A new tractor arriving at the farm is a major event. The last time a new tractor arrived was in 2005. So it is an event worth noting. Pictured above is a 2020 Ventrac 4500Z tractor with a front-mount “rough cut” mower. You can tell at a quick glance that this is no ordinary tractor.
Background
The pond renovation and dam repair made clear that we need to maintain the dam face. It is extremely steep! The two tractors we own could only mow – safely – about 1/3rd of the dam face. The rest required the use of a heavy duty string trimmer with a brush cutter head. It was difficult to even stand on parts of the dam while swinging the trimmer side-to-side. When Barry started to mow the dam this summer, he knew he needed a better solution.
That solution appeared when Barry was watching one of his favorite YouTube channels, “Diesel Creek.” The episode featured a Ventrac tractor mowing an extremely steep bank. That led to searches of other videos of this amazing machine. (Lots of videos at https://www.ventrac.com/video)
The hunt
Tractors are expensive and the Ventrac is no exception. It is a commercial-grade machine with specialized implements. While the latest model does offer some performance improvements, there was no doubt that a used machine was more inline with our budget.
Buying used means being patient, not something that at least one member of the farm is very good at. It would seem the gods of good luck were at work in this case. Within a couple of weeks of seeing that first video, the perfect tractor appeared on Facebook Marketplace – in Rocky Mount, NC!
This tractor was equipped with every option we wanted, including a rear standard (CAT-1) 3-point hitch, a rough cut mower (vs. a finish mower) and dual wheels. The owner had added a slope meter (more on that later), extra hydraulic and electric outlets front and rear, and a hydraulic top link for the 3-point. The machine had 235 hours and looked brand new. The deal clincher was the Jeep Wrangler sitting in the background. These had to be good people and they were. They welcomed Barry into their beautiful home, which was located on part of the wife’s family’s farm (just like Lawson Hill Farm).
The TRT
Lawson Hill Farm is also home of Farm Jeep. We are use to making retrieval trips; trips to pick up parts are referred to as PRTs, Jeeps as JRTs, and tractors are TRTs. We have the equipment, trucks and trailers, to haul things long distances. Still 700 miles each way is a bit of a drive, especially when towing a trailer.
Barry accomplished the trip with an overnight stay and had great weather. Weatherwise, he lucked out. The night before he arrived, Rocky Mount had been hit by a tornado. He was unable to meet up with the sellers upon his arrival as the road to their house was blocked by downed trees.
Barry was able to meet up at the owners house the following morning, although he had to drive around a road closed sign. The tractor was just as described both in the ad and over the phone, so the deal was completed quickly. The Ventrac fit perfectly on the Farm Jeep hauler and Barry was on his way home.
The TRT was uneventful and included some beautiful, non-interstate, roads through eastern Kentucky and Virginia.
First day, first test
There was no time to waste to see if this was the perfect tractor for us. The tractor had been described to us as fun to drive and operate and it is! A few practice laps around the property and Barry felt ready to do some testing. The first test was to check out the 3-point hitch. We have used our inherited 1964 Cub Lo-Boy for moving trailers around the farm. It works great, but the Ventrac is so much better. The articulated steering and hydrostatic drive make backing trailers extremely easy.
The Cub doesn’t have a CAT-1 hitch. Our Farm Jeeps do have hydraulic lifts, but they are not always available. When the big New Holland tractor has the backhoe attached, we don’t have an easy means of moving or using implements.
The Ventrac is the perfect second tractor. We added a quick hitch, that matches the one on the New Holland, so we can switch implements easily and employee a second CAT-1 tractor as needed. The hydraulic top link on the Ventrac is ideal when using an implement like the land plane pictured above. We use this implement to groom our driveway and being able to adjust the “bite” of the front blade from the driver’s seat is a real time and back saver.
We have a small 2-ton dump bed off-road trailer that has had limited use because we lacked a second tractor with spare hydraulic outlets. We built an electric “hydraulic power pack” that we could throw in the back of a Jeep, but it wasn’t ideal. The second set of remotes on the rear of the Ventrac are just what we need.
We can use the New Holland tractor with the front end loader (FEL) or backhoe to fill the wagon. And it dumps with ease from the comfort of the drivers seat.
Damn the dam, full speed ahead!
Barry couldn’t wait to try mowing the dam. With the dual wheel setup, the tractor is rated for a 30 degree slope. Most tractors, including ours, are subject to rollovers long before hitting 30 degrees. He didn’t hit the 30 degree mark, but the slope meter was flashing and beeping as he made 27 degrees as he topped the dam after crawling up the face!
Barry felt completely safe. The Ventrac feels like it is glued to the ground. He did loose traction on one section and may add tire chains. But out of the box, this is the perfect mower for our dam. A dreaded chore is now fun!
An even better bush hog
Having the mower out front means we can mow the pond shoreline and under the trees that need to be removed. The Ventrac is a game changer for sure. Stay tuned for more updates.