Pick a make and model. Full spec sheet, owner videos, and similar tractors on one page.
Find a model →Pit up to four models against each other. Engine, hydraulics, hitch, weight, warranty.
Open comparison →Written guides on choosing tractors, hydraulics, PTO, hitches, and maintenance.
Read articles →A side-by-side mowing session where Christine runs the Ventrac 4500 for the first time while Tim handles the John Deere 2038R, both with 72-inch decks, across a multi-acre property with wet spots, a berm, and tight landscaping. The comparison is casual and conversational, real observations on maneuverability, horsepower limitations, deck flex, and ground clearance, though no hard specs or pricing. Best for owners weighing a Ventrac against a conventional compact tractor for varied-terrain mowing.
An owner-operator channel run by a couple documenting their own property projects, with a disclosed dealer relationship (AHW) that viewers should factor in.
Both have 72-inch decks, but the Ventrac has 24.5 horsepower versus the 2038R's 38 horsepower, so the 2038R mows faster, especially in heavy grass, though the Ventrac maneuvers easier around tight landscaping.
Yes, with only 24.5 horsepower it was noticeably not quite strong enough in real tall grass, and the operator noticed it beginning to bog down around 5 mph in heavy grass.
Yes, its rims are not as tall as the 2038R's, allowing it to get under tree limbs, and the front-mounted deck let it mow close to trees and underneath a sprawling pine tree the 2038R could not reach.
The 2038R mowed a berm comfortably using crab steer to stay straight without feeling tipsy, while wet muddy areas nearby had to be avoided with it.
