Any underpowered tractors??

MossRoad · Nov 26, 2003

by reducing your h.p. by going hydro do you feel you are sacrificing anything? I am not trying to start a hydro vs gear war, I am just wondering whether there is a real advantage or is it convienence? I guess convienence could be an advantage.

The way I look at it is if you take an engine and put a gear tranny on it, you will get X amount of HP to the ground. Then if you take the exact same engine and put an HST on it, you will get less HP to the ground. This is a given. How do you compensate for it? Get an engine with a little more HP for the HST. As long as a machine is sized to do a particular job, it should do that job. You are not giving up anything. Just buy a machine that is sized correctly for your application and don't worry about it. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

And I agree with the other comments about letting off the HST pedal. This transmits more torque to the wheels. The natural thing to do is push the pedal down when you want more power, but it is completely opposite on an HST... you let off the pedal to get more power.

Then to the question of convenience. Yep, it is very convenient. Less operator fatigue, too. One less hand needed for shifting and one less foot needed for clutching on standard gear tranny.

I have a late 70's IH2500b 50HP four cylinder gas HST tractor loader and it is extremely powerful in low range. In high range, it is a dog. High range is just for moving between locations. Low range is for work. It weighs about 8000# with the loaded tires. When using the FEL, it will spin the tires before it bogs down the engine every time. I also have a small Power Trac PT425(25HP hydraulic everything). It only weighs about 1300 pounds. When using the FEL, if it starts to bog, I let off the pedal and it will either move into the pile or the wheels will start spinning. Just my personal experience with my machines, but I really like the HST. Neither machine seems underpowered.

jackd · Dec 1, 2003

MossRoad...

BINGO!!! /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

JackD

BigEddy · Dec 2, 2003

For the record, my 855 has never seemed low on power. It'll run a 5' bushhog though some pretty thick stuff without bogging, it'll blow 3' of wet snow fine. If I run full tilt in high range into a huge pile of dirt it will stall, but in low range the turfs lose traction long before I lose power. In either range, used properly, you can easily fill the bucket without lugging the engine.

Now I would like a bit more hydraulic flow at times. Gotta keep the rev's up or the loader seems slow.

Currmudgeon · Dec 2, 2003

( For the record, my 855 has never seemed low on power. )

Nor has mine. You've described my machine almost perfectly. There's times when I wish for a bigger tractor, but I can't really complain about the 855.

tdenny · Dec 3, 2003

I have an 855 and I have never bogged down using my FEL yet. It must be due to the fact that I always run in low range. I have moved buckets full of rocks, gravel, dirt, etc. consistantly and never had the slightest problem. I would assume your 48 hp big dog could easily handle anything you could put in it. I see you've tried the medium and high ranges. Do you ever work in low?

I guess I find it hard to imagine any tractor getting bogged down (HST or not) with the FEL it came with (not matter what was in it).

The only time I've ever had power problems with my little 855 is when I try attacking stumps. But it's fun trying. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

Tractors4u · Dec 3, 2003

Where did you get that I had a 48hp tractor, I wish I did. I shouldn't have even said anything about HST. I did run my 855 in low range some, but always ran my gear tractor in high range first gear when scooping. When breaking hard ground I would occasionally put it in low range. I was basing my question on what the manufacturers said in their literature. My comparison was between a gear tractor and a hydro that were within 1 hp of each other and I had better performance with the gear tractor. I am sure that a hydro works well but in my experience I can put more hp to the ground with less $ with a shuttle shift gear and still move as much dirt.

EddieWalker · Dec 3, 2003

My little tractor is 35 hp. I wish it was twice that for bigger implements! My big tractor is 80 hp and I wish it was over 100 to dig more and faster!

If I could afford exactly what I wanted I'd have bought much bigger.

HayDR · Dec 4, 2003

Many people think a tractor is underpowered on the PTO because they are not running the tractor at the proper RPM's. Each tractor has on it tachometer the engine speed to equal 540 RPM's. At that RPM the engine is at close to maximum HP and torque. Many of the tractors have this at 2000-2300 RPM's. Most operators do not want to run the engine that fast because of noise so they run it at 1500 RPM's. That could be a 20-40 loss in PTO speed and HP. With a finish mower, and the above situation, it would not perform as designed and the tractor might labor a bit.