Ryan Roberts purchased a new Steiner 450 and some attachments for around $40,000.00. After 37 hours of use, the machine caught fire and was a total loss. The manufacturer refused to consider this a warranty issue.

This is a breakdown of this story and includes Steiner’s official reply after I send them a draft of this video for review. It is worth noting had I been a regular Joe, I never would have even gotten the statement.

I reached out to Bobcat through their contact form online and received a phone call from customer service the next day stating if I wasn’t the actual owner of the tractor that caught fire they couldn’t talk to me. I reached out to Bobcat through Facebook messenger and they advised I reach out to the media relations team (I did ~ 4 days ago and have heard nothing yet). The only way I even got this response was through a third party I had a relationship with from the old green BOBCAT mowers before they were bought by Bobcat.

I would like to thank Ryan Roberts for allowing me to interview him as well as sharing his video and photos of the fire and damage from the Steiner 450 when it burned.

If you are deciding whether to buy a Ventrac 4520 or a ‪@SteinerTractors‬ Steiner 450 (Or a Steiner 460 or ‪@BobcatCo‬ Bobcat AT2025), one thing to consider is the company you are buying from. If you are in the market for a compact articulating tractor I encourage you to compare for yourself: Which company (not just the dealer, but the actual company that makes the product) is easiest to get a hold of if something goes wrong? Which company does a better job supporting their products with online parts catalogs and user manuals? Do I care where my product is made? If so, where are these companies manufacturing their tractors?

Copper Creek Cuts is a lawn care and landscaping business in Florida with a goal to entertain and educate.

Contact me: [email protected]

The products I use: https://www.amazon.com/shop/coppercre...

0:00 Intro
0:13 Ryan Roberts Introduction
0:36 Buying A Steiner Tractor
1:06 Steiner Dealer Experience
2:56 The Steiner 450 Catches Fire
3:57 Dealer's response to the tractor fire
4:53 Steiner/Bobcat's response to the tractor fire
9:56 Insurance saves the day
11:07 Bobcat and Steiner's response to this video