Gear drive vs hydro

deere755 · Nov 4, 2008

We are considering buying a new or like new tractor and keeping the 755. My son is using the 755 a lot for some pretty heavy loads like the middle buster, disking, plowing etc. I love using the hydrostat for mowing, tilling, and plowing snow. Would a gear drive hold up better for heavy tillage type work or is hydrostat just as good. Hydrostat is not nearly as important for planting wild life plots as it would be for tight areas and a lot of backing and manuvering around obsticles. I am leaning towards gear for durability and they are a little cheaper too. I realize you lose on resale with the gear.

jsboening · Nov 4, 2008

From what I've gather here, most people prefer gears for ground engaging work. A lot of it may be due to the parasitic horse power lose that hydro transmission have vs. gears. I don't have any experience with gears, but I have not been able to break any of my hydro transmissions while box blade, back blading, plowing snow, mowing, towing heavy trailers, etc. I don't think hydros are as delicate as some people think.

patrick_g · Nov 4, 2008

Isn't there some sort of award for starting a thread that is a rerun of a rerun of a rerun of a ...............

Pat

john_bud · Nov 4, 2008

For primary use of tillage or other ground engaging activities, gear tractors are probably going to be the best. But, you can get a powershift, or power shuttle (Kubota GST). That has some of the benefits of a more modern transmission with few of the negatives.

jb

dirtworksequip · Nov 5, 2008

I've owned both geared and ehydro tractors.
The advantage of gear over ehydro as I see it is.
1) The geared tractor is going to put more available horse power to the ground.
2) Fuel consuption will be less with the geared tractor.
3)The gear tractors are simpiler to work on and have less electronic stuff to go bad over time.

Sinserely, Dirt

Mighty Dodge · Nov 5, 2008

Just plowed the garden yesterday with my Hydro, it did a fine job.

M.D.

Reg · Nov 5, 2008

Someone (might as well be me) is obligated to point out that with a gear transmission you CAN KNOW your actual ground speed, which can matter for some spreading or spraying tasks.

The other thing is that some folk tend towards hydro because they "never learned to drive a standard" car - without understanding that on a tractor you don't shift up and down through 4 or 5 gears at the beginning/end of every row (-:

texbaylea · Nov 5, 2008

Reg said:
Someone (might as well be me) is obligated to point out that with a gear transmission you CAN KNOW your actual ground speed, which can matter for some spreading or spraying tasks.

The other thing is that some folk tend towards hydro because they "never learned to drive a standard" car - without understanding that on a tractor you don't shift up and down through 4 or 5 gears at the beginning/end of every row (-:

It just so happens that with my Kubota HST I get a readout of my ground speed on the dash. It can be displayed in miles per or kilometers per, take your pick. I do not have to consult a table of gear vs rpm.

Vernon

Reg · Nov 5, 2008

texbaylea said:
It just so happens that with my Kubota HST I get a readout of my ground speed on the dash. It can be displayed in miles per or kilometers per, take your pick. I do not have to consult a table of gear vs rpm.

Vernon

Still not worth the $ and HP costs (to ME, ymmv etc.).

wushaw · Nov 5, 2008

deere755 said:
We are considering buying a new or like new tractor and keeping the 755. My son is using the 755 a lot for some pretty heavy loads like the middle buster, disking, plowing etc. I love using the hydrostat for mowing, tilling, and plowing snow. Would a gear drive hold up better for heavy tillage type work or is hydrostat just as good. Hydrostat is not nearly as important for planting wild life plots as it would be for tight areas and a lot of backing and manuvering around obsticles. I am leaning towards gear for durability and they are a little cheaper too. I realize you lose on resale with the gear.

The gear tractor is cheaper up front and cheaper at the end for resale so your not loosing anything.
Gear tractors are fun to drive, the only difficulties I have seen with gear is using a FEL, that takes alot of practice to get it down and just more work.
Everything you have listed will be no problem to do with a gear tractor and can be very enjoyable.

Soundguy · Nov 5, 2008

texbaylea said:
It just so happens that with my Kubota HST I get a readout of my ground speed on the dash. It can be displayed in miles per or kilometers per, take your pick. I do not have to consult a table of gear vs rpm.

Vernon

Not all machines make you consult a table to get ground speed on a gear tractor.. some of them actually have ground speed on the tach / proofmeter. with different bands based on gear ranges.. etc.

soundguy

pat32rf · Nov 5, 2008

As a kid, I grew up on a 9N, then a 30hp Massey (no loader on either) Since then I've used a 60hp Case w/loader, 60hp Massey w/loader- both gear units, a 560 and 680(?) Case hoe with shuttle, a 19hp Bota Hydro with loader and my favorite, our current 4300HST JD. For work in tight spots, or bush work where you are skidding logs, or snow work or loader/hoe work, or landscaping where you want to move that rock 2", you can't beat the HST...granted my clutch leg (and arm) ain't what it used to be, but even a sprained ankle (left) last week didn't stop me from dragging out firewood.

texasjohn · Nov 5, 2008

yep... OP... suggest you look at the numerous TBN threads that discuss advantages of gear versus HST.

Since you have 5 acres, I doubt that there is any way that horsepower saving gear transmission will truly be of any benefit to you. Horsepower loss is inconsequential in actual use.

Agreed, it is cheaper.

However, HST is extreme precision and I consider it a safety item.

There is a thread discussing reliability of HST... NOBODY reported that they had EVER had a problem....and some reported 1000 hrs or more experience.

GreenWannabe · Nov 5, 2008

All this talk of HP loss with an HST - in reading many specs of all makes, most loss is in the range of 1/2 to 1 1/2 HP. You're thus talking about less than 5% difference, in most cases. Seems a small price for the control you get with an HST, to me - YMMV, of course.

Egon · Nov 6, 2008

[The other thing is that some folk tend towards hydro because they "never learned to drive a standard" car - without understanding that on a tractor you don't shift up and down through 4 or 5 gears at the beginning/end of every row (-:/QUOTE]

Maybe check out some of the new tractor transmissions!

Many farmers will have GPS systems on their tractors. Those will cover the ground speed and drive the tractor.

Reg · Nov 6, 2008

GreenWannabe said:
All this talk of HP loss with an HST - in reading many specs of all makes, most loss is in the range of 1/2 to 1 1/2 HP. You're thus talking about less than 5% difference, in most cases. Seems a small price for the control you get with an HST, to me - YMMV, of course.

It is a whole model size in some manufacturer's line ups, probably in $s as well as HP.
For that $ difference I would rather spend it on HP than on a slush pump trans.
I don't know WHERE this idea of hydro's greater accuracy (or more precision) comes from, but I'd bet a mound of dirt that I can place anything as close with a gear tractor as most people could with a hydro tractor of same/similar size.

N80 · Nov 6, 2008

Agreed, among other reasons already mentioned, control is one of the main reasons I prefer a gear drive with a clutch. Now, for folks who can't work a clutch, HST is definitely more accurate. But that's a whole other issue.

Soundguy · Nov 6, 2008

texasjohn said:
....and some reported 1000 hrs or more experience.

OOOOO... almost broke in at 1000 hours..

soundguy

jake98 · Nov 6, 2008

Come on now you guys, if you are working near something valuable, don't you have to mention excess clutch wear to get the same accuracy as an HST?

Soundguy · Nov 6, 2008

Reg said:
I don't know WHERE this idea of hydro's greater accuracy (or more precision) comes from, but I'd bet a mound of dirt that I can place anything as close with a gear tractor as most people could with a hydro tractor of same/similar size.

Ditto that.. it's an experience issue.

There are more and more 'homeowner's getting small estate tractors now.. and those 'city-folk' are used to putting their car in drive and hitting the gas pedal... I'm sure hydro is much easier to learn to the person who has never ran a standard tranny.

At our local feed coop I've seen an old-er guy on an old MF gear tractor with a front hay spike outstack/ unload round bales from delivery trucks vs the 'new hire' on the nice hydro rough terain forklift ( jcb maybee? ). Was a drastic difference.. like one truck was finished and the other was a lil over half done. Had the old guy been on the new machine.. he'd probably have finished his truck before the other'n was started!

soundguy