Buying Advice HST vs Gear Transmission - which would you recommend on this tractor ?

[ptsg]

I did a push test with my HST M59. With it pushing up hill in medium I couldn’t hardly reach the traction limits and spin out. I dropped to low and with it in 4x4 and the diff locked I was able to spin all 4 wheels. How would a geared machine push harder?

A geared machine would easily do that in Medium range in any of the 4 gears. Heck, it even might do it in 1st gear in High range.


You're very slowly getting to the point of Messicks video. Yes a HST will pull almost as much as a geared tractor but you have to drop it to low and it will still make a lot of noise and heat with very little work done. While the gear tractor will do it in Medium range or even High range.

 

[ptsg]

What a pointless discussion this turned into. The bottom line is in some applications geared is better while other situations the hydro is better. Since most people are only going to own one tractor they are going to compromise.

Yes it's a pointless discussion. But the HST fanboys seems to come out with all kinds of stupid excuses to justify their choices or whatever.

I keep reading stupid things like: Gear tractors are not safe on hills, you'll wear out the clutch in no time, you can't do precision work with a geared tractor. The list goes on an on with the most dumb statements. All of that is not true and just creates misinformation and confusion for people that are new to tractors or that doesn't understand much of the tractor world.

 

[Rock Crawler]

I would think that you stand an equal chance of wearing out the HST system similarly in time to wearing out a not abused clutch. Now, give a manual to a moron and you can see clutch failure in just a couple thousand hours...

I've owned a lot of manual vehicles over the decades. I've never seen a clutch failure. I consider a manual clutch to be an item that should last nearly the service life of the machine.

 

[k0ua]

So when the next newby comes along and asks which one should I buy, instead of pointing out the advantages of each transmission for the various jobs and trying to determine which sets of jobs he is trying to do and making the recommendation from there, we just now need to say "get a gear" because it puts more power to the ground without losing power to heat and noise" ? Gotcha.

I wonder why tractor manufactures make both gear and hydro tractors?.. Oh,..yeah hydros for weenies and ladies. Real men with big ones run gear machines. So if you don't want to be a weenie, then get a gear machine... gotcha.

A lot of you guys are about as scientific and objective as a rock.

In my "weenie" opinion if there weren't advantages in both hydro and gear machines they wouldn't make both. For the work I do, I have decided I need a hydro machine. I have owned both, and used both over the years, 2 gear 3 hydro. I have settled on the hydro for a reason. IT IS THE BEST, for the work I do. If it wasn't I would have a gear.

 

[Rock Crawler]

I love a manual for most things. My tractor is an HST. I feel that the HST is the best way to go for my use. So if your suggesting that my post above is calling out HST owners as girly men or something, your incorrect. Maybe I misread, and your not thinking of me or my post.

My point was that a manual, if used properly, is not a maintenance nightmare. And that an HST can wear, fail and cost huge money to bring back. Both can fail. Both can be considered a great choice.

 

[k0ua]

I love a manual for most things. My tractor is an HST. I feel that the HST is the best way to go for my use. So if your suggesting that my post above is calling out HST owners as girly men or something, your incorrect. Maybe I misread, and your not thinking of me or my post.

My point was that a manual, if used properly, is not a maintenance nightmare. And that an HST can wear, fail and cost huge money to bring back. Both can fail. Both can be considered a great choice.

My post did not reference your post in any way.

 

[Oldpath05]

Your L3400 weighs maybe 5000 pounds with loaded tires and a loader. The M59 weighs 8400 plus loaded tires and other accessories. You’re at a 2-1 disadvantage in weight and HP. There’s zero chance of you out pulling one even with the traction advantage of r1 tires. If you want to haul firewood I’m going to skip the dragging it a mile through the woods step and put it on my truck. If you want to load dirt I’ll have my yard bucket filled and dumped before you get done selecting a gear.

View attachment 664097

:thumbsup::laughing:

 

[4570Man]

A geared machine would easily do that in Medium range in any of the 4 gears. Heck, it even might do it in 1st gear in High range.


You're very slowly getting to the point of Messicks video. Yes a HST will pull almost as much as a geared tractor but you have to drop it to low and it will still make a lot of noise and heat with very little work done. While the gear tractor will do it in Medium range or even High range.

I hardly ever put it in low range. It’s got adequate power in medium for most jobs. The few times I would hit low I don’t care about the amount of work done. Rather I’m moving at 2 mph or 3 mph makes no difference. And the M59 along with most other larger HST machines runs without whining.

 

[Oldpath05]

I couldn't find a gif for kicking a hornet's nest so... :stirthepot:

Try yellow jackets..........

 

[4570Man]

So when the next newby comes along and asks which one should I buy, instead of pointing out the advantages of each transmission for the various jobs and trying to determine which sets of jobs he is trying to do and making the recommendation from there, we just now need to say "get a gear" because it puts more power to the ground without losing power to heat and noise" ? Gotcha.

I wonder why tractor manufactures make both gear and hydro tractors?.. Oh,..yeah hydros for weenies and ladies. Real men with big ones run gear machines. So if you don't want to be a weenie, then get a gear machine... gotcha.

A lot of you guys are about as scientific and objective as a rock.

In my "weenie" opinion if there weren't advantages in both hydro and gear machines they wouldn't make both. For the work I do, I have decided I need a hydro machine. I have owned both, and used both over the years, 2 gear 3 hydro. I have settled on the hydro for a reason. IT IS THE BEST, for the work I do. If it wasn't I would have a gear.

Both of my dump trucks and my bucket truck have manual transmissions. I’m not scared of a clutch. But I’ll never own another tractor with a geared trans. I’m not pulling a plow across a field. I couldn’t care less about putting a small percentage more power to the ground. A HST is so much better for most compact tractor work.