Hydrostatic drive and foot brakes

[Mat4644]

Get a pair of 70s Disco platform heels and you'll be able to control the HST petal and brake with one foot. :laughing:

 

[KennyG]

Method #3: Buy a tractor like my Kioti..Brakes on the left, hydro pedal(s) on the right. All good. It has Cruise Control, but it is just a switch on the dash and is not needed for brake steering. I use brake steering when working snow/ice, and when working dirt/other materiel up against a foundation or edge. Very handy.

Basically buy anything except those oddly designed old Kubotas. :laughing:

 

[suntreemcanic]

Thank you for all your explanations and opinions. Wish I had bought a tractor with a clutch, I never gave it a thought that a tractor would not have steering brakes. Guess I am old fashion.

 

[KennyG]

As noted almost all compact hydrostat tractors have the brakes on the opposite side from the hydro pedal(s). Why a few are designed with them on the same side has always been a mystery. Once you have a properly designed hydro tractor, you are unlikely to want go back to a clutch.

 

[RjCorazza]

I also used the swivel in the seat option with my previous L3410. My current L4060 has the brakes on the left.

 

[JWR]

Thank you for all your explanations and opinions. Wish I had bought a tractor with a clutch, I never gave it a thought that a tractor would not have steering brakes. Guess I am old fashion.

I was unclear during this thread whether you had left and right "wheel brakes" or not. I have BX2200 hydrostatic (no wheel brakes and the pitiful 'brake' it does have is useless and has little effect.) Also have a couple of B2150s that are stick transmissions and both of them have left/right wheel brakes that actually work and will stop the tractor. Wheel brakes are essential if you are doing work on steep ground or where you need sharp turns or where you get stuck once in a while -- in other words real tractor work as opposed to suburban playing around.

 

[JWR]

As noted almost all compact hydrostat tractors have the brakes on the opposite side from the hydro pedal(s). Why a few are designed with them on the same side has always been a mystery. Once you have a properly designed hydro tractor, you are unlikely to want go back to a clutch.

The BX2200 (and probably some other small lawn mowing Kubotas) have the single brake pedal just and inch or two above the fwd/rev pedal which should never have been allowed on the market. Foolish design. Hyper dangerous. In any sudden need for braking your impulse is to use the right foot jabbing for the brakes. On the BX2200 that is likely to mean hitting the Forward go pedal and making whatever mess you are in far worse. That exact issue ran me over a river bank once and I was saved only by the front end loader stalling in a pile of brush and keeping the tractor from going on over the hill.

By the way, I know of no inherent connection between HST drive tractors having or not having left/right wheel brakes.

 

[ruffdog]

The New Holland tc33d I owned had the hydro and brakes on the right side. I would have used the brakes to turn when I was too light in front on snow. I got by though. If I did use CC, as soon as I touched the brakes, the CC would be shut off. I read that if you wanted to use CC and the brakes (tc33d), you needed to bypass the switch on the brakes.

 

[suntreemcanic]

I have not took possession of my B7800. I am a fabricator and engineer, maybe I will look at moving those foot petals to the left hand side next to the clutch.

 

[ruffdog]

I have not took possession of my B7800. I am a fabricator and engineer, maybe I will look at moving those foot petals to the left hand side next to the clutch.

or.....a second set mounted on the left side just for turning....hmm?