Hydrostatic drive on a tractor ?'s

[Fan of the 1911]

My first post here, Hello to all.

I think I'm about to pull the trigger on a Mahindra 4035 or a 5035 with hst. The 4035 is big enough for the work I have to do right now, just don't want to wish I had a little more tractor down the road. I don't have a bailer right now, but I hope to get a smaller round bailer or square baler at a later date.
My problem is this I have 13 acres of hills and I'm constantly needing to change direction, so hydrostatic drive is something I have been looking at. My wife also could use the tractor on the 5 or so easy use (not flat, but nearly flat) acres. I would like to use the box blade and loader to do some light to medium shaping of the hills to make them more bush hog-tractor useable.

My questions are is the hydrostatic drive the way to go? Is it durable enough to get long service out of it without high repair cost?
Do you think this would be the way to go for use on hills? I have a gear tractor right now 2 wheel drive it has been an ok tractor it only gives me fits on days that end in y. looking for a serious upgrade.

 

[WilliamBos]

Look at a powershuttle. Running a baler, you need all the HP you can get.

 

[MtnViewRanch]

Look at a powershuttle. Running a baler, you need all the HP you can get.

Power shuttle is the way to go. No loss of power, don't have to use the clutch to stop, or to go from forward-reverse.

 

[DT86]

Power shuttle is the way to go.

X3!!!!

 

[Fan of the 1911]

How will the power shuttle affect me on a hill? I have never used the power shuttle, I have watched some videos on it. It is always being used on level ground. I see how it would be useful for loader work, Will it be able to be used for instance if I were bush hogging up a hill in high grass and suddenly find a large downed tree limb. The pucker factor on the tractor I have now goes thru the roof. Brakes, clutch, reverse, brakes, clutch, forward, repeat as necessary. On level ground it's an inconvenience on a hill its dangerous, and it seems to happen more than I care for.

 

[WilliamBos]

How will the power shuttle affect me on a hill? I have never used the power shuttle, I have watched some videos on it. It is always being used on level ground. I see how it would be useful for loader work, Will it be able to be used for instance if I were bush hogging up a hill in high grass and suddenly find a large downed tree limb. The pucker factor on the tractor I have now goes thru the roof. Brakes, clutch, reverse, brakes, clutch, forward, repeat as necessary. On level ground it's an inconvenience on a hill its dangerous, and it seems to happen more than I care for.

Powershuttle will shine in those situations. Leave the tractor on gear, shuttle to neutral and brake on, back on tractor, shift shuttle forward while releasing brake, throttle ip and away you go.

 

[MtnViewRanch]

How will the power shuttle affect me on a hill? I have never used the power shuttle, I have watched some videos on it. It is always being used on level ground. I see how it would be useful for loader work, Will it be able to be used for instance if I were bush hogging up a hill in high grass and suddenly find a large downed tree limb. The pucker factor on the tractor I have now goes thru the roof. Brakes, clutch, reverse, brakes, clutch, forward, repeat as necessary. On level ground it's an inconvenience on a hill its dangerous, and it seems to happen more than I care for.

All you do is step on the brake to stop. No clutching required. The ONLY time you have to use the clutch is to shift between gears. No clutching required to start, stop, go from forward to reverse.

 

[WilliamBos]

All you do is step on the brake to stop. No clutching required. The ONLY time you have to use the clutch is to shift between gears. No clutching required to start, stop, go from forward to reverse.

And if you were to buy an MF DynaQPS, no clutch needed at all!!

 

[bigbull338]

ive got the 7040 hydro shuttle an i learned something with a buddy of mine about shifting gears.he told me that as long as i had the shuttle in nutreal.that i could change gears up or down without clutching.an when i have it in the gear i want just push the shuttle farward an go.

 

[jinman]

I know where these guys are coming from, and while I agree that the power shuttle is ideal for baling, I would say you need to buy the tractor for what you'll do with it 80%-90% of the time. For 13 hilly acres, you can't be doing much baling and you said a small baler. I think the Mahindra 5035 will work for your small baling projects and you'll be very happy with it the rest of the time when you need those quick direction changes and variable speeds.

 

[Fan of the 1911]

Jinman my hills are not near as steep as the one in your picture. You are my hero, I could not use the bathroom for a week going down a hill like that I would be so drawn up.
How is the durability of transmission parts with the power shuttle? The main reason I'm not going to pull the trigger until I have done more research is the hydrostatic would be a major expense when it tears up, vs. a clutch, pressure plate assy. I don't know about a wet clutch either, but it has been used for much longer than the hydrostatic drive. Also the speed doesn't bother me much either, I usually just put it in third and throttle up or down a little.

 

[MHarryE]

Have you tried the hydros you referred to in your start of this thread? Sounds like baling is only a small part of your plan in the future. We have 4 power shuttles, all with power shift. They all sit idle when it comes to jobs like brush hogging and any loader work in close quarters where maneuverability is an issue. Our L5740 Kubota hydro is the tractor for the job. It will pull our old Haybine fine - I believe 9 foot cut - but of course won't handle our JD Mo Co disk mower. Raking no problem although our JD 6230 gets used the most - smoother ride. Moving round bales is nice with the hydro except for the fought ride of a CUT size tractor - the M135GX wins there. Moving snow - all the larger tractors sit idle all winter while the hydro works clearing snow due to its maneuverability and the 6230 is used for feeding because it can handle deep snow. Now when it comes to baling - that s the one thing the L5740 can't handle. We have a 5 x 6 JD round baler and our JD 7720 is permanently attached to that all baling season. Our old New Holland 273 square baler - excellent for the hydro though because it's easy to match speed to windrow size perfectly but we only put up a few square bales or some customers. All of our beef cattle get the rounds including straw for bedding. Reliability - haven't broke a hydro yet - the L5740 is our second, an upgrade to get more power. Where the hydro will fall down performance wise is hard pulling because the hydro can't compare in efficiency to gears. On the other hand the combine in my avatar is hydro and is going strong at 4,400 hours with a 225 HP engine powering it. However it has a heavy duty hydro while the CUT's have what we in the business I retired from (to go farm with my cousin) call a medium duty. Yes, if you spit out a hydro it means big bucks but failures aren't that common. Treat them right (good clean oil) and they last.

 

[Fan of the 1911]

Thank you! Thanks to you all.

 

[mikehaugen]

A little un-related but the newer forklifts at my work are linde hydrostatic. These trucks hardly ever drive more than 100' in one direction... usually more like 30' before changing direction. They aren't that old but they are run 24 hours/day and most have around 30,000 hours and we just had a pump go out. The mechanic we have said it was the first pump he has ever changed.

We had the same trucks at my last work, only in a diesel version and those things were ABUSED. Had the engines needing rebuild around 5k hours a couple times because the timing belts weren't replaced in time on the vw diesel engines. Never lost a pump.

 

[jinman]

Jinman my hills are not near as steep as the one in your picture. You are my hero, I could not use the bathroom for a week going down a hill like that I would be so drawn up.

You gotta do what you gotta do. . . . I had a track loader clean out a pond and it needed cleanup on the sides. I made many trips up and down the bank. Once over the side on the way down, there was no backing up.

 

[dex3361]

If hills are your main working area then I would go hydro. I run on steep hills here in WV and the HST is way safer than the geared tractors I previously used though I have not used a power shuttle except in the lot of the dealer. When shifting from one range to the next it would let go just like a standard shift while the the power shuttle was shifting. The HST never releases from the it just change direction or stops without freewheeling even for a second. I started considering HST while using my 41 year old Cub Cadet 129HST and wondered if there were bigger tractors that operated the same way. That CC129 has the same design Swashplate transmission and it still works fine today.

 

[Rhinorider]

1911, I am familiar with the hills you have in Rogersville as I have been through there many times. I have a DK45 HST and love it. My land is 12 acres with only about 2 of it somewhat level. Most of what I have is STEEP, steep enough that I have all 4 chained up and have to strap in tight just to stay in the seat. Hydro is the only way I would go. I had reservations about it at first but really love it now, I wouldn't use anything else, much much safer.

 

[Fan of the 1911]

Jinman the top photo, the grade that the tractor is as steep as my property, or about there anyway.
Rhinorider I used to ride 4 wheelers up in Williamson on the strip jobs, and logging trails-roads.
Dex3361 One if not my top concern is for my wife, and her use of it. She was in 6th gear when she should have been 3rd. hit 2 bad bumps the seat spring threw her over the front. Her feet caught under the seat or she would have been thrown over the hood. She was pretty shook up, some bruises, she got scared bad.
She hates anything with a stick, or anything that looks like a tractor.
We went to the dealership she test drove a hydrostatic tractor you should have seen the smile, it was ear to ear.

 

[GManBart]

We went to the dealership she test drove a hydrostatic tractor you should have seen the smile, it was ear to ear.

There's your answer! :drink:

Since your a 1911 guy, I'll add a little eye candy....two of my hi-cap 1911s

 

[Fan of the 1911]

I lived in Belleville Mi for about 2 years. The I 95 service drive cant remember the name of the apartments. I lived up the road in Westland 17 years.
Yes 2011's also count a few of the guys where I used to shoot Idpa shot the sti's beautiful well made high functioning art.
The shirt is also kind of rocking Tiger colors.