HST or man

[Anonymous Poster]

HST trans or Manual trans. Pros and cons

 

[Anonymous Poster]

I know I am the minority here but I think gear tranny for me, I am not sure how long the HST has been around but, I think I'll have more power , less maintanance and less problems in the long run./w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[GlueGuy]

Standard trade-off. The HST tends to be far handier, and the gear gives more power. If you are pulling something for a long time in a straight line, the gear is the way to go. If you are constantly going forward/reverse (like with a FEL), or are maneuvering a lot, or don't need the "constant speed", then HST is the better way. Depends a lot on how you intend to use it. For my use, the HST works out better. I don't notice the loss of power, I usually run out of traction before the power runs out.

 

[Thomas]

HST. great for fel use,mowing in tight spots,no fancy foot work,won't get caught in between gears trying to shift,your ankle might be a stiff at first,great for quick stops.

Take a spin on both HST & Man on different surfaces also grades.

 

[diggernh]

for what its worth..in my opinion..HST is the only way to go..no gear grinding..finer control of speed/power..which makes for easier digging...no clutching everytime you change direction...HST is definately for me..

 

[mbjacobs]

For inexperienced operators like my wife (and myself) HST is much safer. If you have a problem, the natural thing to do is take your foot off the pedal and the tractor stops.

 

[ewoss3]

absolutely HST, now that I have one I really dread getting back on the ford 601

 

[looch]

Another vote for HST. Something that initially was not apparent to me: with HST, you can vary your speed without varying engine RPM's. This is an extreme advantage.

 

[Gomez]

HST- once you go hydro, you'll be hooked.

 

[JATO_RaT]

One of the biggest maintenance items for a gear tractor will be a new clutch. For some folks that will come sooner then later. If you ride the clutch or operate on hills, expect the clutch to wear out quicker then a comparable tractor that does not. On HST, the clutch is used so little, it should never need replacing, that goes for the brakes too. I ride the clutch on my International at times because I'm on hills and mow around sprinklers. It requires alot of extra effort compared to my HST on the Kubota. The clutch on the International is on its last legs. The tractor has 1500 hours on it, the last 200 are from me. As mentioned, if your doing mostly straight work, a manual transmission is fine, if you intend to use the loader or mow around obstacles that require stopping, slowing or reversing and want infinte speed control, HST is superior. HST has been around along time, its worthiness is already proven, especially with the Kubotas. Rat...