The Gehl R135 is a compact, radial-lift skid steer popular across the Canadian Prairies and Ontario for farm maintenance, small landscaping, and light municipal work. It's a value-positioned machine — honest build quality at a lower price point than Bobcat or Cat. Here's the complete attachment guide, plus a straight-talk note on what this machine does well and where its limitations are.
The Gehl R135 is a compact, radial-lift skid steer in the lower-capacity tier. It's built to be an accessible, economical machine for operators who need a capable skid steer for farm maintenance and light-duty operations without the purchase price of premium brands. These are representative published specifications for the R135.
Gehl is owned by Manitowoc — the same Wisconsin-based parent company that also owns the Mustang brand. This relationship has a direct practical implication for Canadian operators: a Gehl R135 and a Mustang equivalent model are mechanically identical machines, often built on the same production line, sharing the same attachment interface, hydraulic specs, and parts. Attachment compatibility that applies to the Gehl R135 applies equally to the equivalent Mustang model.
Gehl occupies a mid-tier value position in the skid steer market. It's not positioned as a budget brand — the build quality is genuine and the machines are durable with proper maintenance. But Gehl is also not trying to compete with Bobcat or Cat on features, dealer density, or resale value. The practical trade-off for Canadian operators:
The R135's 19.5 GPM standard flow is adequate for all typical farm and light-duty attachments. The key constraint on the R135 is ROC (~1,350 lbs), not hydraulic flow — attachment weight must be checked carefully for this machine class. At 27.5 GPM with HF enabled, it covers the lower end of high-flow attachments.
| Attachment | Compatibility | Size Recommendation | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| GP Buckets (dirt, gravel, farm) | ✅ YES | 60–66" optimal | R135 ROC (~1,350 lbs) suits compact buckets; don't overload with dense materials beyond ROC |
| Pallet Forks | ✅ YES | 3,500–4,000 lb rated frame | Stay within ROC — R135 is NOT suited for heavy commercial pallet loads; farm-weight pallets are appropriate |
| Bale Spears | ✅ YES | Single spear | Round bales are a common R135 use case on Prairie farms; confirm bale weight doesn't exceed ROC |
| Auger Drives (standard flow) | ✅ YES | Up to 12" bits in typical soil | Standard-flow auger units run at 19.5 GPM; fence posts, small trees; limit bit size for compact machine weight |
| Snow Pushers (box blades) | ✅ YES | 6'–8' box | Passive attachment — no hydraulics; R135 is well matched for residential and small farm snow work |
| Snow Blades (angle) | ✅ YES | 66–72" | Hydraulic angle circuit within 19.5 GPM standard flow; common on Prairie farm yards |
| Grapples (light root, brush) | ✅ YES | 60–66" | Light-duty root grapples within standard flow; keep load weights within R135 ROC |
| Dozer / Angle Blades | ✅ YES | 72–78" | Grading and backfill at farm scale; good for yard, lane, and drainage work |
| Post Drivers | ✅ YES | Standard-flow models | T-post and standard wood fence post driving; very common on Prairie farms |
| Cement Mixers | ✅ YES | 6 cu ft drum | Low hydraulic demand; watch total loaded drum weight against R135 ROC |
| Land Planes / Box Blades | ✅ YES | 72–84" | Passive attachment — no hydraulics; farm lane and driveway grading is a natural R135 application |
| Power Rakes / Soil Conditioners | ✅ YES | 60–72" | Standard-flow rotating attachments; R135 handles residential and small commercial seedbed prep well |
| Attachment | Compatibility | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Snow Blowers (residential/farm) | HF REQUIRED | Residential and light farm snow blowers (22–28 GPM) are within R135 HF range; commercial models needing 30+ GPM exceed R135 HF ceiling |
| Light Flail Mowers | HF REQUIRED | Light-duty flail mowers (18–27 GPM) are within R135 HF range; verify specific model's minimum GPM requirement |
| Rotary Cutters (light-duty) | HF REQUIRED | Light-duty rotary cutters (18–25 GPM) are within range; heavy-duty cutters exceed R135 HF |
| Stump Grinders (compact) | CHECK GPM + WEIGHT | Some compact stump grinders (20–27 GPM) are within R135 HF range; also check attachment weight vs ~1,350 lb ROC — this is often the binding constraint |
The R135 is a capable everyday farm bucket machine within its ROC limits. A 60–66" GP bucket handles soil, gravel, barn cleanup, and yard work well. Don't push it with dense rock or heavy aggregate beyond the ROC — at 1,350 lbs, you're working with a compact-frame limitation.
Recommended: HLA or TMG 60–66" GP bucket for farm and property use — stay within ROC on dense material
Prairie farm bale handling is a core R135 application. A single bale spear for round bales is the most common attachment pairing on Prairie Gehl machines. Confirm your typical bale weight stays within the ~1,350 lb ROC — large round bales of heavy wet hay can approach or exceed this limit.
Recommended: Standard 49–52" single bale spear — verify typical bale weight against ROC before relying on this as primary bale mover
The R135 is right-sized for residential and small farm snow clearing. A 6–8' box snow pusher is the appropriate match — light, passive, and no hydraulic demand. The R135's compact size suits tight farm yard clearing around equipment and buildings.
Recommended: HLA or TMG 6–8' box snow pusher with trip edge for Canadian pavement conditions
Fence post drilling is one of the most common Gehl R135 tasks on Prairie farms. A standard-flow auger drive unit at 19.5 GPM is well matched. Keep bit diameters reasonable for the machine's weight and engine class — 6" to 10" bits in typical Prairie soil are the productive range.
Recommended: Baumalight standard-flow drive unit + 9" bit for most Prairie fence post work
For T-post and wooden round post fence installation, a hydraulic post driver is one of the most productive small-machine attachments available. The R135's standard flow handles post driver operation; this is a natural combination for Prairie fence maintenance.
Recommended: Robson or Skid Pro standard-flow post driver for farm fence work
The R135 is an excellent farm lane and acreage driveway maintenance machine. A 72–78" floating-blade land plane is a passive attachment that needs no hydraulics — just float mode on your machine. Farm lane grading and rural property maintenance is a natural fit for this combination.
Recommended: HLA 72–78" land plane for farm lane and acreage driveway maintenance
The Gehl R135 uses the industry-standard universal skid steer quick attach (SSQA) interface — the same geometry as Bobcat's Bob-Tach system. This is Gehl's standard across all current R-series models.
Gehl's Canadian dealer network is real but thinner than Bobcat or CNH. Understanding the dealer situation before purchasing helps you plan parts access and service coverage.
The Prairies are the strongest Gehl market in Canada. Prairie Implement group and independent ag dealers across SK, MB, and AB carry Gehl and service the R-series line. Major agricultural centres (Saskatoon, Regina, Winnipeg, Lethbridge, Red Deer) have Gehl dealer access. For Prairie farms running R135 machines for fence, bale, and yard work — parts access is manageable.
Gehl has Ontario dealer presence through agricultural equipment dealers. Coverage is better in agricultural regions (Oxford County, Grey-Bruce, Huron) than in urban Ontario. Ontario operators should confirm their nearest Gehl dealer and parts lead times before purchase.
Gehl coverage is sparse in BC, Atlantic Canada, and Northern regions. Operators in these areas should confirm parts lead times carefully — if your machine goes down in a critical season and the nearest Gehl dealer is 6 hours away, that's a real operational risk to weigh against the purchase price advantage.
Gehl's R165 is the natural step-up from the R135 within the same product line. If you're on the fence between these two models, here's the practical breakdown.
| Specification | Gehl R135 | Gehl R165 |
|---|---|---|
| Rated Operating Capacity | ~1,350 lbs | ~1,650 lbs |
| Engine Power | ~50 hp | ~60–65 hp |
| Standard Hydraulic Flow | 19.5 GPM | ~22 GPM |
| High-Flow (Optional) | ~27.5 GPM | ~35 GPM |
| Quick Attach | Universal SSQA | Universal SSQA |
| Best For | Light farm, residential, small landscaping | Mid-duty farm, larger landscape jobs, heavier attachment range |
| Commercial Mulcher Capable? | No — HF ceiling too low | Light commercial mulchers at 35 GPM HF |
| Full Snow Blower Range? | Residential/light farm only | Broader commercial range at 35 GPM HF |
The R165's step-up in ROC (from ~1,350 to ~1,650 lbs) and HF ceiling (from ~27.5 to ~35 GPM) opens significantly more attachment options — particularly in the high-flow category. If your work regularly involves large round bales near the R135's ROC limit, or if you want high-flow capability for commercial snow blowers or rotary cutters, the R165 is the appropriate step-up.
For purely light-duty farm maintenance, fence work, small landscaping, and residential snow clearing — the R135 is capable and more economical to purchase and operate. Be honest about your actual attachment requirements before stepping up unnecessarily.
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