Pros and Cons of Manual vs Hydrostatic

[fishin coyote]

Wish the OP would list his anticipated use in more details and side banter goes away. Maybe the best solution is tractor with hydro and cruise control for his situation. I would do the same if makes sense as I'm frugal not a cheapa$$

rock, it will be mainly material moving such as wood, dirt, mulch etc. My property is small and flat. My food plots can be done with my SxS or 4 wheeler. If not for walking around with a 100% blockage in the LAD artery, I’d just use the SxS and a wagon along with my back to move stuff around.

I hadn’t even considered a reverser/synchro until I read some of the comments,I’ll probably end up getting a hydro but wanted to see what the collective here had to say.

 

[Turkey Creek]

Nothing new to add to the discussion, other than I have a hyrdo Kubota MX5300 and have had zero issues thus far and it sure makes life easier for a lot of tasks. My tractor essentially has cruise control as well, there is a stick on the left side of the seat that also works to manipulate the foot pedal (accelerator) in forward gears. It will hold the speed where you position it.

 

[Foggy47]

I do allot of flail mowing in addition to other chores with my Kubota L3560 HSTC. I have operated tractors since the 1950's. I have come to really like operating a hydro tractor over a gear shift for my purposes. When mowing....you can feel the tractor becoming overloaded for power....and simply ease up on the pedal and allow the mower to clear while maintaining a decent ground speed.....yet get the job done efficiently. Also easier for new operators, if you got young family members and such. Very intuitive to use.

Precision placement when hooking up and detaching implements is also far easier. Sometimes an inch or two is a big deal....espeically when you get older and do not care to force stuff to align. I've done many jobs via both methods.....and simply prefer a hydro over a gear shift. I suppose I could live with either....but why? If you can afford it....go with the hydro and don't look back. My 2 cents.

 

[Diesel5610]

rock, it will be mainly material moving such as wood, dirt, mulch etc. My property is small and flat. My food plots can be done with my SxS or 4 wheeler. If not for walking around with a 100% blockage in the LAD artery, I’d just use the SxS and a wagon along with my back to move stuff around.

I hadn’t even considered a reverser/synchro until I read some of the comments,I’ll probably end up getting a hydro but wanted to see what the collective here had to say.

Get the Hydro for what you are doing.

 

[Tree Spud]

I do allot of flail mowing in addition to other chores with my Kubota L3560 HSTC. I have operated tractors since the 1950's. I have come to really like operating a hydro tractor over a gear shift for my purposes. When mowing....you can feel the tractor becoming overloaded for power....and simply ease up on the pedal and allow the mower to clear while maintaining a decent ground speed.....yet get the job done efficiently. Also easier for new operators, if you got young family members and such. Very intuitive to use.

Precision placement when hooking up and detaching implements is also far easier. Sometimes an inch or two is a big deal....espeically when you get older and do not care to force stuff to align. I've done many jobs via both methods.....and simply prefer a hydro over a gear shift. I suppose I could live with either....but why? If you can afford it....go with the hydro and don't look back. My 2 cents.

For hooking up and removing attachments, Hydro makes a big difference.

 

[DRG3]

My preference is for gear drive. I came up using gear drive but when I went to purchase my first brand new tractor a couple of years ago and was looking in the 50hp range I tested hydrostatic of multiple brands. MF, JD, Kubota and Kioti. For me I just could not get to where I liked it better. For my application it’s an all around utility tractor but put more hours on bush hogging and working plots than loader work. I like maximizing my hp and I’m just so comfortable operating a gear drive that I never did operate the hst I tested as well.

HST is so popular I’m sure it’s great. Just not for me. That said the older I get the more I wish hooking up implements was easier. I’ve had to learn how to get really agile with clutch and break lol.

 

[jsasker007]

4052R with the option to back the tractor up while I'm standing outside it with the rear remote so I can back it up exactly where it needs to be for hooking up implements. Handy for sure but not a must. I got that tractor when I just couldn't keep climbing in and out of my skid steer that had got me by until back issues made it too difficult. Traded the skiddy and haven't looked back. Then there's the old debate about cab or open station. Here in Minnesota I'll take the cab every time. jmo

 

[Foggy47]

4052R with the option to back the tractor up while I'm standing outside it with the rear remote so I can back it up exactly where it needs to be for hooking up implements. Handy for sure but not a must. I got that tractor when I just couldn't keep climbing in and out of my skid steer that had got me by until back issues made it too difficult. Traded the skiddy and haven't looked back. Then there's the old debate about cab or open station. Here in Minnesota I'll take the cab every time. jmo

I've now had a cab tractor for several years. No going back.

I had some concerns about driving on my trails and tree encounters....but that is of little concern after owning a cab. In my old open stations.......I've driven in temps that were pretty miserable....both hot and cold, and wet.....and been stung by hornets when mowing a nest.....and slapped silly by some branches at times.

I used to wear my bug gear when mowing during deer fly season...even mesh gloves sometimes. Now I laugh at those little basterds on my glass. Almost put an eye out from a sapling that struck me in the eye....ever had an eyeball turn to "black"?? Lot of other issues which are too numerous to count. The cab negates all that chit for me. I love operating in any temps or conditions with a HVAC cab. I drive around in shorts and tennis shoes these days. Call me soft....but no-way I would go back to an open station tractor if I could afford the cab model. My 2 cents.

 

[Jordan Selsor]

I switched from gear to a 55hp hydro 2 years ago and will never go back! Grading gravel, snow removal, brushing hogging trails is so much easier with a good hydro

 

[rocksnstumps]

Coming back to this thread, will say while wearing big heavy boots during the winter that a hand lever power reverser is nice. Maybe the hydro buttons are bigger than my lawnmower ones on big rigs but pretty much don't need to use my feet at all while plowing snow. Note this is an open station tractor and not wearing a T-shirt and tennis shoes that some like to claim with their cabbed rigs. Takes me some time to get it all done. Maybe if only out there a short time could wear my lighter cold weather bird hunting boots.

 

[farmlegend]

Depends how you plan on using your tractor.

If you seldom do loader work, nothing wrong with gears. My JD 990 is old school gears, and with some skills, bush hogging, implement swapping, and any other chores not involving switching frequently from forward to reverse and back, it becomes utterly intuitive and doesn't slow you down one bit. And you get an extra few hp out of the deal.

I've operated hydro tractors, and it always felt like I was on a luxury sedan version of a tractor - kind of like going from a manual tranny sports car to a big Lincoln sedan.

 

[rocksnstumps]

When plowing snow I switch between forward and reverse a lot because rig has an old school plow on the front (set angle with no hydraulic adjust) and a king kutter rear blade on back. In front of my pole barn I plow a big square area going back and forth plowing in both directions. Hydro guys shift their one foot around. I use one hand to move reverser lever up and down. But my plowing snow routine you don't need to change speeds much compared to working dirt where speed and direction changes are more common.

No doubt hydro tractors are nice. You will pay more for given size tractor however. If flush with cash like some on here, no real issue. For those really stretching their budget and want biggest tractor with associated frame size and likely more capable loader and 3 pt is perhaps their biggest priority vs a smaller unit but with hydro and the higher price tag. Years ago it added about 10% to the cost. Not sure of dollar spread these days.