Hydro or Shuttle for the long haul?

[Blue Mule]

Long story short, looking at trading our 1999 New Holland TC29 (which has been an amazing tractor and workhorse) in for a 2020 or 2021 tractor of similar size. I'm actively researching and visiting dealerships of all brands to decide which I feel best about going with. The plan, and who knows what tomorrow brings, but the plan is to keep this new tractor for the rest of my life to use around our property. My son is almost 14 and will likely inherit this tractor when it's old.

I'm likely going to stay in the <26 horsepower range to avoid having a DPF on the engine. Again, I'm thinking long term reliability here.

My next big choice to make is Hydrostatic or Shuttle Shift. It seems that almost all the tractors that I'm looking at (Deere 3025, Mahindra 1625, New Holland Workmaster 25, etc. etc.) are offered with either transmission and they are all within $1,500 bucks of each other in price. My father is a heavy equipment mechanic of 45 years experience and he says that hydrostatic is really nice when it's working, but when it dies it's time to give the tractor away. Big $$$$ to repair. 10-15+ years down the road, would I be better off with a shuttle shift tractor?

I guess I should mention my usage: Mainly carrying brush to the burn pile, carrying logs from fallen trees, grading my gravel driveway (1/2 mile), etc. In the future I might, but not for certain, buy attachments like a backhoe, log splitter, mower, garden tiller, land plane, and grapple. I do not have any plans to use it for heavy agriculture.

 

[old and tired]

How many hours did you put on the New Holland TC29? I personally would recommend a 3 range HST. The shuttle shift tractor I drove, I just treated like a regular manual transmission.

 

[LS Tractor Owner]

They both have pro and cons. HST makes loader work a little faster... just a little. HST has the capability of really "fine tuning" any movement. BUT, HST also robs some PTO power.... so, if you will be using a rototiller, you will loose a few HP, same with mowing.

Many years ago, I had a 70's gear drive tractor... not even a shuttle. 45 years of buying vehicles,(probably close to 15 of them), they were ALL manual trannys up until just a couple of years ago. I purchased my first hydrostatic tractor in 2017, an LS MT125. I hated the hydrostat! Sold that tractor and purchased a shuttle shift, an LS XG3025 (same as NH Workmaster 25).

My personal impressions..... I feel like I have more power and traction with the shuttle. I can put it in low range, first gear, and push right into a pile of stone or dirt. When I had the HST, I couldn't. My neighbor has an HST tractor about the same size as mine now, that I have used.... I still dislike it. It just seems to lack the same power as mine (both are 25 HP).

I am sure someone will be along shortly that has some more " pros" to the HST.
IMHO, you need to go sit on, and operate if you can, both types of tractors. Decide for yourself. Try out different brands.... they ARE different.

Good luck!

 

[the old grind]

Kioti Ck2610. Best de-tuned-for-emissions 30hp-class CUT, unless Bobcat has a similar model.

Appreciate the 3-range HST and learn to use the range selector. I have a TC33DA that IMO won't do anything the Kioti would just as easily.

 

[jeff9366]

Tractor reliability is primarily related to the prudence and experience of the operator(s), not the hardware.

How prudent do you consider yourself? Will you be the sole operator?

Looking at trading our 1999 New Holland TC29 in for a 2020 or 2021 tractor of similar size.
I'm likely going to stay in the <26 horsepower range to avoid having a DPF on the engine. The plan is to keep this new tractor for the rest of my life to use around our property.

I guess I should mention my usage: Mainly carrying brush to the burn pile, carrying logs from fallen trees, grading my gravel driveway (1/2 mile), etc. In the future I might, but not for certain, buy attachments like a backhoe, log splitter, mower, garden tiller, land plane, and grapple. I do not have any plans to use it for heavy agriculture.

10-15+ years down the road, would I be better off with a shuttle shift tractor?

It seems likely that before ten years pass that tractors up to around 2,500 pounds bare tractor weight will be electric powered by batteries.

Quite likely we will see subcompact tractors with battery power within five years.

I would hold on to the New Holland for two or three more years.

 

[sequoyah101]

Why? Money burning a hole in your pocket?

 

[rScotty]

I think you already know that the shuttle is better for reliability and economy for the long haul.
If going HST, I would want a six speed; not a 3 speed. That's what we did and it makes all the difference by giving you more gears and reducing the angular load on the swash plates.

But I guess my real question is what is wrong with the TC29? You seem to like it and being a pre-emissions type without common rail or computer means it stands a better chance of still being in use in 30 years than anything you can buy today.

I don't know how many hours you have on the TC29, but 5000 hrs is only middle-aged for those older type engine & manual transmission.

rScotty

 

[daugen]

I had the opposite experience to what LS had.
I went from a 57hp hydro Kubota to a 70hp powershift Massey and I found
the Massey much harder to use and at times nerve racking in close spaces.
Took me quite a while to dig into a pile of dirt or sand smoothly with powershift while hydro
just came naturally. Of course I always made sure to downshift to low range before digging into anything.
Did a lot of grapple work and that was always easier with hydrostatic trans.
I just wish someone made a 100hp hydrostatic utility tractor.

sometimes it's nice being able to keep both hands on the steering wheel, looking down at the bucket or grapple, and not have to worry
about your left leg or arm doing anything. I believe New Holland made an IVT model down into lower hp range, always wondered how they held up.
Bet that's an expensive trans to buy and possibly to own.

 

[RickB]

I think you already know that the shuttle is better for reliability and economy for the long haul.
If going HST, I would want a six speed; not a 3 speed. That's what we did and it makes all the difference by giving you more gears and reducing the angular load on the swash plates.

But I guess my real question is what is wrong with the TC29? You seem to like it and being a pre-emissions type without common rail or computer means it stands a better chance of still being in use in 30 years than anything you can buy today.

I don't know how many hours you have on the TC29, but 5000 hrs is only middle-aged for those older type engine & manual transmission.

rScotty

What HST tractor is paired with 6 ranges?

 

[daugen]

regarding reliability, multiple memories of walking shop floor slowly at Massey dealer, looking at all the giant tractors taken apart.
My takeaway was that clutch packs on higher horsepower tractors seem to be an issue, or at least a regular replacement item.
I saw a bunch of them setting on work benches.

if one is worried about hydrostatic reliability, maybe some input on what goes wrong with them would help. Who has had a hydro break on them?
the topic of trans reliability is always a good one, I think Dodge had real issues with their pickup units, had a friend who went through three transmissions
before trading his early Ram in on a Chevy. But he plowed snow, and we all know that is hard on equipment.

OP intended uses are light duty. I don't think anything is going to wear out on him if he maintains the equipment carefully.
I'd be more concerned about what felt right and was easy to use.

I use cruise control in my car and tractors all the time for a variety of benefits. Including less stress on arthritic hands and feet.
If you have no physical limitations, shifting isn't going to bother you and it can be fun learning how to do it correctly.
Like shifting my 1956 Super A without grinding the gears. 1001, 1002, shift. Or hitting the electric button on the powershift and not jerking the tractor.
It was fun, but for jobs taking any time, I would almost always have preferred a hydro trans. Particularly loader work where I had
a helper up in a man bucket trimming trees and being smooth was super important.

also...if as operator you become incapacitated, and you stop pressing down on that pedal/treadle, usually the tractor will stop and just sit there.
Not the case with a geared tractor in most cases. Slip it into neutral and you'll likely roll a bit. Aren't able to slip it into neutral?
Maybe because I'm older that's the scenario that catches my attention.