What is your favorite brand?

Bob_Skurka · Dec 1, 2004

Articulating means the frame itself is built in 2 parts with a center hinge. In essence the rear wheels are mounted on the rear frame and the front wheels are on the front frame and the two frames are joined at the center point and move independantly.

Oscillating & articulating frames allow for not only side to side movement but also up and down movement. With a rigid frame like on a typical tractor if the front right wheel is lifted off the ground the rear right wheel also lifts. On a Steiner, Ventrac or Power Trac, if the front right wheel is lifted off he ground, the other 3 wheels are still firmly stuck on earth and providing full traction.

The combination allows these types of tractors to go over terrain that would normally scare a traditional tractor back into its barn, screaming like a little girl all the way.

The attached picture shows a side shot of my Ventrac with the finish mower deck. The hinge point is directly under the driver's seat. Even with those super low profile tires, this tractor will crawl down into a rock filled roadside ditch and climb back out the other side without skipping a beat or scraping its underside on the rocks.

Ventrac side view

BTW, I have a Kawasaki engine on my John Deere push mower and another on my JD weed wacker.

LBrown59 · Dec 1, 2004

( ( At 15500 the BX was over $4000 less than the Legacy. )

Did you mean the BX was $4000 more than the Legacy? )
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I mean like some where around $20000 for a Legacy with Loader Hoe and belly mower.
Could have gotten the KUBOTA B 2410 with the same implements for $ 19900 .

Rainbow6 · Dec 1, 2004

Can these things lift? How about a front end loader, or backhoe. It seems that the best feature, which may be the articulating frame, would be its weakest point. I wouldn't call it a tractor. Its more like a Ditch Witch or something along those lines. ( But, I still think I would enjoy having one )

Bob_Skurka · Dec 1, 2004

But it could never go thru the "rock filled ditch" with the front mower attached, could it? Or any other front mounted implement. 

Actually YES IT CAN and my wife does it on a regular basis. You don't want the deck spinning the blades when it is at the bottom on the rocks, but it crawls right over them and then powers back up the other side with the deck running.

 Can these things lift? How about a front end loader, or backhoe. 

Well that depends on the model. Mine, no it can't operate a FEL, but it does have a front bucket that will dig, scoop and haul. Go to the PHOTOs page and look up my gallery, it shows the same machine with the front bucket on it, in a hard left turn. I think it has a lift of about 12" so it can be used to move stuff, but won't really pile it. I've used it to haul things across slopes that I can't get a traditional CUT across without rolling it sideways down the hill, and I've filled the bucket with landscape stones and driven it across a slope that has tipped over wagons. Some of the other models do have real FELs, mine is not one of those. I don't think they offer a backhoe.

 It seems that the best feature, which may be the articulating frame, would be its weakest point. 

If it is weak, I haven't found that. I suspect the PowerTrac guys and the Steiner guys would say the same thing. I does look like that is the weak spot, but it doesn't act that way.

 I wouldn't call it a tractor. Its more like a Ditch Witch or something along those lines. 

Define tractor. It sure is unconventional looking. And my model is by far the oddest looking. The other models look like conventional tractors. Same with the Steiner 230, it is the model that doesn't look like a tractor. But the other Steiners have the "look" of a traditional tractor.

All that said, my New Holland and Kubota will run a tiller. So will a Ventrac or Steiner. My NH/Kubota will run a snow blower. Ditto Ventrac/Steiner. My NH/Kubota will run a front rotary broom. Ditto Ventrac/Steiner. My NH/Kubota will run a lawn areator. Ditto V &S. Post hole digger. Etc. Not sure the exact number of implements, but I seem to recall there are about 30 different implements available for Ventracs and Steiners. Yup they are wierd looking. Yup you have to think different. Yup you have to compramise some things (but that is true with any CUT).

The key is the test drive. When I drove my first one, I was sold. I think my first test drive lasted about 45 minutes. But I knew about 60 seconds after taking off that I was buying one . . . the only question was which one. I think many people who buy Power Trac units feel the same way. They are similar, but different to the Ventracs & Steiners. And anyone who is considering a do-it-all tractor really owes it to themselves to seriously look at Power Trac. If you have slopes, or if you want a lawn that has a perfect cut, you need to look at Ventrac and Steiner. In any case you have to have an open mind.

ThistleKop · Dec 1, 2004

Or at least they did as recently as this summer because that is when I bought the Craftsman/MTD riding mower. 

Bob,
Are you sure your rider was built by MTD? Most of their LT and GTs are built by EHP (Electrolux Home Products). To my knowledge, MTD has not been a major supplier for Craftsman.

TK

Bob_Skurka · Dec 1, 2004

Yup, I am absolutely sure. I gave 2 of these units as gifts. The first was branded as a WHITE brand riding mower, it was sold by my Cub Cadet dealer. I went back for a second one and my dealer recommended me to Sears, he said that MTD discontinued the design under their own brands and was selling it as a Craftsman. Sure enough I went to the Sears Hardware store this summer and found exactly the same riding mower, only painted red and missing the headlamp and the trailer hitch that were on the White version. When the guy moved into his house, I helped him move, along with the guy who I had given the White riding mower to. The two of them went over the mower, with the guy who had the White teaching the guy with the Craftsman how to use his new mower, showed him the clipping collection system, where the belt needed to be checked for tension, etc. The mower has since been discontinued by Sears as too expensive, it was more expensive than they low end tractors with a price over $1000. Prior to being discontinued, it was also sold as a Yard Man unit in addition to being sold as a White unit.

Gunfighter · Dec 1, 2004

If your interested in a high end garden tractor
you should check these out before you buy...

Steiner Tractors full product line
http://www.steinerturf.com/products/

Ventrac Tractors full product line
http://www.venturepro.com/

Power Trac full product line
http://www.power-trac.com/

I'm including a picture an URL to one of the most unusual
tractor, truck, utility combination I've run across.. .

The ultimate Steiner UM 428.
http://www.steinerturf.com/products/utilimax/

DmansPadge · Dec 1, 2004

( I mean like some where around $20000 for a Legacy with Loader Hoe and belly mower.Could have gotten the KUBOTA B 2410 with the same implements for $ 19900. ) Wow... then who in their right mind would buy a Legacy?? /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

DmansPadge · Dec 1, 2004

Hey Gunfighter... I have looked at the web sites and heard all the great talk by you, Bob, and others who own one. But they are out of my price range and more than I really need. If you get a chance, read my thread in the Kubota forum "Price on a B6100." I'm looking at a used one that I think would suit me very well. I will still buy a new LT/GT when I build my house but right now I think that the Kubota would be a good investment.

Thanks

bczoom · Dec 2, 2004

( I mean like some where around $20000 for a Legacy with Loader Hoe and belly mower.Could have gotten the KUBOTA B 2410 with the same implements for $ 19900. ))

Honestly, I've never seen a Legacy with a Loader, hoe and mower.
But, would the BX23 or 2230, Simplicity Legacy (as well as a Ventrac or Steiner) be a bit out of the league of what's (sort of) being discussed?
This thread, like many, has discussed several things but I was trying to go back to the original request which I interpreted as:
Looking for a good quality LT/GT
$4000 max price

Giving these 2 items, I mentioned the Simplicity as being a good quality tractor. Like the Kubota, a GT sized tractor could not be gotten new for $4K but a quick scan of the thread "Price on a B6100" dmanspadge posted gave me the impression that a mid-1980's model could probably be gotten for $4000

A late 1990's Simplicity Sovereign could probably be purchased for the same amount. The one I have for sale (1996 or '97 I think, with 18hp 2 cyl. Kohler, mower, hyd lift, snowblower, plow...) I'm letting go for $3500.

The bottom of this page has the history of the Sovereign. Simplicity Sovereign Type Tractors. An interesting read on how this tractor is/was in such demand that it just keeps coming back.

BTW, I did finally think of my favorite tractor in this class. A 1969 IH Cub Cadet 124.

Brian