I think some of the city slickers are just afraid of a clutch. I'm done.
I am sorry to bust your bubble here but it does have everything to do with skills!
You claim to be stating facts but in reality its not fact but rather your opinion based on your experience at your skill level not his or mine.
Operator skills and machine setup are VERY important for a fair comparison. Not exactly sure what the problem with the Kubota in that video posted was or the skill of the operator with running a power shuttle was but he made the power shuttle look bad. Declaring HST King from that experience was absurd.
He should have been able to plow that amount of snow going back and forth without EVER touching the clutch. To accurately assess mechanical ability one must posses the basic skills to operate the tractor properly. If the temperature gets above zero I can make a video of operating a power shuttle.
And not for nothing, if you want to get a REAL tractor, you are going to have to learn to operate a transmission other than an HST. (That should help stir the pot!) :dance1:
Oh boy, the ship is almost completely submerged, but you're still clinging to it, apparently by choice. There's a life raft right over here fellas ... It's called the USS Common Sense!
Ok, didn't really think this would be necessary because common sense should've been all that was needed, but imagine this:
A customer wants you to move, spread, and fine-grade 80 yards of topsoil. You can choose gear trans (old gear, shuttle, PS... Your choice) or HST. But the machines will be identical in every way besides trans. And, your skill level will be the same because you've got a zillion hours of experience on both tractors with their different transmissions. So now, all things are equal.
If you're being honest, and have had experience using both types of transmissions, which tractor will be more efficient at the task? It's obvious that HST will. Skills have nothing to do with which one is better FOR THAT JOB.
Ok, same scenario, but now take an absolutely brand new operator, who has never even sat on either type of tractor. Again, which transmission choice would make that operator more efficient for that job? Clearly, HST. And so again, skills aren't a factor. The tractor is.
Ok third scenario... Same customer, same job. You are a skilled user of a hand shovel. Vs a novice on a tractor. Do skills matter here? Which is better?
If you are trying to say that a completely unpredictable, unreliable, and inconsistent variable such as operator skill should be considered as a factor for saying HST or gear is a better choice, would be like saying a skilled operator on a bicycle would get across the country faster than a novice driving a car. Or that an experienced shovel user will out work a novice with a tractor/loader.
Instead, you need to consider the actual tasks. There are tasks where gear is better than HST, and others where HST is better. And by better, we are saying "more efficient", or "more practical." Operator skill has nothing to do with that.
