![\"Ventrac](\"http:\/\/toolsinaction.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/Ventrac-Demo.jpg\")
<\/a>![\"Ventrac](\"http:\/\/toolsinaction.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/10\/Ventrac-wires.jpg\")
<\/a>As soon as we walked in we were greeted by employees and even some family members of Ventrac.\u00a0 They walked us into a conference room where they had a half assembled 4500Z that they use for training.\u00a0 The first thing I noticed was the thickness of the steel and quality of the components.\u00a0 It was top notch commercial grade all the way.\u00a0 The entire tractor is designed to be weatherproof and rugged.\u00a0 It is powder coated and every electrical connector has a rubber gasket to keep moisture out.\u00a0 The accessories are plug and play, and they are prewired into the loom which keeps the factory harness intact and protected from the elements. I was amazed at all of the wires and hoses that run through this tractor.\u00a0 On the firewall of the motor there is a box with red LED lights.\u00a0 If there ever is a fault, one of these red LED lights will tell you exactly where the trouble is.\u00a0 The dash gives you a nice digital readout that is easy to read.\u00a0\u00a0 The speedometer is digital and gives you exact MPH, like 8.1 MPH or 8.4 MPH.<\/p>\nWe then got a brief introduction to the rest of the attachments for the Ventrac and were able to play with them.\u00a0 Ventrac has over 30 attachments for this tractor, from snow blowers to mowers – they pretty much have it all!\u00a0 The great thing about these attachments is how easy they attach, a single person could do it.\u00a0 You simply drive up and align 2 pins and you are all set!\u00a0 Sometimes you have to wiggle the tractor onto the pins but it still attaches rather easily.\u00a0 By the end of the day I knew I just had to have a Ventrac.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The next project we had in store was to remove some stumps from the yard.\u00a0 We quickly hooked up the stump grinder and got to work.\u00a0 The tractor uses the articulation to move the grinder from side to side to grind down the log.\u00a0 Above the grinder is a mirror that allows you to see what you are doing.\u00a0 It took me a few minutes to get acclimated to the view and shortly after I was quite comfortable with it.\u00a0 There were a few times that I dropped the grinder too deep on the log and stalled it – the loud squeal and smoke is what alerted me.\u00a0 When abruptly stopped, all of the energy goes to the belt at the PTO connection.\u00a0 Basically, the worst you can do is wreck a belt, which eventually I did. I probably removed about 20 or so stumps for friends and neighbors.\u00a0 I even took out a cottonwood stump that was at least five feet in diameter.\u00a0\u00a0 The Ventrac took every bit of it without a hiccup.\u00a0 Once thing I did notice, however, was that after repeated articulating in the same spot, the tractor would leave imprints in the existing grass.<\/p>\n Finally, we attached the power bucket – now time for some fun!\u00a0 First we started loading it with bags of dirt to fill the stumps we had grinded.\u00a0 I also had some rose bushes that needed to be removed, and I was able to dig right under them with the bucket.\u00a0 It took a little bit of work to break up the ground and get under them, but the tractor accomplished it without any problem.\u00a0 I went on to dig out some flower beds for a neighbor, and returned to spread dirt across a low lying fence line.\u00a0 After hours of running through the yard I thought for sure there would be tracks, but there were none.\u00a0 The only limitation we noticed was when we were loading mulch on the trailer.\u00a0 Since the bucket remains low we were unable to lift up over the sides.\u00a0 We did work around this by driving the Ventrac up the existing pile and continued stacking.\u00a0 If you need high loading capabilities, Ventrac does offer a loader attachment.<\/p>\n Essentially, the Ventrac is 30+ machines in one and completes every task like a pro.\u00a0 The Ventrac is even used by municipalities around the world to keep city sidewalks and parks clear of snow, using either a plow or snowblower attachment.\u00a0 We used it to help out a local boat marina for a week and they loved it so much they wanted to keep it!\u00a0 It launched boats with ease – including some double the weight of the tractor!\u00a0 It had the power and grip to pull out the boats, even a wet ramp.\u00a0 The marina crew was very impressed, to say the least.<\/p>\n Overall the Ventrac 4500Z has impressed me with its function and quality.\u00a0 If I could change anything about the Ventrac, I would like to see a rear PTO and perhaps a different configuration of the headlights.\u00a0 They tend to easily move out of place and it makes the tractor look a bit dated. That being said I don\u2019t think I could ever go back to a standard tractor.\u00a0 The quality and usability of this tractor completely outshines anything else I have seen on the market.\u00a0 Check them out for yourself – www.ventrac.com<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a>Next, we went out on the production floor to watch precision cutting machines cut out the thick steel pieces that make up the tractors.\u00a0 Ventrac has 2 main models that come in a variety of configurations. For this article we\u2019re focusing on the king of the hill 4500Z, which is powered by a Kubota 32.5hp gas motor (the motor can also run on propane for you environmentalists out there). After the tractors are built, a worker goes full speed forward and slams the tractor into reverse a few times to test for failure.\u00a0 You can custom order your Ventrac pretty much anyway you want it.\u00a0 Our 4500Z came with the optional category one 3 point hitch and 4 rear hydraulic ports.\u00a0 Originally, ours had two ports but we had the dealer install two more up front.<\/p>\n<\/a>In the final part of our trip we got to play with the test units they had on hand.\u00a0 They took us out back to a huge playground of tractors and accessories.\u00a0 We received a brief intro on how to operate them and we were off!\u00a0 The Ventrac is operated with a steering wheel and a lever.\u00a0 They call the lever SDLA or the Speed, Direction, Lift and Auxiliary lever.\u00a0 It basically controls everything in one spot and is very intuitive.\u00a0 Overall, it was exciting to see an American company building a quality product right here at home.\u00a0 It was obvious that each and every one of those employees were proud to be a part of the Ventrac team.<\/p>\n<\/a>The Ventrac is very easy to operate and we quickly got the hang of it.\u00a0 After we felt more comfortable, we were taken to \u201cthe 45 degree slope\u201d that Ventrac uses to test their tractors (it is known for its 45 degree slope capability).\u00a0 Now I don\u2019t know if any of you have been on this steep of a slope, but it is quite scary. It took me a while to be able to drive the Ventrac down the slope, but once I worked up the courage I was amazed with the handling. The Ventrac grips the hill like glue.\u00a0 Not many tractors, if any, can operate as steep as a Ventrac.\u00a0 Our test unit had the 8 wheel configuration which makes the wheel base wider. We were using an Aerator attachment and at one point I felt it start to slide down the steep slope.\u00a0 Little did I know, the Ventrac has a weight transfer lever.\u00a0 This ingenious lever uses springs to transfer the weight to the front wheels of the tractor which gave us more gripping power and eliminated any sliding caused by the heavy attachment.<\/p>\n<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n<\/a>A few weeks later our 4500Z arrived with a finish mower attachment, a scoop bucket and a stump grinder.\u00a0 The first thing I noticed about the Ventrac is how it doesn\u2019t tear up the grass, which is unheard of for an all wheel drive machine!\u00a0 The articulation basically leaves no tracks. I can honestly say I have never been more excited to mow my lawn as I was that day when I attached the 60\u201d finish mower to it.\u00a0 I noticed a few advantages right away, one being that the out front design allowed me to get under trees.\u00a0 Also, the deck of the mower can be tilted for servicing and cleaning. I truly have never seen a better end result as I have when using the Ventrac.\u00a0 It leaves perfect lines every time thanks to the long steel roller than runs over the grass.\u00a0 The mower is powered by the front belt PTO and is attached in seconds via a lever that moves the pulley in and allows the belt to slip on.\u00a0 The entire deck is powder coated and there are Zerk fittings just about everywhere there is movement.<\/p>\n<\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure><\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n