</font><font color="blue" class="small">( The answer to this question is yes. With a synchro or shuttle shift you can easily change gears. It isn't a problem at all. Even with a 5 ton baler with a full bale on a steep grade I can change gears and keep going without ever stopping or going backwards.
The newer tractors also have a wider torque range. This means that if you are going up a hill then you have extra torque that kicks in and gets you up the hill without shifting gears. )</font>
cowboydoc, part of that torque likely comes from a governor that will kick in when the engine gets into a strain to boost power.
I've noticed that there seems to be an impression among some that have never used geared tractors that using a geared tractor is like using a manual shift automobile. I never have shifted a lot with any tractor I have used, and I have used a number of them. In general you select the gear for the job then use the accelerator to broaden the torque and speed range of that gear.
I've seen debate on how the hydros are much faster when using a loader than geared tractors. That may be true of a non-synchro or non-shuttle 4X1, 8X2, 9X3 collarshift tranny; but the synchro-shuttle trannies were first used for machines like fork lifts, backhoes, and other machines in which you were constantly going from forward to reverse and back again.
Both geared and hydro tractors have their niche in the marketplace. There are instances where each is superior to the the other, but with most of the work people are going to do with their tractors either will work well. The only real factors that should make a person choose one over the other are price and preference.
Drawbar HP used to be a huge factor in tractor ratings, but as more equipment choices became based on PTO HP and hydraulic flow rates the drawbar HP became less relevant. With most tractors the drawbar HP is not the limiting factor, weight is the limiting factor. Generally when purchasing ground engaging equipment you can tell the dealer the gross HP of your machine and they can give you the proper size of implement to match that tractor.
The newer tractors also have a wider torque range. This means that if you are going up a hill then you have extra torque that kicks in and gets you up the hill without shifting gears. )</font>
cowboydoc, part of that torque likely comes from a governor that will kick in when the engine gets into a strain to boost power.
I've noticed that there seems to be an impression among some that have never used geared tractors that using a geared tractor is like using a manual shift automobile. I never have shifted a lot with any tractor I have used, and I have used a number of them. In general you select the gear for the job then use the accelerator to broaden the torque and speed range of that gear.
I've seen debate on how the hydros are much faster when using a loader than geared tractors. That may be true of a non-synchro or non-shuttle 4X1, 8X2, 9X3 collarshift tranny; but the synchro-shuttle trannies were first used for machines like fork lifts, backhoes, and other machines in which you were constantly going from forward to reverse and back again.
Both geared and hydro tractors have their niche in the marketplace. There are instances where each is superior to the the other, but with most of the work people are going to do with their tractors either will work well. The only real factors that should make a person choose one over the other are price and preference.
Drawbar HP used to be a huge factor in tractor ratings, but as more equipment choices became based on PTO HP and hydraulic flow rates the drawbar HP became less relevant. With most tractors the drawbar HP is not the limiting factor, weight is the limiting factor. Generally when purchasing ground engaging equipment you can tell the dealer the gross HP of your machine and they can give you the proper size of implement to match that tractor.
