About this pedal thang

[wagne223]

OP, as mentioned you need to get on a few tractors and try them out.

As for your concern regarding the steering brakes......I'm no expert. My understanding is that steering brakes were designed for row crop tractors that were 2wd and had skinny front tires mounted close together.
The operator needed the steering brake to make the tight 180 at the end of the row, aligning the tractor for the next row with minimal effort.
These tractors were also geared and the operators could perform the maneuver without clutching or shifting.

On a utility tractor I have never needed steering brakes.

As mentioned, with HST, for a turn that is tighter then the turning radius (rare on utility)the operator can perform a 3 point turn very quickly and easily.

In my experience on utility tractors, geared are great for tasks where you are at a constant speed for a long time.
Row cropping or mowing roadways or many acres of pasture.
For everything else, HST wins.

And if you get cruise control on the HST, they are good for those constant speed tasks also!

 

[TractorGuy]

I am use to the side by side pedals but I test drove a cabbed Kubota a while back that had a modified design treadle. I found it to be a non issue compared to the usual design. It had a pieces off to the side I found very easy to get used to. Should be easy enough to modify the common design if that other type isn't an option.

 

[Corkpuller]

You're neck is gonna be sore backing into that stuff all day.

Also, I'd want a brush cutter that's at least was as wide if not wider than my wheels side-to-side.

yer right about the neck, kinda dreading it actually. Be like a Notre Dame fan watching the Alabama score.

Maybe once my initial clearing is complete(farmed out to a track hoe and dozer), I won't have as much as that demolition style shredding as I expect.

I agree about the width for flat out cutting, but still not convinced that 19 horses at the PTO would satisfy me and a 5 footer. I will pose that question in another thread so more owners of the actual machine I decide on can comment.

 

[bunyip]

As for your concern regarding the steering brakes......I'm no expert. My understanding is that steering brakes were designed for row crop tractors that were 2wd and had skinny front tires mounted close together.

And I recall reading that they were notorious for rolling and killing farmers.

 

[joecoin]

I have operated both types of tractors and I have to say, I don't care either way, as long as my mower is out in front of me.

I can't understand why anyone would want to drag a mower behind them.

 

[DVR]

As others have mentioned- brakes are almost never used (on the hst models you are considering) other than to hold it when parked.
I have a 120' elevation drop on 335 acres and seldom touch the brakes on my 3301 hst.
If you have any plans to use a loader, it's a no brainer.
I've had several geared and hst machines. About the only place I prefer gears is with ground engaging attachments.
3301 is the sweet spot for me. 3901 won't do much the 3301 can't. 6ft goods are too big for both imo.

 

[MossRoad]

On my old IH2500b I often used the brakes and HST pedals at the same time when doing precision work on a slope. It was just about a perfect setup with directional pedals on one foot and brakes on the other.

My current machine, as I mentioned before, is right foot forward, left foot reverse. That is also very nice doing precision work on slopes.

 

[TnAndy]

Please explain how this Cruise Control operates.
Any CC I've ever had on anything.....touching the brake disengages the CC.

The CC on my New Holland was a rocker button on the dash....that is the only way you could disengage it.....as my wife found out the hard way went she came up to the garage one day, couldn't get it to stop in time (not used to the CC) and rammed a pallet fork thru the trunk of the car .......making 2nd runner up for a "Farmers Insurance, we've seen a thing or two" commercial.....

I definitely would get CC if you decide to go hydro....otherwise long runs wear out your foot for sure.

 

[airbiscuit]

• I've had a hydro and a shuttle - like em both.
• Buy some Mickey Mouse Boots, and you'll be able to operate that Mickey Mouse Kubota hydro treadle.
• Kubota also makes a Glide Shift Transmission (GST) that is pretty nice and might be more to the OPs liking.

 

[Jstpssng]

Please explain how this Cruise Control operates.
Any CC I've ever had on anything.....touching the brake disengages the CC.

Brush hog size is another question. To me, a 2501 or 3301 will not have the balls to run a 5' rotary. ???
I don't think I'll be using this machine for a lot of grass mowing. Certainly not pasture type mowing.
I will likely buy a second hand heavy duty 4' rotary that I can abuse. I figure 4' would get me a little tighter but the tractor width would eliminate some of that. If these 25 hp models will swing a 5' rotary with authority then maybe I should go with that. ???
I can see a LOT of backing up to underbrush and Youpon, lowering the boom and shredding the chit outta that stuff.

Also will need to keep about 2 acres beat down after it's cleared. For about 3 yrs until a house takes up some of that space.

That term is misleading. On a Kubota it's simply a lever that you can use to hold the pedal at the speed desired.
If you're mowing a large field or running up a road it will prove handy, as you don't need to hold the pedal continuously.
You still can use the clutch to disengage, just as on the tractor's you're accustomed to.