Hydro vs gears for durabilty

[TripleR]

Having driven gear and Hydro I strongly prefer the latter for my mixed use. Heck I didn't even plan to get a loader till the guys here talked me into it. Now my loader is about 75% use of the tractor.

That said, I'd love to spend time doing some loader work with a power reverser / GST. I can't see there being much effort in flipping from forward to reverse while doing loader work. It would be nice to have throttle control on my foot and the ability to set a gear for mowing and such.

Some of the new units like on the Kubota Grand L40 series link the throttle with the foot control.

The more modern designed geared and hydro units really seem to be blurring the lines.

 

[JCB]

HUGE.. HUGE difference in a variableswash plate style hydro in a tractor and some of the things called hydro's in heavy equipment. .. IE.. torque converters.. etc..

hmm.. must be spring again.. I see this topic has come up again..

soundguy

Yeah, sorry if I implied they would use the same parts. There are huge differences between large and small equipment. The point, and consensus, remains. Hydro durability = not a factor.

 

[arrow]

HYDROHYDROHYDROHYDROHYDROHYDROHYDRO. I would go with a hydro.

A bit vague, could you be more specific

 

[RobertN]

I posted this during a similar discussion a couple months ago.

Been around this site since '97 or '98, when it was a Kubota site. In all that time, there are very very few reports of tranny problems from gear or HST.

In that previous thread, a couple HST owners did post, that they had problems. Unfortunately, a few folks have had issues. But that is true for both gear and HST.

However, if you look at this from 1,000,000+ posts, very little has actually surfaced about problems with either tranny.

To the OP, do a search of this site; you will not find many tranny issues.

 

[DK35vince]

If you move dirt with your FEL, I positively guarantee you will love the hydrostatic. Check out your local gravel plant, and I'll bet they have 'ZERO' geared loaders.

Any full size front end loader or commercial sized backhoe I have ever run had a lot more in common with a power shift type tractor transmission than a hydrostatic tractor.
To foward/reverse you need flip a lever (usually on the left side of the steering column just like a power reverser).
To stop you need to push the brakes ( just like a power reverser).
To dig into the pile you need to push the foot throttle (just like a power reverser).
If you want to change travel speeds you need to shift gears. (just like a power reverser).

 

[Soundguy]

Reference your statements: "The fuel savings from a gear drive for the bulk of you uses would make it hard not to want a gear drive!" ...... and ......."We change far more clutches on gear drives then work on the hydro's. The first clutch job pretty much levels the playing field of the difference in cost of the hydro."

Would not the second clutch change "pretty much level the playing field" on fuel savings also, or do most geared tractors only have one clutch change?

.

then again.. depending on yuer work.. you can get decades and / or thousands of hours out of a clutch too..

soundguy

 

[DK35vince]

then again.. depending on yuer work.. you can get decades and / or thousands of hours out of a clutch too..

soundguy

My JD 850 is 32 years old. Original clutch.

I have used my Kioti DK 35 to dig my driveways and move many hundreds of tons of dirt, sand, rock, gravel for the past 9 years and 1400 hours. I've never even needed to make the first clutch adjustment yet. Clutch peddle has the same amount of free travel as it did when it was new. I expect to get thousands of hours out of the clutch.

 

[Soundguy]

I have some vintage machines with original, or at least vintage clutches in them with no signs of -any- recent relining or repair.. and MUCH wear on the tractor to prove years of use... all depends on the operator really.

I've seen a rent-a-drunk day laborer burn a clutch out in an hour using it as a speed control device.

soundguy

 

[RoyJackson]

I'd say it all depends on the operator. Highly experienced operators (not me) can probably make a clutch last hundreds, if not thousands of hours - transmissions definately in the thousands. A unexperienced operator (that's me) could ruin a clutch in a day. The hydro lessens the damage potential for folks like me. Besides, they tell me the tractor will have to be split for major repairs to either.

That's the ticket...if you have a gear transmission, you have to know how to use (and not abuse) a clutch.
I'm going to guess most gear tranny guys grew up with manual transmissions. There are probably a substantial number of TBNers who have never driven a manual shift car or truck, let alone a tractor. Most, except for the relatively few on TBN who are farmers, are strictly residential (as I am) and have little need for heavy pulling. Like most of those residential users, my tractor is primarily used for mowing lawn (brush cutting twice a year and operating a 3PH chipper a few times a year).
I like gears because I like gears...and I don't need any more reason then that.

Soundguy's post above hit's the nail right on the head...but around here, more stoners then drunks.

 

[RoyJackson]

I posted this during a similar discussion a couple months ago.
Been around this site since '97 or '98, when it was a Kubota site. In all that time, there are very very few reports of tranny problems from gear or HST.

In that previous thread, a couple HST owners did post, that they had problems. Unfortunately, a few folks have had issues. But that is true for both gear and HST.

However, if you look at this from 1,000,000+ posts, very little has actually surfaced about problems with either tranny.

To the OP, do a search of this site; you will not find many tranny issues.

Yeah...this topic is like the .45ACP vs. 9 mm discussions on gun forums...never ending.