Specialty Tractor

[presnewt]

I have been on the forum recently asking some questions about compact tractors. My search for a new tractor came about because I am so unhappy with my current tractor, a Steiner 440. If you are not familiar with these, they are a niche tractor, similar to a Ventrac. They are great at mowing on slopes and on wet ground. Up north they are popular for moving snow. I cannot keep mine running so I am planning on getting rid of it. A traditional tractor will work for most of my mowing but will still not be nearly as safe on hills and not nearly as adept on wet ground. The ventrac is an option but I am not sure it is much better than a steiner. I have seen some italian tractors that are designed for hill work but there are very few dealers around. Does anyone have any other suggestions on where or what to look at? The steiner and ventrac are 25-30 hp which is really underpowered and they are so low to the ground that they are subject to damage. The obvious answer is to have two tractors, but I cannot really afford that especially when one will be the unreliable steiner. Thanks for any suggestions.

 

[airbiscuit]

There are people on this forum that think Powertrac is better than any Compact Tractor ever built.
Power Trac Products

 

[MossRoad]

I have been on the forum recently asking some questions about compact tractors. My search for a new tractor came about because I am so unhappy with my current tractor, a Steiner 440. If you are not familiar with these, they are a niche tractor, similar to a Ventrac. They are great at mowing on slopes and on wet ground. Up north they are popular for moving snow. I cannot keep mine running so I am planning on getting rid of it. A traditional tractor will work for most of my mowing but will still not be nearly as safe on hills and not nearly as adept on wet ground. The ventrac is an option but I am not sure it is much better than a steiner. I have seen some italian tractors that are designed for hill work but there are very few dealers around. Does anyone have any other suggestions on where or what to look at? The steiner and ventrac are 25-30 hp which is really underpowered and they are so low to the ground that they are subject to damage. The obvious answer is to have two tractors, but I cannot really afford that especially when one will be the unreliable steiner. Thanks for any suggestions.

What engine is in your Steiner?

 

[Peace]

These are considered by many to be the best orchard tractors. Turning radius like no other and a very low profile. Factory quality control is second to none. Prices seem reasonable. Now the cons: 1 or 2 dealers in the USA. California and Oregon.

https://www.ferraritractor.com/

 

[presnewt]

What engine is in your Steiner?

25 HP diesel engine, dual wheels, rough cut mower and ventrac power rake.

These are considered by many to be the best orchard tractors. Turning radius like no other and a very low profile. Factory quality control is second to none. Prices seem reasonable. Now the cons: 1 or 2 dealers in the USA. California and Oregon.

https://www.ferraritractor.com/

I have looked at those and also at Carrero tractors, they are very similar. They come in much higher HP than the steiner or ventracs but the problem is the dealer network. They are pricier than my tractor, but they are much more tractor also. I like the looks of them too. The neatest thing about them it the reversible seat so you can mow either in front of you or behind you.

 

[ArlyA]

I have been on the forum recently asking some questions about compact tractors. My search for a new tractor came about because I am so unhappy with my current tractor, a Steiner 440. If you are not familiar with these, they are a niche tractor, similar to a Ventrac. They are great at mowing on slopes and on wet ground. Up north they are popular for moving snow. I cannot keep mine running so I am planning on getting rid of it. A traditional tractor will work for most of my mowing but will still not be nearly as safe on hills and not nearly as adept on wet ground. The ventrac is an option but I am not sure it is much better than a steiner. I have seen some italian tractors that are designed for hill work but there are very few dealers around. Does anyone have any other suggestions on where or what to look at? The steiner and ventrac are 25-30 hp which is really underpowered and they are so low to the ground that they are subject to damage. The obvious answer is to have two tractors, but I cannot really afford that especially when one will be the unreliable steiner. Thanks for any suggestions.

May I ask what specifically is failing on your Steiner? Maybe you already did a review of it here.

 

[Rustyiron]

How much diagnosis have you done to your Steiner diesel. "Keep it running" doesn't sound like a replacement reason to me...yet.

 

[ptsg]

Specialty tractors tend to come in either narrow and lower stance or wide and lower stance. There companies like NH that offer some of these specialty tractors, however I don't know what they offer in the US.

Isodiametric tractors, like Ferrari, Antonio Carro and others, are great to use on hills, after all those were made for hills and not even comparable with Ventrac or Steiner. Antonio Carraro is a couple steps above Ferrari/BCS/Pasquali (all made by BCS) in quality and finish but as you may imagine, in price as well.

There are two dealers that I've read nothing but absolutely great things about them. One is in PA and the other is in Florida. I'm sure there is plenty more, but I'm not aware of those.

https://www.tonytractorsflorida.com/

Autrusa Enterprises | Specialty Ag. Equipment

autrusa.com

Forum member @Tunin from Bosnia and Herzegovina dealt with the AutrUSA dealer and had a very good experience.

 

[presnewt]

How much diagnosis have you done to your Steiner diesel. "Keep it running" doesn't sound like a replacement reason to me...yet.

It has been in the shop since labor day of 2021. In 2020 it was in the shop for almost three months. The curreny problems (hydraulic) have taken the dealer four tries to fix and it is still not fixed. In 2020 it took them three tries to fix it. Before that, I had lift problems and I also have had bolts on some of the engine parts shear off causing it to completely tear up radiator and all kinds of other stuff. I do not use the machine commercially so it is not worked very hard and does not have an overabundance of hours on it. It is a model 440 which I have been told by dealer after dealer was a disaster of a tractor. The majority of the work is I do is mowing during the spring and summer. It has never made it more than two or three months before breaking down. There has been plenty of diagnosis done on it by the dealership over the last three years. It has not helped. I have finally gotten Steiner corporate to step in and try to help but you can only waste so much time and money on a piece of equipment that will not run.

 

[presnewt]

May I ask what specifically is failing on your Steiner? Maybe you already did a review of it here.

Right now it is hydraulic issues but it has been one thing after another for 5 years. The model I own is widely known in Steiner and Ventrac circles as the absolute worst model they ever made. I have posted about it in the Ventrac forum in years past.