I have a new L3130HST that I love. I wholeheartedly recommend the hydrostatic transmission. Yes, there is a little power loss in an all hydraulic transmission but it is about the same or maybe a little less than an auto automatic transmission. The GST has mechanical gears but an external electronic control box. The HST has no electronic controls.
Yes, the panel has a lot of electronics but it is for reporting the machine's status not control. My personal opinion is that the HST will have fewer problems than the GST in the long run, say 20 years as long as properly maintained.
Vernon
