gear or hydro

[vaskeet]

I am thinking about upgrading my tractor. I mainly mow around 7 acres of pasture and yard I have a gear drive kubota (shuttle shift) and would like to know the pros and cons of the hydro for the jobs I do. With the gear I run low 4 with the hand throtle and just drive. Is it a pain to use the hydro pedals for large cutting areas. Thanks Randy

 

[Storm56]

I myself prefer a gear tractor, BUT if you are mowing around a lot of things then the hydro is pretty nice. Most hydro's have some kind of a cruise control for larger areas.

 

[easygo]

As stated above Hydro is an advantage when cutting in areas when you constantly have to slow down to mow around trees, building and the like yet the PTO speed would remain constant. Also very nice for loader work. I have a lot of trees so mowing with a gear tractor would be a pain. The negative is that you loose some power to the hydrostatic transmission. Hydro tractors do have a cruise control.

 

[bp fick]

All things being equal, (that is both have the same PTO), the gear is quieter, puts more power directly to the ground and is cheaper to buy. Re-sale value is also lower.

The Hydro makes noise, takes a ton of fluid at changes, is more expensive to buy, but is WONDERFUL for close in work, such a loader, back and forth snow plowing, shuttling equipment in tight places, etc.

There is no one right answer, but in the smaller, sub 80 hp tractors, hydros are far more popular. Most people just don't row crop anymore with their tractor like Pa did with his FEL-less tractor in 1950. His was a substitute for the horse or mule. Today's estate tractor is used far differently.

It is your choice totally.

 

[Airedale]

These answers are right on the money, I went from hydro to a shuttle shift recently. For tight close work especially with a loader the hydro is easier operate although with practice and becoming familiar with my new gear tractor I can get things done pretty well. The gear tractors do have some advantages over hydro as mentioned.

Al

 

[art]

Both systems are good, one does offer a little more flexibility to ground speed. A hydro will out do a gear drive on PTO work like a mower.

When you come to a rough spot, you don't have to adjust the RPM to sacrifice the cuting ability or to take the time to shift down.

Where the grass might be a little thicker or taller, you don't need to ride a clutch or to down shift.

Where the grass is lighter, you can just speed up.

The hydro allows you to change the speed to meet the ground conditions at any RPM.

 

[TripleR]

Very good information so far. I just spent several days operating a Hydraulic Shuttle Shift with a 10' rotary cutter and I am worn out. I mowed pond levies and brush with lots of direction changes, back and forth as well as transport between spots. I was constantly shifting gears, operating the FEL, Shuttle Shift, and foot clutch. I would love to have had HST on my M8540 for all of that, BUT other times the Hydraulic Shuttle Shift is just the ticket.

For your use, I honestly can't see any benefit to the Shuttle Shift and much prefer my HST tractors for that.

 

[mostly_gas]

I am thinking about upgrading my tractor. I mainly mow around 7 acres of pasture and yard I have a gear drive kubota (shuttle shift) and would like to know the pros and cons of the hydro for the jobs I do. With the gear I run low 4 with the hand throtle and just drive. Is it a pain to use the hydro pedals for large cutting areas. Thanks Randy

If all you do is just drive there is no real advantage to hydro. I have a gear drive and mow 3 acres. When I upgrade from an 8N to a Ford 1700 diesel 4WD and FEL I lost some ability to mow around obstacles. Acquired a 44 inch rider with a 30 inch turn radius. That mower trims faster and less effort than the large tractor even if it had hydro.
So from your description it really does not sound like a hydro trannie will help you :thumbsup:

 

[300UGUY]

I had several gear tractors. At 55, I decided to go to a hydro. I am not getting any younger, this is probably the last tractor I will buy, and the hydro is a lot easier on my knee.

 

[jinman]

I mainly mow around 7 acres of pasture and yard . . . .

Randy, it would help to know a few additional things like what you do besides "mainly mow." Are you buying a 2wd tractor with no loader? Do you ever plan to buy a rototiller? A boxblade? If you just mow and plow with a traditional disc or some other draft implement, then a gear tractor is by far the best choice. If you add a loader/4wd, rototiller, and maybe a boxblade, then you should consider hydro. As most have stated, jobs requiring lots of direction change and lots of variation in speed while maintaining full PTO power would be best served by a hydro.

 

[_RaT_]

I"m really surprised this question has not been brought up before. :laughing:

 

[RobertN]

Gosh, that is pretty amazing! We both been around here since '97 or 98; I don't recall this subject either

I"m really surprised this question has not been brought up before. :laughing:

 

[hawkeye08]

I"m really surprised this question has not been brought up before. :laughing:

Gosh, that is pretty amazing! We both been around here since '97 or 98; I don't recall this subject either

:laughing::laughing: Good one!

I have not been here that long as member, lurked some before, but have learned firsthand there are just some things I will no longer bring up.

Orange vs. green vs ?,
finance vs pay cash,
hydro vs gear,
and Craigslist scams.

I am sure there are others but in my short posting period, I have learned.

(FWIW, I have hydro, I mostly mow and do FEL work and I love it).

 

[vaskeet]

I rototill my garden around 2 or 3 times a year boxblade the driveway 3 or 4 times a year mow/ bushhog pasture 4 or 5 times year mow part of lawn every week while grass is growing I have a kubota l2250 (27 horse engine) gear drive shuttle shift 2 wheel drive tractor and I am starting to look at some bigger tractors to replace it. I am looking around 35-40 horse. would like to get a loader but dont know if I would use it enough and I want 4x4 this time. I cut where the few trees are with my lawn mower (sears GT5000). Glad I coud ask a question that gets people thinking and sharing their views. I lean toward a gear drive because of the simplicity and the price. but if I go used the hydro is easier to find. Randy

 

[hawkeye08]

I rototill my garden around 2 or 3 times a year boxblade the driveway 3 or 4 times a year mow/ bushhog pasture 4 or 5 times year mow part of lawn every week while grass is growing I have a kubota l2250 (27 horse engine) gear drive shuttle shift 2 wheel drive tractor and I am starting to look at some bigger tractors to replace it. I am looking around 35-40 horse. would like to get a loader but dont know if I would use it enough and I want 4x4 this time. I cut where the few trees are with my lawn mower (sears GT5000). Glad I coud ask a question that gets people thinking and sharing their views. I lean toward a gear drive because of the simplicity and the price. but if I go used the hydro is easier to find. Randy

If you are getting a larger tractor, also consider the cost of new implements if you will need them due to wider track. My L3130 has 72" track so I bought a 72" mower. I don't know what you have or what you would buy with the new tractor, but the implements can add up fast.

I spent a fair amount of time studying the hydro vs gear. If I had been buying new, I would have considered the gear more. I personally did not like the risk of clutch problems on used for the gear ones... not saying that my logic is perfect, just sharing what I was comfortable with.

 

[_RaT_]

For tiller work, the hydro is very, very good. The ability to infinitely control your speed and do it the instant the RPM drops is a real bonus. The same can be said of mowing in conditions where you encounter heavy grass or wet grass. Having instant speed adjustment is really something you will appreciate very quickly. The cruise control on the Kubota hydro is about the simplest I have seen and very easy to manipulate. As far as noise or hydro whine, maybe I have just lucked out. Neither my L3830 HST or my L3940 HST have an appreciable amount of it. The noise from the radiator fan is louder than the hydro, all tractors have that. When I got the L3940 (slightly used harvest return), the price of a GST vs Hydro was the same.

I rototill my garden around 2 or 3 times a year boxblade the driveway 3 or 4 times a year mow/ bushhog pasture 4 or 5 times year mow part of lawn every week while grass is growing I have a kubota l2250 (27 horse engine) gear drive shuttle shift 2 wheel drive tractor and I am starting to look at some bigger tractors to replace it. I am looking around 35-40 horse. would like to get a loader but dont know if I would use it enough and I want 4x4 this time. I cut where the few trees are with my lawn mower (sears GT5000). Glad I coud ask a question that gets people thinking and sharing their views. I lean toward a gear drive because of the simplicity and the price. but if I go used the hydro is easier to find. Randy

 

[catskinner]

:laughing::laughing: Good one!

I have not been here that long as member, lurked some before, but have learned firsthand there are just some things I will no longer bring up.

Orange vs. green vs ?,
finance vs pay cash,
hydro vs gear,
and Craigslist scams.

I am sure there are others but in my short posting period, I have learned.

(FWIW, I have hydro, I mostly mow and do FEL work and I love it).

Like the one going on now with 18 pages and counting, covering three out of four, heading toward a 4. :laughing:

 

[hawkeye08]

Like the one going on now with 18 pages and counting, covering three out of four, heading toward a 4. :laughing:

Yep. :laughing::laughing:

 

[tsteahr]

:laughing::laughing: Good one!

I have not been here that long as member, lurked some before, but have learned firsthand there are just some things I will no longer bring up.

Orange vs. green vs ?,
finance vs pay cash,
hydro vs gear,
and Craigslist scams.

I am sure there are others but in my short posting period, I have learned.

(FWIW, I have hydro, I mostly mow and do FEL work and I love it).

So True :laughing:

I think we could also add PTO generator vs. stand alone genset to the list.

 

[_RaT_]

Don't forget Synthetic VS. Dino as well as exactly what we are doing now, "where have I heard that before" type posts! :laughing:.... Every now and then you just have to recover the same old ground.

Like the one going on now with 18 pages and counting, covering three out of four, heading toward a 4. :laughing: