Anyone ever regretted buying a HST?

[k0ua]

Eighty two posts and the bottom line:
Tractors used primiarly for utility work, HST
Tractors used primarily for continuous heavy ground engaging implements, gear
Best senerio, one of each

To answer the OP question, my now 16 year old 45HP NH Boomer HST is my Swiss Armey Knife right hand helper, no regrets.
B. John

Yep, that is why they still make geared tractors, that and the cost factor. Everything in life is a compromise in some manner, depending on the task at hand. They hydro tractor does most things very well, and in the type of work that I do, it is far far superior to any form of gear machine in precision, speed of operation, cycle time and operator comfort. The gear machine is superior in initial cost, economy of operation in heavy pulling tasks, and lack of a cooling system and lack of a hydrostatic filter to change and buy. Oh, and lack of that "annoying whine that drives some people nuts!"

Bottom line: Give me a hydro!

 

[rScotty]

I have seemed to notice that the smaller the tractor the more whine it seems to have. The whine of my DK35se is practically nonexistent unless you do something stupid like push into a gravel pile in high range or something like that.

Yep, that's exactly what I was saying, only you said it better with less words.
Thinking about it, either one of us could have said it in a single word: "DOWNSHIFT".

The county is fixing up the road past our place and there are days one particular operator insists on running his HST skid loader using only high range. He just doesn't get it, and won't even downshift to push into a pile of dirt. We can tell it's him by the HST whine a quarter mile away. We are on a hill, and here he comes up the road - bucket full, high range, HST pedal on the floor, little engine not quite able to keep up, and HST whining loud enough to echo off the canyon walls. It puts my teeth on edge.....what an Idiot.....
rScotty

 

[k0ua]

Yep, that's exactly what I was saying, only you said it better with less words.
Thinking about it, either one of us could have said it in a single word: "DOWNSHIFT".

The county is fixing up the road past our place and there are days one particular operator insists on running his HST skid loader using only high range. He just doesn't get it, and won't even downshift to push into a pile of dirt. We can tell it's him by the HST whine a quarter mile away. We are on a hill, and here he comes up the road - bucket full, high range, HST pedal on the floor, little engine not quite able to keep up, and HST whining loud enough to echo off the canyon walls. It puts my teeth on edge.....what an Idiot.....
rScotty

Well, some people seem to not have any inherent mechanical sense. What seems obvious to you and I, just doesn't compute with some others.

 

[hawkeye08]

No regrets here with HST. I think maintenance costs are higher for HST also, especially if you don't do your own work..

 

[Mighty Dodge]

Nope! Love my HST. As for the whine, HST's whine, diesel's rattle...so what?

MD

 

[rScotty]

Well, some people seem to not have any inherent mechanical sense. What seems obvious to you and I, just doesn't compute with some others.

Yeah, you're probably right. There are subjects I'm an idiot on as well.
rScotty

 

[kenmac]

Used my tractor loader all day today. Sure was glad to have the HST. Used in low range moving dirt and never noticed any whine.

 

[Jstpssng]

Good point. And apparently some HSTs whine more than others. As for the dealer that said HST whine was normal, I disagree. It just doesn't make sense that any HST would be designed to whine under normal use.

IF IT WHINES, THEN DOWNSHIFT OR LET UP ON THE PEDAL UNTIL THE MOTOR CATCHES UP!!

Shucks, I can make my HST whine by abusing it by pushing down on the pedal for more HST power before the motor has a chance to wind up. But in normal use it doesn't whine. Best way to avoid the whine is exactly the same as on a geared machine, simply drop down a range or two on the HST. Doing that isn't any different at all from selecting a lower set of gears on a power/shuttle/ or stick transmission.

Whether it is shuttle gears or HST ranges, the more gears ratios and ranges that you can select from the better it works.
rScotty

You can only gear down so far before you aren't moving. I can't help wondering if the noise is why my tractor was traded at 179 hours. In hindsight I wish that I had tried to contact the previous owner instead of relying on the dealer to tell me that they had upgraded to a bigger tractor.

 

[goeduck]

I have seemed to notice that the smaller the tractor the more whine it seems to have. The whine of my DK35se is practically nonexistent unless you do something stupid like push into a gravel pile in high range or something like that.

My 21HP HST does not whine to any noticeable degree. I would think whine is more a function of the HST design/range selection.

 

[Otgaugres]

3 HST trannies here, all JD. No regrets.