Is the HST+ right for me? (Grooming riding arenas)

[billybonds]

Im trying to decide between the L6060 and MX6000, both in cab models. Primary use of the tractor will be to groom the 3 riding arenas at our boarding farm. The HST+ seemed appealing until I saw the specs and it really just seems to add a lower gear to each range, not a higher one. We produce barrel races here where you need to drag the arena after every 5 rides, so speed is very important. We have a skid steer so loader work is not a priority for this machine. If I am reading all the spec sheets correctly, the MX6000 has a faster travel speed in mid range than the L6060 has in mid-high. So unless the HST+ makes it possible to groom the arenas in high-low and gain an extra 2 mph over the MX6000 in mid, does this "Plus" transmission do anything for me? My experience with a smaller 35 hp HST tractor is you cant even drive up a hill in high range, no less groom a riding arena.

 

[jeff9366]

Your question is really unanswerable here.

Until you have your new tractor and new implements, with novel draft resistance, it will be difficult to predict what transmission range you will use. You may find that your anticipated higher speed with a higher power tractor with less visibility from the cab is impractical.

To me, the best part of HST+ is Stall Guard. Stall Guard is a productivity enhancement. Few speak of Stall Guard because it operates in the background so you forget about it. I could work a month without stalling my HST+ Kubota L3560.

Ground level fueling is important to me at age 76. Ground level fueling may be less important to you.

Tilt steering on the Grand L is important to me. Tilt steering is not available on the MX series.

You may have to wait awhile for a Grand L optioned the way you want it.
Open Station MX tractors in the past have been fairly available. I can't speak to today, nor to cabbed MXs.

As you can depreciate the higher priced Grand L, based on my satisfaction with a Grand L 3560 ~~~ GO FOR IT.

 

[Hoss710]

on my John deeres (4320 and 4700) I can work in B range up to about 6.5 to 7 mph without any issues. I'm not sure how fast you need to go to groom your arenas ??

 

[billybonds]

Ground level fueling is important. Honestly, saving a few grand on a 60k tractor is the least of my concerns, and I like idea of all the bells and whistles of the L. Sadly my local dealer gets no allocation so I am stuck dealing with out of state, and I have been hoping to find someone with some actual experience in my actual application....or something similar. If I am correct in that the "Plus" just adds a lower gear to each range, does that lower gear provide more torque/power at the lower speed? Would that make the high-low setting more viable of an option for working in?

 

[Chewwy]

Unanswerable? Here?

Ha!

 

[billybonds]

on my John deeres (4320 and 4700) I can work in B range up to about 6.5 to 7 mph without any issues. I'm not sure how fast you need to go to groom your arenas ??

Maintaining the arena during a barrel race, you are really just filling in the holes and top dressing, so the faster the better. the 7-8mph is just fine for a deeper drag and ripping up the base.

 

[jeff9366]

The HST+ seemed appealing until I saw the specs and it really just seems to add a lower gear to each range, not a higher one. If I am reading all the spec sheets correctly, the MX6000 has a faster travel speed in mid range than the L6060 has in mid-high.

I suggest you post the spec sheets here, or discus the specs with your dealer. If you do not post the specs you are seeing you will not get apples-to-apples discussion.

 

[CaptPat]

Straight-line speed may not be the best criterion for your application. Minimizing time to groom the area seems a better measure. If you have a lot of turning or maneuvering (e.g., around barrels) you may find the HST gets the job done faster than a geared tractor.

 

[2manyrocks]

Given Kubota's history of offering promotional equine discounts, one would think there would be a kubota product specialist somewhere who could offer some direct relevant expertise with your specific question.

Indirectly, I went from a 35hp gear Mahindra to a MX5200 gear drive. The MX does not struggle with 6' rotary cutter in the places where the 35hp did because of the additional HP of the MX. I'm not sure that your experience with the HST on a 35hp HST necessarily means there will be an issue with an HST on either the L6060 or MX6000 once the increase in HP is made. But I can't for sure tell you whether you will be satisfied in your situation. I'm only offering the indirect perspective that I experienced a noticeable gain in performance going from 35 hp to 52hp in my own situation.

I would suspect that the ability to infinitely change speeds within a specific range on a HST would be an advantage in grooming within the confined area of an arena whether not you can go faster or not.

 

[jeff9366]

Sadly my local dealer gets no allocation so I am stuck dealing with out of state.

Allocation of Grand Ls?

News to me.

 

[Paystar]

Too bad you don't have a dealer like my Kubota/Deere dealer. He would haul both to my place for me to demo. Then you'd know for sure what works for you.

 

[bdhsfz6]

I do a lot of grading work with my L6060 HSTC using a York rake. To me, the advantage of the HST+ is the ability to change from low to high and back again without stopping. I work mostly in mid range and find the high / low gearing to be near perfect for what I do. I'm grading roadways though and not an arena. YMMV.

When I use the rake behind my MX5800HST without HST+, I frequently have to stop to change gear ranges. The time savings adds up on a 1.5 mile road.

 

[billybonds]

The HST+ seemed appealing until I saw the specs and it really just seems to add a lower gear to each range, not a higher one. If I am reading all the spec sheets correctly, the MX6000 has a faster travel speed in mid range than the L6060 has in mid-high.

I suggest you post the spec sheets here, orr discus the specs with your dealer. If you do not post the specs you are seeing you will not get apples-to-apples discussion.

L6060 spec sheet

MX6000 spec sheet

 

[Hoss710]

Deere shows 8.9 mph in mid range with there hst.

 

[bdhsfz6]

Don't loose sight of the fact that ground speed with an HST is infinitely variable within each gear range. You can always choose a gear range with a top speed that's too high and just back off on the shuttle pedal.

 

[Goose1776]

I went from an MX5100 hst
To a
L5460 with hst+.
To me the hst+ seems smoother and more refined, and definitely quieter..
stall guard, auto throttle, etc is a bonus
And I like the display on the grand L
much more than the MX,
But for just dragging an arena, I’m not sure it would make much of a difference.??

 

[Fallon]

I have a L4060hstc & live at 7,000', so it's probably more like a L3560 HP wise due to lack of oxygen. I really only need low range for heavy loader work, getting a full bucket of gravel or pulling a very full land plane or box blade. Light arena work or light driveway work I'm in medium range & limited by bouncing over obstacles or reaction time more than HP. I've drug my box blade or land plane over my driveway in high range turtle a few times. Not great, but the extra 20hp on a L6060 would have made it fine.

I prefer the dynamic control of a HST to a geared machine. The 2 speed HST+ just means I rarely have to shift out of medium range. Low for heavy work & High for roading.

 

[amhicks21]

I have about 3000 hours on l6060's. I do practically everything in high gear. I plow snow with a 10' plow in high high and only drop to high low when its very heavy snow. I pull a 15' batwing and grade with an 80" preseeder in high low. You'd have no problem pulling an arena drag in high gear. You even still have very accurate control of acceleration and deceleration in high range. The single thing that sets kubota above other manufacturers for me is the HST+ transmission. Ive got quite a bit of experience on 30-35hp kubotas as well so I know how completely useless they are in high range for anything other than traveling on flat ground. the l6060 is honestly like night and day. Ive never run an arena drag but if I can push a 10" snow plow at 17mph, it seems pretty likely you'd be able to pull a drag.

 

[billybonds]

I have about 3000 hours on l6060's. I do practically everything in high gear. I plow snow with a 10' plow in high high and only drop to high low when its very heavy snow. I pull a 15' batwing and grade with an 80" preseeder in high low. You'd have no problem pulling an arena drag in high gear. You even still have very accurate control of acceleration and deceleration in high range. The single thing that sets kubota above other manufacturers for me is the HST+ transmission. Ive got quite a bit of experience on 30-35hp kubotas as well so I know how completely useless they are in high range for anything other than traveling on flat ground. the l6060 is honestly like night and day. Ive never run an arena drag but if I can push a 10" snow plow at 17mph, it seems pretty likely you'd be able to pull a drag.

So would you wait for an L6060 as opposed to take an MX6000 now?

 

[JethroB]

The HST+ hi/low on the fly is my favorite feature on Grand L’s. I’m 95% in medium range. But the other bells & whistles are nice too. The ability to adjust the rollout when stopping is nice, from a gentle-ish coast when letting off the Go pedal to a hang-on to your butt. sudden stop. Brakes very rarely touched.

My dealer didn’t have either of mine in stock but did a swap or transfer from other dealers. I like the GL so much I got a second cabbed model. Open station is for sale btw.