Auto vs shift

[4570Man]

How many small say 45 hp and below tractors sold in America have hydraulic shuttle transmissions available? The vast majority of small tractors with geared transmissions are dry clutch transmissions and those are horrible to run compared to a HST machine. The hydraulic shuttle transmissions has lost the cost advantage and the simplicity advantage over the basic gear trans and let’s be honest cost is the only reason anyone is buying the basic gear transmissions. I realize that other countries are but Americans are not out working the fields with small tractors. The power loss of a HST transmission isn’t a big deal when you aren’t trying to plow a field with it all day. The power loss of a HST transmission is much less significant if you’re pulling a bushhog across grass or doing regular tractor chores.

 

[arrow]

However the learning curve on hst tractors is much shorter than it is on a geared tractor. I have seen this time and time again.


When the average compact tractor is used 27 hours a year it is hard to gain expertise. Every time the operator gets on the tractor it is like new. They might feel like they are an experienced operator, but with only a few hundred hours under their belt they are not. This is why hst makes sense for most operators of compact tractors. I am not in tractor sales, but recommend to all my non farmer friends to try a geared vs hydrostat. Just take a scoop of gravel, back up, take a 3 point turn, drive in a circle then dump the gravel back in the pile. All of them have gone with hydrostats when buying their own tractors, not based on hearsay, but their experience. All of them are casual users.

Oh for heavens sakes.
Driving a tractor of any sort is not rocket science.
Yes it’s easier to drive a hydro,but ppl are buying these gutless 25 hp hydro tractors that are an abomination in power output just because it’s easier.
So what it’s a little easier and so what if the learning curve is a bit longer.
That’s what this entire society is moving toward:
Convenience of instant gratification is more important than investing for long term benefit.

 

[4570Man]

Oh for heavens sakes.
Driving a tractor of any sort is not rocket science.
Yes it’s easier to drive a hydro,but ppl are buying these gutless 25 hp hydro tractors that are an abomination in power output just because it’s easier.
So what it’s a little easier and so what if the learning curve is a bit longer.
That’s what this entire society is moving toward:
Convenience of instant gratification is more important than investing for long term benefit.

People are doing that because the government forced them into it. If the emissions regulations didn’t exist 25 hp tractors bigger than a garden tractor wouldn’t exist either.

 

[arrow]

How many small say 45 hp and below tractors sold in America have hydraulic shuttle transmissions available? The vast majority of small tractors with geared transmissions are dry clutch transmissions and those are horrible to run compared to a HST machine. The hydraulic shuttle transmissions has lost the cost advantage and the simplicity advantage over the basic gear trans and let’s be honest cost is the only reason anyone is buying the basic gear transmissions. I realize that other countries are but Americans are not out working the fields with small tractors. The power loss of a HST transmission isn’t a big deal when you aren’t trying to plow a field with it all day. The power loss of a HST transmission is much less significant if you’re pulling a bushhog across grass or doing regular tractor chores.

I am not sure where to start with your assertions as I disagree with most of them.
My experience in selling these demonstrates otherwise.
The majority of tractors sold today are hydro no matter what the cost increase quotient is.
No geared tractor I have ever driven would I call “horrible” to run. I have experienced the other way around however.
The real reason ppl are buying hydros is their fear of learning to drive anything else.

 

[4570Man]

I am not sure where to start with your assertions as I disagree with most of them.
My experience in selling these demonstrates otherwise.
The majority of tractors sold today are hydro no matter what the cost increase quotient is.
No geared tractor I have ever driven would I call “horrible” to run. I have experienced the other way around however.
The real reason ppl are buying hydros is their fear of learning to drive anything else.

The only reason people are buying tractors to start with is to make their lives easier. I’m not sure why you’re mad that they’re making it one step easier by taking clutching out of the operation.

 

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People are doing that because the government forced them into it. If the emissions regulations didn’t exist 25 hp tractors bigger than a garden tractor wouldn’t exist either.

C.u.t.s started with less hp than that.
They sold and are successful because of their “compact” size.
I’d rather have a 14 hp tractor that weighs 4000 lbs than a 38 hp tractor that weighs 2500 for anything other than pto work.

 

[arrow]

The only reason people are buying tractors to start with is to make their lives easier. I’m not sure why you’re mad that they’re making it one step easier by taking clutching out of the operation.

Mad? I sell hydros to ppl.
I think I stated earlier as to what’s depressing about this.
Contrary to what this thread appears to be, it isn't about hydros vs geared operational efficacy.

 

[Jstpssng]

However the learning curve on hst tractors is much shorter than it is on a geared tractor. I have seen this time and time again. Two hours on a hst and the operator is efficient enough to be productive. A geared tractor is probably closer to 12 hours

That's a difference of two days.

Then again, most of us here likely have been running tractors for a bit longer than 12 hours.

 

[Sportsman762]

That's a difference of two days.

Then again, most of us here likely have been running tractors for a bit longer than 12 hours.

Thats what I thought too. However the hours a year thread suggest that could be 6 months of operation for many people.

Tractor Hours/Year

Ever wonder how many hours per year people put on their tractors? Ours are used mostly for small chores, snow, & landscaping - we don't do anymore mowing or field work. The newish Kubota's hour meter averages almost 100 hrs/year since 2008. The old one less than 50/year. It sure seems like more...

www.tractorbynet.com

How many hours do you have on your tractor

Recently I was in the market for a used tractor, I was looking at 1 tractor after another that had a few thousand hrs. on it and major engine work done. That was an exclusive selling point for these sellers, the fact that major engine work had recently been done. I assumed that a tractor's...

www.tractorbynet.com

Also we need to remember the folks on this forum are some of the "power users" of their compact tractor so the data on this forum is skewed towards those who put more hours on their machine than average. Some quick math; 27 hours a year is 2.25 hours a month, or .5 hours a week. You loose lots of knowledge in between operating hours.

 

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Thats what I thought too. However the hours a year thread suggest that could be 6 months of operation for many people.

Tractor Hours/Year

Ever wonder how many hours per year people put on their tractors? Ours are used mostly for small chores, snow, & landscaping - we don't do anymore mowing or field work. The newish Kubota's hour meter averages almost 100 hrs/year since 2008. The old one less than 50/year. It sure seems like more...

www.tractorbynet.com

How many hours do you have on your tractor

Recently I was in the market for a used tractor, I was looking at 1 tractor after another that had a few thousand hrs. on it and major engine work done. That was an exclusive selling point for these sellers, the fact that major engine work had recently been done. I assumed that a tractor's...

www.tractorbynet.com

Also we need to remember the folks on this forum are some of the "power users" of their compact tractor so the data on this forum is skewed towards those who put more hours on their machine than average. Some quick math; 27 hours a year is 2.25 hours a month, or .5 hours a week. You loose lots of knowledge in between operating hours.

There just isn’t a large knowledge vessel of operating a tractor to lose. One may lose finesse after a while of non use but that’s not about forgetting as opposed to hand eye coordination.