high gear paved road

[Hay Dude]

Only my 300 HP powershift can climb a hill and maintain 99% speed. My 180HP loses a bit in high range CVT. My 135HP loses considerable speed in high range CVT. My 126HP powershift loses a little speed. Maybe 1 MPH

 

[SDT]

I've been associated with farm equipment for nearly 70 yrs. During that time I was employed by a JD dealer for 21 yrs with 13 of those yrs serving as dealer service manager. I rarely witnessed cast iron ballast removed from a tractor in order to lessen tractor weight once it was installed. YMMV

I do.

MUCH more easily done than liquid ballast.

 

[Hay Dude]

I do.

MUCH more easily done than liquid ballast.

Liquid ballast never comes out unless violently caused flat tire (happened to me) or ownership change and new owner didnt want liquid.
Cast are still tough to remove, but doable.

 

[deezler]

Bingo.

Yet another reason why I do not use liquid ballast.

Cast iron can be added/removed as need indicates.

So you stop and unbolt your wheel weights whenever you need to drive up a hill? Lol.

 

[rScotty]

I have a Kubota L4400 HST and had to drive it on pavement for 6 miles from repair shop. In High gear with full acceleration, it would not climb the hill until I moved to "medium" gear. Appreciate any input from anyone regarding this.

I'd say what you are describing is typical of every Ag, utility, and compact tractor I've ever driven. None of them would pull high gear on the road against even the slightest incline. It's true of our little 15 hp imports and also true of our 100+ hp JDs.

That's just how tractors tend to be geared and powered. Going slightly downhill - even very slightly downhill - is a whole different story. Then even the most underpowered ones will quickly get going too fast for their steering and brakes.

rScotty

 

[LD1]

Only my 300 HP powershift can climb a hill and maintain 99% speed. My 180HP loses a bit in high range CVT. My 135HP loses considerable speed in high range CVT. My 126HP powershift loses a little speed. Maybe 1 MPH

What are the weights of those tractors?

Weight and HP to the ground are really the only things that dictate how fast a machine can climb a hill. Double the power at the same weight, and you can climb twice as fast if gearing allows. Double the power AND double the weight......speeds are gonna be the same

 

[Hay Dude]

MX-270 is 24,000lbs
Massey 7495 is 16,000lbs
Challenger MT535B with loader is 16,000lbs
Kubota M-126X with loader is about 11,500lbs

 

[LD1]

MX-270 is 24,000lbs
Massey 7495 is 16,000lbs
Challenger MT535B with loader is 16,000lbs
Kubota M-126X with loader is about 11,500lbs

Hp/weight ratio when working a little math seems to verify your real world experience

 

[Hay Dude]

Hp/weight ratio when working a little math seems to verify your real world experience

CVT’s, like hydrostatics give up speed in high range going up hills.

 

[IndyIan]

Yeah, HST's aren't the greatest in high range. I borrowed my neighbors turbo 55hp gear utility tractor and it felt like a race car on the road! It also feels like a driving a racecar when unloading round bales off the wagon with its 8x8 unsynchronized transmission... grinding gears back and forth between reverse and forward got old pretty fast! My tractor is literally twice as fast doing that job.