Hydrostatic vs Gear Drive Tractors

One of the biggest decisions you have to make when shopping for a tractor is choosing the transmission type that is right for you and the work you plan on doing. Zach walks us through the differences between a Hydrostatic and Gear Drive transmission and when you should choose each.

[@jpgottwald4718]

I grew up on farm tractors, I love the Kubota Glide Shift Transmission, or GST. All the benefits of both the manual and HST. No loss of power like the HST and no clutching between gears or forward and reverse. I wish the sales people would really show the customers the benefit of this transmission as they are hard to find.

[@jacobhendrickson8935]

Yes they are awesome until they break.

[@AnomadAlaska]

I have two tractors. An ancient 17HP Yanmar. Old school (1980ish) gear drive. And a fancy new B2601 hydro. The old Yanmar can pull a box blade and bush hog in 2wd where the newer higher horsepower machine can't in 4wd. Looking at selling them both and getting a 50ish PTO HP tractor on turf tires with a cab to mow and grade in HVAC controlled comfort. As well as other tractor things on our small property.

[@jutah5352]

Watched over 10ths of videos. HST v Gear drive. Best video I have seen explaining the differences. 👍🏼👍🏼👍🏼

[@rossco8201]

I use a gear kubota l3901 and mid way releasing the clutch the pto on the bush hog will start without moving forward or reverse. I can also use the brakes to make tighter turns. And it feels a lot safer on hills back in the woods than my neighbors slightly larger hydro John Deere. Just depends on your applications and once you get some hours in the seat you will become proficient!

[@SwordInc.]

You have a two stage clutch. Be careful engaging the PTO with it if you are not throttled down. But that feature is very useful if you are managing a lot of land.

[@vacountryboylifestyle5097]

I have a l3301 gear drive. I do large area mowing. And the gear drive is perfect. Had to teach the wife how to drive it but she picked up quick. Now only thing I hate about the gear drive is. When you push the clutch down it stops everything. wish it didn't turn off the pto but it doesnt take alot to of time you get use to that. Also I do garden work and alot of loader work and I would not swap my gear drive for a hydro. I still love my gear drive. Far as pulling goes. The gear drive is the way to go hands down. Plus it doesn't whine like a hydro. Hydro's are kinda noisy

[@fedup3582]

I have a kubota L3200 with hydrostatic drive. It is a fabulous tractor and has exhibited none of the problems I read here in the comments. I have been running tractors and heavy equipment for well over 50 years, old, new, big and small, includeing the largest and smallest of both ag and industrial equipment and my L3200 never ceases to amaze me in the work it can do.

[@jmac2482]

Alot of people hate on hst because it's not what grandpa had but bottom line is it is faster production wise especially when using a loader.

[@daveyab4889]

i do both large field mowing as well as mowing in cramped spaces and i must say switching to HST is real nice in the cramped spaces but forget pulling anything with it. if you do plowing and other pulling stuff get a gear drive. if you need to keep PTO speed high while the speed must be variable get HST also the mower i use is a SABO -Roberine with a 30 HP volkswagen engine

[@szki272]

One huge difference in small tractors the HST usually can run the PTO even when changing directions. Something I wanted. I bought a gear drive only to find out that it didn't have the duel clutch. That allowed the PTO to run when changing directions. This is problematic when mowing in tight areas. As your mower slows down. The L2501 also has huge overlaps between Low and high gears. For bucket work, it sucks if you have any travel distance.

[@donaldstrishock3923]

I think its TIME that you READ the Operator's Manuals. As long as you dont push the clutch in, the tractor ( L2501H) you can still chage directions with the "Go-pedal". Best wishes with all your endeavours.

[@baucom93]

@@donaldstrishock3923 probably should take the time to read pork chops comment a little closer. He's talking about his shuttle shift tractor (DT), not the hydrostatic (HST).

[@danielsmit11]

If hydro transmissions are as undependable on tractors as they are on lawnmowers I'd choose gear driven every time. A lot of old tractors out there with gear drive transmissions still running strong after 70 years. Had a hydrostat lawnmower the tranny crapped out after a couple of years

[@crewdawg2008]

This is what worried me when I bought my riding mower about 5 years ago. The hydrostatic drive still works, but not as well as it used to. Reverse is weak, won't even back up a hill anymore, although forward is still strong enough. Guess I'll keep it going as long as I can, but once that hydrostatic drive does crap out, I'll probably have to start looking for another gear driven unit.

[@danielsmit11]

@crewdawg2008 yep. After a couple of years had to get off every few yards, yank the mower backwards to get it to go forward. Quite annoying it was. And Husqvarna built it where it was near impossible to change the hydrostatic transmission fluid.

[@tractortalkwithgary1271]

I notice on the new tractors, that on the gear drive there is no decal on the rear fender. On my gear drive L2501 Kubota, the fender has a decal that reads 4WD.

[@odellmac2134]

Good video, very informative.

[@silent1967]

It's like anything else, personal preference. I like ketchup on my fries, some people don't. Now which is the best engine oil ? HERE WE GO !

[@tractortalkwithgary1271]

I use my Kubota L2501 to drag up tree tops for firewood. Gear drive will out pull the hydrostatic models badly. There simply is no comparison in pulling power.

[@locustvalleyfarms7241]

You are right! From using our new 2501 hydro compared to my 1953 ferguson to 20. I can tell the to 20 would out pull that kubota all day. But for normal brush hogging and loader work it is very nice!

[@ronniemitchell3010]

Agree,,

[@4SeasonsWithMartin]

Nice video Zach!

[@jacobhendrickson8935]

My l2850 has a 4 speed low and high range with a forward/reverse shifter on the column. I’ve so far used the clutch to do this going from forward to reverse. Would be nice if I didn’t have to.

[@ericjohnson9080]

You should have shown us forward/reverse in the shuttle. A few times like in loader work.

[@johnjaco5544]

HST whines,more maintance,happy with my gear drive.Easy peezy.

[@rickyarmstrong9267]

I think stick will last longer

[@markclark4154]

Kobota need to make a power split hydro drive. Most of the power is transferred mechanically while the hydro is used varying the speed and direction of the ring gear.

[@richardjohnson2058]

Do y’all hear the hydrostatic whine. You will have way more power with the gear driven transmission.

[@zackzander425]

Hydrostatic is the way to go on these little tractors. The gear drives don’t have live PTO. If I wanted that I’d go by some old POS 1947 Farmall H for a lot less money. For loader work the hydro cannot be beat. Always shifting back and forth between forward and reverse would be just like an old tractor. If they offered a power reverser then maybe the argument could be made to get the manual. These tractors were not designed to pull stumps. They’re for light loader work and light duty property maintenance.

[@ras9875]

I love my hydro until it's time to change the fluid. $$$

[@MegaKg9]

What do you mean

[@ras9875]

@@MegaKg9 the fluid is expensive!!! And it takes a lot

[@alexlindekugel8727]

i found my kubota is very happey with the off brand hydro fluid still not super cheap but it runs quieter than with the expensive kabuta brand synth oil.

[@anonymouscitizen9630]

I had to order the gear drive because all they had were Hydrostats, apparently all the girls only want hydrostatic transmissions 😂🤣😂

[@badgerlandturf]

So silly question if it’s like a manual transmission, why do you have to “stop” to change gears? I take away that you could from a dead stop be in H4 and drive away…if I tried to start my car in 5th gear it wouldn’t go anywhere.

[@brianworley7705]

It would depend if the gears are synchronized or not. Square cut gears don't tend to change well while moving. In modern cars, all transmission gears are synchronized with maybe a few exceptions on larger pickup type trucks. More torque in a diesel engine at low gear and speed versus gas engine made to drive at highway speed.

[@szki272]

You can change 1-4 while moving if you are good with unsynchronized transmissions. Typically unless you are going from 3rd to 4th in high range you are going so slow it doesn't really matter.

[@BigDaddyAddyMS]

You gotta remember tractors aren’t geared for speed. H4 on a tractor is still geared way lower than the 1st gear in your car.

[@HushE2AskolE]

Price,???

[@HardisonFamilyFarm]

Can you add third function and rear remotes to the manual tractors?

[@kubotaoflynchburg]

Absolutely! All of our tractors can have 3rd functions and remotes added to them.

[@311hitwall]

do you have to use the clutch on the mx5400 with the manual transmission?

[@kubotaoflynchburg]

Yes you will need to use the clutch between gears and ranges on the MX5400.

[@311hitwall]

@@kubotaoflynchburg You would think they would have at least put a shuttle shift on it??

[@dieterschwartz8407]

How are the HST on steep hilly roads?

[@kubotaoflynchburg]

Keep the tractor in Low or Medium range and you will be just fine. I prefer a HST on hills vs a gear drive. Way easier to keep control and be safe using it.

[@HollisHurst]

typing this at 4 minutes. can you comment on fuel consumption. i use a a 5640 manual trans. to cut grass. a couple of times i've changed rotary mower to my 5200. fuel used was higher than the 5640. i think it's because of the hst. another comment is the maintenance costs... those hyd filters are high priced!!

[@kubotaoflynchburg]

Fuel consumption is very hard to track in tractors with so many variables on attachments, accessories, terrain etc. But a general rule of thumb is a Gear Driven transmission is more fuel efficient than a HST transmission. How much more? I can't expect it to be much more than a 10% difference but I have never ran the numbers. The Hydro filters are expensive, but changing them ever 200-400 hours or every few years adds up slowly but consistently.

[@HollisHurst]

@@kubotaoflynchburg i'll bet kubota has some mpg numbers on different tractors.

[@alexlindekugel8727]

@@HollisHurst its gallon per hour rating for off road equipment, and there isent much out there on this. mainly each unit behaves diffrent and use verys wildly. my bx 23s when diging is about 1.1 gph at 2500rpm. that said buket work im at about .8 gph. i always figured a gallon per hr when plan projects.

[@philkeshish5834]

What do you recommend of operating a PTO driven compost turner?

[@kubotaoflynchburg]

I wish I could offer you advice, but we don't sell those in our local area as there is no consumer base for them. Sorry, don't want to give any advice on something I know nothing about!

[@BhanuPratap-em8li]

Choose manual drive, more power more reliable more feel connected.😊

[@turfcommando9216]

We have a RK 24 its hydrostatic its is one toque tractor. I think hydrostatic is more.simple design

[@swappedoutZ71]

Jesus christ people talking about gear vs hydro are the same idiots who argue auto vs manual in a passenger vehicle lol using the same kind of cheesy insults. In all honesty if you are not maintaining a field, you don't need a gear driven tractor. And if you're maintaining a field, you honestly should get something bigger than a L2501 lol . Doing landscape or bush hog work, the hydro will get more work done in less time

[@TheZebulonPike]

I agree. If a hydrostat is good enough for front end loaders and $100k track loaders, im sure a 35hp compact tractor will be just fine.

[@adammaroney7287]

You are very correct. Hydro for me in the landscape biz, is the only way to go

[@donaldstrishock3923]

@@TheZebulonPike The Hydrostatic drive systems in Construction Equipment is NOT EVEN Close to the same design of a Compact Tractor. Their is One Exception if it's a IVCT, that is a "Whole different story ".... but they are Rare & jump the price up Considerably. Yanmar has this system & Case-Newholland discontinued this over its Extreme expense in a Compact tractor.

[@Traktor_Ngawi]

Good👍❤

[@atilhun348]

Why would anyone choose a clunky gear drive?

[@GeronimoBreckenridge]

Longer term reliability due to simplicity of system, if you clutch/shift correctly, is why I prefer manual ones over hydrostatic on my very steep mountain land with thousand foot difference in elevation between top and bottom of property. Although I totally understand why most people would prefer that hydrostatic by speeding up jobs and overall convenience.

[@georgea6403]

Call me a wuss but I’ll take the hydro

[@larrywelch4979]

Retired down here arkansas on 172 acre farm on the river. Thought a mx 5800 would be all I needed, not. Got a 7060 a year later. That hydro is for well dressed

[@larrywelch4979]

city people on there 3 acre estates, no pulling power

[@otahu26]

Gear drive Destroys HST for doing pulling and power work.

[@dogman807]

Percentage on power loss. Hydrostatic versus Manual? At least twenty five percent loss.

[@KINDIRBUDS]

Watch 1 test and the gear drive had over 3 times the pulling power!

[@donaldstrishock3923]

A "hydrostatic" is for the "family" to "get loaded & go for a joy ride". The gear drive is for "Real" Power;=No "kids stuff" to get REAL Work Done.

[@ronniemitchell3010]

Agree 1000%

[@jmac2482]

Depends on what you are doing. Hydrostat is going to save you time if you are using the loader alot. Gear drive is going to last longer and have fewer problems in the long run though. That being said I have a hystat and love it, no problems yet and I've beat on it.

[@grantloop9221]

Gear drive is for Harry the Home owner. For real stump pulling and pushing brush and scoopin the dirt you want hydrostat.

[@steeldriver1776]

I’d rather up the engine size for more HP, keep the HST and work faster.

[@donaldstrishock3923]

@@steeldriver1776 You will NEED 280% More H.P. with the "Hydro-howl-o-Whine-slack-o-matic's" to but the SAME POWER to the Ground as the "Grind-a-matic"-Gear Drive unit. You must really like them "GO-GO pedals" .

[@BGWenterprises]

There's hydrostatic And then there's at least 4 types of gear drive transmissions. . There's manuals with-out reversers the true classic version of a manual trans. With one reverse gear for low and one for high. A major disadvantage for FEL loading. . And then there's shuttle shifts. Bolth of those types need the cluch depressed to change directions. Just the shuttle shift if it has 8 forward gears it also has 8 reverse gears. Most of the time. . a power reverser type manual trans dosen't need the clutch used to change direction. And has the same advantage as a shuttle shift. . Oh yea forgot about glide shifts a kabota thing, no clutch used to change gears in same direction.

[@jimmuse9584]

M95xhydro