MANUAL VS. SHUTTLE SHIFT
- Thread starter grsr3
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mchasal
Silver Member
There's a couple of summaries near the bottom of this thread:
http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/showthread.php?t=81689
Mike
http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/showthread.php?t=81689
Mike
Tractors4u
Elite Member
- Joined
- Mar 10, 2002
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- Athens Alabama
- Tractor
- Deere 4310, Kubota L355, John Deere SST18 Spin Steer, 2006 Polaris Ranger
On the manual transmission tractor you will have a gear shifter similar to that in a car, 1,2,3,and R. On a shuttle shift tractor your shifter will have 1,2,3, and 4, but on the dash or steering column you will have a lever that selects forward or reverse. If you want 1st gear in forward, put the select in 1st and flip the lever forward. If you want 4th gear reverse, put it in 4th and flip the lever back to you. Shuttle shift tractors are a great compromise between gear and HST machines. I have a JD4310 with shuttle shift. It has operated flawlessly since I bought it new about 3 years ago.
ptfarmermd
Member
I have experience with both. I have a 1949 Ferguson TO-20 with a 4/1 (4 forward/1 reverse) manual transmission and a 2004 New Holland TC35A with a 12 x 12 synchronized shuttle shift. The shuttle shift is much nicer.
To change gears on the Ferguson requires you to fully depress the clutch and to come to a complete stop. The brake is needed most of the time also. Once you get familiar with the tractor, you can cheat by depressing the clutch and shifting from one to the other on the fly, but conditions have to be right for this to happen.
The New Holland has a range selector which does require you to come to a complete stop when changing because it is not synchronized. The ranges are low, medium, neutral, and high. The gear selector has 1 - 4, and you have a forward/reverse lever separate from the other two. Changing directions or from one gear to the next requires tapping the clutch. Stopping is not necessary.
If given the choice, take the shuttle shift.
To change gears on the Ferguson requires you to fully depress the clutch and to come to a complete stop. The brake is needed most of the time also. Once you get familiar with the tractor, you can cheat by depressing the clutch and shifting from one to the other on the fly, but conditions have to be right for this to happen.
The New Holland has a range selector which does require you to come to a complete stop when changing because it is not synchronized. The ranges are low, medium, neutral, and high. The gear selector has 1 - 4, and you have a forward/reverse lever separate from the other two. Changing directions or from one gear to the next requires tapping the clutch. Stopping is not necessary.
If given the choice, take the shuttle shift.
