Anyone ever regretted buying a HST?

[/pine]

If power/fluid is lost...what will hold a hydro on a steep grade besides brakes?

 

[Steppenwolfe]

I just came in from 4 hours on my B2320 HST... grading the driveway and paths at our cabin. I still don't like it, and find the fact I have to run at high rpm's all the time, annoying. Constantly lifting my right foot between forward and reverse is annoying. I think I might trade it for a small L2501 geared...

 

[4570Man]

If power/fluid is lost...what will hold a hydro on a steep grade besides brakes?

Nothing. What holds a gear tractor if the clutch fails? My buddy had a clutch fail on a steep hill and he slid down it backwards. The truck brakes couldn’t hold on the gravels and the loaded trailer brakes didn’t work in reverse.

 

[Sawyer Rob]

For bush hogging, snow removal, logging, grapple and loader work, as well as work on sreep grades HST has it all over a gear tractor. Wish I had switched 20 years sooner. Deere criuse/ loadmatch works really well. I would never go back. No issues with heat, big oil cooler on front of tractor takes care of that.

I for one, for sure, prefer gear drive by far, for logging and steep grades...

Do you do some logging or just pull out a few peckerpoles?

SR

 

[goeduck]

I spent most of today on my power shuttle geared tractor. I have to say that I really like the solid feel of Gears. But I like, have and appreciate both HST and Gear. Just different tools, one is not better, just different and should be selected by preference and need.

 

[MossRoad]

If power/fluid is lost...what will hold a hydro on a steep grade besides brakes?

First you said power. Now its power/fluid.

I know that if my IH2500b lost power, or my current PT425 looses power, the machine stops and goes nowhere. I have to crack a tow port on the variable volume pump in order to move it with no engine power.

Loss of fluid is quit another issue. I haven't experienced that, so don't know. Since I have three separate hydraulic pumps, it depends on which circuit looses fluid. I have a drive pump to my 4 wheel motors. I have a PTO pump, and I have my steering/FEL pump. If I lost pressure in the drive circuit, it would have to be catastrophic to make the machine roll fast downhill, since there's two series circuits with two wheel motors in each circuit. If one blew, the other would still have some back pressure. I would still have steering and FEL control, so I could put the bucket into the ground. But if I had the mower deck on, it would just keep rolling. But I'd be able to steer.

Anywho, I hope to never find out.

 

[Jstpssng]

If power/fluid is lost...what will hold a hydro on a steep grade besides brakes?

The loader makes a good E-brake.

 

[MossRoad]

I spent 3.5-4 hours on my PT425 cutting thick brush last weekend in 90+ degree heat. My machine is center-treadle, so it's right foot forward, left foot reverse. My brush cutter is on the front on the FEL arms. There's no way in heck I'd want to deal with gears on my property. The constant back and forth, varying speed and maneuvering while operating the joystick to lift and lower the brush cutter is so easy on the Power Trac, I can't imagine throwing gears into the mix. For that matter, I don't think anyone with a similar sized conventional tractor could have done the same job in twice the time, or at all in some places.

I suppose it's comparing apples to oranges since it's not a "tractor". But the gears vs HST argument is still there. In this situation, gears wouldn't cut it for me. They'd take longer and work the operator harder.

I'm gonna have to get a gopro camera or something. It would be interesting to record what we push these things through.

 

[Deere Dude]

I. Constantly lifting my right foot between forward and reverse is annoying. I think I might trade it for a small L2501 geared...

Shoulda got a Deere. With Deere hydros you don't need to lift your foot. Your heel stays planted and you just tilt back your ball and toes and push down on the lever next to it. Or is that splitting hairs?

 

[Slowpoke Slim]

Shoulda got a Deere. With Deere hydros you don't need to lift your foot. Your heel stays planted and you just tilt back your ball and toes and push down on the lever next to it. Or is that splitting hairs?

Same with the Branson's. Separate pedals side-by-side. I can't say that I would like the "treddle pedal" setup, but that is a separate issue really, from a more generic "HST or no HST" type discussion? Guys say that they get used to operating the treddle pedal, but I'm glad I don't have to deal with it. I also like the linked pedal, so just pressing the pedal down farther increases engine rpm and tractor ground speed. I still use the hand throttle to throttle up while mowing, and pedal height for tractor ground speed. I like the versatility.