Need Advice on JD purchase

[OhioTractor44065]

Thanks everyone for your feed back so far.

Primary usage will be tilling and FEL, secondary will be snow removal. I have 3acres right now, though we expect to move to more acreage in the future. I am sure the 2720 is enough for my property at this point, but with the future in mind and a deal at hand, plus the tax write off, I am very temped to step up to the larger tractor.

I was just curious if there were others that learned gear tractor recently or currently use a pwer reverser (and so far have gotten great responses)....the hydro versus gear seems to be a hotly contested topic. Seems like most have hydros and that deere is pushing these (plus the 3520 the dealer is trying to move has sat there for 6 months so I wonder a little about resale). The dealer, I am sure with a sales focus in mind, disputes that a hydro is more precise/safe as some have mentioned...seems to me now that its really just a personal preference.

Thanks again for all your feedback.

 

[ddivinia]

Thanks everyone for your feed back so far.

Primary usage will be tilling and FEL, secondary will be snow removal. I have 3acres right now, though we expect to move to more acreage in the future. I am sure the 2720 is enough for my property at this point, but with the future in mind and a deal at hand, plus the tax write off, I am very temped to step up to the larger tractor.

I was just curious if there were others that learned gear tractor recently or currently use a pwer reverser (and so far have gotten great responses)....the hydro versus gear seems to be a hotly contested topic. Seems like most have hydros and that deere is pushing these (plus the 3520 the dealer is trying to move has sat there for 6 months so I wonder a little about resale). The dealer, I am sure with a sales focus in mind, disputes that a hydro is more precise/safe as some have mentioned...seems to me now that its really just a personal preference.

Thanks again for all your feedback.

Without a doubt - the 3520 with a PR instead of Hydro around here would be less desirable.

Anybody can drive the hydro - not true with a PR.

I like my hydro when I am in tight spaces - it is easier on me and the clutch.

How big a tiller are you planning on?

Any rough or finish mowing?

D.

 

[OhioTractor44065]

Tilling: About a acre at this point...again, maybe more in the future. No mowing planned at this point...I am keeping my 355D hydro to cut the lawn.

 

[WH401]

Without a doubt - the 3520 with a PR instead of Hydro around here would be less desirable.

Anybody can drive the hydro - not true with a PR.

I like my hydro when I am in tight spaces - it is easier on me and the clutch.

How big a tiller are you planning on?

Any rough or finish mowing?

D.

Anyone can learn to drive a PR. The only difference in either of them is one is powered through hydraulic coupling with infinite speeds and the other is gear driven through a hydraulic clutch with 12 set F & R speeds. On both you essentially have the same basic idea to go between F & R and it's very simple. If anything I would say the hydro is easier to learn than the PR, but really that's like saying it's easier to erase pencil then erasable pen, both do almost the same exact thing. Both are simple and it might take a minute or 2 more to pick up the PR than the Hydro, but both are supremely simple and anyone can drive either one.

 

[ddivinia]

Anyone can learn to drive a PR. The only difference in either of them is one is powered through hydraulic coupling with infinite speeds and the other is gear driven through a hydraulic clutch with 12 set F & R speeds. On both you essentially have the same basic idea to go between F & R and it's very simple. If anything I would say the hydro is easier to learn than the PR, but really that's like saying it's easier to erase pencil then erasable pen, both do almost the same exact thing. Both are simple and it might take a minute or 2 more to pick up the PR than the Hydro, but both are supremely simple and anyone can drive either one.

I think you are over simplifying the challenges of driving a manual transmission. Many people growing up these days have never driven a stick anything. With the PR you need to set the range, gear and then you have direction and you have the clutch. That is a lot more to "wrap your head around" than range and forward back. My wife has a hard time with the PR in the 5525. That is why we bought a 4520 cab for her to rake hay, etc. For some jobs I like the 4520 a lot more, but from a money perspective I would have rather bought a 5625 - more money, but a lot more tractor.

D.

 

[WH401]

I think you are over simplifying the challenges of driving a manual transmission. Many people growing up these days have never driven a stick anything. With the PR you need to set the range, gear and then you have direction and you have the clutch. That is a lot more to "wrap your head around" than range and forward back. My wife has a hard time with the PR in the 5525. That is why we bought a 4520 cab for her to rake hay, etc. For some jobs I like the 4520 a lot more, but from a money perspective I would have rather bought a 5625 - more money, but a lot more tractor.

D.

Driving the PR is just as simple as the hydro. The clutch, the hardest thing to master on a manual transmission, only has to be used when shifting ranges or gears, and even that will only come about 95% of the time when the machine isn't moving. Depress the clutch, no harder than pushing the pedals on a hydro, select your range and select your gear. Release the clutch and just push the reverser lever forward and your off. It's no more involved in going from F to R or back again than it is in a hydro.

The most complicated thing in a manual is learning the clutch and the PR almost virtually eliminates this necessary skill. The only time you do need it is if you want to shift to a higher gear while moving and you don't even have to do that. If you would rather stop and shift, it works just as well, but picking up on this is nice.

In a PR it only takes about 5 seconds longer to get moving, as you have to select 2 additional thing's, where as in a hydro you just have one shifter you need to move. But if a person can choose the range in a hydro, then they will have no problem at all choosing the range & gear in a PR. I would say the PR is only marginally more involved in operation than the hydro, but by a very, very small margin. In no way though is it too complicated for anyone to learn. If you have full use of your leg's than either transmission is easy to pick up on.

 

[Heywood Jannockitov]

With PR, you can actually shift gears when moving without "foot pedal clutching" by flipping the PR to "neutral" which is really not neutral at all, but "clutch engaged", then shifting the gear lever, then flipping the PR to forward again. I do this alot when I am really lazy, which is most of the time.
So actually you don't ever need feet to drive, unless you have to engage the diff lock.

 

[ddivinia]

Driving the PR is just as simple as the hydro. The clutch, the hardest thing to master on a manual transmission, only has to be used when shifting ranges or gears, and even that will only come about 95% of the time when the machine isn't moving. Depress the clutch, no harder than pushing the pedals on a hydro, select your range and select your gear. Release the clutch and just push the reverser lever forward and your off. It's no more involved in going from F to R or back again than it is in a hydro.

The most complicated thing in a manual is learning the clutch and the PR almost virtually eliminates this necessary skill. The only time you do need it is if you want to shift to a higher gear while moving and you don't even have to do that. If you would rather stop and shift, it works just as well, but picking up on this is nice.

In a PR it only takes about 5 seconds longer to get moving, as you have to select 2 additional thing's, where as in a hydro you just have one shifter you need to move. But if a person can choose the range in a hydro, then they will have no problem at all choosing the range & gear in a PR. I would say the PR is only marginally more involved in operation than the hydro, but by a very, very small margin. In no way though is it too complicated for anyone to learn. If you have full use of your leg's than either transmission is easy to pick up on.

One of the most important things you are missing is range and gear selection.

If you are using a PTO powered implement you need to run the proper engine RPM for the proper PTO speed. Setting the engine speed is straight forward on either one - engage the pto and set the tach to X speed. Cool...

Then you need a ground speed. With the EH you can try a range and just start pushing the forward or back pedal. More pedal or less pedal - easy to dial in. PR you will need to get the range and gear right on to set the ground speed. The EH has much more give in that perspective. Spraying or spreading fertilizer comes to mind.

Also, with doing a lot of FEL work one will find themselves using both the clutch and reserver lever at the same time. I added the adjustable shuttle o my 5525 and it helps some (adjusts the clutch engage time).

D.

 

[WH401]

One of the most important things you are missing is range and gear selection.

If you are using a PTO powered implement you need to run the proper engine RPM for the proper PTO speed. Setting the engine speed is straight forward on either one - engage the pto and set the tach to X speed. Cool...

Then you need a ground speed. With the EH you can try a range and just start pushing the forward or back pedal. More pedal or less pedal - easy to dial in. PR you will need to get the range and gear right on to set the ground speed. The EH has much more give in that perspective. Spraying or spreading fertilizer comes to mind.

Also, with doing a lot of FEL work one will find themselves using both the clutch and reserver lever at the same time. I added the adjustable shuttle o my 5525 and it helps some (adjusts the clutch engage time).

D.

I'm not trying to be rude, but do you feel it's that hard to move 2 levers to choose your range and gear compared to 1? I understand your trying to say to get your certain speed it's more involved. But you make it seem as if your exerting all of your energy and brain power to do this. Once you use the PR one time and run through all of the gears at PTO speed, you will remember which one's will work for what. Also if your in doubt, you can refer to the sticker on the tractor fender or the owners manual for a chart that will list the mph in each gear at pto speed.

In terms of being able to vary speed, yes the hydro is simpler in that aspect. But my argument to your comment of "Anyone can drive the hydro - not so with a PR" is that as long as you can operate anything motorized or mechanical, then you can drive both transmission's.

With loader work were back to the "don't have to use the clutch" point. All you have to do is move the reverser lever between "F, N, & R", the clutch is more of an option. Would it be better if you got comfortable with the clutch?, yes it would, but is it a necessity?, no.

 

[WH401]

With PR, you can actually shift gears when moving without "foot pedal clutching" by flipping the PR to "neutral" which is really not neutral at all, but "clutch engaged", then shifting the gear lever, then flipping the PR to forward again. I do this alot when I am really lazy, which is most of the time.
So actually you don't ever need feet to drive, unless you have to engage the diff lock.

It's the paraplegic's dream tractor.