Does anybody REALLY dislike HST?

[beppington]

I've read the pro's & cons of an HST vs gear.

Just wondering if anybody really hates HST's?

Or maybe you have a particular task & your HST is just flat-out the wrong transmission for the job?

I have roughly 13 acres of bush hog type mowing, probably a few times a year, & then up to about a mile of "trails" through some hardwoods I'll bush hog occassionally. This is new property, so I'm not precisely sure how it's gonna go, but those are my educated guesses. I could see the whole thing eventually evolving to more use of a finish mower.

Thank you!

 

[oldnslo]

I've read the pro's & cons of an HST vs gear.

Just wondering if anybody really hates HST's?

Or maybe you have a particular task & your HST is just flat-out the wrong transmission for the job?

I have roughly 13 acres of bush hog type mowing, probably a few times a year, & then up to about a mile of "trails" through some hardwoods I'll bush hog occassionally. This is new property, so I'm not precisely sure how it's gonna go, but those are my educated guesses. I could see the whole thing eventually evolving to more use of a finish mower.

Thank you!

for a lawn mower or loader work no, for ground engagement equipment yes. The hydro was way to noisy and hot when used hard in the field. It was a 544 IH

 

[Spudland_Dave]

The hydro was way to noisy and hot when used hard in the field. It was a 544 IH

I used to HATE Hydro...I was "forced" into one by Deere...I say forced because the only tranny available with a Cab 3x or 4x20 is the eHydro...after about 10 hours of use I became a believer. I am now in love with my eHdyro.:thumbsup:
As fas as whine, mine doesnt whine...dont feel any heat difference. Alot of time has passed since the 544 was sold new..

To answer your question though, I think it would depend on the hydro in question...I cant stand the Kubota Treddle...the transmission itself though is a nice working transmission. I cant type enough about how much I love the eHydro.

 

[Iplayfarmer]

The only complaint I ever had about HST was that my particular tractor doesn't have cruise control. Back in my gear tranny days, I'd select a gear and bush hog the whole pasture without touching anything but the steering wheel. My leg gets a little tired nowadays after an hour or so of mowing weeds.

If you get cruise control on your tractor, then it's no problem.

 

[wampum]

A hydro is really good when using a front end loader,when you are moving bucket after bucket. They are good for mowing,and are simple and easy to operate. A gear tractor is better when you are doing a lot of constant work.(like plowing,disking,or even brush hogging,large areas) You can put it in the gear you want for speed and let her go. I know most hydros have cruise,but I have noticed if you are working your tractor under load for a long time,the hydro will over heat,the gear will normally not. People that do not use a tractor very often,tend to like the hydros better,they are just plain easier to use. I went back to a gear on my newest tractor.the only draw back I can see is having to shift forward and reverse with your hand and being at a full stop when you do. To me this is no big deal,because I have used this type of tractor most of my life. If several different people are going to use it,the hydro is probably safer just forward or reverse and 2 or 3 speeds.

 

[kubob]

What I've been told - most tractors that have HST are usually "utility tractors" and are used for many different little jobs, especially nice for loader work since you can keep using loader controls and there's no shifting gears and landscapers prefer the HST for their work - and GEAR trans is mostly the bigger tractors for farm and field work. Does this sound like what most of you have heard?

 

[beppington]

Thanks everybody.

As I said in another post, I'm leaning towards a JD 4120 which does have a cruise control button.

Seems like the cruise should work well out in the field part, & the hydro should be better for the trails.

The only possible problem: My dad's Mahindra 4110 is "complicated" enough I guess (clutch in, pick a range, pick a speed, push into forward, release clutch while pressing the gas pedal) that nobody else ever bothers asking to use it. Hydro: Just push the GO pedal, I'm afraid everybody's gonna wanna drive it!

 

[TripleR]

Good information all around and can't improve on it. I think some of the older hands may be opposed to the HST based on earlier experiences and none with the newer versions just as some who hate geared units do so based on their experiences with the old geared units and have no experience with the much improved ones now available.

 

[radman1]

I read posts by others complaining about the HST whine. I have had 3 JDs (2305, 3720 and 4520) and 1 Case-IH (DX29) HSTs. Never heard a whine from any of them regardless of engine rpm or pulling hard.

 

[oldnslo]

As fas as whine, mine doesnt whine...dont feel any heat difference. Alot of time has passed since the 544 was sold new..

Dave,
no question about the years since the 544 was around. I think it was an early to mid 70's model but don't remember for sure.

 

[MarkV]

Well I have one of each and feel very comfortable on both. If all else were equal and met my needs I would go HST. The infinite speed adjustment is what would sway me. My gear tractor has 12 forward speeds and is harder to use for tilling and mowing irregular areas. You will put more power to the pto with a gear tractor though. If I had to go to a smaller mower to have HST I would go gear. And when I say gear I mean a shuttle shift that lets you change directions and gears without clutching or stopping.

MarkV

 

[beenthere]

HST is the closest thing to hands-free.
Only for field work, where plowing, disking, etc. and long times getting from one end of a field to the other would I choose the gear.

I really miss the HST when I do loader work with a shuttle tractor. Compared to HST, it's a pain for me and I see no advantage whatsoever (to me). The ehydro is a step up over HST for loader work too. But I can adapt to how to approach the work without ehydro and just HST.

Hope some or all of these replies give you what you want to know. Even then, you may still prefer going without the HST.

 

[magicheater]

Well I have one of each and feel very comfortable on both. If all else were equal and met my needs I would go HST. The infinite speed adjustment is what would sway me. My gear tractor has 12 forward speeds and is harder to use for tilling and mowing irregular areas. You will put more power to the pto with a gear tractor though. If I had to go to a smaller mower to have HST I would go gear. And when I say gear I mean a shuttle shift that lets you change directions and gears without clutching or stopping.MarkV

I also have one of each, gear tractor has 8 forward speeds and is not hard to use at all, I just select the right gear. I find the HST tractor much better w/FEL work. The responsiveness offers more technique with the quicker response. What I do not like about HST is that your right foot is tied up and it is difficult to use the brakes at the same time. It is really nice to have both, smaller one with HST and a bigger one with gear and hydro shuttle. When using the gear drive for loader work I tend to use the foot throttle and shuttle in symphony with each other thus almost accomplishing the effect of the HST, but not quite. One technique I use with the HST is to rock back and forth, something I find not possible with the gear tractor.

 

[Ductape]

Who couldn't love HST ????

Its the bees knees. :thumbsup:

 

[Johndeere3720]

I have both a HST and two Gear tractors. Since most of my tractor work currently is brush hogging and grading, I prefer Gear. For mowing the lawn, I prefer my HST lawn tractor to get close to buildings and it is easy for my whole family to drive. I cant say I have a favorite for both close up and field work because both have their ups and downs on that. Its kinda just based on opinion.

 

[RoyJackson]

I doubt anyone "really dislikes" any kind of transmission. It's no more then a preference.
Unless you're one of those obsessive-compulsive TBNers...

 

[crusty 1]

Can,t help but love my HST after doing so much with gear,it,s just so easy.You give up a bit of power but if you buy a few extra horses its a wash.I,ll never go back,just my 2cents:thumbsupave

 

[wolc123]

For open field bush-hogging, the gear has an advantage due to greater efficiency, but in the woods and cutting around trees, etc, the hydro would be just as, if not more efficient. I would let that decide for you, if you are doing mostly open field work - go gear, otherwise hydro. I have a 4120 gear and it has power to spare on a 6 ft bush hog, even cutting thick stuff so I think, even with the slight efficiency loss of the hydro, you would still be ok with a 6 ft mower. I use the 4120 mostly for open field bush-hogging and some tillage (plow/disc), so the gear decision was a no-brainer for me. That said, I have both gear and hydro lawn mid-mount mower tractors of equal hp, and I can get the lawn cut faster with the hydro even though it has a narrower cut. I have a lot of trees, buildings, etc to mow around and the hydro is a huge advantage in that situation. If you think you will get a cab, and hydro, a 4320 might be in order as the AC will suck up a little more hp and ,coupled with the hydro efficiency loss, you may be pushing the power a bit for a 6 ft bush-hog. The 4000 series are a little too wide for a 5-foot mower. Personally, I feel a canopy is a much better proposition than a cab on these little machines anyhow, if working under the hot sun bothers you. A good canopy takes care of that problem, dont cost much money, and is easy to take off in a hurry if you need to fold the roll-bar for clearance issues. If you go for a 4120, I would also recommend the R1 tires with the rears loaded. That will give you enough traction to get all the tractor's hp into the ground if you ever need it. R4's will really limit your drawbar pull ability on soft ground. There really isn't much difference in damage to a soft lawn between R4's and R1's, but there is a huge difference in traction ability on soft ground.

 

[Ray_Fort_White]

I've got 2 HST Lawn Tractors and a JD 3038E. I can't hear any transmission whine over the engine noise. That could be due to all that loud acid rock music I listened to in the 70's. However, my wife has never mentioned hearing any whining and she has hearing like a bat.

Maybe the HST noise problems are a thing of the past?

 

[JoeL4330]

planning to use a snowblower in big storms ...get a hydro or learn how to change the clutch