I got the shuttle shift. The dealer had a good price on the shuttle and after I tried it out I was fine with it. I do think the HST would be easier to use immediately. For me the steepest learning curve is the loader and learning to use it in conjunction with the shuttle shift. Either one individually is simple but using them both together and doing it well will take me a while. I have an affinity for mechanical things and have no issues with a clutch and gears but I have absolutely no experience with a loader. I absolutely love it but will be very cautious getting to know it.
Price Check Mahindra 1538
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BrokeFarmerJohn
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Yes you never want to rush it. Using them in sync isn't too bad, HST is deff easier to run but after using my tractor for a few months I was given the opportunity to run a 6130 I believe it was. 130hp JD
It had a loader with a manual transmission but it had A, B and C range gears 1-3 forward and reverse with a gas pedal to rev the engine and give you more or less speed, I didn't have any issues running that one and loading round bales onto my trailer. Once you get good at yours, all the big stuff runs the same, they just have a lot more displays and buttons lol.
One thing I did with that helped was used the clutch and break at the same time in order to creep up to the trailer smoothly and not run into the trailer, as soon as it was where I needed it I hit the breaks and pushed down the clutch slowly not to roll backwards while at the same time the loader was being dropped with the round bale so I didn't hit the fender on the trailer IDK if that's generally how it's done but it worked for me, then I put in reverse gear and did the same in reverse, rode the break a little incase I had a issue with the bale spear hitting the trailer.
Working the loader is now second nature to me, I have had a lot of manual cars and trucks so a clutch is no issue, after awhile they sinc up nicely as long as foot controls are ergonomic.
This one had breaks on the right, gas on the right, clutch on the left.
F, N and R was left hand, loader and all gears right, it was easy enough to figure out with no teacher, the farmer just left the keys in it and said to load up what you want and leave the money in his barn lol.
Like you, I didn't grow up around tractors, mine was the first larger tractor I have ran, the FEL was a first for me.
BrokeFarmerJohn
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Here's a forum that comes to mind with your tractor, some good reading if you haven't visited it before lol.
What have you messed up, with your tractor? Including ROPS into garage...
What have you messed up, with your tractor? Including ROPS into garage...
What have you messed up, with your tractor? Including ROPS into garage...
What have you messed up, with your tractor? Including ROPS into garage...
That's some fun reading but fortunately I haven't destroyed anything ....yet.
So far I've got 5 hours on the new tractor! It's unusually warm in Kentucky and this weekend is officially "TractorWeekend". I've already been pulling some downed trees out of the woods and this thing just feels like a tank. I know it's not the biggest baddest tractor out there but its pulling 30 ft hardwood logs and trees out of the woods and up hills like they're not even behind it. I'm getting a little more comfortable with the bucket but have a ways to go before I have any skill with it. It sure does a good job of piling up the trees once I get them back to the staging area.
I've had it on trails in my woods that my neighbors Kubota RTV 1100 struggled going up and it just walks up like a champ. It feels planted and stable on my hills (which is just about all my property is) and that was a major concern for me. I've been taking it super slow and trying to test the terrain. My four wheeler will go anywhere but there are places where it pitches and rolls crossing some creeks and ditches that had me thinking the tractor may struggle but the tires are so large by comparison that it just walks right over it. In short I absolutely love this thing! I hope it holds up for me because it's the best machine purchase I've ever made in terms of usefulness. Im looking forward to working this tractor for years to come.
So far I've got 5 hours on the new tractor! It's unusually warm in Kentucky and this weekend is officially "TractorWeekend". I've already been pulling some downed trees out of the woods and this thing just feels like a tank. I know it's not the biggest baddest tractor out there but its pulling 30 ft hardwood logs and trees out of the woods and up hills like they're not even behind it. I'm getting a little more comfortable with the bucket but have a ways to go before I have any skill with it. It sure does a good job of piling up the trees once I get them back to the staging area.
I've had it on trails in my woods that my neighbors Kubota RTV 1100 struggled going up and it just walks up like a champ. It feels planted and stable on my hills (which is just about all my property is) and that was a major concern for me. I've been taking it super slow and trying to test the terrain. My four wheeler will go anywhere but there are places where it pitches and rolls crossing some creeks and ditches that had me thinking the tractor may struggle but the tires are so large by comparison that it just walks right over it. In short I absolutely love this thing! I hope it holds up for me because it's the best machine purchase I've ever made in terms of usefulness. Im looking forward to working this tractor for years to come.
One question for you. I've basically had the tractor in 4wd since I got it. The braking going down hills is night and day between 2wd n 4wd. Do you think there's any issue just running it that way all the time? I imagine not but wanted to get some opinions. I would definitely go to 2wd if I get on the road or something but 4wd feels safer on my hills.
BrokeFarmerJohn
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You absolutely want to go down hills in 4wd, in 2wd you only have the rear slowing you down, in 4wd it's all 4 wheels breaking.
You can run it all day long in 4wd on loose surfaces like gravel and dirt/mud, you will do damage running 4wd on hard surfaces when turning, once you get on concrete or blacktop disengage 4x4.
Going slow on hills is a smart choice, upsetting a tractor is not a fun experience and from what I read you need to let them rest before restarting ext. that's if you survive the roll over. My biggest concern on hills always was the human ballast isn't as effective on a tractor as it is on a quad or something, I feel it would be harder to save.
Keep up on that tractor insurance running threw the woods on the hills.
Sounds like your doing good, glad to hear it.
I think the human ballast is pretty much non existent on a machine that weighs close to 5000 lbs. I have been slow and easy but the truth is if I dont use my tractor on hills then I simply don't use my tractor. Hills are all I've got. I wanted this one to be stable and nimble at the same time and it is. I've been driving it all over the place to get a feel for it and how it handles rocks and roots on a down hill slope and small gullys where the water runs when it rains. You think you're on a consistent slope and then the front wheel drops a foot into a small depression and those are the situations where this tractor feels planted. I am definitely going slow and I already know about a lot of those terrain features but I've never experienced them on a big monster. It's definitely a learning curve. The insurance is paid, the rops are up and the seat belt is on and I'm in low range in 1-3. I've also been varying rpm, ran wide open the first hour as the manual suggests and have been varying it more in the last few hours. Manual says to never run under 1800 rpm but I think heat cycling is more important than some rpm number. Trying to break her in right!
dickfoster
Elite Member
You don't want to be in 4WD on dry pavement. The wheels need to be able to slip inorder not to bind up the drivetrain and put undue stress on it. Same thing as with a part time 4WD truck or something.
mike69440
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The dealer I bought my tractor from, McFadden & Sons in Sharon Springs NY, thought was crazy when I said that the manual stated the engine should be run flat out the first hour. The tractor had 1-1/2 2 hours on it when I bought it.
I believe that run flat out statement is not at all necessary or even the best way to seat the rings. Ring seating is pretty much done in the first 20 minutes and is best done varying speed and load, never bogging the motor down
If you don't trust the filter, Change the oil on a new engine after about an hour of operation.
Load up those rear tires and add 1-1/2" thick wheel spacers for the hills
