Power loss with age on Hydro stat

[VroomVroom]

Just curious has anyone had any noticeable power loss on pulling power or pto power on the hydrostatic tractors. I heard people say they lose power as they wear with age due to leakage etc.

 

[jeff9366]

I have owned two HST tractors. Dealer performs service on factory recommended schedule.
I have never noticed HST power transmission fade.

 

[VroomVroom]

Yes. Just wondering I suppose. As they say the engine is good for x amount of hours if fluids changed regularly etc. Just wondering what the transmission or even the other hydraulics how they will wear as their life goes on providing clean oils and normal use.

 

[MossRoad]

I had a late 70's IH2500b gas engined 50pto HP tractor loader with the HST. It had well over 4000 hours on it when we bought it around 1989. It was about an 8000# machine with full cab and filled tires. I put a couple thousand more hours on it. I could put the bucket up high against a 10" tree and pretty much drive over the tree. I did notice it felt kind of weak shortly after we bought it. I had it serviced and the filters and screens changed/cleaned, etc... and it was like a new beast. With that said, we didn't own it since new, so I have no "as new" experience to compare it to, only the difference from before and after filters and screens serviced.

On that machine, the HST was the strongest part. The gas engine was pretty good, too, but I did have to get the gear welded back onto the distributor shaft, the cast iron mount for the steering cylinder snapped off, someone had replaced the original FEL lift cylinders with much larger cylinders and they leaked at the seals, one of the front wheel hubs disintegrated, and I had to replace the fuel cutoff solenoid at the carb bowl twice in 10 years. So, in my opinion, on that machine, the HST was the least of my worries.

 

[VroomVroom]

I had a late 70's IH2500b gas engined 50pto HP tractor loader with the HST. It had well over 4000 hours on it when we bought it around 1989. It was about an 8000# machine with full cab and filled tires. I put a couple thousand more hours on it. I could put the bucket up high against a 10" tree and pretty much drive over the tree. I did notice it felt kind of weak shortly after we bought it. I had it serviced and the filters and screens changed/cleaned, etc... and it was like a new beast. With that said, we didn't own it since new, so I have no "as new" experience to compare it to, only the difference from before and after filters and screens serviced.

On that machine, the HST was the strongest part. The gas engine was pretty good, too, but I did have to get the gear welded back onto the distributor shaft, the cast iron mount for the steering cylinder snapped off, someone had replaced the original FEL lift cylinders with much larger cylinders and they leaked at the seals, one of the front wheel hubs disintegrated, and I had to replace the fuel cutoff solenoid at the carb bowl twice in 10 years. So, in my opinion, on that machine, the HST was the least of my worries.

Ha. Some of these tractors work hard. I almost feel bad for them. Yeah it’s just that you hear of the power loss vs geared tractors but I actually never talked to someone who directly experienced it. And if so would you even notice it

 

[MossRoad]

Ha. Some of these tractors work hard. I almost feel bad for them. Yeah it痴 just that you hear of the power loss vs geared tractors but I actually never talked to someone who directly experienced it. And if so would you even notice it

It's a confusing mess that people get overly concerned with. Yes, if you put a 25hp engine in front of a geared transmission, it will deliver more power to the wheels and PTO, etc... than an HST transmission on that same engine due to losses in fluid transmission VS gear transmission of power. And, there can be a loss of power if the HST fluid gets overheated. That is a real thing that can happen if, for example, the hydraulic cooler gets plugged, the filters get plugged, the screens get plugged, the operator runs the engine at too low of an RPM in an attempt to save fuel, which causes too low of a flow through the cooler, or the system is designed poorly, etc... My IH2500b had specific operator instructions on how to deal with those issues in the operator's manual.

However, if you buy an HST tractor rated at 25 pto hp, it's going to deliver 25 pto hp. It may have a larger hp engine to do that, but it will do that. You should focus on the specifications that you want from the PTO or drawbar pulling power forward, not from the engine hp backwards, and get a tractor that meets your needs.

Focus on what you want out of the machine's PTO, and its drawbar pulling power, and purchase a machine rated for those specs and it will deliver those specs.

Don't get hung up on the "power loss" soap boxers. It's misdirection, non-issue, and red herring all rolled into one. Get a machine spec'd to do the tasks you need it to do, and it will do those tasks.

Here's a link to help estimate what you can expect for drawbar power from a given PTO power, known engine power, etc....

Agricultural Machinery Management (ACIS)

 

[JerryK]

EXCELLENT POST.... !!!! [ for an old decrepit guy.... ] [ sticky worthy even ]

 

[MossRoad]

Hey! I feel like I'm 34. :laughing:

 

[k0ua]

Hey! I feel like I'm 34. :laughing:

I am betting that 34 ship sailed a while ago. :laughing:

 

[JerryK]

I am betting that 34 ship sailed a while ago. :laughing:

I'm stuck on 12. And my wife used to remind me of it ALL THE TIME....