Gehl

Gehl VT320

$85,000before options, dealer-quotedVertical LiftRubber tracks
Gehl VT320
Rated capacity of tipping load35%
3,201 lb rated9,145 lb tipping

The bright segment is what Gehl VT320 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.

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.

Also sold as

The same machine is sold as the Manitou 3200VT, which we do not list separately. Different paint and a different dealer network, same hardware.

Suits: Production contractors and forestry-mulching crews who want maximum horsepower and lift capacity per dollar in the largest CTL class 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
3,201 lbs
Tipping load
9,145 lbs
Lift height to hinge pin
130 in
Lift path
Vertical Lift
Operating weight
11,799 lbs

Power and hydraulics

Engine power
114 hp
Engine
Deutz TD 3.6
Auxiliary flowStandard circuit
29 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 CabTwo-SpeedSelf-LevelingA/C & HeatTracksA/CHigh-Flow Available

What owners report

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

Among compact track loaders, very few carry a 3.6-litre Deutz, and that engine is the reason this machine exists. Gehl built it for the buyer who wants big-frame output - mulching, cold planing, dozing, loading high-sided trucks - without paying premium-badge money, and the hydraulics reflect that: 29 GPM as standard where many rivals charge extra to get there, and 38 GPM on the high-flow option.

In practice the numbers behind the headline are what justify it. Drawbar pull is 12,769 lbs and bucket breakout 9,903 lbs at the tilt cylinders, which is why it grades and pushes rather than just carrying. The 130-inch hinge pin and 100-inch dump height clear truck sides properly. Track shoes are 18 inches across a 52-inch length, giving flotation a wheeled machine of the same capacity cannot match, and IdealTrax handles tensioning automatically so nobody has to remember it. The weak spot is travel: two-speed is optional and the base machine runs at roughly 5 mph, which on a machine this size and price is difficult to defend. The undercarriage is rigid-mounted, so long carries are rougher than on machines with suspension.

Running attachments hard on a fixed site is its brief, or clearing and grading work where flotation and push matter more than travel speed. Before signing, three things: confirm two-speed is actually on the build sheet rather than assumed, establish whether the horsepower figure you have been quoted is net or gross, and be realistic about the distance to a dealer who stocks track loader parts, because on a production machine that distance is the number that decides whether the price advantage survives.

What owners like

  • A 3.6-litre Deutz is a lot of engine for a compact track loader, and it is matched to a 29 GPM standard auxiliary circuit with a 38 GPM high-flow option - flow that most machines only reach as an upgrade is the baseline here.
  • 12,769 lbs of drawbar pull and 9,903 lbs of bucket breakout at the tilt cylinders give it genuine dozing and digging muscle rather than just lift capacity.
  • The 3,201 lb rating is taken at 35% of a 9,145 lb tipping load, so it is conservatively stated - Gehl also publishes the 50% figure of 4,572 lbs, which is the number to compare against makers who headline on that basis.
  • A 130-inch hinge pin with 100 inches of dump height places loads over high-sided trucks and hoppers, which is the whole point of buying this frame size.
  • IdealTrax tensions the tracks automatically at start-up and releases tension at shutdown, removing a manual maintenance step and avoiding the slow damage of running over-tensioned without noticing.
  • 18-inch track shoes on a 52-inch track length spread nearly 11,800 lbs well enough that it works ground a wheeled machine of the same capacity would simply churn.
  • It has been in the range long enough to have an established parts and service picture, which is more than can be said for Gehl's newest large-frame models.

What owners complain about

  • Two-speed is an option, not standard, and the base machine's single ground speed is around 5 mph - on a 11,799 lb flagship expected to cover ground, that is a poor starting point and worth confirming on the build sheet.
  • Published horsepower for this machine varies by source between 108 and 114 hp depending on whether the figure is net or gross, so specify which one a quote or comparison is using before drawing conclusions from it.
  • At 11,799 lbs plus attachments it needs serious hauling equipment, and trailer, tow vehicle and licensing costs all have to be counted into the purchase.
  • The Deutz is a different engine relationship from the Yanmar-powered machines through most of Gehl's range, so a mixed fleet carries two sets of parts and two service contacts.
  • Gehl's dealer network is the real ownership risk on a production machine at this size - the savings against a premium badge disappear quickly during a week waiting on a part.
  • The undercarriage is rigid-mounted, so it rides harder than machines with suspended undercarriages during long carries at speed.

Drawn from compactequip.com, constructionequipmentguide.com, gehl.com.

What buyers ask

Is the VT320 rated at 35% or 50% of tipping load?
Gehl publishes both. The 3,201 lb headline is 35% of a 9,145 lb tipping load; the 50% figure is 4,572 lbs. Some third-party spec charts list the 3,200 lb number under a 50% column, which is misleading - if you are comparing against a maker that headlines on the 50% basis, use 4,572 lbs, and if against a 35% maker, use 3,201.
Does the VT320 come with two-speed travel?
Not as standard. Gehl lists a single ground speed of around 5 mph for the base machine, with two-speed as an option. On a machine of this weight and price that is a significant omission, so check explicitly that two-speed appears on the quote rather than assuming a flagship includes it.
Is it 108 hp or 114 hp?
Both figures are published for this machine by different sources, which usually comes down to gross against net ratings of the same Deutz 3.6-litre engine. It does not change what the machine does, but it does matter when you are comparing spec sheets, so establish which basis a quoted number uses before treating a rival as more or less powerful.
Can it run a forestry mulching head?
This is one of the few machines in Gehl's range with the flow to do it properly - 29 GPM standard and 38 GPM on the high-flow option, behind a 3.6-litre engine. Match the head to the available flow rather than the maximum, and confirm with the dealer which flow package the machine you are quoted actually carries.
How rough is the ride on long carries?
The undercarriage is rigid-mounted rather than suspended, so at speed over uneven ground it rides harder than machines built with suspended undercarriages. It is a genuine comfort and spillage difference on sites where you are carrying material any distance, and worth a long test drive over rough ground rather than a lap of a level yard.

Put the Gehl VT320 against

Gehl V275Gehl VT275Kubota SVL97-2

Machines in the same range

The rest of the Gehl line
Gehl VT275

Gehl

Gehl VT275

$89,950

Vertical Lift · rubber tracks

Also sold as the Manitou 2750VT

2,750 lb rated35% of 7,858 lb
Engine
72 hp
Aux flow
26 GPM
Weight
10,249 lbs

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.

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