Gehl
Gehl VT320
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.
Specifications
Features
Pros
- ✓The 114 hp Deutz TD 3.6 with 339 ft-lbs of torque is one of the most powerful engines fitted to any compact track loader, and it never feels short of breath under a mulcher or a heaped bucket.
- ✓A 3,201 lb rating at a conservative 35% of the 9,145 lb tipping load means Bobcat-style 50% math would advertise over 4,500 lbs - stability with a loaded pallet is exceptional.
- ✓The vertical lift path with a 130-inch hinge pin and 100-inch dump height places loads straight over high-sided trucks and hoppers, exactly what the big-frame class is bought for.
- ✓The 29 GPM standard circuit and 38 GPM high-flow option feed flow-hungry mulching heads and cold planers properly, making it a legitimate budget forestry platform.
- ✓Nearly 12,800 lbs of drawbar pull and 9,900 lbs of breakout force give it grading and dozing muscle that embarrasses lighter machines.
- ✓IdealTrax automatic track tensioning protects the large, expensive undercarriage from the under-tension wear that plagues manually-adjusted big CTLs.
- ✓Buyers consistently report paying five figures less than a comparably-optioned Bobcat T870 or Cat 299D3, with a 2-year/2,000-hour warranty included.
- ✓Wide 18-inch tracks and 12 inches of ground clearance let this 11,800 lb machine float over soft ground that ruts up wheeled equipment badly.
Cons
- ✗The 114 hp Deutz sits above the 75 hp threshold, so it carries full Tier 4 aftertreatment with DEF - more complexity and regen downtime than Gehl's smaller DEF-free machines.
- ✗Two-speed drive is optional rather than standard, and the base machine's 5 mph single speed feels inexcusable on a flagship at this price.
- ✗Pilot joystick controls, cab enclosure, heat, and A/C are all extra-cost options, so a properly-equipped machine erodes the headline price advantage.
- ✗Deutz parts and service expertise are thinner on the ground in North America than the Kubota and Yanmar power in most competitors.
- ✗Gehl's limited dealer network is the biggest ownership risk on a production machine - a week down waiting for parts costs more than the purchase savings.
- ✗Resale values trail the Bobcat T870 and Cat 299D3 badly, which stings most in this price bracket.
- ✗At 11,799 lbs plus attachments it needs serious hauling equipment, pushing many owners into CDL territory with trailer and fuel.
- ✗The rigid-mounted undercarriage rides rougher than Cat's suspended 299 or ASV's Max-Series machines during long high-speed carries.
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