What to buy 2415 HST or 2615 gear??

[jdl]

I'm at a major decision making point. I drove both the 2415 HST and the 2615 gear and I'm not sure which to buy. They are both priced very comparably ($500 spread) but in one way I love the hydro and in another I like the 3 ranges on the gear model 26. Live pto is a must so I don't consider a 24 gear. Tractor width is also a factor since they will be operating 60" attachments it will be a tight squeeze for the 26. Anyone have any help or direction on this one? I won't be using a loader at least not yet, so I don't know if I really need hydro. The shuttle shift works pretty well on the 26. Hope you can make sense of my rambling...

[wallace]

Okay you got me lost... I have sold tons of 2615s and none of them had a shuttle shift, they are straight H gear.

[bkheur]

Go for the 2615 gear. It is what I bought and I am glad I did. Has handled all my task very well.

[jdl]

Originally Posted by wallace

Okay you got me lost... I have sold tons of 2615s and none of them had a shuttle shift, they are straight H gear.

Sorry I meant forward and reverse gear shift

[George2615]

I haven't tried a 2415, It wasn't around when I bought mine, but I have the 2615HST and my vote would be for that. The gear model would be OK, in fact that was what I wanted before I sat on the 2615HST and tried it. I run a 64" snowblower, 60" brush mower, rake and back blade with no problem.

[jdl]

Thanks for the replies. I would like the 2615 HST but it costs a fair bit more than I want to pay. Already the 2415 at $12,500 is getting pretty steep for me and the 2615 HST is at least 2 grand more. Decisions decisions... Oh well, I guess I'll sleep on it some more. Thanks again guys!

[Savagepike]

Originally Posted by jdl

Thanks for the replies. I would like the 2615 HST but it costs a fair bit more than I want to pay. Already the 2415 at $12,500 is getting pretty steep for me and the 2615 HST is at least 2 grand more. Decisions decisions... Oh well, I guess I'll sleep on it some more. Thanks again guys!

If you're willing to wait a little longer and save, maybe you could swing the 2615hst. I've never regretted purchasing the larger of the two, and have done things that the 2415 most likely would not.

[Offy]

I would rather wait a bit and get what I really wanted than have a regret for buying my second choice.

[NorCalMatt]

I have a 2615 HST and love it, and will probably have HST in any future tractor purchase. It's not only very convenient for loader work, but also essentially bullet proof when it comes to abuse.

But, the machine I would recommend would depend on what you plan to use it for. If you're mostly doing field work, like mowing or scraping, the little extra punch of the gear is nice. When scraping with the 2615HST (I have some very rough fields from animals grazing) I find the HST a little bit of a nuisance because it will occasionally bog down a bit, requiring you to turn off the cruise control (actually a lock), press down on the "forward" HST petal again, and then turn the cruise back on. The gear would just power through it and get right back up to speed (Unless, of course, it bogs down far enough to stall it.)

So far, in about 100 hours of use, that's the only disadvantage of the HST I've found. In all other situations, I liked the HST as much or more than any gear tractor I've used.

[BamaRob]

Can't comment on the 2415 as they didn't have it when I bought my 2615 Gear. But, I absolutely love my 2615. I'm sure the 2415 HST is a fine machine, as well.

BR