Gear or Hydrostatic Transmissions for Compact Utility Tractors?

[MossRoad]

Were there even HST's when my tractor was built? (1981)

Yes. I had a mid 70's International Harvester 2500b industrial tractor loader.
TractorData.com International Harvester 25B industrial tractor information
It was a 4 cylinder gasoline powered tractor loader with HST transmission.
It was rated at 50PTO HP.
It was also available with a diesel engine option and a gear or reverser transmission.

It was based on the International 574 (1970-1978).
TractorData.com International Harvester 574 tractor information

 

[paulfun9]

I guess you have indoor plumbing because you're too lazy to walk outside to the outhouse.

WHats funny about this is I just recently had to dig a new hole and move my grandfathers old outhouse! You know every so many years they needed moved and the old hole filled in. Not many use it anymore but when the weather is nice and we have a gathering many of the old timers wont waste time walking inside when we have a perfectly good outhouse right in the yard.
Growing up we didn't have indoor plumbing at my grandparents house till I started school and I can still remember how cold it was walking out there at night in the middle of winter. Seems funny to me now with his and her bathrooms just for the master bedroom and an other full bathroom for everyone else and an other one out in the pole barn.

 

[jenkinsph]

Moss Road,
Can you fix the quotes? they seemed to be in error? Seems to have started where I quoted Houston Scott.

 

[ovrszd]

International Harvester built the model 100 Hydro in 1973-76, the model 186 Hydro after this followed by the 3488 I think. So yes hydro transmissions were available when your tractor was built.

Yep, my neighbor had the 100 Hydro model, bought new, ran it for many years as a chore/haying tractor in a cattle operation.

 

[jenkinsph]

I think an option for larger utility tractors with a 4 range hydro would be viable. The gear tractors in the larger sixes are up to 40 speed as I recall, that is a lot of gears.

 

[holeycow]

Anything new-ish is a hard sell to folks that make a living with their machinery.

When you have powershift, clutchless reversers, high/low, declutch buttons, power from 1200 to 2300 rpm and lots of synchronized gears the attraction of hydro becomes nill.

 

[houstonscott]

If you are not a clutch driver.
If you have physical limitations.
If you don't want or learn or are simply not interested.
If you want to push and shove until it won't move without damage.
If you share duties with others who have to learn quickly or may damage a gear tractor, or might abuse (teens) the tractor.
If most of your work is FEL duties with lots reserving.
If you want it as simple as can be designed.
You should definitely own a HST.

HS

 

[ovrszd]

Anything new-ish is a hard sell to folks that make a living with their machinery.

When you have powershift, clutchless reversers, high/low, declutch buttons, power from 1200 to 2300 rpm and lots of synchronized gears the attraction of hydro becomes nill.

I agree. I like the predictability of my Hydraulic shuttle 12spd gear drive 95HP tractor.

 

[RaydaKub]

Why do you have to stop to change gears?? I don't have to stop with mine, I just push the clutch in and change gears

Are you coasting when you do this? The clutch disengages the drive train from the engine, no? So how is that *not* a stop? I've never driven a shuttle or glide or anything fancy like that, but the old gear rigs I grew up on, under heavy pull, stopped dead when I pushed in the clutch.

 

[dickfoster]

WHats funny about this is I just recently had to dig a new hole and move my grandfathers old outhouse! You know every so many years they needed moved and the old hole filled in. Not many use it anymore but when the weather is nice and we have a gathering many of the old timers wont waste time walking inside when we have a perfectly good outhouse right in the yard.
Growing up we didn't have indoor plumbing at my grandparents house till I started school and I can still remember how cold it was walking out there at night in the middle of winter. Seems funny to me now with his and her bathrooms just for the master bedroom and an other full bathroom for everyone else and an other one out in the pole barn.

Those cold winter nights are what thunder mugs or chamber pots were for. The outhouse my grandparents had was across the creek so you had to negotiate a foot log to get to it. I remember the day they got indoor plumbing, no more outhouse, no more hauling water from a spring, no more heating bath or wash water in a wood fired stove. Some of those memories makes me appreciate the things we all take for granted today.