What's the record on E-Hydro - 3320

[Chris2520]

I worked on machines of all kinds for 30 years.
i like hydro. for what its made for. that is ease of use and comfort.
for that , its the best. but for raw power grunt work. it is no match for a gear
transmission. just to much friction. without trying to start the usual debate. lets just look at the facts. AG tractors and small skid steers are hydro. and most large commercial
machines like JD 310 , 410 motor grader and dozers are gear drive.
or shuttles. now why do you think that is... because its more durable.
and easier to repair. its just a fact.
if you hooked a big plow or something really straining on both hydro
and gear. the hydro would most likely get hot and melt sooner or later.
and the gear tranny would keep on truckin.....

Chris...

 

[dirtworksequip]

OH NO Chris! I think you may have started something now.

Sincerely, Dirt

 

[Chris2520]

I hope not. it was not my intention. i have a hydro tractor.
but i mean really fact it fact.

Chris......

 

[ccsial]

The availability of the electronic parts depends on the suppliers commitment. John Deere should be good this way.

My company sells electronic controls to industrial clients. Unlike consumer products, our products are expected to be serviceable for many years.

While the electronic components have gone out of date we have had to redesign some products that are electronically new but have the same features so we can support our customers for replacement parts. I feel fairly certain John Deere would also do that if the stock of parts ran low.

Having said that, there is probably some period of time that parts would be cut off. In my business we have decided on 15 years. After that the customer can buy an updated model which may require some redesign to use. . Then there are the switches and sensors. These are probably parts that JD sources. Some may be to their specs. If the stock runs out they will have to deal with minimum quantities. This makes the part expensive down the road.

I don稚 know how long JD would support a tractor. I would hope 20 years at least. I have never seen them state a time of commitment for service. It is much easier to engineer an after market mechanical part than an electronic one. Scrounging junkyards then becomes necessary. Mechanical parts sit on the shelf easily. Electronic parts tend to go bad from corrosion when sitting.

Itç—´ probably too early to tell about E-Hydro yet, but there may be a few risks way down the road.

 

[Cidertom]

I'll throw in my $0.02
(your mileage may vary, professional operator in a closed sandbox)

As for the simplicity of gear vs hydro: "ain't there no more". I have the 12/12 reverser and it is electrically controlled. Actually it is electrical over hydralulic. The clutch packs are engaged by hydraulic actuators which are driven from electrical pilots. Now if you get a "collar shift" version I'm told the clutch is still mechanical.

I have a lot of constant power applications, largish tiller, 3 bottom plow and harrow (soon to add mower-conditioner, baler). The dealer looked at my application and said the 12/12 was a better fit as long duration operation under full load on the hydro was problematic. Mostly overheating. There are times I would like the hydro such as starting the tilling where the pto is in and I want to creap into position. I out loaded a similar hydro machine this summer, but I attribute that to the fact that I was comfortable driving in reverse and didn't make much in the way of turns. The shuttle feature of the 12/12 is similar to the hydro in ease of changing direction.

The large ag machines with hydro have large heat exchangers to compensate. Some have a mechanical lockup to take the load off the hydro one cruise is reached. I guess I look at all the extra heat the hydro makes and knowing that heat is the enemy of many things mechanical and electrical, I don't like it. I don't even like the heat I get with extended BH operation.

If you look at the "market" JD says they are shooting for with the CUT line it is the LPO (large property owner). I suspect that a great many of us are operating our units at the edge or outside of the true design of the unit. I probably should have gone for the 5000 series but I wanted a slightly smaller frame.

/ $0.02

 

[Chris2520]

I agree with you cidertom. there electrical parts that help
shift your tractor. but once its in a certain gear. it can pull
all day with no adverse affect . where pulling with a hydro.
its working hard all the time. and that does cause alot of heat.

Chris....

 

[dirtworksequip]

Cidertom, and that's one reason my wife called my old JD870 open station geared tractor "the manly tractor" and my new JD3520 ehydro w/cab "the sissy tractor" Real men run geared tractors. lol. I've got my flame retardant suit on.......................so flame on all you diehard hyro members!

hahahaha.

Sincerely, Dirt