Hydrostatic vs hydraulic shutle transmission

[redman135]

If you have little or no tractor experience go for hydro as you don't need to UNLEARN gear reflexes.
If like me you have 35 years gear reflexes, then stick with gears as many years wears a very deep groove. I tried hydro, but on my hills for me it is a bad idea. I know another farmer who loves his hydro, HOWEVER he made a strong point that learning hydro reflexes after 20 years of gears wasn't easy.

DK35vince has best summed things up.

 

[Poopdeck Pappy]

I've said it before on this forum several times: If I was going to be out in a field plowing or discing all day, I'd take the hydraulic shuttle (or even a regular shuttle) every time. But for everything else, I'd much prefer the HST.

The simple answer is to buy two tractors so you can have one of each. See how simple it is?

 

[k0ua]

I've said it before on this forum several times: If I was going to be out in a field plowing or discing all day, I'd take the hydraulic shuttle (or even a regular shuttle) every time. But for everything else, I'd much prefer the HST.

The simple answer is to buy two tractors so you can have one of each. See how simple it is?

There is the real answer... a smaller hst tractor and a larger field tractor with gears. But I don't have any fields, so I just have the 35 hp hst tractor. Or which ever one you like and want. I still have far more hours on gear tractors than hydro tractors. And my first loader (on an old 8x2 gear transmission) was a dual stick loader too. I was asked when I bought the rig if I wanted a 2 stick or a single stick loader. I told them I wanted the two stick, because that was what I had seen and thought it would be for the best to learn on. What a moron. I should have taken the single stick. Of course I learned on the two stick and got along fine with it.. But the single stick is so much better.

 

[oldpilgrim]

I drove a gear for 25 years. When switching to an HST 2 years ago, I had no issues. In 150 hrs of use, I have never reached for the shift lever or tried to depress the clutch.

I don't really understand why some might have issues unlearning a gear .

I'll never go back to a gear.

 

[Handloader109]

I've a little (25hp) scut with hst. Learned to drive tractor with old geared tractors with poor brakes. I Love the way my hst works, I'm going down a hill, take my foot off drive pedal and the tractor stops. No real braking necessary.

 

[WesternMN]

I know this has been batted back and forth quite a bit and it seems like HST wins well over half the vote. Where I think it gets a little more muddy is when you get into the 60-90 hp type machines. Tractors large enough for real field work but still small enough to be considered a "utility tractor". In the smaller machines I don't see much advantage to shuttle. But for a all around tractor capable of everything from mowing the lawn to making round bales, the power shuttle seems like a nice compromise between traditional gears and HST.

I've been struggling with this myself as I was about to buy a Kioti NX5510 HST with cab and then found a barely used, same year, Kioti RX 7320 with power shuttle for the same price. Part of me wanted the HST and part of me appreciates the power and feel of gears. When I looked at them both side by side and sat in the cabs it became very hard not to take the RX.

 

[Btown]

True, but how many CUT's have creeper gears? I can't think of any right off. Mostly an option in Utility tractors, like your RX There might be some CUT out there with a creeper range, as soon as you challenge someone to go as slow as I can with a hydro in a gear rig, and someone will come up with one.

I think TYM might have it. I not 100% sure on that but I seem to remember that, but it could be on their larger ones.

 

[RedNeckRacin]

I'll agree with the previous poster that you really need to have two tractors. :thumbsup:

cut-HST
utility or larger-Gears

 

[JerryK]

I'll agree with the previous poster that you really need to have two tractors. :thumbsup:

cut-HST
utility or larger-Gears

I would argue that you need four.... HST/Gear open station, HST/Gear Cab..... Try running that past the woman in charge...

 

[k0ua]

I would argue that you need four.... HST/Gear open station, HST/Gear Cab.....

Hey, now you are talking:thumbsup: