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Have been looking at the 3223D to replace a recently sold JD 2210 tractor with 62" mower and FEL. Primary use will be to mow, move snow and assist in landscaping project on a 1 acre residential property. Was also considering the 4000 series units even though they are definitely more than I need. Truthfully, the 3223D is more than I need, but I like my tractors!

I am looking at the following attachments/accessories:

60" mower
48" slip scoop
either a 60" blade or the V-blade for snow
possibly a blower or rotary broom unit
ROPS/knobby tires

I have settled on a dealer who has been very good and fair to me. They are a short drive from the Ventrac factory and are very knowledgeable on Ventracs (and Steiners). A big plus is the fact they had a 3100 and 3223D in stock. Too many dealers don't stock the unit, which is a shame in my opinion. In fairness, most said they could get one within a couple days.

I like the maneuverability and visibility of the 3223D unit, but was having a little doubt after hearing some dealers relate it was not a very popular unit. I realize the 3000 series was likely intended to fill a slightly different primary role (in a different part of the world perhaps), but in my opinion there is significant overlap in the functionality between the 3000/4000 series with the obvious edge going to the 4000 series for heavier duty use and loader/trencher use with the 3000 series shining in tighter quarters.

I'll admit my confidence in the 3000 series was almost undermined by the trouble I had trying to find video footage of the 3000 series plowing serious snow. Most Ventrac videos show a single snippet of a 3000 series unit plowing maybe 1-2" inches of snow with a v-blade while the 4000 series is shown moving all kinds of snow. I finally found a short snippet on a overseas website of the a 3000 unit plowing some serious snow. Before seeing that. I was wondering what the unit was really capable of.

Can 3000 series owners give me some feedback on their experiences with their units?

Any concerns plowing 6-10" of snow? I think I have reasonable expectations and certainly do not expect the performance of a 4000 series turbo diesel. Still, the 3223D seems like a pretty scrappy unit.

Any issues with ground clearance or the unit's articulating center joint? I am a little leery of the lower link's clearance, though I cannot foresee having an issue on my property.

Any performance issues with the slip scoop moving typical landscaping materials?

Any experiences with the blower or broom unit? Was hoping to use the broom for cleaner pavement than a plow on lighter snow removal applications.

I am assuming this unit has been fairly reliable as they seem to sell well overseas. It is unfortunate more people do not look at them as an alternative to traditional tractors. I loved my JD 2210, but it was too much work to switch implements back and forth, and JD is too proud of their products in some cases. The Ventrac blade puts my old JD 54" blade to shame. No comparison when it comes to build quality.

Thanks for any and all input.

Great post marnett, looks like you really have done your research!
I will give my experience as I have a 3223D myself and use it for the same reasons you are looking to use yours.
I will address your concerns first then maybe give you some more things to think about :biggrin:
1st off, I love my Ventrac and use it for everything!

Plowing 6-10": This has not been a problem for me. I also live close to the factory and should be plowing the same type of snow you will be plowing. In reality I pile it up and am plowing a lot more than that most of the time. The only time I have ever experienced any issue was with traction. There had been an icy rain the day before and made a very solid layer of ice underneath, then it snowed about 6" of fairly heavy snow. It plowed the 6" great, but when I had plowed a few rows and was plowing more like 20-24", the tires wanted to slip a little bit. Solved that by having a little momentum going into the pile. Adding some extra weight over the front axle would also help as that is where it has the least amount of weight. Their isn't any option from the factory if you would like to add weight to the front. I would try it first, then if you ever do have a problem, you could buy some suitcase weights and maybe hang them on the front fender or weld a bar for them? Just a thought, but the Knobby tires are a must for snow removal and should be all you need!
A note on the pushing: I have a 60" blade. I doubt I would have slipped with the 48" or V-Blade, but the 3000 can easily handle the 60" blade. You may be able to contact Ventrac and see if they have any better videos for the 3000 series? I imagine primary focus for the states is on the 4000 series and winter shots can be hard to plan for.

Ground Clearance: I mow some large hills (25 degrees) with some fairly large holes that have never caught that center joint (Or the belly bar as I like to call it) The only time I had an issue, was when I made a large pile of snow, plowed another pile up and over it and went a bit too far. I went over the top of the mound with the middle of the tractor and got hung up a little. Took me about 30 seconds to dig a little bit of snow with my glove to allow the weight to get put back on the tires. Only time I could see it being any issue is if you would maybe have a really wooded property where you might be going over tree roots or stumps? But the way it articulates and oscillates in the center, you should be able to get yourself off of most anything. l have a ledge off of my one concrete pad that is roughly 4". If I go straight off, it can catch that center pivot, but I never come close to it if I go off at an angle.

Slip Scoop: I have the 48" slip scoop. It does fantastic when moving mulch, pea gravel, dirt, etc. Never had an issue especially if you use the weight transfer (Any questions on this make sure you get your dealer to explain it to you or let me know!)

Tested both the broom and snow blower: Both great attachments. I have a mostly gravel driveway so I would not be getting the broom in my case. When I build or purchase a new place, or pave my driveway, I would love the broom! The plow is great for your really large snowfalls, but the broom would probably work for 95% of Ohio's snowfalls (0-5"?). It cleans right down to the pavement and does a wonderful job of it. I could probably cut my plowing time down by 50% much of the time by just zipping out there and cleaning down to the bare concrete if I had a paved drive and the broom, no need for salt then either. The time I would want the blower is if we constantly got nailed by a few large snowstorms. Then pushing it off to the side with a blade or broom would eventually wall the edge of your driveway off and you wouldn't have anywhere to really put your snow. But that rarely ever happens around here and if it does, I just push a little harder with the plow and make room :laughing:

Reliability: I am at around 300hrs give or take 25hrs :biggrin: Things done: General maintenance and oil changes when instructed by the manual as well as greasing all of the joints. I have had zero issues. Ventrac's are built like tanks and work flawlessly if you maintain them properly, I know what a shocker, maintain your stuff and it usually works right? Take a tour of their plant and talk to some of them at the plant if you have any doubts, I am a proud Ventrac owner and they are very proud of their products and always seem to be making them better! If you line it up on a day that we should be getting snow I bet you could try out the blower and broom yourself :biggrin: Oh, and cold weather starting has never been a problem. Always starts great!

Maneuverability and Visibility: Huge reason I love this tractor is the visibility. I like sitting up front for mowing and plowing. Couldn't get any easier!

It sounds like the 3223D would work great for your situation (I have about 1.25 acres). The 4000 series is an awesome tractor, but was a bit of overkill in my situation. I believe the 3000 series was built for the European market as they are accustomed to the out front, articulating style of tractors. It is a bit sad that not many dealers tend to embrace its form factor, but it's partially because the consumers aren't used to that style either. So if you are having any doubt at all about the quality, reliability, or history of the 3000 series, call the factory or when you tour it ask those questions and they can tell you the testing that they have put on them and the amount that have gone overseas.

As far as your attachments/accessories:
60" mower - :thumbsup:
48" slip scoop - :thumbsup:
either a 60" blade or the V-blade for snow - V-blade is nice for "scooping" the snow. You get more control, but I think the 60" would work great for your situation. Depending on the type of material your driveway is made of you may want to think about a hardened edge, or a polyurethane edge for the blade.
possibly a blower or rotary broom unit - My vote is on the broom, although I would love a use for the blower, but those times would be too few and far between around here :laughing:
ROPS/knobby tires: Unless you have really large hills, I don't think the ROPS is necessary, but for safety, of course it is never a bad option. Knobby tires are a must if you are doing snow! (I started with turf tires, they worked, but the knobbies gave that extra traction I needed)

Hope this helps, sorry for the length, but if you have any more questions I can speak from my experience! Good luck!

Slater, thanks so much for your input! Your advice and insight was very helpful. I test drove a 4000-series unit again recently and while I loved aspects of it (it is an impressive beast - no doubt), I kept having the feeling it was way too much tractor for my property. It is also noticeably larger and less maneuverable (for my yard) than the 3223D. I have some areas where the 4000 series units (gates, walks and patio areas) where the 4000 series would simply be more cumbersome for me. The 4000 series is very agile and maneuverable for its size, but the 3223D is almost freakishly agile in tight spaces.

I had an easier time backing the 4000 unit due to being seated on the rear-most portion of the unit, which made it more like my old Deere 2210 in terms of feel. However, in forward motion I missed the great visibility of the 3223D. I'll just need a little more practice backing with the 3223D to hard wire my brain for that back half of the tractor moving semi-independently from the front. However, because I spend most of my tractor time moving forward (obviously!), the 3223D wins on maneuverability for mowing around beds and trees with maximum visibility.

I talked to a friend who has a Steiner 420. He loves his Steiner, but had also driven a neighbors 3000-series Ventrac. He seemed impressed by the 3000 unit and had even used it in a more rural setting. His analysis was the 3000 series unit would be perfect for my setting and I think that is what it comes down to. A proper analysis of needs. I'll admit my heart said "4000 series" because it is bigger, more powerful makes more of an impact on my sense of "manliness." My mind says "3000-series" and your assessment helped me realize this is the correct choice.

I placed my order today, and went with the following:

3223D w/ knobby tires

ROPS - I have some slopes that run 15-18 degrees. I am sure the 3223D can handle them, but I learned from my experience that I like the ROPS to give me something to hang onto sometimes and I definitely prefer the feeling of being firmly belted to the seat.

60" mower - looking forward to seeing the impressive construction on these and the results of the near legendary Ventrac cut.

48" slip scoop - I don't think I'll miss a front-end loader at all. I'm sure I will get more use with the slip scoop because there are many times with my 2210 I simply did not want to go through the process of removing the mower, installing the FEL, un-installing the FEL and finally re-installing the mower after running the loader for a while. The minute-mount system is going to make me much more productive!

V-blade - hopefully I can be more productive with my snow plowing efforts to justify the added cost over the straight power blade. My sales rep said he will never go back to a straight blade after having used a v-blade. Either way, I know the Ventrac blades are built very well. They are much hardier than the 54" John Deere blade I just parted with. The blade itself is probably twice as thick (no exaggeration) and the skid shoes are in another class by themselves. John Deere should be ashamed of themselves for what they charge for some of their products.

debris/leaf blower - Looking forward to using this as its cfm output seems to exceed that of the several backpack blowers combined. Will get good use out of this, again, due to the minute-mount system allowing attachment quick changes.

rotary broom - really thought about this one before pulling the trigger. Hope I can justify it's presence, though I think you are spot on about its usefulness for light to moderate snow (most common for us). Cleaning down to the pavement will be nice for the drive and patio area where we have to walk to take out the dogs. This may be my least justifiable attachment, but perhaps is the one the kid in me is most excited about.

I am interested in checking out the edger attachment at some point to use for edging flower beds and those type of areas. I may demo or rent one if I can find it. I'll also need to rent a stump grinder in the spring. Hope I can find the 3000-series attachments available for rent some where reasonable close.

I'll see of I can line up a factory tour in the near future. I also want to find a Ventrac ballcap!

Thanks again for your insight and the obvious effort and time you put into your response. It is greatly appreciated.:biggrin:

Post some pics when it's delivered.
That's a nice machine and you got some nice toys to go with it!!!

I'm glad I could help out and congratulations on the purchase!
I have also used the 4000 series a lot and I know quite a few people who have one. They are definitely great units and if I ever get a larger place, I MAY upgrade to a 4000 series unit, but I have grown very attached to my 3200 and it would be very hard to give it up :laughing: You sound like you got the right one for your application and I think you will be completely satisfied with it.

I know what you mean about getting used to the way it turns, especially for backing up, but I have come to actually prefer it. It can't do some of the things the larger units can, but what it does, it does exceptionally!

Great choice on the ROPS if it will make you feel more comfortable. Your unit will run those hills like a champ, but it is always best to feel safe and most of all be safe! An arm rest kit might also help you feel more snug in the seat when your on a slope? Just a thought.

I do love the cut on my LM600 deck. I take weight transfer completely off on the flat ground for the best striping. On the slopes I put it to about 3 on the weight transfer.

I think you will definitely be thrilled with the slip scoop. If you aren't needing to lift real high like a loader, the slip scoop is so much faster and efficient.

I am sure you will love the v-blade, if I did more area I would probably get one myself, and yes their blades are built very very well!

I am sorry I thought you were meaning snow blower, not leaf blower :confused2: I have used the leaf blower and it does work awesome! Might be my next attachment.

You won't be dissapointed in the rotary broom. It may seem a little unjustified right now, but your v-blade might get lonely in the corner of your shed once you see how quickly and clean you can get your drive done! And on decorative concrete and patios it probably would be a lot better than running a hardened blade over it.

Definitely check out the edger and stump grinder. Don't have those either, I rent or borrow when needed, but the edger keeps the flower beds really clean shaven :thumbsup:

I believe you get a free ballcap when you fill out a survey (I think that is where I got my one), but I am sure you can get one on the tour too :biggrin:

One thing I will say is the attaching of the mower deck and other belt attachments can take a little bit of practice on the 3000 series. It isn't as easy as the 4000 series at first, but it does get very quick once you figure out a few tricks. Takes me 15-30 seconds for the mower deck, used to take closer to a minute till I got the feel of it. But that is kind of like everything :smile:

Good luck and like Parkmower said, take pictures and let us know how things are going!

Great ! Glad you decided on the Ventrac - sounds like the 3223 will be a good choice for your situation. :thumbsup:

You won't regret getting a Ventrac ! :thumbsup: :biggrin: :thumbsup:

We'll want Pictures !

Well, I feel sheepish about this, but here is the update. My loving spouse had left this momentous decision to me. I went with the 3000-series for all of the good reasons listed above. I notified her and showed her the brochure etc. She said, "Why didn't you get the 4000 series?" I ran through my list of reasons, which she accepted. She made a comment indicating her preference for the 4000 series.

With that seed of doubt planted, uncertainty got the best of me. So, I called my dealer to notify him I was bringing my wife up to look at and drive the units. He said, "Sure, bring her up."

My wife drove the 4000 and 3000 series unit. She had a strong preference for the 4000 series unit because it felt more like our old tractor to her (she misses our old tractor). She also expressed her desire for a diesel engine (the sound, smell - all of that non-technical stuff more so than anything). Consequently, we ended up sealing the deal on a 4226D. I had to drop some attachments to make the numbers work, so I will be living with a mower, v-blade and slip scoop for awhile. I also ordered an Edson powerknob for the steering wheel after seeing some strong recommendations.

Overall, I' d be happy with either unit as they are both very impressive, but my wife's preference was for the 4000 series and so that is what we will using in the future at our residence. If I had won the lottery, I'd buy both! Ultimately, I am extremely thankful that I am fortunate enough to be able to swing the purchase of just one of these units. I appreciate having this forum as a sounding board. I hope to participate more in the future.

Haha, no need to feel sheepish, you will be thrilled with the 4226D too!
I am a bit surprised as my wife much prefers the 3000 series. It feels more manageable for her I think and she likes the visibility.
Sounds like you are a lucky man to have the wife asking why you didn't spend more money on the more expensive toys :laughing:

Just think of it this way. You will have a few more attachment options down the road. :smile:
I don't think you will be thinking that you have much of a hill anymore with the 4000 series either

BTW I think you answered one of your original questions of why you don't see as many 3000 series around and why dealers may not hold them as much. :biggrin: I think the engine on the front is what American consumers are used to and are most comfortable with. So in your case you were actually very informed and did your research on the 3000 series and didn't get one, but in most cases I am guessing people don't even look at the 3000 series from the start because it is different.

Glad we could help, stick around the forums, always good to add more members and keep the conversations going!

I don't believe you'll regret the 4226 decision (especially if your wife likes it better) except that you'll probably get less seat time .

I understand that some of the attachments are slightly easier (quicker) to mount on the 4200 series.

I LOVE my Ventrac and keep brocures on the tractor and in both vehicles to hand out for those that are interested. :thumbsup: :biggrin:

Well, I went in the dealer to finish the deal. I was able to see the unit after it was removed from its crate. Most of the attachments were there all greased up (waiting for a KA160 blower to arrive from the factory). I came out with three Ventrac ballcaps, so I was not shorted in the hat department. Everything is scheduled for delivery towards the end of the week.

My dealership (Mast-Lepley in Applecreek) and salesman (Tim Jordan) have been exemplary. My entire experience was head-and-shoulders above my last tractor buying experience (at a Deere dealership). I saw more attention being given to the delivery prep. The salesman is coming along with the delivery to give me an orientation to the unit and attachments. I never received that with the Deere, so it is appreciated.

I was considering adding a rear 12V plug to allow adding a strobe (magnet attached) for plowing. I also need to add a SMV sign. May look into that Monday morning to see if it can be installed before delivery.

Will post pics when the unit arrives.

Just my opinion, but I believe the strobe and rear work light are well worth the $
I believe if you have the strobe the SMV sign is not required (may be different in different states). I also hope you got the ROPS - they now have folding and non-folding versions.
The 12V is a lighter type plug inside the work box and is handy for many things. My spreader plugs in to broadcast contents and an air compressor is handy sometimes.

Congratulations on the new purchase marnett!
We hope you enjoy your new unit and that we can get some snow soon so you can try it out :laughing:
We are always glad to hear that customers enjoyed their experience with their dealer as well. Filling out a survey after you receive your 4226D is a good way to let us and your dealer know how you felt with their service and our product. Let us know what you like, don't like, etc. Dealers get to see the results of the survey and they are always glad to see how they did :thumbsup:
Definitely give us a call or send me a pm about getting a factory tour set up, we always love taking people around the factories!
@BKBrown
The non-folding ROPS roll-bar is standard on our 4000 series tractors. The 3000 series does not have a rollbar unless the roll cage is purchased, so in this case marnett will definitely be receiving a roll-bar :smile:

If I had stopped to turn my brain on I would have remembered that with the 4000 series that it was only a choice of folding or solid ROPS.
I use my Strobe all the time and both front and rear lights whenever I'm on the road. I did move my Strobe down below the ROPS because my shed door would need to be raised to allow it into the shed.
I promote VENTRAC every chance I get ! :thumbsup:

Ventrac said:

Congratulations on the new purchase marnett!
@BKBrown
The non-folding ROPS roll-bar is standard on our 4000 series tractors. The 3000 series does not have a rollbar unless the roll cage is purchased, so in this case marnett will definitely be receiving a roll-bar :smile:

Click to expand...

marnett said:

ROPS - I have some slopes that run 15-18 degrees. I am sure the 3223D can handle them, but I learned from my experience that I like the ROPS to give me something to hang onto sometimes and I definitely prefer the feeling of being firmly belted to the seat.

Click to expand...

We just came out with a new video explaining our weight transfer system. Hopefully your dealer explains it to you, but this is still a helpful tool for any Ventrac owner! :thumbsup:
The last minute and a half explains a few different uses of it besides just safe slope operation.
Ventrac Weight Transfer Explained - YouTube

Great advice from everyone. I had my dealer add the rear 12V kit, which apparently adds the 12v plug in the storage console and an additional 4-pin plug. I ordered a mini Whelen magnetic-mount strobe for plowing duty. May add the Ventrac light kit later if the need becomes apparent. I won't be using the strobe (or v-blade for that matter) much with the pitiful snow season being what it is so far.

I've had several Steiner owners warn me about getting stuck around an object such as a pole or fence post. They tried to explain it best they can, but I am not visualizing it well. They mentioned mowing too close to a pole, getting stuck with the pole in the center of the tractor near the articulating joint, and needing some outside assistance to pull the rear of the tractor away from the object. Can anyone clarify this for me? I realize I need to get some seat time and that will help me understand it. May be some practice with cones with make it clear.

I checked out the newest video on weight transfer. Thanks for pointing it out. It was very educational and well done.

Delivery is tomorrow. I'll be off all day familiarizing myself with the 4226D if all goes well.

marnett said:

I've had several Steiner owners warn me about getting stuck around an object such as a pole or fence post. They tried to explain it best they can, but I am not visualizing it well. They mentioned mowing too close to a pole, getting stuck with the pole in the center of the tractor near the articulating joint, and needing some outside assistance to pull the rear of the tractor away from the object. Can anyone clarify this for me? I realize I need to get some seat time and that will help me understand it. May be some practice with cones with make it clear.

Click to expand...

Yea, the current snow season has been downright pitiful. Since you are getting it tomorrow you may get the chance to plow a very very small amount tomorrow or Saturday :laughing:

I have never had any problems with getting stuck around an object (either my 3223D or the 4000's that I have driven), but I have seen my neighbor do it with his Steiner and it was easily avoidable (he was a new operator, hasn't done it since.)
Let's make it simple so it's easier to describe/visualize, so assuming no attachment.
View the second shot in the gallery on the right side HERE
Imagine getting a pole right between the top joint in the articulation there by the operators left knee. Now it still shouldn't be a huge problem, but I think people get into this situation because they are on a slope (going sideways) or maybe there is a hole that slides them sideways. If the operator is trying to mow really really close to that pole and are on a decent sized slope, or a wet slope, they can drift down around that pole (assuming the bottom of the slope is towards the top side of the photo), so gravity is pulling the tractor over the pole. Now turning the wheel might just make it worse and make you slide further over that pole. If the pole is on the top side of the slope, there isn't any way to get stuck if you mow it from the bottom side so gravity is always taking you away from it.

Maybe I just explained it worse :confused2: but essentially due to the weight of the mower, if you are mowing sideways on a slope your mower deck is probably always slightly higher up on the hill and the tractor wheels are slightly lower on the hill because the tractor has to push it up a little bit to keep it level, so if you skim an object with your mower, then most likely your back end is going to get caught up.
Really if you know how to operate it there should be no way to wrap yourself around an object and not be able to get yourself back off of it unless you did so on a slope, which in that case you just need to be more careful when you mow on the slope and maybe do it a little different than you normally would.
Simple solutions/options if you come across an object on a hill and it is "below" you so gravity could take you into it:
1. Don't trim as close as you normally would on level ground.
2. Run the mower deck up as close to it as desired, then back away and go a little higher on the hill giving yourself plenty of space (obviously this will vary depending on how extreme the slope is). This is the way I do it and I get as close as I want with the deck, it just takes a split second longer to back up and make a higher cut on the hill.
3. Mow up and down the hill or just mow all of the top sides of obstacles on the slope by going up and down and then mow sideways if you want just avoiding getting too close to the obstacles (which should be easy because you already trimmed the top side by going up and down)
4. Multiple other options I can't think of right now :biggrin:

I would say that my neighbor has bar tires and those do not have very much side traction for sideways slope mowing. So his Steiner slides sideways on his slope more than my 3223D with the Knobby tires because the bar tires don't provide great side traction and bar tires are what you mainly see on Steiners around here. They also don't have a weight transfer system like Ventrac's no matter what they want to tell you :smile: I think you should have better traction on hills, especially using weight transfer and you should have less sliding issues, but you will still need to keep it in mind while mowing.

(Sorry for the rambling! :biggrin

Looks like you should have a little bit of snow to push today marnett :thumbsup:
Not a very nice day for delivery and trying to get accustomed to the unit, but at least you have something to do with it!