Shuttle Shift or Hydrostatic.....

[skipperbrown]

If you are going be doing a lot of precision work such as FEL work, changing directions a lot, moving around things like trees, landscaping, buildings, etc., I highly recommend the hydro. Most larger hydro units also have 'cruise control' for setting the right speed when mowing large areas. Cruise control means setting the perfect speed for the conditions. Hydros allow you to instantly slow down when hitting a thick patch while mowing to keep from overtaxing the engine and speed up on thin areas where you can go faster. I don't use shuttle shift, but either hydro or standard gear tractors (larger tractors) and I will pick the hydro every time unless I'm need the power of the larger machines. The downside to hydros is the cost, some whine, and they eat a few HP as they aren't as efficient.

 

[gunny0628]

Thank you guys so much for your replies and the information. It’s making it tough to decide. My wife will also be operating the tractor to cut grass, move manure and drag fields.

Such a tough choice.

Is the difference in HP loss at the PTO negligible?

As far as the overheating it probably isn’t as bad especially if I keep it clean. Which I already have really bad OCD anyways.

 

[cdb2]

That might make a difference. I took my wife with me to test drive the 55 hydro and the 74 power shuttle (they didn't have a shuttle 55 at the time) and she preferred the hydro hands down. She's run the tractor quite a few times and likes it. Even though she can drive stick and clutch just fine, having one less thing to think about makes her more comfortable with it. I don't think she'd drive it at all otherwise.

RK says 2.5HP difference at the PTO, but I'm not sure how much of a real difference that ends up being. I do know that mine gets along just fine mowing fields with a 6' flail mower. On occasion it bogs down a little in heavy grass or brush but the load sense just slows it down from cruise control and then speeds right back up again after a few seconds. It does get fairly hot after a few hours mowing, so I try to be good about cleaning out the radiator and coolers pretty regularly. They get packed up pretty fast cutting the fields.

If I remember correctly the field in this pic was at least a foot or two high, didn't have any troubles going along as fast as I wanted.



Have you already test driven both trans? If not you ought to run both kinds for 30 min or so at the RK, especially practicing forward/stop/reverse over and over since you do that a lot with the grapple. I bet it would make the choice easier.

 

[Pecan Farming]

Thank you guys so much for your replies and the information. It痴 making it tough to decide. My wife will also be operating the tractor to cut grass, move manure and drag fields.

Such a tough choice.

Is the difference in HP loss at the PTO negligible?

As far as the overheating it probably isn稚 as bad especially if I keep it clean. Which I already have really bad OCD anyways.

In addition to the RK55 Hydro I have a Kubota B3000 Hydro/with cab. The Kubota is only 30hp engine and 23PTOhp. I have ran both a 6 foot bush hog and 6' finish mower with it. Way more mower than the 23hp wants except in really light materail. It just did not have the HP for those and that is one reason I stepped up to the RK55. That said I have never over heated either of the hydro transmissions running hours at time in 95 degree Florida weather. The key is to keep the cooler clean up front the same as the radiator. There is a HP loss using the hydro trans but you will not notice it in any real sense in real world conditions if the HP on a given tractor are the same. I have a Kubota M4800 gear, 50hp engine, 43hp PTO. Mowing the same field conditions I can not tell the difference between it and the RK 55 hydro. 55hp engine, 42hp PTO. The only difference is when the gear overloads and starts to draw the engine down I have to clutch and either let the engine catch back up or downshift. With the hydro I just decrease the ground speed with the pedal and then go again.

 

[gunny0628]

The information is really really good. I can’t say thanks enough. I’m going to have my wife test drive the hydro. She was good with a gear driven ford before and used to drive it all the time. But I want her to be comfortable.

You guys know if there is any big difference between the TYM T574 and the RK 55?

A guy from a local dealership says he can get me a better deal than RK - but the customer service is so much better at RK.

I’ve just never really had good luck with the salesmen at dealerships who usually sell based on commission.

Thanks again for all the responses.

 

[TripleR]

Don't buy into the HST being more prone to heating we have several and it's no different than our geared tractors. If we will be awy from a shop, we use a gas leaf blower or whisk broom. At our shops, my brother added a two foot extension with holes on the sides to better clean the radiator and condenser. You can buy them or make them.

I'm getting a bit long in the tooth and have a bad leg, so I am a bit quicker on my L5740HSTC than M8540HDC hydro-shuttle, but my brother or sons can match the HST with the hydro-shuttle. My wife won't touch any geared tractor, but can use the HST+ if needed.

 

[gunny0628]

Don't buy into the HST being more prone to heating we have several and it's no different than our geared tractors. If we will be awy from a shop, we use a gas leaf blower or whisk broom. At our shops, my brother added a two foot extension with holes on the sides to better clean the radiator and condenser. You can buy them or make them.

I'm getting a bit long in the tooth and have a bad leg, so I am a bit quicker on my L5740HSTC than M8540HDC hydro-shuttle, but my brother or sons can match the HST with the hydro-shuttle. My wife won't touch any geared tractor, but can use the HST+ if needed.

Thanks for the info.

 

[ovrszd]

And Pecan Farming quoted an excellent comparison in regards to HP eaten by a hydro. The gear tractor, 50HP, 43 PTO HP, versus the Hydro 55HP, 42 PTO HP.

 

[Professor Marvel]

HYDRO
I will not get anything but a hydro unless i get a ridiculously good buy on a gear

 

[gunny0628]

And Pecan Farming quoted an excellent comparison in regards to HP eaten by a hydro. The gear tractor, 50HP, 43 PTO HP, versus the Hydro 55HP, 42 PTO HP.

Is that because it’s hydraulic dependent?