How To Sell Tractors To Lazy Farmers

[EhM8]

Excerpt from Valtra website:

"HiShift increases driver comfort by saving the effort of having to depress the clutch pedal up to hundreds of times a day."

Don't see the sense in powerclutch or highshift buttons myself, if all they do is save you having to press the clutch pedal... unless it is a Belarus. Is it to make people who can't afford powershift, feel better? Correct me if I am wrong, but the idea with functions like powershift is so you can shift under load... rather than getting you to sit still long enough to acquire deep vein thrombosis.

[JoeinTX]

Hhhhmmmmm......


Not sure here, hey mate.


If Valtra can find a way to reduce to the number of clutch applications throughout a day, great. But, at the same time, I'm not sure exactly what applicatons they are referring to that would reuquire "hundred" of clutchings in a day short of utility work. Hard apps in the field don't necessarily require a lot of clutching regardless of tranny or maker.

It sounds more like Valtra is benefitting more from the Fendt/AGCO tranny developments with the IVT and honking it on their site.


As for "lazy" farmers..........I've never met a lazy farmer. I've met lazy welfare recipients......lazy lawyers....lazy reporters......and lazy cops (). I work with lazy reps and lazy company reimbursement officers.

A "lazy farmer" who depends upon the production of his land for his living..............? Not so much.

[EhM8]

It wouldn't actually reduce the number of clutchings; just that you don't have to use your left foot.

I aspire to being a lazy farmer, but would prefer to work shorter hours rather than not wanting to overstrain my left foot. Perhaps we work long hours, but a few of us are carrying spare tyres around our middles. And if we are spending long hours on a tractor, it probably isn't healthy for us not to be moving our legs

The Case JXU apparently have the push button power clutch too, but I still can't see much advantage in it. It seems to me to be just a gimmick used on models that they can't be bothered to upgrade to powershift or CVT/IVT, which provide actual productivity gains.

Originally Posted by JoeinTX

Hhhhmmmmm......


Not sure here, hey mate.


If Valtra can find a way to reduce to the number of clutch applications throughout a day, great. But, at the same time, I'm not sure exactly what applicatons they are referring to that would reuquire "hundred" of clutchings in a day short of utility work. Hard apps in the field don't necessarily require a lot of clutching regardless of tranny or maker.

It sounds more like Valtra is benefitting more from the Fendt/AGCO tranny developments with the IVT and honking it on their site.


As for "lazy" farmers..........I've never met a lazy farmer. I've met lazy welfare recipients......lazy lawyers....lazy reporters......and lazy cops (). I work with lazy reps and lazy company reimbursement officers.

A "lazy farmer" who depends upon the production of his land for his living..............? Not so much.

[Egon]

Check out a tractor site like John Deere. There you will get the latest information on the transmissions, number of gears and shifting.

[EhM8]

I have to confess, it does make me look a bit closer at John Deere. I don't think you have them in the US, but there is the German made 5020 - it has a bit more weight that the 5025s, and it has the powerquad and powerquad plus transmissions. Don't know whether I need powershift, but am annoyed that CNH has put a power clutch button instead of providing a powershift option - if I wanted something like that, I'd go for powershift instead. Not sure how good those Tier II John Deere engines are on fuel, however. Then again, none of the utility tractors with 4.5 litre engines seem to be that marvelous when it comes to fuel efficiency.

Originally Posted by Egon

Check out a tractor site like John Deere. There you will get the latest information on the transmissions, number of gears and shifting.

[chh]

As the owner of a new MF 5455 with the Dyna 4 tranny, I can tell you not having to clutch is a bigger asset than you would think. And yes in a full day of making round bales hundreds of clutches would not be unusual. Clutch/shiift to speed up as a windrow thins, clutch/shift to slow down as it gets thicker, clutch/shift to downshift for a hill, clutch when you have to stop to wrap a bale,..... get the picture. Try if for a 8+ hour day, then decide if its being lazy or not.

[radman1]

I am mostly familiar with JD and CNH transmissions. The push button shift you refer to is found on CNH's 24x24 transmission. It actually is great if one needs to downshift on tillage work. Say you are discing or plowing and encounter a steep hill, by downshifting with the button, the tractor gets about a 20% decrease in speed and 18% increase in torque to make it up the hill. Get to the top of the hill and upshift with the button. No stopping to clutch and shift gears. In a full days work this couple happen a lot. For most heavy work, often a single downshift is enough to get you through the tough spots. To me it works like the torque amplifier of the older tractors.

JDs quad shift and CNHs semipowershift lets one change gears in a single range without clutching by moving a shift button. (four gear shifts)

Full powershift is nicer and lets you change through all gears without clutching.

JDs IVT (infinitely variable transmission) lets you move a lever seemlessly throughout without clutching. Touch the brake and the tractor stops without clutching. Release the brake and starts moving again. IVT is a fantastic transmission from what I have heard but $$$$.

On top of the semipowershift, full powershift and IVT you can get autoshift which will let the tractor shift up and down in field or road modes depending on engine speed and how fast you want to go. Now you don't have to do any button shifting.

[radman1]

Originally Posted by EhM8

I have to confess, it does make me look a bit closer at John Deere. I don't think you have them in the US, but there is the German made 5020 - it has a bit more weight that the 5025s, and it has the powerquad and powerquad plus transmissions. Don't know whether I need powershift, but am annoyed that CNH has put a power clutch button instead of providing a powershift option - if I wanted something like that, I'd go for powershift instead. Not sure how good those Tier II John Deere engines are on fuel, however. Then again, none of the utility tractors with 4.5 litre engines seem to be that marvelous when it comes to fuel efficiency.

CNH makes semipowershift in the Maxxum line and full powershift in the Puma line. Both are bigger than the 5000 series and comparable to JDs 6000 and 7000 series. The smallest Maxxum and Puma is around 110-115 engine hp.

Try the JXU with the 2 speed button, it might be ok. However the powershift gives more flexibilty.

[DavidA]

I do not consider myself to be lazy, however, I have authoritis in my left knee and depressing the clutch "hundreds of times" a day will leave me unable to walk when I get off my tractor. I traded tractors and no longer need to depress the clutch and I can operate all day long, get off the tractor and walk with no problems. Don't classify everyone as a "lazy farmer".

[RickB]

Originally Posted by DavidA

I do not consider myself to be lazy, however, I have authoritis in my left knee and depressing the clutch "hundreds of times" a day will leave me unable to walk when I get off my tractor. I traded tractors and no longer need to depress the clutch and I can operate all day long, get off the tractor and walk with no problems. Don't classify everyone as a "lazy farmer".

It's sad that so many folks have that combination of arrogance and ignorance, but yet still go to bed each night with a full belly.