HST vs. Shuttle shift

[scratchpad]

Oh, and to the Original Poster, aren't you really really glad you asked about the difference between shuttle and hydrostatic transmissions?

You never knew it was all this complicated and would bring so many people out of the woodwork did you?

Great information but a little complicated to understand and confusing to me at this stage of the game. I am glad i asked. For me, it would be best to go out and drive all different types and see what fits me and my situation best.

 

[ovrszd]

Great information but a little complicated to understand and confusing to me at this stage of the game. I am glad i asked. For me, it would be best to go out and drive all different types and see what fits me and my situation best.

Most definitely.

I have 1 HST, 1 Mechanical Shuttle, 1 Power Shuttle and 1 Torque Converter Power Shuttle. Each one perfectly matches the size and expected work of the tractor.

Contrary to much debate, there's no one perfect drive system.

 

[k0ua]

Great information but a little complicated to understand and confusing to me at this stage of the game. I am glad i asked. For me, it would be best to go out and drive all different types and see what fits me and my situation best.

The long and the short of it is the hydrostat will give very precise control, infinitely variable ground speed that you can vary near instantly, and will allow you to creep slower than the slowest creep gear transmission ever made. This is useful when doing work with forks around delicate and expensive equipment. The shuttle has the advantage of better fuel economy, no loss of power (to speak of) like the hydro has, No hydro whine no excess heat to dump. Hydro machines are even easier to operate than the shuttle's. but the shuttles are not hard to operate either. Hydro's are often seen on smaller tractors, but they have been more popular in larger units of late. MOST homeowner tractors are hydro. Larger "farm tractors" are rarely hydro. To most homeowners the convenience of operation and some of the positives the hydro brings to operation outweighs the loss of power in the form of heat. In many way the hydro transmission is simpler from a mechanical standpoint than the shuttles. The hydro is NOTHING like an automatic transmission in a car or truck.

 

[k0ua]

Contrary to much debate, there's no one perfect drive system.

Truer words have never been spoken. :thumbsup:

 

[k0ua]

Great information but a little complicated to understand and confusing to me at this stage of the game. I am glad i asked. For me, it would be best to go out and drive all different types and see what fits me and my situation best.

I have a favorite saying, that others may not agree with, but it goes like this: "If you don't know what kind of transmission you need, then you need a hydrostat".

It seems to fit most of the time. Good luck in your quest.

 

[kenmac]

Heck , Just buy both. I have a 50 hp HST and a 105 HP shuttle

 

[5030]

May I ask your definition of the word "MANY"?? Sounds to me that most type shuttle shifts have been covered in this thread. My Kubota M7040 hyd shuttle control has no electrical connections except for neutral start switch because it's cable controlled. I think clutch pedal is mechanically connected to hyd valve but Ill have to check tech manual to be sure. I also have no knowledge of Glide-shift.

You are correct. No mechanical linkage. F&R is via a wet pack, hydraulic actuation via a valve on the side of the main case and lockup pressure is adjustable (just adjusted mine). No clutch in the bellhousing, just a flex plate and damper springs. Transmission is 'clutched' via the wet pack. the clutch pedal acts on the valve just like the F-R shuttle lever acts on the pack. Both my M9's are 'hydraulic shuttle'

I prefer that over an HST because with an HST you have parasitic loss from the fluid coupling plus it generates heat just like an automatic trans.

A hydraulic shuttle is a gear transmission (no parasitic loss) coupled to a multi plate wet clutch and no dry clutch to ever wear out. I have 4000 hours on one of my M's and the system has never been touched.

 

[Texasmark]

mikester's reply was not exactly perfect. There are 2 types of shuttle shifts. Hyd type which he mentioned but there's also a synchronized type that one must depress traction clutch control pedal to shift from fwd to rev or vice-verse. I once owned a Kubota M4900 with sync-shuttle that required having the reverser replaced due to synchronizer failure & it locked in reverse.

My 6530 uses a clutch but you don't even think about it. You move the shift lever while your leg is moving and you're done.

 

[Texasmark]

I'm glad my dog decided to stay on the porch, next to my rocking chair, getting his head rubbed.

 

[mpsmith60]

HST uses oil to drive the wheels. Think of an automatic transmission in a car. Usually one pedal to go forward, one for reverse. The harder you push it, the faster it goes.

Shuttle shift is a manual transmission with an added feature - an automatic clutch mechanism so you dont have to put the clutch in when changing directions. You control your speed with either a foot or hand throttle and gear selected.

It comes down to personal preference. Ive had both and now prefer the HST on my M59 because I get better fine tuning with infinitely variable speed control. Perfect for loader and finishing work. What I miss on the M59 is cruise control, so bush hogging was easier for straight aways on the shuttle shift, but HST is better when I need to change ground speed around obstacles without losing PTO RPM. I can do all my mowing in high gear and just adjust my ground speed with a touch of the pedal.

Smaller HST machines might have less power going to drive the wheels than SS, but On the M59 power delivery has never been an issue.

I chose HST on my L3901 and have never regretted it. I do a lot of loader work and the ease of HST is great. Plus, like you said, I like that I can speed up or slow down without changing PTO speed.