Gone Back To Gear Tractor?

[Soundguy]

I have a yard full of different types of hydrostatic or hydraulic, or torque converter driven heavy equipment at work.. get to run those a little.. used to run them all the time... still prefer to come home and run a plain crashbox gear tractor though..

soundguy

 

[Heywood Jannockitov]

You can push-start a gear tractor if you have to.

 

[RobertN]

Aint got it no more, but the Farmall "A" I had could crank start

You can push-start a gear tractor if you have to.

 

[Verticaltrx]

I have both gear and HST tractors and like them both for there intended application. For a small tractor that will be used for general utility work I like HST, especially for loader work. For field work I like a gear driven tractor.

I've also spent many hours running larger tractors with full power shift and power reverse. IMO its the best blend of max efficiency, productivity, and durability. I wish they would offer it in smaller tractors, but my guess is it would be cost prohibitive for most consumers.

 

[lawn_king]

I have to say that my international gear tractors were great machines, but after a decade of hydros and now into the kubota hydrostat plus, there's no going back!

 

[flusher]

Just a curiosity poll. Has anyone actually gone back to a gear tractor, or threatened to do so, because they a.) wished to save a few dollars? b.) gotten weary of the HST whine, or c.) another reason of your own?

Not so much interested in a zillion posts by those who love their HST and wouldn't go back, that's obviously the vast majority. Just interested in hearing from those who have or are thinking about swimming against the tide.

Not a matter of going back to a gear tranny in my case. I started with a new 2005 Kubota B7510HST (21 hp engine, 17 hp pto, 4WD) with the LA302 FEL which worked fine when all I had to do was mow my 10 acres and move some dirt and gravel around.

Later I decided to plant a hay crop (oats) so I bought a new 2008 Mahindra 5525 (54 hp engine, 45 hp pto, 2WD, gear tranny) with the ML250 FEL. Need the hp for plowing, discing and baling.

There's a bit of learning involved in using the FEL with a gear tranny, but your skills improved rapidly with practice.

And I like the sound of that big Mahindra engine.

 

[ModMech]

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...

Our 2001 Kubota has already suffered an HST failure where the directional control would not return to "N" and transitioning from F to R or vice-versa was an excersize in wheel stands and skidding because the control valve was sticking. This all eventhough the suggested maintenance has been preformed exactly as specified by Kubota. I'm not making degrading remarks toward the Mfg, just stating facts. The neighbor has an old IH, never had a clutch or trans work but after 40+ years it won't start. I also have GE and WH tractors with gear transmissions, no trouble with either and the newest is over 30 years old. Granted both are yard & garden tractors (SCUT), but data just the same.

The Kubota's HST got VERY HOT just pulling a load of logs from the neighbor's back field to our yard for splitting, there is NO WAY it would hold up to serious field work based on that and the 2 hours we spent in that field with the tiller breaking soil. It gets hot fast! Everyone knows that hot oil/transmission fuild = bigtime bad for durability/reliability.

 

[jenkinsph]

Our 2001 Kubota has already suffered an HST failure where the directional control would not return to "N" and transitioning from F to R or vice-versa was an excersize in wheel stands and skidding because the control valve was sticking. This all eventhough the suggested maintenance has been preformed exactly as specified by Kubota. I'm not making degrading remarks toward the Mfg, just stating facts. The neighbor has an old IH, never had a clutch or trans work but after 40+ years it won't start. I also have GE and WH tractors with gear transmissions, no trouble with either and the newest is over 30 years old. Granted both are yard & garden tractors (SCUT), but data just the same.

The Kubota's HST got VERY HOT just pulling a load of logs from the neighbor's back field to our yard for splitting, there is NO WAY it would hold up to serious field work based on that and the 2 hours we spent in that field with the tiller breaking soil. It gets hot fast! Everyone knows that hot oil/transmission fuild = bigtime bad for durability/reliability.

While you may have witnessed the sticky valve and the neighbors tractor running hot I wouldn't assume that all hydro tractors have problems. I know both of my hydros' run cool under load.

 

[Tractor Shopper]

Honestly this Gear vs Hydro fight goes on and on, both have advantages and work well in different applications but when it come down to it, it's operator perference, I have a 16x16 shuttle and do alot of loader/ shuttle work that a hydro would be awesome for but the shuttle does the work just the same, and pretty well. Again, a machine is just as versatile and as good as its operator and if your paying for it buy what makes you happy and what you want to operate.

 

[Baranx4]

I have both gear and HST tractors and like them both for there intended application. For a small tractor that will be used for general utility work I like HST, especially for loader work. For field work I like a gear driven tractor.

Your right on the money with this, for loader work less than 50 hp it's hard to beat a hydro for speed. I run a JD 4700 hydro at my in-laws and a kioti dk40se gear at my house. For quick changes going forward or backing up a hydro is hard to beat, now pulling a bottom plow and I like the gear drive. I wear ear protection with both so the whin doesn't bother me.

For a less skilled operator the hydro is the way to start out since you have less to worry about. I have a friend who's a landscaper and he only buys bobcat skid steers or hydro tractors for site work since somewhere along the season he's going to be breaking in a new operator and the hydro forgives.