Ventrac Assembly Videos

[American Bulldog]

Yeeow! No wonder AB considers them better engineered. Even with discount, the 4000 with a loader is about twice as expensive as a PT425 with your choice of bucket. That kind of price difference buys a lot of engineering and customer service.

I think you've hit the nail on the head about different design approaches.

It is not really fair to compare a Ventrac with a PT 425. The only thing they have in common is that they articulate.

As we all agree, Ventrac is primarily a mower, and PT's are primarily loaders. I shopped all the major brands of 4WD mowers, and Ventrac is less than Deere, Kubota, New Holland, etc. And, none of the others mentioned have slope ratings. Steiner is cheaper than Ventrac, but it is less of a machine.

The part that I haven't told you is that I originally got a Deere mower to take care of my yard, and it couldn't handle the hills. I was able to sell the Deere used, and buy a new Ventrac with the money, and still have some left over. Now those suckers are expensive.

My Ventrac dealer was truly great to work with, and he provides somewhat local support. Obviously I had to pay for that....

 

[Gravy]

LOL me too. I got a little screwed over by PT, and I am never going to live it down. It is just my nature.

Actually, there are things about my PT and the PT organization that I think are inexcusable...until I take another look at what I need and what I can get for what I can afford (whew - that wasn't exactly Hemingway).

Then my perspective clears and I remember why I bought a PT. Versatility, safety on slopes, relative simplicity, affordability. It gets a lot done, doesn't try to kill me or bankrupt me, and in return, I don't expect a lot of refinement. (That's OK with me - I'm not too refined myself.)

If I had to do it over, I'd do it again. (If I could scrape up a few thousand more, I might buy a 1430 instead of a 425).

 

[MossRoad]

Actually, there are things about my PT and the PT organization that I think are inexcusable...until I take another look at what I need and what I can get for what I can afford (whew - that wasn't exactly Hemingway).

Then my perspective clears and I remember why I bought a PT. Versatility, safety on slopes, relative simplicity, affordability. It gets a lot done, doesn't try to kill me or bankrupt me, and in return, I don't expect a lot of refinement. (That's OK with me - I'm not too refined myself.)

If I had to do it over, I'd do it again. (If I could scrape up a few thousand more, I might buy a 1430 instead of a 425).

Well said, even if it won't win you a Pulitzer for writing. :thumbsup:

I love my 2001 model PT425 with the Kohler engine. However, I would be hesitant to purchase another one with a different engine now, given so many reports by users concerning cold weather starting issues. And that is sad, because I really like my machine. I need it for snow removal and do not want to have to go through the hassles of having to put heaters on it hours ahead of time to get it to run. The Kohler starts fine at temps well below freezing, even at zero, when I really don't want to be outside fooling around with heaters. Hopefully the new fuel injected engines will solve this problem and I can start recommending PT425s again.

 

[Clumber]

Well said, even if it won't win you a Pulitzer for writing. :thumbsup:

I love my 2001 model PT425 with the Kohler engine. However, I would be hesitant to purchase another one with a different engine now, given so many reports by users concerning cold weather starting issues. And that is sad, because I really like my machine. I need it for snow removal and do not want to have to go through the hassles of having to put heaters on it hours ahead of time to get it to run. The Kohler starts fine at temps well below freezing, even at zero, when I really don't want to be outside fooling around with heaters. Hopefully the new fuel injected engines will solve this problem and I can start recommending PT425s again.

MR, I can attest that my new PT-425 does not have starting issues. A very welcomed surprise considering what has been reported. It is housed in an unheated detached garage. I have started it with 2 to 4 cranks when the temp is 15 to 19 degrees F at full choke. Above 25 it will start 1st time.

 

[MossRoad]

That's good to hear. It has been a long time coming.

 

[Bob999]

Seems to me that if you compare a Ventrac turbo diesel to the PT 1845--both of which handle a 6' mower--that the Ventrac comes in looking pretty good, including price, for a slope mower if your requirement doesn't exceed 30 degrees. The Ventrac also offers an 84" contour mower.

If I were buying today I would look seriously at the Ventrac because the PT 1845 price has increased dramatically since I bought it.

 

[MossRoad]

Seems to me that if you compare a Ventrac turbo diesel to the PT 1845--both of which handle a 6' mower--that the Ventrac comes in looking pretty good, including price, for a slope mower if your requirement doesn't exceed 30 degrees. The Ventrac also offers an 84" contour mower.

If I were buying today I would look seriously at the Ventrac because the PT 1845 price has increased dramatically since I bought it.

To be fair... the FEL is included with the Power Trac. You should price the Ventrac with a loader. That adds $6000.00 to the price. You can get a bucket for the PT1850 for $800.00. That brings the prices much closer.

If you need a machine that's main purpose is mowing, the Ventrac is a better choice. If you need a machine that does lots of other things, too, then the Power Trac is a better choice.

 

[SpringHollow]

The sweet point with PT's is used PT's because the resale values are so low for them. No one knows what they are so they are afraid to buy them. I could not afford a new PT1850 for my needs.

Ken

 

[Clumber]

The sweet point with PT's is used PT's because the resale values are so low for them. No one knows what they are so they are afraid to buy them. I could not afford a new PT1850 for my needs.

Ken

Yes, but they are very scarce. I have never seen a used diesel PT for sale except for the 2488.

 

[SpringHollow]

Definitely scarce. One can go a year without seeing them and then see a few within a couple of months.

Ken