Driving a HST
- Thread starter chuck172
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jimmyj
Elite Member
- Joined
- Aug 28, 2007
- Messages
- 3,719
- Location
- Ontario Canada
- Tractor
- Allis Chalmers 616 (Two) and a Kioti CK30 HST with loader and backhoe
The key will be to manage the RPMs HST's like RPM's more than gear. I run mine between 1800 and 2000 (CK30 hst) most of the time. You will love it. Congrats.
nybirdman
Super Member
I like mine;HST that is.You will have a foot pedal that controls speed/power,less pedal more power less speed,more pedal less power more speed.Most people get into trouble/need power push down on the pedal but the reverse is true,let up.
I run my Kubota in medium range for 99% of what I do and toggle up and down(HST+),I don't think anyone else has this feature.
I run my Kubota in medium range for 99% of what I do and toggle up and down(HST+),I don't think anyone else has this feature.
k0ua
Epic Contributor
Keep in mind some of the posters have different HST systems. Lets talk about the DK40se .
It does not have an autothrottle..Only the hand throttle.. set it about 1800 for most work, a little more when you need more power, a little less when you need to crawl around like doing fine grading of dirt or gravel. Don't let the engine lug, rev it up if you start loading it, but otherwise you can back off of the throttle any time you don't need much power. The brakes are on the left.. That is a wonderful thing when you need to brake steer. You unlock the brakes, apply forward or reverse motion with one of the peddles, and you can steer the tractor with the application of light pressure on one or the other of the split brakes. This is usefull when doing fine grading work, up against buildings and foundations, and also when pushing snow when the the front wheels cant bite in. When anticipating going up a hill, think about which range you need to be in BEFORE you hit the hill, and crank the throttle up and if then the rpm's start to drop, don't press harder on the forward pedal, you should let off of the forward pedal to unload the engine and let the rpm's start to go back up. How much you let off depends on which range you attacked the hill in. If in HI range, (road travel only, and then only when not heavily loaded or handling steep hills) or MED range, (most work is done in Med, if you need a good mix of torque vs speed) or if you are severely loaded, and the hill is very steep, then you may even have to attack it in LO range.. This is max torque, and slowest speed. But if you cannot hold RPM by even backing way way off of the forward pedal, then you have probably chosen the wrong range. REMEMBER HI range is ONLY for road travel and then only when not heavily loaded or pulling something heavy. Unless you live in Kansas or parts of Illinois where the land is flat as a pancake. Where I live, (its all up or all down), HI is about useless unless the bucket is empty and you aren't pulling anything. If you are pulling trees, or pushing something heavy, or want maximum feather control when grading or working next to a building you want LO range every time for the maximum control and finesse. You will enjoy, but have to rethink how you approach and come out of the pile when doing loader work, It is different, but way better than anything you have used before. I can go into more detail if you want later.. but I have rambled enough for now.
It does not have an autothrottle..Only the hand throttle.. set it about 1800 for most work, a little more when you need more power, a little less when you need to crawl around like doing fine grading of dirt or gravel. Don't let the engine lug, rev it up if you start loading it, but otherwise you can back off of the throttle any time you don't need much power. The brakes are on the left.. That is a wonderful thing when you need to brake steer. You unlock the brakes, apply forward or reverse motion with one of the peddles, and you can steer the tractor with the application of light pressure on one or the other of the split brakes. This is usefull when doing fine grading work, up against buildings and foundations, and also when pushing snow when the the front wheels cant bite in. When anticipating going up a hill, think about which range you need to be in BEFORE you hit the hill, and crank the throttle up and if then the rpm's start to drop, don't press harder on the forward pedal, you should let off of the forward pedal to unload the engine and let the rpm's start to go back up. How much you let off depends on which range you attacked the hill in. If in HI range, (road travel only, and then only when not heavily loaded or handling steep hills) or MED range, (most work is done in Med, if you need a good mix of torque vs speed) or if you are severely loaded, and the hill is very steep, then you may even have to attack it in LO range.. This is max torque, and slowest speed. But if you cannot hold RPM by even backing way way off of the forward pedal, then you have probably chosen the wrong range. REMEMBER HI range is ONLY for road travel and then only when not heavily loaded or pulling something heavy. Unless you live in Kansas or parts of Illinois where the land is flat as a pancake. Where I live, (its all up or all down), HI is about useless unless the bucket is empty and you aren't pulling anything. If you are pulling trees, or pushing something heavy, or want maximum feather control when grading or working next to a building you want LO range every time for the maximum control and finesse. You will enjoy, but have to rethink how you approach and come out of the pile when doing loader work, It is different, but way better than anything you have used before. I can go into more detail if you want later.. but I have rambled enough for now.
Ranchdog
New member
I bought a new DK45 SEH Last April. It's the first HST unit I've had on the ranch and for a few days I questioned my decision. But give it time; You'll learn to love it. I had it outfitted with a Westendorf brush grabber on the loader for use in the forest land of the ranch. We are under a mandate by the Oregon Dept.of Forestry to clean up all 'understory' (brush, etc.) in the forest to help prevent forest fires. We have a lot of timber and timbered grazing land that needs tending to and this unit is doing great. I am amazed at the work it is doing from skidding to loading logs to piling logging debris and tending burn piles. I made up a belly pan to protect hoses, a front grill guard and a hood guard. The tractor has amazing weight distribution, is agile in awkward places and plenty of power, if you give it ample throttle. On hillsides it's 'tippie' so I'm fabricating a set of 4" wheel extenders for both front and rear wheels. It's a great little tractor for doing 'dirt work' also. Road building, hoe work, trenching and blading. I'm not real impressed with it in the field as it is 'stiff riding'. I have others for hay work. David Brown w/ 8 disc mower, MF265 for rakeing and 60HP Ford w/ creeper gear for bailing, MF35 for ditch bank work and hillside mowing (low ctr. of gravity) The Kioti is satisfactory so far. If I can get 4000 hours of trouble free service out of this one I'll go back for more.
k0ua
Epic Contributor
Well, I am just a guy on the other end of the computer, but I have owned several tractors, and have been down some of these same dusty roads before. I know what it is like to always want to "lift that bigger rock" or something like that. I also see value in owning a more deluxe tractor with deluxe features that many people discount as "bells and whistles" because they do not realize these "bells and whistles" are actual useful and labor saving devices that are worth every penny of the extra money we pay for them. Of course some other folks would not agree with me.
TJP89
Veteran Member
To me HST is almost essential for loader work. Coming off the H with its 5F/1R tranny non synchronized or anything, almost anything would be better, but you would have to be very good with a gear to get the exact positioning and creep I can get with the HST and only a little practice. My operating principle is to set the rpms (usually 2000-2200 rpms) and the range, usually M, and then use the pedal to control speed. There is no foot throttle so rpms pretty much stay constant. Others have already stated how the ranges and rpms work with HST, so I won't repeat it. I find the biggest difference is the level of finesse I now have over tractor movement. Also the fact that when I let up the pedal, the tractor stops. Nicer HSTs have better throttle/transmission connections, but my CK and the DK do not have such linkages. I can't speak to the power difference, but I have never lacked power with the CK.
TripleR
Super Star Member
- Joined
- Mar 5, 2009
- Messages
- 18,084
- Location
- Missouri
- Tractor
- Kubota M8540HDC, L5740HSTC, BX2200, BX2660, John Deere 425&1025R, Case, Massey Ferguson, Ford
Not really, I grew up farming and the engine ran at full power most of the time, running my M8540 with a ten foot rotary cutter, I keep it at PTO speeds for hours as a time. If I'm not running PTO stuff, I don't run high RPM's on HST or gears.
