Is the HST+ right for me? (Grooming riding arenas)

   / Is the HST+ right for me? (Grooming riding arenas) #1  
B

billybonds

Bronze Member
Joined
Jan 5, 2017
Messages
50
Location
Medford
Tractor
New Holland Workmaster 35
Im trying to decide between the L6060 and MX6000, both in cab models. Primary use of the tractor will be to groom the 3 riding arenas at our boarding farm. The HST+ seemed appealing until I saw the specs and it really just seems to add a lower gear to each range, not a higher one. We produce barrel races here where you need to drag the arena after every 5 rides, so speed is very important. We have a skid steer so loader work is not a priority for this machine. If I am reading all the spec sheets correctly, the MX6000 has a faster travel speed in mid range than the L6060 has in mid-high. So unless the HST+ makes it possible to groom the arenas in high-low and gain an extra 2 mph over the MX6000 in mid, does this "Plus" transmission do anything for me? My experience with a smaller 35 hp HST tractor is you cant even drive up a hill in high range, no less groom a riding arena.
 
   / Is the HST+ right for me? (Grooming riding arenas) #2  
Your question is really unanswerable here.

Until you have your new tractor and new implements, with novel draft resistance, it will be difficult to predict what transmission range you will use. You may find that your anticipated higher speed with a higher power tractor with less visibility from the cab is impractical.

To me, the best part of HST+ is Stall Guard. Stall Guard is a productivity enhancement. Few speak of Stall Guard because it operates in the background so you forget about it. I could work a month without stalling my HST+ Kubota L3560.

Ground level fueling is important to me at age 76. Ground level fueling may be less important to you.

Tilt steering on the Grand L is important to me. Tilt steering is not available on the MX series.

You may have to wait awhile for a Grand L optioned the way you want it.
Open Station MX tractors in the past have been fairly available. I can't speak to today, nor to cabbed MXs.

As you can depreciate the higher priced Grand L, based on my satisfaction with a Grand L 3560 ~~~ GO FOR IT.
 
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   / Is the HST+ right for me? (Grooming riding arenas) #3  
on my John deeres (4320 and 4700) I can work in B range up to about 6.5 to 7 mph without any issues. I'm not sure how fast you need to go to groom your arenas ??
 
   / Is the HST+ right for me? (Grooming riding arenas)
  • Thread Starter
#4  
Ground level fueling is important. Honestly, saving a few grand on a 60k tractor is the least of my concerns, and I like idea of all the bells and whistles of the L. Sadly my local dealer gets no allocation so I am stuck dealing with out of state, and I have been hoping to find someone with some actual experience in my actual application....or something similar. If I am correct in that the "Plus" just adds a lower gear to each range, does that lower gear provide more torque/power at the lower speed? Would that make the high-low setting more viable of an option for working in?
 
   / Is the HST+ right for me? (Grooming riding arenas)
  • Thread Starter
#6  
Hoss710 said:
on my John deeres (4320 and 4700) I can work in B range up to about 6.5 to 7 mph without any issues. I'm not sure how fast you need to go to groom your arenas ??
Click to expand...
Maintaining the arena during a barrel race, you are really just filling in the holes and top dressing, so the faster the better. the 7-8mph is just fine for a deeper drag and ripping up the base.
 
   / Is the HST+ right for me? (Grooming riding arenas) #7  
The HST+ seemed appealing until I saw the specs and it really just seems to add a lower gear to each range, not a higher one. If I am reading all the spec sheets correctly, the MX6000 has a faster travel speed in mid range than the L6060 has in mid-high.

I suggest you post the spec sheets here, or discus the specs with your dealer. If you do not post the specs you are seeing you will not get apples-to-apples discussion.
 
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   / Is the HST+ right for me? (Grooming riding arenas) #8  
Straight-line speed may not be the best criterion for your application. Minimizing time to groom the area seems a better measure. If you have a lot of turning or maneuvering (e.g., around barrels) you may find the HST gets the job done faster than a geared tractor.
 
   / Is the HST+ right for me? (Grooming riding arenas) #9  
Given Kubota's history of offering promotional equine discounts, one would think there would be a kubota product specialist somewhere who could offer some direct relevant expertise with your specific question.

Indirectly, I went from a 35hp gear Mahindra to a MX5200 gear drive. The MX does not struggle with 6' rotary cutter in the places where the 35hp did because of the additional HP of the MX. I'm not sure that your experience with the HST on a 35hp HST necessarily means there will be an issue with an HST on either the L6060 or MX6000 once the increase in HP is made. But I can't for sure tell you whether you will be satisfied in your situation. I'm only offering the indirect perspective that I experienced a noticeable gain in performance going from 35 hp to 52hp in my own situation.

I would suspect that the ability to infinitely change speeds within a specific range on a HST would be an advantage in grooming within the confined area of an arena whether not you can go faster or not.
 
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