HST over Geared tractor

[nathansv6]

Hi,
I would like to know about the Tractor drive system. I learnt there are HST and Geared transmission. How are they working and which is better economically and which is better by use and which is better in price.
I appreciate for the help.

 

[JoelD]

Hi,
I would like to know about the Tractor drive system. I learnt there are HST and Geared transmission. How are they working and which is better economically and which is better by use and which is better in price.
I appreciate for the help.

Please search the site there are 100's of such posts

searching is the quickest way to get answers to you particular questions

Joel

 

[DmansPadge]

Hi,
I would like to know about the Tractor drive system. I learnt there are HST and Geared transmission. How are they working and which is better economically and which is better by use and which is better in price.
I appreciate for the help.

Here is a page that describes different tractor transmission types. Click "info" and then "tractor transmission types."

HST and gear transmissions are all quite reliable. HST robs a little horsepower from the engine. HST is more expensive. Which one is better to use is a matter of personal preference although you'll probably find most people on TBN will prefer the HST. They are nice for a lot of back and forth movements like using a front end loader.

 

[texasjohn]

I cannot improve on DmansPadge summary except to say that I consider HST to be more safe for many reasons. Have posted my thoughts on this topic also, a search will surface them.

 

[oldnslo]

Hi,
I would like to know about the Tractor drive system. I learnt there are HST and Geared transmission. How are they working and which is better economically and which is better by use and which is better in price.
I appreciate for the help.

Depends on what you are going to be doing with the tractor in question and HP of the tractor.
Lots of heavy pulling with very few direction changes, I.e. forward to reverse, gear drive would be the best since less power loss.

Lots of direction changes like loader work then HST is prefered.

Economically HST will cost more to buy and maintain since it requires oil changes and filters that most gear drives do not.

HST not as common in tractors over 30-40 HP

 

[bp fick]

My newer Kubota was my first HST. For "back and forth" work, there simply is no way to describe the heavenly ease of use. For tight work, around trees, buildings, structures of all kinds, it is absolutely the greatest ever!!

A gear tractor is designed to be put in gear and work a while, in my opinion. They were and are awesome for row crops, cultivating, plowing and such in the field. If I had a lot of that kind of work to do, I'd buy a gear in a heartbeat.

Your work, that you do 90% of the time, will decide the issue for you. It is that simple.

 

[eepete]

+1 @ bp flick

Pete

 

[bdog]

Very simplified answer here and not 100% correct but think of HST as an automatic and a gear like a standard in your car. As said above if you are doing a lot of starting and stopping, going back and forth, etc then a HST would be better. If you are going on long streches like plowing or shredding a large wide open field a gear might be better.

Just like a car if you were in stop and go city traffic all day you would probably not want a standard. It would work, but an auto would be better suited. If you drove on the interstate all the time a standard may be preffered because it is more efficient.

The HST just like an auto in a car has some internal power loss. A gear transmission gets more of your engine HP to the ground.

For me and most things people do around small acreage a HST seems to be better suited.

 

[RoyJackson]

It's simple:
If you're MANLY, you get a gear tractor
If you're a Metrosexual or effeminate, you buy a hydro!!

See, not so tough, was it?

Actually, I'm a gear tranny guy and much prefer very simple, robust tractors (such as my 790, a design that goes back at least 20 years) I'm also the only operator of my 790.
If I used the loader more extensively then I do, or had more then one operator, a hydro might be a good choice (although I'd probably go for a reverser transmission instead).

Bottomline is, if you're not experienced with manual transmission either be prepared to learn or go for the hydro.

 

[Soundguy]

I cannot improve on DmansPadge summary except to say that I consider HST to be more safe for many reasons. Have posted my thoughts on this topic also, a search will surface them.

inherant safety lies with the operator.

an unsafe person driving an HST isn't going to be better off than a super safe person on a gear unit.. no magic here....


soundguy

 

[Soundguy]

Hi,
I would like to know about the Tractor drive system. I learnt there are HST and Geared transmission. How are they working and which is better economically and which is better by use and which is better in price.
I appreciate for the help.

before you can decide what is the most practical both for work productivity and financial areas.. you need to determine what you will be doing.. each trans type is better suited for a different type of work.

If I ran ground engaging equipment all day.. or mowed big open fields all day.. I'd likely go with a crashbox. If I did lots of loader work and maneuvering.. then an HST.. if lots of both.. perhaps some sort of power shuttle..

soundguy

 

[ovrszd]

I love this website, always a new surprise. I expected this thread to explode by now with dozens of replies and some sideline heated arguments. What's wrong with you guys??? Cat got your tongue??

The only thing I found to comment on was TexasJohn and Soundguys comments about safety. I'm with TexasJohn. A HST is a lot safer in my World. Maybe it's that flat ground that Soundguy operates on where he doesn't see that?? In my Missouri hills I prefer HST.

I'm not even gonna comment on Roy's attack of my manhood!!!

 

[lawn_king]

They are both good reliable drive systems. Im not totally onboard with a hydrostat costing more to maintain over time, as gear trannys do need clutches replaced?

 

[ovrszd]

They are both good reliable drive systems. Im not totally onboard with a hydrostat costing more to maintain over time, as gear trannys do need clutches replaced?

I agree. I would say the need for repair is smaller with HST over time. But if needed, the repair would be more costly with the HST.

 

[Hematite]

I love this website, always a new surprise. I expected this thread to explode by now with dozens of replies and some sideline heated arguments. What's wrong with you guys??? Cat got your tongue??
We're all getting too old and too tired! LOL!

The only thing I found to comment on was TexasJohn and Soundguys comments about safety. I'm with TexasJohn. A HST is a lot safer in my World. Maybe it's that flat ground that Soundguy operates on where he doesn't see that?? In my Missouri hills I prefer HST.
I'm also convinced that the HST is inherently a more safe system because it reacts immediately as you need it to.

I'm not even gonna comment on Roy's attack of my manhood!!!

I agree, the jealous always attack those that they envy! LOL!

 

[Soundguy]

I'm also convinced that the HST is inherently a more safe system because it reacts immediately as you need it to.

the hst reacts to the operators actions. A gear unit will react to the operators actions.

again.. no magic... safety is with the operator.

soundguy

 

[mostly_gas]

I love this website, always a new surprise. I expected this thread to explode by now with dozens of replies and some sideline heated arguments. What's wrong with you guys??? Cat got your tongue??

The only thing I found to comment on was TexasJohn and Soundguys comments about safety. I'm with TexasJohn. A HST is a lot safer in my World. Maybe it's that flat ground that Soundguy operates on where he doesn't see that?? In my Missouri hills I prefer HST.

I'm not even gonna comment on Roy's attack of my manhood!!!

Not sure what part of Missouri you are, but NOTHING replaces knowing the limitations of operator and equipment. I have survived using a gear tractor for the last 22 years with gear transmissions and no ROPS. The average slope of my 3 ac lot is roughly 10%. I have spent enough time on saftey committees to know once someone understands and respect the limitations of his/her equipment and themselves that they will stay safe.
I understand your preference for HST. In my case, if I had an HST I would be tempted to mow faster, and faster on hills is not what is safe.
Flame on safety police

 

[texasjohn]

Soundguy, I've driven both gear and HST tractors... hope you have as well.

Safety for me comes from the following:

extreme slowness of operation without risk of foot slipping off clutch

significantly reduced exhaustion factor when operating all day

if something happens, just get off the hydro pedal and vehicle stops
moving.. much faster and more smoothly, IMHO, than reaching for clutch and brake.

When at risk of tipping, HST can creep far slower than a gear tractor, thus you can "feel" your way into and past the danger point, or stop before getting TOO far into it so you can take remedial action (drop FEL, change angle of front wheels, etc.)

When operating with a partner in front or rear, extreme slow operation allows partner to get out of way and stay there when hooking up implements, chains, etc.

Agreed, either tractor can be operated in an unsafe manner if you really try.
HST gives a wider range of safe operation and recovery options, IMHO.

As regards reliability, this topic has been addressed before on TBN... and my recollection is that HST was viewed as extremely reliable, even more so than gear/clutch.

In the long run, however, HST or Gear seems to be a mostly religious/emotional argument with proponents on both sides...... some of whom are extremists!

 

[Diamondpilot]

I have used both but only bought gear tractors. Just seem stouter to me. In a small 30ihs HP tractor I can tell the difference in power to the ground. I also don't feel the HST is any safer. It all depends on who is operating it.

For me its gear for now but not ruling out HST in the future but I seriously doubt it. Kind of funny because I will never own another stick in a car or truck.

Chris

 

[Soundguy]

Soundguy, I've driven both gear and HST tractors... hope you have as well.

I wouldn't have made a comparison post if I hadn't.. that would be kinda uh.. pointless... I've also driven just about every make of heavy equipment fromt he 50's up till present including rollers, dozers, loaders, rubber tire hoes, track hoes, gradeall units, scraper pans, and motor graders. Though I don't currently have a cdl, I've also driven some heavy trucks including dumps on jobsites.. etc.

extreme slowness of operation without risk of foot slipping off clutch

Clutch is not designed to be a speed control device. it's to engage or disengage the drive train and or pto. Using a clutch as a speed control device will lead to premature clutch wear, and getting real familiar with splitting a tractor to replace the clutch.

significantly reduced exhaustion factor when operating all day

completely subjective statement based on task being performed. For instance.. when i mow with my gear tractor, I use the clutch once when starting off int he apsture, and generally don't touch it again till I leav ethe pasture hours later.. not sure how that gets any easier... ( again.. subjective statement based on a specific job.. it's already been covere dthat different trannies will have + or - depending on specific tasks...

if something happens, just get off the hydro pedal and vehicle stops
moving.. much faster and more smoothly, IMHO, than reaching for clutch and brake.

kinda like dumping the throttle and or killing the ignition.. pretty much just got inertia to deal with... at average tractor speeds which are in the 1-10mph range... that shouldn't be too hard a chore.

When at risk of tipping, HST can creep far slower than a gear tractor, thus you can "feel" your way into and past the danger point, or stop before getting TOO far into it so you can take remedial action (drop FEL, change angle of front wheels, etc.)

If I'm doing something that I think a millisecond of difference matters.. or a couple pounds here or there is the difference in a tip or not.. I simply avoid doing that task that way... there's nothing I've ever done on a tractor.. EVER that's worth my life.. and if I have to be that close on the edge of oblivion then.. heck.. I just don't need to do that task that way...

When operating with a partner in front or rear, extreme slow operation allows partner to get out of way and stay there when hooking up implements, chains, etc.

sounds like you are letting someone hook up an implement while on a running tractor, perhaps in a range gear but foot ont he brake/ sounds like bad news to me.. same as having a person in clsoe proximity to a moving machine.. besides.. your argument predisposes that a gear machine can not have a creeper gear. I've seen plenty of machines with creeper gears that move in the (low ) feet per minute range.

Agreed, either tractor can be operated in an unsafe manner if you really try.
HST gives a wider range of safe operation and recovery options, IMHO.

wider range??? how.. the tractors have the same basic controls.. the workings of those controls are different, but the end result is exactly the same.. an op in either machine can manipulate the hyds, and make the tractor move forward or back, steer, operate the pto, etc... As with any equation involving a non senient tool and a human, the human is the one making the situation safe or not... not the tool

As regards reliability, this topic has been addressed before on TBN... and my recollection is that HST was viewed as extremely reliable, even more so than gear/clutch.

Maybee maybee not... It's not uncommon to see antiques with oem clutches and 50-60 years on them in good working order on an old crash box tranny. After the average hst 's out nowadays are in that age range and doing good, I'll consider the matter settled. I still have some weird thoughts about a hydro setup and the relief. i can recall at least a coupl emessages with a tractor stuck somewhere not even spinning it's tires as the relief was kicking...



soundguy