Gehl

Gehl VT275

$89,950before options, dealer-quotedVertical LiftRubber tracks
Gehl VT275
Rated capacity of tipping load35%
2,750 lb rated7,858 lb tipping

The bright segment is what Gehl VT275 is rated to carry; the grey run past it is the rest of its tipping load. Bar length is tipping load drawn to the same scale on every machine on the site, so a short bar is a smaller machine and not a conservative rating.

Successor to the radial RT255 and the largest of Gehl's mid-range vertical track loaders, rated 2,750 lbs at 35% of tipping load. A 33 GPM high-flow option and a 129-inch lift make it the first VT machine that handles heavy attachments and high-side trucks without compromise.

Also sold as

The same machine is sold as the Manitou 2750VT, which we do not list separately. Different paint and a different dealer network, same hardware.

Suits: Contractors replacing a radial RT255 who need vertical reach, real flow and track flotation in one machine Its vertical lift path reaches highest at full extension, for loading high-sided trucks and stacking.

Lifting and reach

Rated operating capacityTrack loader rating convention
2,750 lbs
Tipping load
7,858 lbs
Lift height to hinge pin
129 in
Lift path
Vertical Lift
Operating weight
10,249 lbs

Power and hydraulics

Engine power
72 hp
Engine
Yanmar 4TNV98CT-XNGL
Auxiliary flowStandard circuit
26 GPM
Flow type
Standard
Warranty
2 yr / 2,000 hr

Fitted or available

What this machine can be ordered with. Some of these are standard and some cost extra, and which is which moves between trim levels, so check them against the quote rather than against this list.

Vertical LiftHigh-FlowEnclosed CabSelf-LevelingA/C & HeatTracksHigh-Flow Available (33 GPM)

What owners report

Summarised from the sources listed below. Nothing here was tested by us.

Where the wheeled V275 trades flotation for running cost, this is the version for ground that will not take wheels - same 72 hp turbocharged Yanmar, same 26 GPM standard and 33 GPM high-flow hydraulics, same roughly 129-inch reach to the hinge pin, but on tracks and about 2,000 lbs heavier. It replaces a radial-lift track loader outright, so anyone moving up from that machine gains vertical geometry and capacity together.

The mid-range platform underneath it is worth understanding. The lift arm was redesigned to slope away from the operator so mulch and soil shed instead of packing on, with hydraulic lines run inside the arms for protection, and the cab grew roughly 23% with a reworked window and roof design that slopes forward for visibility to the load. Pilot joysticks mount to the seat and move with the operator. IdealTrax is standard on every VT machine: a hydraulic cylinder tensions the tracks when the engine starts and releases that tension at shutdown, which is credited with up to 15% more track life and which removes a scheduled greasing job entirely. Gehl puts the mid-range total cost of ownership improvement at up to 15% over the first five years.

Soft ground, turf or slope work has to be what actually limits you, and the attachment list runs to mulching heads rather than just buckets and forks. Gehl publishes no list price, so quotes are the only benchmark, and the same machine sells as the Manitou 2750VT - worth pricing both ways. Before signing, get the operating weight from the build sheet rather than a catalogue because published figures disagree, ask specifically about travel speed since no two-speed option is listed, and get the price of a complete track set in writing so the undercarriage cost is visible from the start rather than three thousand hours in.

What owners like

  • 2,750 lbs stated at 35% of tipping load is a conservative way to quote a machine - the same loader would read close to 3,900 lbs on the 50% basis several rivals headline with.
  • 26 GPM standard with a 33 GPM high-flow option runs mulching heads and cold planers properly, where the 23 GPM machines a size down manage them only marginally.
  • A hinge pin height of roughly 129 inches loads high-side and tri-axle bodies, which is unusual reach for a track loader of this capacity.
  • IdealTrax is standard across the VT range: it tensions the tracks at start-up and releases tension at shutdown, which Gehl credits with up to 15% more track life and which removes the periodic manual greasing other machines need every 50 hours.
  • The sloped lift arm design sheds material rather than collecting it and routes hydraulic lines inside the arms, and the reworked cab is about 23% larger with better sightlines to the load.
  • It directly replaces a radial machine, so buyers moving up gain vertical geometry and capacity in a single step rather than having to choose between them.

What owners complain about

  • Gehl does not publish a tipping-load row for this model - the figure has to be derived from its own 50% rating, and while a trade spec guide lands within a handful of pounds of that derivation, it is a strange thing to leave off a spec sheet.
  • No two-speed travel is listed, which on a 10,000 lb-plus machine is a meaningful limitation if the work is spread across a site.
  • Published operating weights differ between Gehl's own page and trade spec guides by roughly 200 lbs, so use the figure from the actual build sheet when you plan transport rather than a catalogue number.
  • Undercarriage and final-drive replacement is the dominant lifetime cost on a machine this heavy, and it is not reflected anywhere in a purchase price comparison against a wheeled equivalent.
  • The IdealAccess bi-folding door is an optional upgrade rather than standard, so the extra headroom and open-door operation are not on a base machine.
  • Gehl's dealer coverage is the weak point at this end of the range, where downtime on a machine working daily costs considerably more than the price advantage saved.

Drawn from compactequip.com, ope-plus.com, starequip.com, gehl.com.

What buyers ask

Why is there no tipping load published for the VT275?
Gehl omits the row on this model's spec sheet, which is unusual. The figure can be derived from the machine's own 50% rating and a trade spec guide independently lands within a few pounds of that derivation, so the number itself is not in doubt - but ask the dealer to confirm it in writing rather than relying on a derived figure when you are planning work near the limit.
Does the VT275 have two-speed travel?
No two-speed option appears in Gehl's published specification for this model. On a machine of this weight that is a real constraint if your work is spread over a large site, and it is one of the clearest places a rival in the same class can pull ahead. Confirm it with the dealer before assuming otherwise.
How does its 2,750 lb rating compare with a Case or New Holland track loader?
Gehl quotes track loaders at 35% of tipping load, while Case, New Holland and Wacker Neuson headline theirs at 50%. On the 50% basis this machine would read close to 3,900 lbs. Compare like with like, or compare tipping loads directly - a 50% headline at the same number means less real reserve.
What does IdealTrax save me?
It is standard on the VT range. A cylinder tensions the tracks automatically when the machine starts and releases the tension at shutdown, replacing the manual grease-cylinder adjustment other track loaders need periodically. Gehl credits it with up to 15% more track life, largely because it stops a machine running over-tensioned for weeks without anyone noticing.
VT275 or the wheeled V275?
Same engine, same hydraulics, similar reach. The track machine floats on soft ground and holds slopes; the wheeled one is cheaper to buy, much cheaper to run because there is no undercarriage to replace, and offers a two-speed option the track version does not. If ground conditions are not actually stopping you, the wheeled machine is the better financial answer.
What does it cost?
Gehl publishes no list price, so any figure is a dealer quote. Collect at least two, ideally one under each badge since it is also sold as the Manitou 2750VT, and make sure both are specified identically - high flow, cab and climate options and track choice move the number substantially.

Put the Gehl VT275 against

Gehl V360Gehl VT320Takeuchi TL12R2

Machines in the same range

The rest of the Gehl line
Gehl VT320

Gehl

Gehl VT320

$85,000

Vertical Lift · rubber tracks

Also sold as the Manitou 3200VT

3,201 lb rated35% of 9,145 lb
Engine
114 hp
Aux flow
29 GPM
Weight
11,799 lbs

The Gehl VT320 is the only vertical-lift track loader in the Gehl line and its outright flagship, built by Manitou Group and also sold as the Manitou 3200 VT. A 114 hp Deutz turbo-diesel and a 3,201 lb rated capacity put it head-to-head with the Bobcat T870 and Cat 299D3 at a substantially lower price.

Full sheet & owner reports
Gehl RT165

Gehl

Gehl RT165

$64,850

Radial Lift · rubber tracks

Also sold as the Manitou 1650RT

1,650 lb rated35% of 4,715 lb
Engine
70 hp
Aux flow
18.7 GPM
Weight
8,020 lbs

IdealTrax automatic track tensioning, a 69.9 hp Yanmar diesel and a 1,650 lb rated capacity make the Gehl RT165 a value-priced alternative to the Bobcat T595/T64 class. It's a mid-frame radial-lift compact track loader built by Manitou Group and sold in identical form as the Manitou 1650 RT.

Full sheet & owner reports
Gehl RT135

Gehl

Gehl RT135

$48,000

Radial Lift · rubber tracks

Also sold as the Manitou 1350RT

1,350 lb rated35% of 3,858 lb
Engine
47 hp
Aux flow
17 GPM
Weight
6,510 lbs

Slotting between the gate-friendly RT105 and mid-frame RT165, the Gehl RT135 is a small-frame radial-lift compact track loader from Manitou Group, also sold as the Manitou 1350 RT. A 46.6 hp Yanmar diesel, a 1,350 lb rated capacity, and a 57-inch width aim it at the Bobcat T550/Cat 249D class.

Full sheet & owner reports