Comparison MX5400 Shuttle vs hst

[dbeverly68]

I’m pulling the trigger tomorrow on an MX5400. I still haven’t made up my mind on a shuttle or hst. The tractor will be doing mostly loader work with a bucket and grapple. I will also be mowing pasture. Mowing will be flat to tank damns and some hills. I guess I’m worried about longevity of either. Which may be better? I also worry about pushing brush and doing dirt work with the hst. I’ve always had a shuttle and never owned a hst. Advise would be appreciated!! Thanks!

 

[pburchett]

I was worried about gear, shuttle, HST when I bought my MX5400. I went with the HST and glad I did. I also have a Ford 640 and just using the grader blade the gear shifting is noticeably annoying after using the HST. I have owned the Ford 640 for a long time so it should have not been a issue, but the HST is great for loader work. I also bush hog with mine and it is more than fine using the HST. As far as pushing brush and doing dirt work the HST is more than capable. You will run out of traction before you run out of power. I can spin all 4 tires when stalled using the box blade.

 

[waycoolmarine]

hst is my vote

 

[Bullwinkle123]

I'm a noob with only 20+ hours on a new MX5400 HST. Love it. Since I have no basis for comparison, the only time I wonder about anything is when I'm going up steep hills and hear the engine working harder, and am also, seemingly, constrained to low "speed" and the gearing within it. But maybe any other tractor would be the same. For every other thing, I really like the noob friendliness of the HST, and all the back and forth things I need to do (whether it's with the loader, or doing 3 point turns in tight spaces in the forest).

 

[Bullwinkle123]

I知 pulling the trigger tomorrow on an MX5400. I still haven稚 made up my mind on a shuttle or hst. The tractor will be doing mostly loader work with a bucket and grapple. I will also be mowing pasture. Mowing will be flat to tank damns and some hills. I guess I知 worried about longevity of either. Which may be better? I also worry about pushing brush and doing dirt work with the hst. I致e always had a shuttle and never owned a hst. Advise would be appreciated!! Thanks!

My tasks are similar, if on hills. Loader work, grapple work, field brush hogging. I haven't had any issues with using my grapple to do root raking or push brush along as I scoop up a lot of cut stuff. But again, nothing to compare it to. If the loader/grapple are applying force, you'll definitely hear the tractor working harder, in fact it's something of a clue to me about how much I'm engaged with the ground.

If you buy an HST and find it sub-par compared to a shuttle, I'd really like to know that.

 

[Steppenwolfe]

I have an MX 5100 shuttle. I love the gear drive. Makes so much more sense to me. I use my tractor for fel dirt work, grading, grapple, box blading, a landscape rake, and mowing with a bush hog. Had a smaller Kubota with hst, hated it so much I got rid of it. I like to putz around in 1 gear, high range for most fel work. Set the hand throttle to about 1500 rpms and use the foot throttle for the power when I need it. I can't stand running an hst at almost 3,000 rpms for nothing. Go for the more power in the geared.

 

[SDT]

I知 pulling the trigger tomorrow on an MX5400. I still haven稚 made up my mind on a shuttle or hst. The tractor will be doing mostly loader work with a bucket and grapple. I will also be mowing pasture. Mowing will be flat to tank damns and some hills. I guess I知 worried about longevity of either. Which may be better? I also worry about pushing brush and doing dirt work with the hst. I致e always had a shuttle and never owned a hst. Advise would be appreciated!! Thanks!

HST transmissions are wonderfully convenient but rather inefficient and more expensive than gear drive transmissions.

I own three tractors with HST transmissions mostly because they are convenient, i.e., time saving for the tasks for which I use them. I own/have owned multiple other tractors with various types of gear transmissions.

Based upon the very limited information provided concerning your usage, my belief is that you would probably be better served with a HST rather than a hydraulic shuttle.

SDT

 

[Bullwinkle123]

I have an MX 5100 shuttle. I love the gear drive. Makes so much more sense to me. I use my tractor for fel dirt work, grading, grapple, box blading, a landscape rake, and mowing with a bush hog. Had a smaller Kubota with hst, hated it so much I got rid of it. I like to putz around in 1 gear, high range for most fel work. Set the hand throttle to about 1500 rpms and use the foot throttle for the power when I need it. I can't stand running an hst at almost 3,000 rpms for nothing. Go for the more power in the geared.

View attachment 657708

When my 5400hst is struggling going up hills, I find additional rpms don't seem to make much difference. I mostly settle at 1500 when I'm moving around with or without loads, and 2500 rpms for the PTO stuff.

 

[LabLuvR]

I just bougth a MX 5400 myself. I have a NH now with foot pedals for the hydro not a rocker. I would hate the rocker, I went with the gear shift instead.

 

[pburchett]

Should not run a new DPF tractor at 1500 rpm, better run it up there around 2000 rpm or so. I find that 2000 rpm is good for putting around on my MX5200. 2250rpm is good for most work and PTO speed is good for bush hogging or maxing out the loaders hydraulic pressure moving big stuff like rocks and pallets of wood.

 

[rScotty]

I知 pulling the trigger tomorrow on an MX5400. I still haven稚 made up my mind on a shuttle or hst. The tractor will be doing mostly loader work with a bucket and grapple. I will also be mowing pasture. Mowing will be flat to tank damns and some hills. I guess I知 worried about longevity of either. Which may be better? I also worry about pushing brush and doing dirt work with the hst. I致e always had a shuttle and never owned a hst. Advise would be appreciated!! Thanks!

No wonder you have a difficult choice. I think that if longevity was the only issue then the nod must go to the shuttle. They are well proven to last the life of a tractor. For convenience and easy operation there is no doubt the HST is the choice. And HST longevity - probably not as long as a shuttle - may well be longer than you will own the tractor anyway.

Are those the only choices? There is a good intermediate choice on some models... the HST plus transmission. It has an electronically shifted two speed rear axle that it doubles the number of gears. A 3 speed HST becomes 6F & 6R. That eases the load on the HST pump and will probably help to reduce wear because the HST variable pump doesn't have to cover so wide a range. Less off-axis forces.

I like our HST+. It has been solid for 15 years now. But would say it also comes down to how you enjoy using a foot clutch. If you are comfortable with a foot clutch they work fine & there is certainly nothing wrong with the geared transmission choice.
My own favorite all time transmission was probably a 12 speed power shift with creeper gears, a foot clutch, and a reversing lever on the column.
rScotty

 

[RickB]

Dry single disc clutches for certain and in many cases forward / reverse synchronizers are by no means lifetime components.
A constant supply of clean, cool oil of the proper spec will allow an HST transmission to live thousands of hours.

Given proper care and use the choice is one of preference and suitability to the tasks at hand.

 

[big bubba]

although all i've owned are gear tractors, i would favor those recommending HST. i once owned an MX5000 gear shuttle. i found the shuttle very primitive that requires clutch depression. plus (on that model) 1st & 2nd gears were not synched, only 3rd, 4th. if you are doing repeated fel work, you'd be forever shifting. plus, as mentioned above, the clutch is single plate/dry. it's going to wear out w/repeated use over the years. i'll let the HST people give more detailed info on that system
i found the MX to be a robust bare bones tractor & would not get the primitive gear model again.... i highly recommend the HST best of luck

 

[skipperbrown]

For loader work and mowing, you can't beat HST. Instant forward/reverse, precision stops/creeping, and varying speed while mowing due to terrain/grass thickness make the HST a superior product. The only time I would recommend gears is if you needed the last horsepower to do the job at hand, or are doing a lot of ground engaging work, or don't have the extra $$ for HST.

 

[SDT]

Dry single disc clutches for certain and in many cases forward / reverse synchronizers are by no means lifetime components.
A constant supply of clean, cool oil of the proper spec will allow an HST transmission to live thousands of hours.

Given proper care and use the choice is one of preference and suitability to the tasks at hand.

Agreed, Rick.

Though early HST tractor transmissions, e.g., 60s/70s vintage IH Hydro models, were commercial failures (for multiple reasons, some having little to with technology), modern HST tractor transmissions can be expected to last the life of the tractor, given proper maintenance.

That said, unlike vintage gear type transmissions, HST transmissions are not tolerant of dirty or improper oil or filters.

I bought a new B1750HSDT in 1993 and have serviced it religiously since. After 27 years, it is still ticking like a clock.

SDT

 

[ericm979]

When my 5400hst is struggling going up hills, I find additional rpms don't seem to make much difference. I mostly settle at 1500 when I'm moving around with or without loads, and 2500 rpms for the PTO stuff.

We all have a lifetime of car driving training us that more pedal = more power. But with HST, more pedal = higher gear, which isn't the same thing. I still have to remind myself about this. When I'm going up a steep road I set the cruise to a small amount of HST and practice my patience.

Tractor engines are designed for "torque rise". Meaning that as the engine rpm falls from operating rpm (generally PTO rpm), torque rises. So if you climb a hill at PTO rpm the engine will resist being pulled down to a lower rpm. If you're running it at or below the torque peak, then the engine will more easily be pulled down to lower rpm.

 

[AndyMA]

Having had several of both types, for loader work the HST rules.
My MX5200 with HST hasn’t faltered in 2 years

Andy

 

[oosik]

My first tractor - Ford 1700 - was straight gear shift. Current tractor - Kubota M6040- hydraulic shuttle shift. I do the same tasks a the OP. Never found the shuttle shift to be lacking. It's all in what you have and become competent with.

I had the Ford for 27 years. The Kubota for 11 years.

 

[big bubba]

My first tractor - Ford 1700 - was straight gear shift. Current tractor - Kubota M6040- hydraulic shuttle shift. I do the same tasks a the OP. Never found the shuttle shift to be lacking. It's all in what you have and become competent with.

I had the Ford for 27 years. The Kubota for 11 years.

agree, same set up as my M8540. but there's a big difference between hyd shuttle & the manual clutch operated shuttle shift on the MX. big difference.
as i mentioned earlier, the shuttle gear system on my previous MX5000 i found to be primitive & labor intensive w/not much advantage over a conventional gear system of your Ford 1700, etc.
the OP should test drive both models & the ease of operation of HST should be apparent. regards

 

[Bullwinkle123]

I had two additional reasons for buying my HST model which at least partially don't apply to the OP (since he's an experienced tractor operator):

1. I'm a noob, I wanted things to be as easy and error free to operate as possible, so I could focus on avoiding getting into other kinds of trouble.
2. I wanted it to be simple for my wife as well so she could use it (or at least move it), and who has no intention of learning all manner of tractor stuff.