Manual vs Hydro Transmissions

[bigdeer2000]

i started with an old international gear tractor then went to kubota glide shift then to two different kubota hst's now have an m9000 gear tractor.what i liked about the hst was that i could set the throttle to mantain 540 pto speed and be able to adjust ground speed or change directions without adjusting the throttle. i could also find the right speed with it. some of my land is a little rough and on the old international it always seemed that one gear was 2 slow and the next one 2 fast. hasn't been a problem on my m9000 i think the larger framed tractors just ride better.

 

[Egon]

( My brakes are fine... perhaps you are only thinking of a certain size tractor.. and not taking into account larger tractors... )

Kinda of curious what is a small tractor and what is a large tractor and why stopping should be different between the sizes.

Big Tractor/Small Tractor

 

[_RaT_]

I'm not fond of locking up tires, breaking traction and sliding.. chews up the grass something awfull.. plus if on a hard surface.. you now have less control when sliding.

Dumping the throttle pulls you down fast, and the wheels are still turning to help prevent breaking traction. If I need extra stopping power, right as the engine pulls it down, I clutch then break at the point twher ethe forward speed is about to match dumped engine speed.

It makes a diffference when you have 10-12 thousand pounds moving.. I deffinately don't want to slide and break traction!!!

( My brakes are fine... perhaps you are only thinking of a certain size tractor.. and not taking into account larger tractors... )

Soundguy

Chris, I don't lock my brakes up but I can do it with some effort. In fact, on a hydrostatic type transmission, you very rarely ever use the brakes except maybe as a parking brake. With 4WD you also get the benefit of front wheel braking action (when in 4WD) that is especially handy on down grades. I do agree that you get superb control using engine braking be it manual or hydrostatic, both work very effectively and my prefferred way to slow down regardless of transmission. With some manufactuers you can select just how quickly you want a hydrostatic transmission to slow you down. Of course with a geared or hydrostatic, the gear or range you are has direct corelation on just how much braking you will get. The higher the gear range, the less braking you get.

 

[john_bud]

Kinda of curious what is a small tractor and what is a large tractor and why stopping should be different between the sizes.

Big Tractor/Small Tractor

I always thought that a "big" tractor was one with over 100 hp. A "small" tractor with a belly mower can be visually confused with a lawn mower. No right or wrong, just what one person uses to distinguish big from small.

Either way, the brakes should stop them. The only difference is the consequence if you fail to stop.

 

[Soundguy]

Agreed.

Soundguy

Chris, I don't lock my brakes up but I can do it with some effort. In fact, on a hydrostatic type transmission, you very rarely ever use the brakes except maybe as a parking brake. With 4WD you also get the benefit of front wheel braking action (when in 4WD) that is especially handy on down grades. I do agree that you get superb control using engine braking be it manual or hydrostatic, both work very effectively and my prefferred way to slow down regardless of transmission. With some manufactuers you can select just how quickly you want a hydrostatic transmission to slow you down. Of course with a geared or hydrostatic, the gear or range you are has direct corelation on just how much braking you will get. The higher the gear range, the less braking you get.

 

[Soundguy]

The big / small issue is kinda subjective.. however I tend to ground scut and cut into small.. and ut/ag in the big area. of course .. there will be some that set on the line.. etc.

Stoping vs size? Well.. with any of my tractors that are 40hp and down.. If I did stomp the brakes and stop them immediately.. it wouldn't be too bad.. If I stomp my brakes on my ford 5000 or my NH 7610s.. the tires do lock up.. and then leave a brown skid mark of a couple feet where they skin the grass off.

Just being able to lock tires means nothing. if you have a heavy tractor.. you have alot of stored momentum and energy. it's safer and easier to bleed it off with engine braking than stomped brakes. At one intersection i cross where it goes from gravel to asphalt to gravel.. i used to use braked on my 7610s.. till I slid out into the intersection one time.. With engine braking.. I've never done that. The bigger the tractor.. the bigger the laod it can pull.. thus the more you have to be carefull about stopping. I imagine my batwing mower on the back of my 7610s makes for quite a bit of stored energy to stop. If I'm on grass.. NO way am I stomping on brakes to stop.. I'd rather take a few feet and dump the throttle, then use the brakes at a managable speed.. or to park. Same with my 5000 and the 3pt mower. Between wet tires and front pillow weights.. it's over 9k#... lord knows what the 7610s is with wet tires, a front populated suitcase weight plate, and the 15' mower..

I'd hate to think what that would do to my pasture to rip to a halt with her...

Soundguy

Kinda of curious what is a small tractor and what is a large tractor and why stopping should be different between the sizes.

Big Tractor/Small Tractor

 

[JerryG]

Hello Scott,
I understand and do the no brakes thing all the time. What I don't understand is the seemingly large numbers of compact tractors that have virtually no brakes.

 

[Egon]

"big" tractor was one with over 100 hp.

Well, here we come to problems in defining tractors. For some the 100HP would be consider a small chores tractor. For others a 40HP would be considered a big tractor. It's all in the perspective.

I actually consider my Kubota 16HP tractor a "Toy Tractor" but in my situation it works quite well.

If you need to stop you need to stop regardless of size. Run into a cow with a larger tractor and the cow may die. Run into a cow with my tractor and the operator may die! This is kinda important to me!

 

[john_bud]

If you need to stop you need to stop regardless of size. Run into a cow with a larger tractor and the cow may die. Run into a cow with my tractor and the operator may die! This is kinda important to me!

Well for goodness sakes, get some smaller farm animals to use for substitute brakes! Maybe some sheep, goats or Shetland ponies... Cows are just to big when you're on a 16 hp tractor!

jb

 

[Egon]

It's the neighbours cow.