Head to head
Gehl V230 against Gehl VT230
Only the Gehl VT230 runs tracks, so their advertised capacities are not measured the same way; only the Gehl VT230 runs rubber tracks.
These two are rated differently on purpose. A wheeled skid steer is rated at half its tipping load and a track loader at 35 per cent, because the track machine holds back more reserve. So the capacity rows below are not a like-for-like contest, and the tipping load row is the closer thing to one.
| Spec | Gehl V230 | Gehl VT230 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | Dealer quote only | Dealer quote only |
| Rated capacity, as advertised | 2,300 lbs | 2,300 lbs |
| Rated at | 50% of tipping load | 35% of tipping load |
| Tipping load | 4,600 lbs | 6,572 lbs |
| Capacity at its class convention | 2,300 lbs | 2,300 lbs |
| Engine power | 72 hp | 72 hp |
| Engine | Yanmar 4TNV98CT-XNGL | Yanmar 4TNV98CT-XNGL |
| Auxiliary flow | 23 GPM | 23 GPM |
| Lift height | 122 in | 121 in |
| Operating weight | 7,749 lbs | 9,191 lbs |
| Lift path | Vertical Lift | Vertical Lift |
| Rubber tracks | No | Yes |
| High flow available | Yes | Yes |
| Enclosed cab available | Yes | Yes |
| Two-speed travel available | Yes | No |
| Self-levelling available | Yes | Yes |
| A/C and heat available | Yes | Yes |
| Warranty | 2 yr / 2,000 hr | 2 yr / 2,000 hr |
What owners say about each
Gehl V230
- Vertical lift keeps the load close in through the full arc, so pallets clear truck sides without repositioning.
- 23 GPM standard flow with a 30 GPM high-flow option covers most attachment catalogs without stepping up a frame size.
- Self-leveling and an air-conditioned enclosed cab are available, which the radial R-series machines below it largely are not.
- 12 mph two-speed travel makes it practical on sites where the stockpile and the work are a few hundred yards apart.
- Turbocharged Yanmar 4TNV98CT-XNGL delivers 72 hp without the frame growth of the large-frame machines.
- At 7,749 lbs it needs a proper equipment trailer and a three-quarter-ton truck minimum.
- Vertical geometry is less aggressive than radial at ground level, so it backdrags and scrapes less willingly.
- Gehl's dealer footprint is the limiting factor on service response in much of the country.
- No maker-published price, and the mid-range V-series is recent enough that used comparables are scarce.
Gehl VT230
- 2,300 lbs on a 35% basis is a conservatively stated rating, not a marketing-basis one.
- 121-inch vertical lift loads standard truck bodies without repositioning.
- 30 GPM high-flow option covers most brush cutters, brooms and augers.
- Turbocharged Yanmar 4TNV98CT-XNGL at 72 hp is the same engine as the wheeled V230, so a mixed fleet shares parts.
- Gehl's page omits a tipping-load row for this model; the 6,572 lb figure comes from doubling the published 50% rating and is corroborated by a trade spec guide rather than stated outright.
- No two-speed travel option listed, so travel speed is the same as the smaller VT210.
- 23 GPM standard flow is unchanged from the VT210 despite the extra capacity.
- At 9,191 lbs it needs proper transport, and track wear adds to running cost against a wheeled equivalent.
- No published list price from either Gehl or Manitou.