Shuttle Pause

[SLOBuds]

I'm an expert on my L35 now, with 49 minutes of seat time!

The operator's manual asks me to pause in the neutral position before I move from forward to backward or vice versa. Do you guys follow that procedure? The pause?

When I do loader work my first inclination is to use the clutch and shuttle - moving shuttle pretty quickly from forward/reverse reverse/forward. Doing a pause is going to slow down all that work and make me smell the roses a bit.

I'd like to know if you think I should slow down, pause, and take my foot off the clutch.

Thanks

 

[slowzuki]

The brands I have operated want you to back off the accelerator, let the machine slow as much as it will then throw the reverser and smoothly reapply the accelerator. I assume the idea is to reduce the shock load? Not sure why you would dwell in neutral unless the machine was on the flat and slowed down a bit between shifts.

 

[SLOBuds]

The brands I have operated want you to back off the accelerator, let the machine slow as much as it will then throw the reverser and smoothly reapply the accelerator. I assume the idea is to reduce the shock load? Not sure why you would dwell in neutral unless the machine was on the flat and slowed down a bit between shifts.

So, if you are doing loader work, do you first load the bucket, then back off accelerator, then make sure the tractor is stopped, then shift to reverse (with no pause), then accelerate in reverse?

 

[Adam23]

This is why I love my HST! My first tractor was shuttle shift and it seemed to be very hard on the tranny/axle to shift from forward/reverse reverse/forward while having a load in the bucket with any momentem at all. To me it was very cumbersome to do FEL work with that style of tranny. That is one of the main reasons i decided to go with the HST tranny on my second tractor. This is all just my .02 though

 

[TalonDancer]

...When I do loader work my first inclination is to use the clutch and shuttle - moving shuttle pretty quickly from forward/reverse reverse/forward. Doing a pause is going to slow down all that work and make me smell the roses a bit....

FWIW During the week I rented the L39 I did exactly your first inclination.

I figured if the clutch was in, the tractor was not moving, and I've let the engine drop back to idle -- why should I need to pause in neutral?

Talon Dancer

 

[SLOBuds]

FWIW During the week I rented the L39 I did exactly your first inclination.

I figured if the clutch was in, the tractor was not moving, and I've let the engine drop back to idle -- why should I need to pause in neutral?

Talon Dancer

Not getting too many ideas here. I'm just going to go with what's intuitive for me - need to slow down the machine before shifting (to minimize shock) and use clutch. Then make the shift.

There's no way out of this clutch action when you are doing loader work. Unless you very very carefully and skillfully shift to neutral EXACTLY when the tractor is down to almost zero forward speed. Not practical with the back and forth motions of loader work.

Doing field work is different so the operator's manual instructions are easier to do.

Anyway - the transmission doesn't squawk if you leave out the pause. No crunching or sticking or anything like that.

thanks

 

[machmeter62]

So, if you are doing loader work, do you first load the bucket, then back off accelerator, then make sure the tractor is stopped, then shift to reverse (with no pause), then accelerate in reverse?

I do all my loader work with the clutch only, the softer the material, a higher gear is used, then I stop and use the lowest gear to fill the bucket to avoid "riding the clutch;" backing speed would depend on the environment. This works best for me with the L35, but isn't the fastest. I only use the foot throttle/clutch, and don't pause in neutral. If I'm going long distances between loads; then I just shift the GST lever, but still use the foot throttle. I never use the throttle lever only for GST, unless I am at a travel speed.

 

[rbargeron]

Not getting too many ideas here.....

If your machine has a hydraulic shuttle, I think the key is how long the shuttle lever stops in neutral during a direction change. On the Kubota hydraulic shuttles I've owned (L4150 and L5450) it takes a half-second or so for the shuttle clutch pack to depressurize. If the shuttle lever is moved in one quick motion from forward to reverse, the clutch pressure doesn't have time enough to relieve - it remains high and there is a very abrupt shift, which makes high loads in the drive line. If the shuttle lever is moved in two motions with a brief stop in neutral (click,stop,click) then the internal pressure gets a chance to drop before building back up again. This gives a softer shift that's easier on the machine. As always, prompt cheerful refund if info is bogus. Take care, Dick B

 

[SLOBuds]

If your machine has a hydraulic shuttle, I think the key is how long the shuttle lever stops in neutral during a direction change. On the Kubota hydraulic shuttles I've owned (L4150 and L5450) it takes a half-second or so for the shuttle clutch pack to depressurize. If the shuttle lever is moved in one quick motion from forward to reverse, the clutch pressure doesn't have time enough to relieve - it remains high and there is a very abrupt shift, which makes high loads in the drive line. If the shuttle lever is moved in two motions with a brief stop in neutral (click,stop,click) then the internal pressure gets a chance to drop before building back up again. This gives a softer shift that's easier on the machine. As always, prompt cheerful refund if info is bogus. Take care, Dick B

Let's say that I am moving the shuttle lever too fast and therefore making high loads in the drive line. Are these high loads detectable by me, or his he just putting high loads and hard shifts onto the machine without even feeling it?

 

[rbargeron]

No - I should have been clearer about that part - the really high loads come only if the clutch pedal is up and wheels, etc are engaged. If the clutch is disengaged, only the transmission gears have to abruptly reverse direction - there's much less inertia - not enough to feel it in the seat. Even though damage is unlikely, the manufacturer's instruction plays it safe.

 

[SLOBuds]

What I'm trying to understand is if the potential damage happens any other time than what is obvious to the operator.

What I mean is that if I am driving my automobile forward at 10 miles per hour and put the transmission into reverse, I could damage something. It's obvious to me that I am stressing the system.

If I am driving my automobile forward at 10 miles per hour, push in the clutch, and put the transmission into reverse without letting the clutch out, I will NOT damage anything. Unless I let out the clutch. Obvious.

With my tractor if I am at a complete stop and quickly move the shuttle from forward to reverse, with no pause, is that going to hurt the tractor? If it were my automobile, I'd say no.

Since I don't understand it well enough yet, I'm going to take it conservatively.

Thanks

 

[AndyMA]

On my New Holland TN with 16x16 electro hydro shutle you can shift from Forward to N to Reverse as fast as you like. The computer controling the shift modulates it to make ti smooth.

Andy

 

[GaryE]

What I'm trying to understand is if the potential damage happens any other time than what is obvious to the operator.

Martin ,


I don't think so. I own a L3710 GST and I do a lot of loader work with it. I give it about a half second pause in neutral. If I push it to fast, it will give me a little "grind"!



It will tell you if you are shifting to fast. Just listen to the machine and I don't think you will go wrong!




Gary

 

[SLOBuds]

Martin ,
I don't think so. I own a L3710 GST and I do a lot of loader work with it. I give it about a half second pause in neutral. If I push it to fast, it will give me a little "grind"!
It will tell you if you are shifting to fast. Just listen to the machine and I don't think you will go wrong!
Gary

Now ya see ... if I waited long enough I'd just plain and simple get the answer I was waiting for!

I was guessing that the machine would, basically, 'tell me' if I was doing something wrong. My cars have always done that for me and I was hoping that their cousin tractors were the same.

Gary - are you using the clutch when you go into neutral?

My operator's manual says that I don't have to. But here again I think the tractor will talk to me. If I've got the RPM up to 2000 or so during the load process and move from forward to reverse, that's probably going to stress the system. I would expect to get some noise and the tractor will give me a jerk from the sudden change in motion.

 

[GaryE]

Gary - are you using the clutch when you go into neutral?

Very rarely. Most of the time I just shuttle shift into neutral, pause, then reverse. But if I am forcing my way into a pile, there are times when I do modulate the power with the foot throttle. I will power into the pile, back off the throttle, then shift into neutral, pause, shift into reverse then back into the throttle. If you try to shift out of forward or revers that matter while applying to much power it will be hard to pull the shifter into neutral.


Hope this makes some sense!!!




Gary

 

[Vern1]

Greetings,
If I am really digging in hard dirt or pushing hard in low gear and four wheel drive, I clutch it, shift, then ease the clutch out and feather the throttle pedal.
Basically, I leave the throttle lever at idle and use the throttle pedal when working with the FEL. The only time I use the throttle lever is mowing or other straight line work.
If you are easing around and not using the clutch, I would pause in neutral for a second to unload the drive train and let the tractor stop, then shift into opposite direction.
As for upshifting or downshifting, I just shift it on the fly and adjust the throttle position with my foot throttle to ease the shift shock load.
Initially when I was pushing brush or digging with the FEL and working it pretty hard, I just did the forward-pause-reverse and noticed I could smell something that smelled like slipping clutch.....so I started using the clutch more like a clutch was ment to be used and have lived happily ever after....but I was raised on gear/clutch machines so it comes more natural for me.

 

[SLOBuds]

Greetings,
If I am really digging in hard dirt or pushing hard in low gear and four wheel drive, I clutch it, shift, then ease the clutch out and feather the throttle pedal.

That's auto/truck-style which should come fairly easily to most of us who use stick shifts (like me).

I appreciate everyone's comments. Thanks.