Low Range for hst

[Wagtail]

Agreed.. Use your lowest range, UNLESS you cannot go as fast as you need to go, If so then shift up a range. It is just common sense. I cannot imaging why people put their hydros in HI range and just push on the pedal a bit to get the ground speed they need. It is just dumb. Why on earth would you make the system work into a heavy load like that with minimum oil flow to boot. Keep in mind that the range selector lever is controlling a conventional 2 or 3 speed standard gear transmission behind the hydro pump/motor combination. Thats right just an old "coffee grinder" gear transmission. So why in heck would you put the thing in 3rd gear and make everything upstream including the engine work harder than it needs too?

You know on your older pickup trucks or cars with "three on the tree" you could take off in 3rd gear if your rear end wasn't geared too high by really revving up the engine, slipping the clutch until it got rolling... BUT why would you want to do that?

I've never owned or operated a tractor before I bought my 4105 HST, so everything has been a learning curve. Around my wee property, the hardest I've regularly worked it has been shifting purchased round bales or drag-harrowing.

But, this is the second year of helping a neighbour bring in the hay crop and this is where I'm getting my true experience (Tractor FUN!) in handling and settings. This year (so far, it's haying season for us right now) I was pushing the tractor in 4WD in High @ 2500... I figured that the more power/revs was going to be easier on the tractor as, this year, I was more experienced in fetching and loading the round bales. WRONG... I noticed my fuel gauge going wonky. I knew I had around half a tank but the gauge would drasticly fluctuate, sometimes even red-lining.

So I've backed things off now. 2000rpm is just fine and gets the job done. 2500, High in 2WD is for road driving (between fields) only. It's a learning curve, as I said.

 

[TomSeller]

The idea is to have fwd/rev depressed as far as possible to get the most flow, hence lowest range possible to match speed.

 

[Wagtail]

The idea is to have fwd/rev depressed as far as possible to get the most flow, hence lowest range possible to match speed.

OK, Tom, I understand that... My HST only has High or Low. If I'm tilling (rev to 2800 for the PTO) or drag-harrowing (rev to 2000) I put it in low and 'floor it' = best speed for the job.

But 'low' at 2000 is too slow when it comes to fetching hay rounds IOT make up groups of 7 for field loading & when loading the flat-bed lorry. I've learnt that 'high', but still at 2000, is where I want to be for those operations... especially when operating the FEL/bale spikes with a full round.

 

[jenkinsph]

OK, Tom, I understand that... My HST only has High or Low. If I'm tilling (rev to 2800 for the PTO) or drag-harrowing (rev to 2000) I put it in low and 'floor it' = best speed for the job.

But 'low' at 2000 is too slow when it comes to fetching hay rounds IOT make up groups of 7 for field loading & when loading the flat-bed lorry. I've learnt that 'high', but still at 2000, is where I want to be for those operations... especially when operating the FEL/bale spikes with a full round.

You can get away with this on the 4105 as the max operating speed is only 13 mph in high range. Some of the other tractors with three range hydro will run 16 to 17 mph which indicates lower numerical rations than you have. Just use some judgement and pay attention to the loading.

 

[jenkinsph]

OK, Tom, I understand that... My HST only has High or Low. If I'm tilling (rev to 2800 for the PTO) or drag-harrowing (rev to 2000) I put it in low and 'floor it' = best speed for the job.

But 'low' at 2000 is too slow when it comes to fetching hay rounds IOT make up groups of 7 for field loading & when loading the flat-bed lorry. I've learnt that 'high', but still at 2000, is where I want to be for those operations... especially when operating the FEL/bale spikes with a full round.

You can get away with this on the 4105 as the max operating speed is only 13 mph in high range. Some of the other tractors with three range hydro will run 16 to 17 mph which indicates lower numerical rations than you have. Just use some judgement and pay attention to the loading.

 

[Fallon]

My Kubota L3200 is in M 75% of the time. I only hit H when roading it. l hit L maybe 20% of the time when having trouble digging up a pile, tilling, plowing dirt or doing precision work benefiting from the better stopping or holding power.

 

[oosik]

I would guess the hardest I work my tractor is plowing snow off the driveway. I run high range first gear at 2000 rpm. This gives me a ground speed of 5 mph which is ideal when using my rear blade. I guess I could use low range, fourth gear which at 2000 rpm would give me a ground speed of about 4 mph.

For that matter - I would guess that the tractor is in high range, first gear most all the time. Going much faster just generates a very rough ride on most of my property.

I do use low range when pulling the bottom plow - better control and I can maintain 2000 rpm and a lower ground speed.