texasjohn
Super Member
These threads do give me an opportunity to harrass all those quiche eating girly guys though!! Keeps an old man occupied.
It's his entertainment. Experience? Bah, humbug
These threads do give me an opportunity to harrass all those quiche eating girly guys though!! Keeps an old man occupied.
Thanks to everyone that replied to this thread. TripleR makes a great point. I should have given you all more information. I have 6 acres of land, four has been cleared and two are wooded. I use my tractor mainly for the FEL (spreading dirt, hauling cut wood, etc.) but I'm planning on grading a driveway about 50 yards long and 10 feet wide, brush hog the other two acres, to thin out the under brush and with a rotary tiller for a small garden. I'm leaning toward the HST so my wife and daughter can use the tractor. My main concern between gear driven or HST is which one would need less maintenance. I have a small gear driven grey tractor now with less than 150 hrs that needs a clutch already. This is my first tractor and has been an expensive experience. I purchased it used about 15 months ago with 70 hrs. As for the other half of the question, should I buy a Kubota B3200 or L3200. If I wanted to sell it later on which one is the more popular. They both are about the same tractor except the
L3200 is a lot more beefier.
If you go back and read most of the threads (over the last ten years or so), you see I mostly promote gear transmissions rather then demote HST.
You're correct...most responders do not have adequate experience in both types of transmissions to make an educated post on the merits. Even the relatively few hours I have on HST is likely more then most have on gears.
What I mostly promote is the OPs get on the tractors and see what they prefer most. They are the ones going to be living with their decision.
But, it's just an internet forum and harassing the girlyguy HST owners is fun. That's what it boils down to...
I agree for the most part, I enjoy arguing with old gear tractor guys who lave little or no esperience with hydrostatic transmissions.
I agree for the most part, I enjoy arguing with old gear tractor guys who lave little or no esperience with hydrostatic transmissions.
If you go back and read most of the threads (over the last ten years or so), you see I mostly promote gear transmissions rather then demote HST.
You're correct...most responders do not have adequate experience in both types of transmissions to make an educated post on the merits. Even the relatively few hours I have on HST is likely more then most have on gears.
What I mostly promote is the OPs get on the tractors and see what they prefer most. They are the ones going to be living with their decision.
But, it's just an internet forum and harassing the girlyguy HST owners is fun. That's what it boils down to...
I see lots of guys post about buying a hydro so the wife can operate the tractor, think thats funny. Most women aren't any more spastic than men from what I see. I recommend buying a hydro if it best suits your own uses. Operating a small tractor on a few acres I can't see the need for a gear tractor at all. Clipping pastures all day, plowing large fields then a gear tractor saves fuel and becomes much more important.
I have a manual/gear that I bought new. If I ever do it over, it will be a HST without a doubt. In addition, I've heard its about a $3000 job to replace a clutch where as its only about $1000 more for a HST so its probably much cheaper in the long run.
Agent Blue said:I had a TC45 NH that I listened to the hydro whine for three years. Went to pull another tractor out of a sink hole and it had a terrible time trying to spin those large tires when weighted down. Traded for a TC 55 with power reverser and have never been happier. If I can't find a range in twelve gears it isn't worth doing. The hydro pumps never seem to have the power to efficiently run the drive and loader at the same time. This is true of tractors less than 100 hp.