What gets more hp to the ground, Hydrostatic or shuttle?

crazyal · Jul 1, 2012

My 580K is shuttle shift and it has a torque converter. I know some CUTs use a clutch but do they all or are there brands/ models that also use a torque converter?

RickB · Jul 1, 2012

sqdqo said:
Which transmission tyle gets more horsepower to the ground? Hydrostatic or shuttle type? If your looking to stay in the 60hp max range which will stand up to long hard pulls better and which will provide better performance?

Not a lot of room for debate the way the question was posed. Given equal engine HP, a gear drive transmission with either a manual or hydraulic shuttle will put more HP to the ground than the same engine powering a hydrostatic transmission. Every time. Convenience and operator preference can be debated, efficiency of power transmission cannot.

familyman · Jul 1, 2012

sqdqo said:
My heaviest use is snow plowing a 2 mile length of road where at times snow gets very heavy. I plan on doing it with a blade on the loader boom as opposed to blower for time reasons. I currently do it with a pickup and it is really tough on the truck. I need to be able to maintain some speed to throw the snow over the bank which means I will be asking alot of the trans. I don't want to over heat and damage it. My tractor considerations are either Kubota L5740 or M7040. I want to use a 9' or so blade and am concerned about having enough hp and proper transmission to keep it moving.

In my opinion, where tractors are concerned, speed (as in, "velocity") is an enemy.

Heavy snow requires a either a big snow blower or a dump truck with a plow.

What are your other uses for the tractor? Plowing fields? Skidding logs? Rough mowing? Loader work? All these things can influence your choice.

If you want fast, are willing to spend the money, and don't need a tractor for tillage or mowing, I would definitely go with a track loader. These are super-versatile machines and very tough.

Kubota Tractor Corporation - SVL Series - Compact Track Loaders

JerryK · Jul 1, 2012

sqdqo said:
My heaviest use is snow plowing a 2 mile length of road where at times snow gets very heavy. I plan on doing it with a blade on the loader boom as opposed to blower for time reasons. I currently do it with a pickup and it is really tough on the truck. I need to be able to maintain some speed to throw the snow over the bank which means I will be asking alot of the trans. I don't want to over heat and damage it. My tractor considerations are either Kubota L5740 or M7040. I want to use a 9' or so blade and am concerned about having enough hp and proper transmission to keep it moving.

I don't think you will have a transmission type issue using that 9' blade on your FEL. Way before that, you may have traction problems or the angled blade shoving your front end sideways in heavy snow. Tractors have less of their weight on the front axle than a plow truck. That is why God made snowblowers to deal with heavy snow......

sqdqo · Jul 1, 2012

I considered a snowblower they are certainly the most efficient way to move heavy snow but clearing 2 miles of roadway is too slow. I thought of hanging front weights out there too. I just want to make sure I get enough tractor to do it. I do tug logs with firewood production and loader work as well. A rubber tired loader is far more mobile.

familyman · Jul 1, 2012

sqdqo said:
I considered a snowblower they are certainly the most efficient way to move heavy snow but clearing 2 miles of roadway is too slow. I thought of hanging front weights out there too. I just want to make sure I get enough tractor to do it. I do tug logs with firewood production and loader work as well. A rubber tired loader is far more mobile.

That being the case, I say go with HST.

Gary Fowler · Jul 1, 2012

I am not that familiar with snow moving with tractors but, If you are looking at a 70 Hp tractor, I would think that a snow blower on that size tractor would really throw that white stuff a long distance and at a pretty good speed. That is a lot of bucks to put into a snow blower machine but for 2 miles of road, go ahead with a cab model with AC and heat so you can be comfortable with any task. A tractor that size is not going to fit in the woods very well anyway so a cab would be a good option.

sqdqo · Jul 2, 2012

A cab is a necessary option, try working in zero to minus zero with wind blowing and upwards of 2' of snow to move.

RealJimbo · Jul 3, 2012

Orange

44 Mag

Hydro Shuttle

But you already knew that:laughing:

But . . . you speak of snow plowing . . . I have found that plowing with a 4WD P/U beats the crap out of plowing with a tractor. Yes, plowing is hard on a truck. But plowing in the snow/wind/cold is hard on the ever-aging human body. The coffee gets cold, you cant hear the radio. What the tractor is nice for when it comes to snow, is piling it up after the storm - clear sunny day - so the kids can make forts in it. Or widening up the road when you didn't push it back far enough in the begining with the truck.

So now, what truck is better to plow with . . . Chevy or Ford??