Raw Dodge
Platinum Member
- Joined
- Apr 8, 2009
- Messages
- 644
- Location
- Orange County,NY
- Tractor
- Ventrac 4231,Dixie Chopper XXWD5000
Here's a rare shot of my ventrac next to the older 1989 steiner,we took delivery of it in the spring of 1989 brand new with a loader duals,60 inch deck,5 ft York rake,and a leaf bower.We bought it as a lease,and I was told it was going back after 5 yrs,so use it as hard as I needed to and non stop for 5 yrs.we ran it relentlessly like you would a lease you knew you were turning in ...but when the 5 yr mark came the boss decided not to replace it...,this old girl is a tank,been thru things I wish on no machine,if it could talk the stories it would tell,it's had 3 engines,2 were re powers with larger displacement because we were always pushing it to the max,it's had probably 10-15 operators over a 26 yr period,and has run every season very hard ,average seasonal hours were 500 plus the first 5 years,then it cut back to 350-400 a season.Its pulled 1-3 mowers weight between 1500-2300 lbs behind it for about 15 years for 12-15 hrs a week for 25 weeks plus running just the deck for another 3-5 hrs a week then leaf blowing in the spring and fall for another 100-200 hrs..it's anyone guess how many hours it has ,I broke 3 meters totaling 8000 hrs ,the last one died in 2005 or so,and I haven't bothered putting a new one on..we still use it but not as much as we used too,,on,y because we got a WAM a used Toro 4000D,which has greatly lightens the load on the steiner. Today it's pushing a 72 inch ventrac deck,running a 25 Kohler command with about 5 k hours on it,that i freshened a few years ago with a .025 oversize bores and new Pistons,and rings, and nothing else but gaskets seals,and cleaning the heads and that old machine can be put on any hill or tall grass and it just eats it up...my ventrac by comparison is new,and untested but I love it and as much respect as I have for the Steiners and knowing what they can do, I prefer the ventrac.
