any downside to hst?

[massiveSnow]

besides cost, is there any downside to an hst transmission? are there any applications for which you would prefer a powershift or conventional manual?

 

[GeneD14]

I would prefer gear drive for heavy ground engagement. Things like plowing a field.

 

[JerryG]

besides cost, is there any downside to an hst transmission? are there any applications for which you would prefer a powershift or conventional manual?

I can't stand the noise of running the engine at a higher RPM and I also don't like the whine.

 

[daTeacha]

As a new HST owner with 55 hours on the machine, I'm still not used to the engine running at a more or less constant speed while I work the foot pedal. I miss the foot throttle and car/truck like driving responses to it. It's just a little disconcerting to have the engine slow so much under load.

Also, like an automatic in a car, it just seems to lack some of the directness and sense of power that a gear set up offers.

For many chores, the hst is better, for others the gear is better. If you plan to mow a lot, get the hst. If you have some delicate maneuvering to do like working in the woods or in a barn, get the hst. If you plan to plow or otherwise use the tractor for more traditional farming work involving stirring the soil, consider gear drive.

 

[mchasal]

You usually lose a couple more HP at the PTO with an HST vs. gear.

Mike

 

[citytransplant]

besides cost, is there any downside to an hst transmission? are there any applications for which you would prefer a powershift or conventional manual?

The wife and other loved ones (and even not so loved) may be more inclined to ask to use the tractor!

 

[GeneD14]

The wife and other loved ones (and even not so loved) may be more inclined to ask to use the tractor!

You bring up a good point.

When I use my HST tractor I usually stay out on it longer because my knee isn't shooting in pain from pressing in the clutch on my gear tractor. And that is good for seat time on the tractor but less time with the family and an ice pack on my knee.

 

[Bob_Skurka]

besides cost, is there any downside to an hst transmission? are there any applications for which you would prefer a powershift or conventional manual?

As mentioned, the HST will eat up about 1 PTO HP compared to a gear tractor. A gear tractor is better for plowing a large field (something most of us never do with our compact tractors). A tractor with an HST will require you to run the engine at slightly higher RPMs and does have a bit of a whining sound to the transmission.

On the other hand, for tasks like lawn mowing, field cutting, FEL work, snow blowing and tilling a garden, a HST transmission offers advantages in speed, or control or safety (or all of the above) compared to a gear tractor. As someone who went from gear to HST (I have it on 3 tractors) my preference is to never again operate a gear tractor unless it is down Main Street during a parade and I am driving a restored antique. But for working on a small property, gentleman's farm, etc, for me I am sold on HST. Others will have different opinions!

 

[MossRoad]

besides cost, is there any downside to an hst transmission? are there any applications for which you would prefer a powershift or conventional manual?

There is no perfect machine for all chores. I would look long and hard at the chores that you plan on doing most and buy a machine that will be the best compromise.

One of the things that is mentioned often when discussing HST VS GEAR is the power loss at the rear wheels or PTO. "Power Loss" makes it sound like the machine is anemic. Think of a car with an automatic VS a car with a stick back in the 60s'. With the same engine, the stick would beat the auto most times... so you tweak the auto's engine and it beat the stick. So you put a bigger carb on the stick and it beats the auto. So you put a shift kit on the auto and it beats the stick. So you put a bigger cam in the stick.... and back and forth. There is more engine power delivered to the rear wheels and PTO in a gear tranny, that is a given. However, if you purchase a machine that is designed to handle the task you need it to do, the point is moot. Yes, you may end up having to purchase an HST tractor with a bit more HP to accomplish the same task as a gear tractor, such as plowing dirt, but the point is, if you buy a correctly sized machine in the first place, you won't care. You will be a happy camper. So how do you decide which is right for you? By asking questions like the one you asked!

For mowing our yard, FEL work, brush hogging brush, plowing snow, and forklifting forks, I find HST most enjoyable and less fatiguing. That is normal homeowner/small estate owner work in my opinion. I don't plow fields, bale hay or run at the same speed for more than a hundred yards at a time. An HST will probably use more fuel than a gear. In a typical homeowner situation, how many hours a year are you going to put on a tractor? Let's say you put on 200 hrs a year... that's four hours a week. If the gear tractor burns 1 gallon an hour and the HST burns 1.2 gallons per hour, that's .8 gallons a week. .8 X 50 = 40 gallons of fuel a year more. At $3.00 a gallon, that's $120.00 a year more for the HST. Plus you have hydraulic filters and makeup fluid that you don't have on a gear tractor. Plus the increased cost of the HST over the GEAR at purchase. Is the HST worth the extra $$ ???

To me it is because I find our HST to be much more productive and easier to drive than the gear. It is also easier for my wife and children to operate. But I have to pay for that convenience.

 

[dknarnd]

I have a question to add to this topic concerning the "cruise control" on HST tractors. Currently when brush hogging our fields of between 3 and 5 acres each on the gear tractor once the first couple of rounds are made I never have to touch the clutch. It's just select the gear throttle up and round and round you go! Will the cruise feature hold a constant speed for an extended time? Will it hold speed on inclines and declines? My thoughts are that an HST would require more foot control in these situations. Now if you cut in areas that require lots of clutch work then the HST makes since.