Hydro vs Gear Trans?

scruffy · Nov 23, 2001

I'm with CBDoc on this one. My personal preferance is gear. The PowerReverser sounds like a nice way to go, and while some decry power steering as a MUST with a FEL, I never found that to be the case. Like CBDoc stated, experience is the key...not to just overall workspeed, but for the 'howto' also.

Bird · Nov 23, 2001

Well, I'll agree with you, Scruffy and Cowboydoc, if you're talking about big time farming (long runs at constant speeds), and I'll even agree with you if you're talking about front end loader work if you really need the additional exercise./w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif But since I have a lot more time on geared tractors than I do on hydros, I think I know how to use one (although I haven't used the power reverser models), and it's just a lot more work - guaranteed! And after carpal tunnel, I hope I never have to do anymore FEL work without a hydro and power steering.

scruffy · Nov 23, 2001

Bird, I must say that I don't miss what I've never had. I don't care about the power steering, even for fel work...there are ways to go about it that make life much easier. As for HST, well, when it comes to repairs, I like (even on autos/pickups) the cost on standard gear repair vs HST/automatics. The overall use (IMHO) is just as good, and for getting down dirty work the less horsepucky you have to deal with the better off you are. If I wanted life easy, I guess I should've been born to a family that had something more than an old Cletrac to learn on! That old thing was a jewel, and the old Ford tractor was just fine. Heck, when I first got to drive that, I thought I was in hog-heaven! Beat the old Cletrac all to dickens! The Oliver 550 that came along in later years was a dream. Even w/o pwr steering, FEL work was no problem at all. If you wanted to set still and crank on the steering wheel, go for it! But if it was even rolling just a tiny bit, steering was easy, and when you cranked in the brake steering, no problems at all. Yeah, shifting got to be tedious, but so what? It was all part of what you were doing, a rythem developes and you don't even think about it. Just do.
I am still adament about it, for personal use, no HST! power steering, fine, IF it comes with it, if not, no loss.

cowboydoc · Nov 23, 2001

John, Bird, and Scuffy absolutely right on all accounts. It depends who you are and what you want to do. In Bird's case he could probably beat us all into the ground with running a tractor but his hands wouldn't be too good after a few hours of constant gear handling. Perfect example of having the talent and experience to handle a gear tractor just as efficiently but due to the carpal tunnel hst is a blessing.

MChalkley · Nov 23, 2001

Hmmm... I said to myself that when this discussion started, I was going to stay out of it. But, there are a few points I'd like to bring out.

They're here, here, here, here, here, here, and here. There's a lot more I'd like to add, but I'm trying not to be too long-winded these days. /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

MarkC

Bird · Nov 24, 2001

I don't miss what I've never had

Scruffy, I think that's an important point. I once read a sociology textbook in which the author had a theory of poverty he called "relative deprivation" and I agree with his theory. Before television and modern communications, there were lots of products that we love now and think we absolutely must have, but which we never missed before because we didn't even know they existed; hadn't seen them on TV and the neighbors didn't have them either. When I think of the houseful of modern appliances, and a shop full of tools, etc. that I didn't miss years ago . . .. I even thought cars were great when they didn't have power steering, power brakes, air-conditioning, automatic transmissions, much less power seats, windows, mirrors, and all those things I just wouldn't want to do without now./w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

I grew up poor, but didn't know it at the time; thought that was the way everyone lived./w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

And I thought geared tractors were great for real farm work until I drove a John Deere with Power Shift./w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

Edited by Bird on 11/24/01 06:57 AM (server time).

Anonymous Poster · Nov 24, 2001

...In Bird's case he could probably beat us all into the ground with running a tractor but his hands ...

And that's with Bird having one hand tied behind his back.../w3tcompact/icons/blush.gif

Never, never ever underestimate those retired Police Officers...and lifelong farmers.../w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif

Bird · Nov 24, 2001

I'm afraid you guys greatly overestimate my abilities and experience./w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

scruffy · Nov 24, 2001

Bird, I can agree to a point on the 'comforts', but it has been a conscious decision for years, on my part about certain items in your list. I do have an automatic in my pickup, because if it came to an emergency, my wife COULD drive it. She used to drive my old datsun p/u, but if she wasn't my wife, I would of sued her for whiplash! That and the knots on the back of my head from getting it rapped on the rear glass.
Electric windows? No thanks. Another problem zone that I don't need...been there, done that a few times. Air conditioning, yep! (ain't totally masachistic)
On a tractor, pwr steering...take it or leave it. HST...thanks, but no thanks. Now a couple of the gear trans modifications sound handy...but not anything I couldn't live without. Tools?
All I can say, is while we might not have had the material things, Dad still had a decent shop...what farmer doesn't? It is a part of the life-style. You can't afford to have the repair work jobbed out, so you do it for yourself. I grew up on the 'make-do' or adapt type of repair. (It may not have been meant to do the job you adapted it for, buy by golly, it works well!) Dad was a packrat in some senses, because nothing got thrown out. We had an old milk barn that was converted to the storage barn, you could find darn near anything in there, and with a little imagination, come up with a table saw, or whatever out of the odds and ends.
Fancy ain't necessary, and many times will just lead to more problems, or expense that you don't need.
I'm not trying to convince anyone of my viewpoint, and while I can respect others viewpoints on HST, it will not change my way of thinking. Irreguardless of MarkC's here,here,here etc.
They boil down to personal preferences, and opinion.

JATO_RaT · Nov 24, 2001

Richard, actually I was about to edit my post because when I was done I got the feeling that I wasn't be fair to you. I know that you have never shown a dislike for an HST and if thats how my post came across then I did a poor job of explaining myself. I think it was the HST is a light duty task transmission only that made me think most of the rest of what you said was wrong. I think any amount of loader work works easiest with a HST. I can't think of where I ask for more "heavy duty" application then driving the tractor into a pile of dirt until the wheels spin and grabbing load after load of material. I don't argue with your statement that you use a compact to do farming, I would just think discing 400 acres would be a bit punishing year after year on even a your John Deere compact and a bit slow since its doubtful you have a 16' wide disc setup.

The power reverser must do something different that I am not familiar with as on several of the shuttle shift tractors there is always a slight delay going from forward to reverse or reverse to forward as the hydraulic activated clutch pack is disengaged/engaged. You don't notice it on the flats but get on some steep stuff and becomes apparent very fast that even the delay causes alot of ground to be covered in the half second the whole disengaging/ rengaging process is going on. Anyway, I still have a "gear" tractor and an HST and think their great. Rat...