what are the advantages of glide shift?

[_RaT_]

"HST will always be hooked up either slowing you down or speeding you up."

I'm not sure what you mean. HST has a great cruise control if you care to set the speed for a constant amount.

The "lag" time on GST is there and on hills is pronounced, but you can easily change gears on GST on the hills, just like you can on a JD 790 or other gear tractor. If you are in a situtation where the chance of rolling presents a problem, use the brakes! In 4WD, it locks up all four tires. The L35 has a little longer lag time then the L30 series. Quite frankly, I don't believe any transmission is wrong or bad. Your needs or in this case of GST vs DT, your simply getting the advantage a quick shift on the go performance out of GST. I've used it and I like it.

 

[art]

Your right as the newer GST's are a lot nicer then the older ones. They also now have 12 speeds forward and 8 in reverse.

 

[F350Lawman]

The "lag" time on GST is there and on hills is pronounced, but you can easily change gears on GST on the hills, just like you can on a JD 790 or other gear tractor.

You really think it's easy to change gears on a rolling 790 on hills? Other than upshifting from 3rd to 4th when on the open road I don't have great luck. Not that I've tried often, no real need to.

You must be a clutch magician /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[_RaT_]

Yes, its very easy. If it's rolling, I stop it with the brake. I use my neighbors 790 with its chain harrow on occasion. My method is like this. Step on clutch and brake. Change the gear shift (located between your legs on the 790) to whatever gear is necessary. On the 790 and my steep hills, I use 2 or 3 low. I change gears on hills with my 2WD International the same way, no problem.

 

[F350Lawman]

Yes, its very easy. If it's rolling, I stop it with the brake. I use my neighbors 790 with its chain harrow on occasion. My method is like this. Step on clutch and brake. Change the gear shift (located between your legs on the 790) to whatever gear is necessary. On the 790 and my steep hills, I use 2 or 3 low. I change gears on hills with my 2WD International the same way, no problem

Of course it's easy when stopped, I'm not that bad /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

With the non-synchronized gears, shifting while rolling IS doable but 3 to 4 is the only one I have mastered.

That is what I thought you meant. I thought you were going to give me some secret double, triple clutching method /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[BigBob]

I have had a Kubota L2250 with shuttle and a L2900 with glide shift. There was a major difference that made me want the glide over shuttle. On the shuttle,between 4th low and 1st high, there is a pretty big gap between speed. I had to mow in 4th low, 1st high was too fast. On the glideshift you don't have to clutch and the speed for the gears are more evenly spaced.Used the gst on hills with no adventures, but after spending 40 years on tractors the clutch and brake use is kinda automatic to me. I'm having a Case DX33 hydro delivered, that hydro will probably take me more getting used to than what it would a normal person, which my wife informs me I am far from normal. I wonder on which side of normal she's placing me on?

 

[_RaT_]

I pretty much figured as much and was also addressing anyone who had confusion about it. Even my hydrostatic won't shift from low, medium or high on the hills without fully stopping and braking. But then, it's very rare to need to shift out of medium range.

 

[del]

I have time on a stick trans (3 speed synchro w/ 4speed non synchro range box), HST and GST. The GST was the only option on my one tractor and has worked out great. Compared to the stick trans, not EVER having to stop from 0-max speed is fantastic, no more stopping, bending over. And yes you get to remembering there's a "neutral" between the gearshifts so your foot is near the brakes. Braking with the Kubota HST is about impossible. Brakes aren't just for turning, sometimes pushing a big stump somewhere, or swinging the loader bucket sideways to clean off an area I find the brakes indispensable. Sometimes traversing a slope sideways it takes a little brake to keep it going straight. Sometimes sideways across a slope is the only way to get where you're going, even though I avoid it. Big rock in the backhoe bucket swung uphill's a good counterweight. I find grading near a fence line is a bit hard too, without being able to nudge one of the brakes now and then to straighten her out.

More then anything before such a big purchase, pay the dealer for a days rental or half day and see if you can use the HST pedal all day. Some people can some can't. I couldn't and got rid of my HST Kubota and went with a JD HST. The pedal was the deciding factor, My ankle pivoting and my leg making the pedal work was a killer.

The brakes with a JD HST are far more useable. None of the Kubota HST's are range shiftable without stopping are they? That is also a drawback. Is it the new NH's that have a button to push on the loader to shift ranges? That sounds pretty neat!

It also depends on tractor engine size. My Kubota has 35 hp gross but is knocked backwards by a large hydraulic pump and the GST absorbs a lot too, but it has a torque curve as flat as Kansas to speed up or slow down you just touch the accelerator. Some people think when they are considering going from a stick to a GST they aren't shifting much now so why bother. That's the whole idea, you should be shifting so you can get your work done quicker. It's so easy, why not? Hitting the accelerator pedal for more power I found much more to my liking then the unending WHINE of a "powered up" HST. Why listen to that?

The JD's HST is quieter trans wise, but is louder engine wise. If these Kubota's weren't so quiet engine wise I'd probably have my ear protection on and then wouldn't hear the HST anyway...

I only hope my GST and HST are as reliable as the synchro shift stick on my Ford.

del

Kubota L35, JD 4210, Ford 1710 (leaving...sob) JD GT235 and assorted others down to the garden trowel.

Hours on Tractors about 1600, on operator about 455,000.

 

[_RaT_]

Hi Del, long time no see. My experience is different then yours. I found Kubotas HST noise level to be quieter then the various JD's I tried prior to purchase of a new L30 series. The L3830 HST I have not only has a very quiet 3 cylinder diesel, but I really like the HST it has, ultra smooth. The whine you mention only comes into play when the object is immovable which simply means it's time for low. I have yet to drive a tractor where that isn't the case. I can actually use the left/right brake independently with the HST hand control thus allowing full differential braking, I just never do, I find my uses, don't need it, especially with the speed that I can facilitate F/R. If it is needed for you, I would suggest that the JD design with the brakes on the "other" side is for you. The pedal design on the Kubota L30's suits my foot wonderfully, but then, so does the JD twin pedal on my hydrostatic mower. The one thing I have found is that on the Kubota, you will never get mixed up with where reverse is and on 2 occasions now, this has been improtant as my front end dropped down putting my tractor at a steep angle, nose first. Hitting the reverse HST pedal held the tractor just long enough to give me the needed time to get the loader down and anchor me, eventually pushing me out. I drove a GST and found it great, still no substitute for HST in my opinion, but then, it's not trying to be either. Perhaps the biggest thing that swayed me to the Kubota over the JD 4310 or 4410 and even 4610 was the loader. I think Kubota really nailed it with the new loaders. Considerably stronger and the ease with which they come off is superb. The speed the LA 753 raises/lowers/curls/dumps is great, I have yet to run one as quick. I sold my Kubota L48 and the inability was the biggest reason. Anyway, it was great hearing from you. Keep that 455,000 hour body in good shape. Rat...

P.S. I have to remember to email MChalkey for hooking me up with HST. In a few short months now my new L3830 has over 130 hours on it and I keep finding new reasons why this HST is so wonderful. I really keep finding things about it that I realize can only be done by it.

 

[StoneHeartFarm]

I haven't noticed any problem with my L3650 on hills either, but I don't have real high hills to deal with. Lag time appears to be not more than a second or so.

Steve