Hydrostat vs Shuttle

[crashz]

Age old question. If you want to get the group further excited, ask if you need a diesel pickup to tow with, and which brand to pick.

If I were you, I would let your main chores dictate the transmission type, not perception of durability. The best transmission for the job will be the one that helps you get them done efficiently. A majority of tractor owners feel that loader and fine work are really best suited for HST transmissions. Shuttles and manual shift transmissions shine when pulling long continuous runs when ground engaging (plows) or when heavy PTO demands (mowing, tilling, etc) are placed on the tractors.

I love my HST trans in the Kubota, but my old John Deere with crash box trans would really get the power to the mowers. The two have similar flywheel power (24HP) but the John Deere never felt underpowered, nor did I need to back off the speed when mowing. Same brush hog mower used on both.

 

[Blue Mule]

I'm the guy who started that 20+ page thread and after a couple of months with a hydro tractor I can say there is NO turning back. It's hard to explain, but all I can say is that living with the hydro trans day to day makes the tractor SOOOOOO much easier, faster, and more convenient. Even simple tasks like hopping off for 10 seconds to close the farm gate behind me are faster and don't even require a switch to neutral or setting the brake. It also makes finesse work safer and easier....like last night when we were using my tractor to swap out the wheels and tires on my neighbor's Deere 5075 and we needed to inch them into position to bolt the wheels to the hub. The hydro wasn't jerky or lurchy...it just plain worked.

Hydro is the way to go if your tractor is going to be a multi-task tool around a property.

 

[ericm979]

I agree but I would set the brake when you get off to close the gate. Sometimes HSTs creep a little, either because the pedals are not quite in neutral, or are a bit out of adjustment, or the tractor is on a slope.

 

[Cougsfan]

As far as reliability goes, either one should be OK. How each uses the hydraulic fluid should be a non-factor in the concerns of the average user. Usually something else on the tractor fails with age and use before the transmission does.
It is all a matter of preference. HSTs tend to be noisier, but easier to use for most people. About the only advantage I see of a shuttle is that a given rpm in a given gear will give a given ground speed. That is handy when doing things like spraying with a boom, but in reality is just a minor advantage. Some people claim that shuttles give better fuel economy. That may be true but again, the difference is negligible.
Lou is correct in that some people don't know how to use a HST. They push on the HST pedal as if it were a throttle, and it isn't. Every once in a while you see a thread where a new HST owner complains about the operation of the HST when it doesn't react the way they expect when they stomp on the pedal.

 

[JM7500]

I agree with crashz. Determine what and how you will use the tractor. Then test drive both. I went with the 4820R with a 16x16 shuttle. I will be bushhogging a lot. For the other tasks I've used the loader for, clutching and shifting the direction lever was not an issue. The tractor can be slowly inched (more like 2 inched?) in range A and 1st gear, but never ride the clutch.

I just wish I could get a new truck with a manual transmission!