Reminds me of what Adam Smith said in a different context "In the long run, we are all dead"
If you do a lot of tasks which require fine control, slow and fast speeds, direction changes, and the ability to concentrate completely on the task and not the tractor's operation, then HST is the best choice.
If you do a lot of tasks which require fine control, slow and fast speeds, direction changes, and the ability to concentrate completely on the task and not the tractor's operation, then HST is the best choice. Some HST tractors in the 45-55 hp range do not even have a clutch. There's no need for a clutch since you can slow to creep speed, stop, go in the opposite direction with the HST pedal(s). Some HST tractors maintain a clutch just for PTO operation, but many have PTOs that are engaged completely independent of the drivetrain.
In my experience/observation, I find many people with gear driven tractors experience clutch problems because they end up riding the clutch to slow the tractor and do fine work. Shuttle shifting changes direction, but does nothing for you if you need to slow to a creep and then accelerate without changing gears. That's what HST does with ease, but many gear tractor operators (especially those who are new to tractors) will burn out clutches because they slip the clutch to achieve varying speeds. In full-size TLBs used for construction, clutches have been replaced with torque converters, but I don't know of anything similar in the utility sized tractors.
Keep in mind that some shuttle shift tractors do require the use of the clutch do change directions.
I'm pretty sure that was Keynes, wasn't it? Btw, he's dead as a door nail, but his stupid-***** policies are being shoved down our throats and are failing miserably - which a blind monkey could have predicted. :mur:
And what does that have to do with this forum you say, well, less money left in the private sector for us to buy tractors with!
My faux pas. You are quite right. It was Keynes.
Not that I want to start something political here but to be honest Keynesian policies were what brought America out of the great depression i.e. it was really WW2 and the massive debt financed government spending that got things going. The problem tends to be that people forget that while Keynes advocated a government running large deficits during recessions, he also advocated surpluses and paying back the debt during good times. The problem occurs when you run deficits during both good times and bad.