the dual wheels on the VT help with stability. One thing that I found with my PT that I liked better with the Ventrac is the ability to mow up steeper hills with the PTO running. If you find yourself mowing up a 20+ degree slope with a PT, you will have to really slow down or it will bog. With the Ventrac, you can go a little faster as it will climb the hill better with the mower deck running.
”Beyond that, I need some loader use for moving mulch, some dirt, brush and stone in order to aid in landscaping my new house that is being constructed on this 6-acre plat.”
Although the Ventrac does have a FEL, it is no match for the PT, plus you will spend a nice piece of change to get it. Add that to the higher cost of an already more expensive machine and you are spending a lot more money than you need to. The PT’s attachments are generally built stronger and cost less. The VT does not have the lifting force of the 425, and unless you buy the FEL, you have to settle for the 12” of lift with the slip scoop. I found that I use the FEL attachments on my PT MUCH more than I ever thought I would. It’s kind of like you never knew you could do all of that stuff until you actually had the equipment to do it with.
”I'm concerned that the PT is not a very capable mower. From all that I've read, it seems that it can't touch the Ventrac in mowing.”
IMHO, the PT mows 95% as well as my Ventrac did. This is from a guy who owned both. I had a Ventrac 400 for 3 years, then a 4200 after that, so I did a lot of grass cutting with their tractors. One thing the VT does better than the PT is mow on steeper slopes. The weight distribution system helps with traction and the duals help with anti rollover stability.
“Further, I've read a number of reports of problems with the mower wheels and the requirement of lubing every 8 hours, which seems to be completely ridiculous.”
Many implements that you buy require frequent lubrication. I think you just hear the guys on here talk about it more because they really take care of their machines. Since frequenting TBN, I must admit that I lube more often than I used to, (boy that sounded bad!!) /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif
“I've also read that many don't like the stock front/rear wheels on the PT mower.”
You are right. That is why I replaced the rear wheels with a $9.95 set from Tractor Supply Company. They also allowed me to get the deck lower. As for the front, I called Terry at PT and requested the new solid rubber wheels, and have not had a problem since. Just request those when you order your PT. One thing I really liked better with the VT is the way you set the deck cut height. It’s a single lever that takes about 15 seconds. With PT, you must unbolt the wheels and re-bolt to set the rear height. On the front, you pull a pin and adjust some spacers. My Massey deck was like that.
Let me try to point out some strengths of each.
(PT - PT-425, VT - Ventrac 4200)
PT(9), VT(10) - Grass cutting
PT(8), VT(10) - Working on slopes
PT(9), VT(8) - Heavy duty construction
PT(9), VT(9) - Simplicity
PT(9), VT(8) - Maneuverability
PT(9), VT(8) - Easy to repair
PT(8), VT(7) - Reliability
PT(6), VT(7) - Features
PT(8), VT(7) - Easy to drive
PT(9), VT(5) - Versatility
PT(9), VT(5) - Cost
PT(2), VT(8) - Dealer support
Don’t get me wrong, the VT is a very nice machine, Jack, who frequents this forum could probably highlight some more of the strengths of what it can do as he has owned articulating tractors for some time now. I moved to the PT because I needed to cut 3 acres and do a bit of FEL work. Little did I know how much of that FEL work I would do until I actually had one around all the time, wow! It was the right decision for me.
Also, check out MossRoad's site, (click on his tractor icon) as he has some pretty good videos of the 425 with a bush hog.
Finally, if you are really going to cut that much, you may want to consider a diesel machine. Maybe the 1430, or the 31 HP Turbo Diesel from VT. The VT will be more money, but it more compact too.
