Gone Back To Gear Tractor?

[jinman]

1. Direct torque to wheels
2. No whine
3. Simplicity/maintenance
4. Lower cost

Did I miss any so far? Any more reasons you will go/stay/have gone back to gear?

Again, this isn't bait for the argumentative, just gathering of information.

Yep, I think you missed the biggest one. Anytime you upgrade above about 55 hp, you will be in the land of gear-only. CVT may change all of that, but currently if you want a 75 hp tractor, you better be able to shift some gears.

 

[Egon]

I beleive some of the newer geared transmissions on the larger tractor can shift for themselves under certain condition.

Not much resemblance to a collar shift.

 

[rdbrumfield]

HST works well for my lawn mower. I have tried it with a tractor, I guess after 50yrs with gears that is where I am staying.

I will say, the best all around tractor I ever owned, had two of them, was the 336D Yanmar. I loved the 3sp powershift with the 4 ranges and a two speed pto. It is really a shame JD didn't pick up on that then they got Yanmar to stop competing in the U S as they were building the JD.

For a 33hp unit at the time I think it was the best on the market. Sure miss mine.

 

[firefighter jim]

If I ever get another tractor (I'm getting older now!) I might just go back to gear drive. Although my 2 Kubota HST's have done a great job, I don't like the whine. That said, plowing snow this year has been nice with the HST!

 

[robert23239]

Sometimes it might be the MFG you purchase the equipment from.
The Deere 4020 was about 95 HP and it had a HST powershift. When coming to the end row you could shift down 2 or 3 gears and slow down with out losing RPM. Slow enough to make the turn and shift up again. It worked great for the newer planters that had a PTO.
The 4020 was designed is the 50's and it was one reliable tractor. In fact many are still running today. I like the standard for the cost, cheaper to fix and when leaving a field, there as that pause when I shift to road gear, and let out the clutch, the smokes roll out of the exhaust, the power is heard and the extra speed is a great feeling as it feels like I am flying down the road.
Sometimes I fail to understand the America Tractor market. There is so much available.

R.

 

[Baby Grand]

1. Direct torque to wheels
2. No whine
3. Simplicity/maintenance
4. Lower cost

Did I miss any so far? Any more reasons you will go/stay/have gone back to gear?

My $.02: I bought a GST for the 26.5 vs 25 PTO HP. I know, it sounds trivial, but when you figure the cost of a new machine and what that works out to in $/PTO HP, or drawbar HP, it's a significant premium you pay for less power. My original intent was to do a lot of ground engaging work and converting more diesel to heat wasn't my idea of a bargain, either. Then there's the added thermal load on the cooling system. Plus I've always prefered a machine with simple, direct controls vs automation. I do make exceptions for electronic fuel injection, ignition and spark advance. No contest there - they save fuel.

-Jim

 

[foggy1111]

1. Direct torque to wheels
2. No whine
3. Simplicity/maintenance
4. Lower cost

Did I miss any so far? Any more reasons you will go/stay/have gone back to gear?

Again, this isn't bait for the argumentative, just gathering of information.

Hmmmmm.....Reliability? And I think Roy Jackson said it best: Gears and vertical exhaust are the "the signs of a manly tractor". You hydro guys are a buncha wimps!!

(OK.....I admit it......I wish for a hydro at times)

 

[RobertN]

I just picked up a used tractor from a local dealer. It is a NH TC40 HST(previous was a smaller Kubota HST). I asked about tranny issues, because this came up here on TBN so often.

He has not seen a failed HST in 4 years. And that was one. Not much in the way of gear trannies either.

After over 10 years here on TBN, there has been a lot of hoopla about tranny failures, but not many posts, gear or HST.

Maybe someone could do a search and tabulate the data on failed trannies, gear or HST?

Show me the data! All I see is speculation...

I have not actually "gone", but I WILL GO from HST to Gear.

Why?

- More relaible
- Durability, I cannot see an HST pulling a disc or plow thru a field w/o overheating the hydraulics and god forbid if the HST were to break, the cost!!!!
-

 

[MtnViewRanch]

Robert, I think that you are going to like that bigger tractor.

Hope that it works for you.

 

[RoyJackson]

Hmmmmm.....Reliability? And I think Roy Jackson said it best: Gears and vertical exhaust are the "the signs of a manly tractor". You hydro guys are a buncha wimps!!

(OK.....I admit it......I wish for a hydro at times)

Never wished for a hydro, but sometimes (like the last two snowstorms) I think a power-reverser would be nice. But not enough to go for a newer tractor and new payment!

I didn't go back to a gear tractor (since I already have one) but I did trade an old Ford Ranger with automatic off on a newer Nissan Frontier with a 6 speed manual. Does that count?