I am getting ready to pull the trigger on a new Kubota and I am torn between a gear or HST transmission. I was at a dealership yesterday and got to drive the gear or DT tractor but they did not have an HST on the lot. The dealer actually steered me in the geared direction. He asked if I had hills on my property, which I do and plan on running a rotary mower. He said you need to maintain the 540 PTO speed to properly operate the rotary mower, he said that the HST will lose speed and power going up hills. I do know that HST loses power and speed going up hills as I own an RTV 900 that I use the heck out of and is a work horse but does not like hills. So I need some advice on which to go with. I am looking at L4600 package with FEL, Lands Prided Rotary Mower, Box Blade and Trailer to haul it home. One other question, I found a great deal on a practically brand new backhoe that only dug a 30' trench and that is it. I want to add a backhoe to my tractor, but I believe that it is off of a Ford or New Holland 45ish horsepower tractor. Does anyone know if this will or can be adapted to a Kubota Tractor? I am not sure yet if it is a Genuine Ford or New Holland or possibly Woods or other brand the same color as Ford or New H. Any information would be greatly appreciated.
Need L4600 Buying Advice
- Thread starter zman8537
- Start date
L4600 is a very good tractor! My BIL has a L4400DT (basically same) and loves it.
Most here will say 'get the HST', but not me. I much prefer gear drive!
On hills, slick surfaces & mud, I get a better feel for what the tractor is doing with gear drive. But that's just Me.
540rpm is not needed all the time for mowing. But higher rpm is need for HST...
No help on the back hoe. You will need to find out who made it and if it will fit.
Get ready for a lot of personal opinions on Gear vs HST. Just as mine above.
Most here will say 'get the HST', but not me. I much prefer gear drive!
On hills, slick surfaces & mud, I get a better feel for what the tractor is doing with gear drive. But that's just Me.
540rpm is not needed all the time for mowing. But higher rpm is need for HST...
No help on the back hoe. You will need to find out who made it and if it will fit.
Get ready for a lot of personal opinions on Gear vs HST. Just as mine above.
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Also, I would have bought a L4600DT if I hadn't found such a good deal on the L3800DT. It was too good to pass and I have no regrets at all!
I was actually undecided between the 3800 and the 4600 myself but I think that for a little more money I am getting a little bigger tractor with a little more weight. I have 20 acres that I maintain and up till now I have been using a 1949 John Deere Model M with about 16-18 HP. It has actually done well over the years but it is getting a little tired and in need of a rebuild. I have seen some of the talk HST vs gear but that is what I am looking for before I make my final decision. Thanks for your input Bluegill.
We have 400 acres here and I've been very impressed with the L3800DT. This is after 10 years using a old L3750 which is considerably larger, about the same size as the L4600, but maybe a bit more weight...
You have to decide for yourself, but you really can't go wrong with either trans type.
You have to decide for yourself, but you really can't go wrong with either trans type.
There is a reason why there is no HST on the lot and there is a reason why he wants you to buy the gear shift...because he has sold all the HST and has the gear shift on hand maybe....
I checked with Power Up in Butler, but they will not really deal much. I was on Tractorhouse and there are some pretty good package deals that dealerships are offering but they are all south of here. I was at Parc's down in WV yesterday but the prices with their tractors are with an off brand loader rather than a Kubota loader. Terra Force I believe. There is a dealer down below Richmond VA that has a pretty decent package with Kubota loader, and I can get the Lands Pride mower for a little exta. I don't have a problem traveling a little to get it if I will be saving some good money.
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I have the HST on my MX5100 and when pulling my rotary mower I simply slow down pulling a hill and it'll easily maintain RPM. Hills have never been an issue for me, regardless what I'm doing (though I do occasionally have to slow down). My years of exp. with gear drives had the same result...slow down via changing gears going up hill to maintain RPM. As others have said, it's a personal preference, but I wouldn't even consider a gear drive after using my HST for a year now, and this is my first tractor with an HST. Good luck with your decision.I was kinda wandering the same thing. But my concern is still how much power will I lose going up a hill while using a 6' rotary mower? I know that my RTV 900 definitely loses power on hills with hydro but it is only 21 HP if I remember right.
Check with Murphy's in Washington Pa, ask for Pete I haven't been in the store for a bit but they always have some good stuff, and I'm thinking its like 0% and your gona find that most "K" dealers are like Harley dealers they don't deal to much
I have not driven a large tractor with HST yet. I have only driven a JD garden tractor and my RTV 900. So I guess I need to drive one before I make a decision. I will go out next week and try driving an HST. I only want to do this one time so I need to make the right decision and I want it to last a long time. Hopefully the last large tractor that I want to buy. I was concerned about the hills and the track record of HST. Will HST last as long as gear??????
TripleR
Active member
Equipment
BX2200, BX2660, L5740 HSTC, M8540HDC and some other tractors and equipment
Geared tractors are not immune to the laws of physics. I run geared and HST, so while a steep hill my require less pedal or more RPM on my HST, it may require a different gear or more RPM on my geared tractor.
There are situations in which a geared tractor is the clear winner, but it does not seem to be the case in this situation. I am definitely not anti-gear and used them exclusively for over fifty years, but in the last three or so years have really begun to appreciate the ease of use, reduced fatigue etc of the HST CUT for my use which are running a rotary cutter, loader work and box scraper.
My 33 year old son and I often use our tractors together doing the same thing and an experienced operator, especially with shuttle shift, can pretty much keep u with an HST. The geared operator is sure going to feel the difference at the end of a long day though and the level of skill to keep a geared unit even with an HST is going to be higher in some applications, particularly in loader work and tight areas with a lot of direction changes.
I respect no one more than my brother and he just bought a new synch-shuttle Kioti and loves it, accepts HST as good, just not for him.
Each of us use what works best, so if you haven't used either much, go rent one and spend a few hours on it as it is going to often be hard to tell riding around the lot. I initially was decidedly underwhelmed by the HST+ and now really like it.
Wish I could offer a more definitive answer, just not sure one exists.
There are situations in which a geared tractor is the clear winner, but it does not seem to be the case in this situation. I am definitely not anti-gear and used them exclusively for over fifty years, but in the last three or so years have really begun to appreciate the ease of use, reduced fatigue etc of the HST CUT for my use which are running a rotary cutter, loader work and box scraper.
My 33 year old son and I often use our tractors together doing the same thing and an experienced operator, especially with shuttle shift, can pretty much keep u with an HST. The geared operator is sure going to feel the difference at the end of a long day though and the level of skill to keep a geared unit even with an HST is going to be higher in some applications, particularly in loader work and tight areas with a lot of direction changes.
I respect no one more than my brother and he just bought a new synch-shuttle Kioti and loves it, accepts HST as good, just not for him.
Each of us use what works best, so if you haven't used either much, go rent one and spend a few hours on it as it is going to often be hard to tell riding around the lot. I initially was decidedly underwhelmed by the HST+ and now really like it.
Wish I could offer a more definitive answer, just not sure one exists.
Good post TrippleR!
I really didn't like the HST rig I used a while back, but... Some day I might have to try a HST again.
I really didn't like the HST rig I used a while back, but... Some day I might have to try a HST again.
The only thing that I can add is my opinion. And that is that I don't, like the dealer. For him to bad mouth the HST and he "just happens to have" a gear model, well it just smells wrong to me. Both types of tractors are good and some people prefer one type to the other, that's why they make both types. Either trans will work fine and are basically trouble free.
Do some tire kicking along with your research and you will come out fine.
Do some tire kicking along with your research and you will come out fine.
We have owned three Kubota's ,two HST and one gear.Much prefer the HST for our uses.Purchased the gear because we needed a second tractor and the price was right.With in the first our my son said.....boy there is a difference after running HST's all the time.They both have their strong points and weaknesses.
Great comments and I really appreciate them! I am going to try a couple other dealerships and test rides before I make my final decision. It sounds like from the posts that they are both pretty much trouble free either way. I was a little concerned obout longevity of gear over HST but it sounds like either unit would make a solid choice.
I wish I could say I'm as open minded as Bluegill is about gear or Hst...but I'm not. When I do get a chance to use my tractor I want to get as much done as possible. And bush hogging or logging or moving firewood, grading ect ect. The HST has to be more productive/faster/quicker and easier on the body the using the clutch all the time. The Hst does have L/M/H gear . Bush hogging is gonna be done in 'L' gear and you'll have all the power uphill you'll need. (just my opinion of course)...
IMO, from they way both trans are built these days I doubt system failure would be a consideration if ran under proper conditions. If I was using my tractor for field work on a farm, I would suspect gear would be the better choice, however, if your uses are similar to mine.......finish mowing.....loader work around my 5 acres....snow removal and limited amounts of dirt work I would vote for HST. Prior to buying my B3300SU HST I used a Massey 235 for above mentioned tasks minus the loader work. It was all I knew. Infact, when I first was looking for a new CUT I specifically told the dealer I wanted a gear drive (Probably cause that was not just my comfort zone, but my only zone!) Thankfully, my mind was opened by the dealer and considering the work I DO I could not be happier with my choice.Once again, just MY opinion.
Here is a slightly different spin: Once you have decided what you want, go on line and get prices from other sources. Factor in shipping, and take your numbers back to your local dealer. I saved almost a $1000 that way. I also liked going with the local dealer once the arm wrestling was done, as I had him available if problems developed. I had a few minor problems, and my dealer handled them nicely. Good luck with your purchase.