glennmac
Veteran Member
The list price of a 4610 HST, $23,890, is $100 lower than the list price of a 4610 GST, $23,990. See http:// www.tractorsmart.com. So why get a Kubota GST?
L4610 Vs. 4700
- Thread starter PLOWER
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cowboydoc
Super Member
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The hst is not all it's cracked up to be if you are doing alot of farm work. When I am planting, haying, harvesting, etc. I need to know exactly what my ground speed is. With a gear drive I can put my wife, friend, etc. on the tractor with no experience at all and put it in the gear I want them to rake or bale at and all they have to do is watch that nothing goes wrong. With gear drive I can put my daughter on the tractor and put it in the gear I want and I can go back and load bales, watch the implement being used etc. and all she has to do to go at the speed I want is to put the reverser in gear and go. With HST you can't do that. With the gear drive you look at your chart, put it in that gear and away you go. In less than a second I can shift gears if need be. The HST is too variable to farm with. With regards to loader work I know what gear I want when I am doing a job. With the power reverser I don't lose anything. Like many of you have said before and newbies to the hst have found out you can't just put the pedal down and dive into a load of dirt. If I put my tractor into low and 1st gear I can dive into the dirt and not have to feather around the hst pedal. Once I have my load I can shift if I need to in a flash or not. I have much more control with a gear drive tractor hands down.
Now with that said there is no way I would have anything but an hst on my lawnmower. If I had the best of both worlds it would also be nice to have an hst when putting in fence posts and a few other things.
I guess it comes down to what your needs are and what you are comfortable with. In no way though do I feel like the hst is "superior" to a gear drive tractor in all applications. If it was an option to have the hst or the gear drive even with no price difference I would take the gear drive tractor. Some of you have also mentioned ease of use and yes that's true, but if you know how to use a tractor it can be more of a hinderance than a help if you are doing farm work.
I'll agree that if you mow, do some loader work and other chores that you can't beat an hst. But if you need alot of variability and control of speed, conditions, etc. the hst is not the way to go.
Now with that said there is no way I would have anything but an hst on my lawnmower. If I had the best of both worlds it would also be nice to have an hst when putting in fence posts and a few other things.
I guess it comes down to what your needs are and what you are comfortable with. In no way though do I feel like the hst is "superior" to a gear drive tractor in all applications. If it was an option to have the hst or the gear drive even with no price difference I would take the gear drive tractor. Some of you have also mentioned ease of use and yes that's true, but if you know how to use a tractor it can be more of a hinderance than a help if you are doing farm work.
I'll agree that if you mow, do some loader work and other chores that you can't beat an hst. But if you need alot of variability and control of speed, conditions, etc. the hst is not the way to go.
JATO_RaT
Veteran Member
Richard you were doing so well until this statement;
"I'll agree that if you mow, do some loader work and other chores that you can't beat an hst. But if you need alot of variability and control of speed, conditions, etc. the hst is not the way to go."
If you do a bunch of straight mowing as Cliff mentioned, a geared tractor is great, but for yard mowing or obstacle mowing a HST is not only infinitely variable, instantly reversable, and considerably more safe since even a young one need simply remove their foot from the pedal and it almost instantly stops and brake's. Many of the HST's have cruise control to lock in a speed, if the tractor loads up from a hill, deeper soil etc, a HST may slow down, but won't stall the engine. My gear driven will unless I select another speed or throw on some more logs. I agree with you and Cliff that a HST is not always the only way to go. Cliffs intended use sounds more ideally suited for a gear driven. The Kubota I use at work has a shuttle shift and that feature alone makes the forward to reverse transition so easy, I"m sure its much like the JD power reverser. For the typical user, especially someone new to tractors, the HST is great, in your case, I think you have the right tractor transmission, besides I think its the JD HST thats been having some problems so you've eliminated that concern. Rat...
"I'll agree that if you mow, do some loader work and other chores that you can't beat an hst. But if you need alot of variability and control of speed, conditions, etc. the hst is not the way to go."
If you do a bunch of straight mowing as Cliff mentioned, a geared tractor is great, but for yard mowing or obstacle mowing a HST is not only infinitely variable, instantly reversable, and considerably more safe since even a young one need simply remove their foot from the pedal and it almost instantly stops and brake's. Many of the HST's have cruise control to lock in a speed, if the tractor loads up from a hill, deeper soil etc, a HST may slow down, but won't stall the engine. My gear driven will unless I select another speed or throw on some more logs. I agree with you and Cliff that a HST is not always the only way to go. Cliffs intended use sounds more ideally suited for a gear driven. The Kubota I use at work has a shuttle shift and that feature alone makes the forward to reverse transition so easy, I"m sure its much like the JD power reverser. For the typical user, especially someone new to tractors, the HST is great, in your case, I think you have the right tractor transmission, besides I think its the JD HST thats been having some problems so you've eliminated that concern. Rat...
cowboydoc
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Probably miswrote that statement as I completely agree with waht you posted. What I meant by that was that if you are lawn mowing, some loader work, etc. then yes hst is a good choice. But if you are farming at all a gear tractor is a good choice. Yes you are right about mowing etc. being very variable with the hst. Like I said for those kinds of things no way I would want a gear mower again. I just worded it wrong.
<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by cowboydoc on 10/10/01 01:44 PM (server time).</FONT></P>
Okay you two lets not fight./w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif I love Hst for different things, and I think gear tractors are just as handy so it depends on the condition. I knew that cowboydoc would back me up, then rat caught on to what I was saying. Thanks,
Cliff
I'm moving up to a 4710 or 5205!
Cliff
I'm moving up to a 4710 or 5205!
gordon
Veteran Member
I'm biting my tounge./w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif
I agree but I also disagree. Nuff said. There was a thread awhile back dealing with the same subject.
As long as your happy with what you buy that is all that matters. Reguardless of what flavor trans it has./w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif
Gordon
I agree but I also disagree. Nuff said. There was a thread awhile back dealing with the same subject.
As long as your happy with what you buy that is all that matters. Reguardless of what flavor trans it has./w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif
Gordon
richh
Gold Member
Well Im glad you guys got it all figered out!!! Im not kicking it no more!/w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif
Rich
Rich
JATO_RaT
Veteran Member
I'm with you Rich, if you know what I mean. Rat...
hayden
Veteran Member
I've browsed the Deere forum and it sure seems to me that there are some serious quality/design issues with the 4600/4700 tractors. Reports of hydro drive units seizing up and other issues.
Personally, I'd want to see the 4X10 models on the market for a few years with an established track record before I'd even remotely consider one.
Personally, I'd want to see the 4X10 models on the market for a few years with an established track record before I'd even remotely consider one.
