What is the value of 3 range HST vs. 2 range?

[dieselscout80]

A three (3) range HST provides a lower LOW and a higher HIGH, relative to a two (2) range HST.

Your concern should be two (2) range HST tractor running out of power moving uphill with FEL and Backhoe attached. Do not load the rear tires with liquid, which would exacerbate the problem.

For some, lower overground speed of two range HST in "HIGH" can be tedious, but not a concern over three acres.



You do not have ground contact applications in your plans. If you wanted to plow, subsoil/rip box blade, etc., the lower LOW of a three (3) range HST allows you to tackle tougher dirt and penetrate soil deeper without stalling out. Tractor weight helps too, but less directly.




Nah. SCUTS have teensy front wheels. You would high-center on every downed branch >6", holes, burrows and ruts. A small compact tractor with larger wheels/tires is much better for your conditions.

I don't think it adds lower, low speed or higher high speeds, rather it splits the total speed 3 ways and gives you a medium gear that tends to handle most tasks.

I think with a 2 gear range transmission you may find yourself having stop to shift into high if you are wanting to move to the other side of your place.

That said I find 4 MPH is fast enough to get me around on our 14 acres, but our place is hilly and is divided into 2 and 4 acre pasture and one of the 4 acre pastures has lots of trees to weave in and out of.

I think you would need to determine if stopping and shifting or just running in the mid range is better for you.

 

[JonBoyHunter]

Just another view point. I have one of each. My BX22 has a 2 range, my 3033r has a 3 range. Both pull mowing, loader, snow blowing, and general work duty. The BX is in H 90% of the time. The 3r is is in M 90% of the time. I've never really found myself caring whether I had another range on the Kubota, usually more focused on the task at hand. I think you would just get used to which ever you had. Hope another perspective helps. Happy hunting!

 

[Beeenvenue]

A three (3) range HST provides a lower LOW and a higher HIGH, relative to a two (2) range HST.

Your concern should be two (2) range HST tractor running out of power moving uphill with FEL and Backhoe attached. Do not load the rear tires with liquid, which would exacerbate the problem.

For some, lower overground speed of two range HST in "HIGH" can be tedious, but not a concern over three acres.



You do not have ground contact applications in your plans. If you wanted to plow, subsoil/rip box blade, etc., the lower LOW of a three (3) range HST allows you to tackle tougher dirt and penetrate soil deeper without stalling out. Tractor weight helps too, but less directly.




Nah. SCUTS have teensy front wheels. You would high-center on every downed branch >6", holes, burrows and ruts. A small compact tractor with larger wheels/tires is much better for your conditions.

Exactly. Compare both of the ones you have listed with the kioti CK2610 and the Kubota L2601. Both have theee range and both are built on much larger frames and will likely provide you more durability and function for a coupe grand more (yes it is your money - but you don’t want to spend 80-90% of the same $ and find yourself wishing you had spent the the extra 10-20% more)

 

[Gary Fowler]

Neal at Messick's facetiously describes H-M-L HST ranges as H = highway, M = mow, L = Loader.

I am impatient. I use H when I am going more than a few yards. I think my B26 only goes about 12-14 MPH in H. M is my most used for FEL work. L when I really need the power to spin all 4 tires if needed to get the heavy load moved. M is what I use most of the time, it is fast enough to move back and forth for loader work, but powerful enough to spin the tires most of the time.

I wouldn't buy a HST tractor without a 3 range transmission.

 

[yanmars]

He only has 3 acres, if it is square it is not much over 350x350 feet. Half of it is wooded that he will not be working on much. Whether it is a 2 or 3 range, how long will it take to got those short distances. He may not mow with it. He is not on a ranch, travel time to location would not be my main concern. My lane may be longer than the perimeter of his ground.
I do agree it would be nice if they let you test the tractors a bit, that may help your decision making.

 

[Hay Dude]

Hi all,
I'm very close to my first tractor purchase ever and it's become a choice between the Kubota B2601 and the Kioti CK2510. Both will be equipped with loader, backhoe, and grapple. I'm on 3 acres of hilly land, half of which is heavily wooded and unlikely ever to be fully cleared although I might remove a few very large overgrown pines and burn them. I would be clearing a lot of blackberry bramble, moving some rocks around, moving dirt/gravel, and helping with various jobs that come up such as my current re-build of a retaining wall.

I don't plan to do any mowing with the tractor although I guess it's possible someday in the future, but it's not one of my major decision makers.
I could probably get by with a SCUT but I'm trying to heed the advice to buy a bigger tractor than you think you'll need.

As I've never owned a tractor, I'm just not clear on the advantages of a 3 range HST (the Kubota) compared to a 2 range (the Kioti). Can someone explain how I might use a 3 range versus a 2 range? I don't want to wish I had purchased the other tractor when it's too late.

There are various other pros/cons between the two, most of which I think I understand reasonably well.

Thanks!
Dan

Dan, if both tractors are equally priced and otherwise have equal appeal to you (all other features, dealership, warranty, financing, etc), get the 3 range tractor.
Better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it.
I have 2 tractors that go 24MPH and one that goes 34MPH. Once you get out of the fast one and into the slow ones, even 24MPH feels slow :laughing:
If youre not mowing M range may not be needed. However, 30 years ago when I bought my first tractor, I didnt think I’d take my tractor off my property and now I farm 300 acres and mow another 500 acres of conservation land. :laughing:

 

[bh10]

Im a Kioti guy, but own a B-series Kubota because of the 3 speed. I live in the mountains high is tough on the tractor, but low is painfully slow. Medium is perfect. But once you get into a little bigger tractor, I like the Kioti.

As others have said, if you can look at the ck2610, its a little bigger then the ck2510, but not by much, has a 3-speed HST and the lifting capacity on the 3pt and loader goes up significantly. I friend just got one, its a beast of a little tractor and no emissions equipment, its probably the same price as the Kubota as well.

 

[Ortimber]

I can only reinforce what most others have already stated. All things being equal, a 3 range transmission is more useful. It takes a very slight grade to make high range almost painful to use in my experience, and having only low to chose from at that point is frustrating. For the record, my place is one big hill. If I had a small, flat property, 2 ranges would probably be fine.

 

[s219]

I use M most of the time in both Kubotas I have owned. It's perfect for most tasks. I bet I am in M 95% of the time.

I only ever use H for moving down the road, and only on smooth roads with minimal grade.

L is used whenever I can hear the HST complain in M (it will whine) or when it's obvious I need to be in L (ie, nosing into a material pile, pulling something, etc) or wish to move at low speed with more control out of the HST treadle.

When bush hogging a thick field, I use L because it is easier on the engine to move the tractor while also spinning the mower under load. And I don't need/want to be going fast anyhow, since the ground is bumpy. So L really works out well there too.

The only time I mow in M is when the grass is thin and/or I am doing a maintenance cut on low grass.

 

[finn1]

The Kubota specifies a travel speed range of 0-12 mph, but doesn’t break speed by hst range.

Kioti lists 0-7 and 0-10 mph in low and high respectively.

That implies that Kubota has an advantage in transport speed, but I doubt there is any advantage in the working range.

I only use high range on my 40 hp tractor for highway transport on level ground. It’s otherwise useless

I doubt if you would miss the third range.