Compact tractor hst or geared

[Treemover]

Just about to order a compact tractor. Kioti ck3510 to be exact. It will do a variety of jobs from ploughing with a reversible plough; digging potatoes, running branch logger; and various farm and Hort roles.

 

The ploughing is my main concern and this could even run to several acres at a time.

 

I really like the idea of a hst and we already have a kubota b6200 hst.

 

Has anyone had a hydrostat blow or fail? I had one go in a Fendt and hence my reluctance.

 

If I omitted the ploughing it would be a no brainer; tried hiring in contractor to plough but not interested in small acres or fields.

[difflock]

An "informed insider" admitted to me v recently that Kubota HST's did not like working on hills, which I could only interpretate as "did not really like heavy work".

And Kubota are still surprisingly "big" on geared transmissions.

Kioti, I understand are clones/copies of Kubota, having built Kubotas under contract, until a falling out.

That said I am currently waiting a price for a 45HP Kioti with a loader.

BUT

John Deere have "majored" on their HST equivalent "eHydro" hydrostatic drive tractors, up to 66HP in the newest 4 series, optional on the bargain basement cabless "M" spec, BUT standard, on the higher spec cabbed "R" series.

That tells me JD has faith in its eHydro drive technology, which in conscience with its LoadMatch "e"lectronic wizardy,

is I think justified.

You get what you pay for, or more rather, definately DO NOT get what one does NOT pay for,

if you see what I imagine I mean.

This whole subject being very close to my heart at the moment.

 

cheers

m

Edited August 19, 2016 by difflock

[dent]

Hydrostatic is entirely different to a fendts various or any large tractors CVT gearbox

A CVT transmits all its power through gears and uses a hydraulic motor to vary a break in the gearbox and adjust speed

Whereas a hydrostatic transmition transmits power through fluid which is far more power hungry it is either done by to variable plates submersed in oil or a hydraulic pump and a motor

Hydrostatic is very good at varying speed and direction quickly but awful at transmitting torque also difficult to maintain a set spread without some electronic wizzadry if you wish to do more than mowing I would go for gears as you can pick a forward speed and sit there constantly

[Goaty]

Thinking of the ploughing. Geared is better. More of the power to the traction. Leave it sat in gear. No leg ache from holding hst pedal. As you already have a hst you will have both. Hst is for movement changing all the time short distance work in my opinion.

[david wood]

having through last 19 years run hst machines, ok smaller - b2400 kubota, b3030 kubota and now 3720 john deere with all the nice electrics i have a small idea on how i would go.

 

Avoid hst and get geared - hst performance and power, especially on hilly sites drop off quick yearly and in case of first two blow pumps very expensively! and you dont want to see the qoute we got to repair the 3720 if noise turns out to be pump.....

 

something geared with good on move range selecter and gears in range be best i reckon.

 

tried 5 series john deere 90hp

 

away to try valtra a series 88hp

 

jd was a lil clumsy but nice.

[wrsni]

I'd go geared if there's a substantial degree of draught work in it's schedule. With modern clutchless shuttles and such like you can now have a geared transmission but which still allows a lot of manoeuverability without constant clutching.

 

Hydrostatic still has it's place and I think it's biggest problems are firstly that it's easy to abuse, and secondly, will punish you for poor or irregular maintenance, both of which you can avoid by owning your machine from new. But I think once you go in to a slightly larger tractor, say much above 30hp, the type of work it's more likely to be doing will automatically take you more towards some type of geared transmission.

 

This is our little Kubota with hydrostatic earning it's keep last week working hay. Not heavy draughting work by any means but probably still at the stage where you would ideally have geared instead. Against that, put it in some niggly mowing with a roller or finishing mower and it would be difficult to imagine anything any better.

[wrsni]

Just a quick update if still relevant, although you've probably taken the plunge by now.

 

I've just very recently acquired a larger Kubota with what they refer to as the "Glide Shift Transmission" (GST). It's basically a standard synchromesh gearbox operating through a single hydraulic multiplate wet clutch, which is also utilised to give you a clutchless shuttle lever on the dash.

 

It's not as effortless to shuttle or vary ground speed while maintaining constant engine speed as hydrostatic, nor is it as effortless with on the move gear changing as a modern multi-pack tractor transmission.

 

However, it is an excellent useable transmission, streets ahead of any modern "conventional" tractor transmission that I've driven, and apart from that one single hydraulic clutch there is nothing other than shafts and gears transmitting the power to the wheels, it's as basic and simple as a Massey 35.

 

For a balance between simplicity and durability but combined with ease of use it's a cracking effort.

[Goaty]

I take it being a bit bigger tractor it will also have an Independant clutch pack built in to the pto.

Such ease compared to the fordson major type set up were you want to raise the arms to engage pto without strain but the pto also drives the hydraulic pump.

[wrsni]

I take it being a bit bigger tractor it will also have an Independant clutch pack built in to the pto.

 

Yes it does, although to be fair, my old 454 International had one of those as well and it was early seventies.

 

Remember rotovating for potatoes with an old standard Major when I was about 13. At the end of a row each time you had to stop, clutch, ground drive and pto out of gear, clutch out, lift the rotovator, clutch again, in to gear, clutch out to turn, clutch again, drop rotovator and engage pto, clutch out.

 

At least you didn't feel the cold!

[difflock]

I am warming to an open station Hurlimann Prince 45 at sub £13k(brand new) or an even 16k with a sigma loader, on fat Ag tyres.

A standard gearbox with a mechanical F-R shuttle, & otherwise a "proper" 40HP tractor.

Like with a 2 speed PTO, quite a few of the poverty spec compact tractors (from leading manufacturers too) make do with a single speed PTO, CHEAPSKATES!

Of course what I really really want is one of the 2 ex demo jd 4049, with fixed loader, cept they are 20k plus VAT.

GULP

More than I have ever spent on a car, even a new car.

Edited September 3, 2016 by difflock