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.