Gehl VT335

Between the 3,350 lb VT335 and the 3,600 lb VT360 there is one engine and about 300 lbs of capacity, so this is the entry point into Gehl's new large-frame track loaders rather than a compromise version of one. The 100 hp Deutz has the reserve to drive an attachment and the tracks simultaneously, which is the failure mode buyers actually run into when they under-buy engine for a mulching head.

The platform changes are worth more than the capacity number. Patent-pending lift arms slope away from the operator so mulch and soil shed instead of accumulating, with hoses routed inside or under the arms, and the forward-sloping roof carries a large skylight for visibility at full lift. Underneath, Gehl redesigned the undercarriage around forged hardened sprockets, dual-flange idlers and triple-flange rollers, with R&D director Tyler Handel saying the effort went into making the machines hold up in the toughest conditions. Hydraulics are load-sensing with variable rate flow so the operator can meter flow to the attachment, and an adjustable creep mode with a boost pedal handles cold planers and brooms. Controls are seat-mounted pilot joysticks, not electro-hydraulic, and the IdealAccess bi-folding door stores ahead of the operator rather than needing swing clearance.

Land clearing, site prep and forestry work where flotation matters is its place, provided the machine will be working most days - it is too much undercarriage cost to justify on a machine that sits. Gehl publishes no price, so gather quotes under both the Gehl and Manitou badges, since the identical machine sells as the Manitou 3350VT. Before signing, confirm high flow and the hydraulic boost are itemised, ask what a full set of tracks costs and what options exist, and specify the forestry package up front if clearing is the plan, because guarding is far more expensive to add later.