# Transmission gearing



## deadmoose (Oct 30, 2011)

What tractors have the best tranny/gearing options? I know ivt... But am curios as to what setups work best. My M7040 has an 8 speed (4 sp hi low). That seems to be lacking to me. I wish I could go 4-5 and vise versa but most of the time it is more hassle than worth for feeding and small chores.

It seems to me that instead of a high low it should have 3 speeds there. Most work would be done in 2nd gear of the 3. 3 for road, 1 for slow. And of course maybe a couple more gears and a power shift in dreamland.

What do you have/like or dislike?


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## Chessiedog (Jul 24, 2009)

The NH TS130 i bought last year has a 16 speed . 8 gears in the upper range , 8 in the lower range . 2 ranges in upper and 2 in the lower 4 gears each . Only need to clutch going between high and low range . You can change gears within a range without clutching , you can clutch or use a button to change ranges in the lower or upper range . Going from high to low or the other way you have to clutch .

I defiantly like it .


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

Our Massey 8160 has a thirty two speed. Four gears with a turtle and rabbit range, then a four speed power shift on the column. Is synchronized so drive it like a car or pickup, so pick a gear then have four speeds in each gear forward or reverse, do have to come to a stop to go from forward to reverse though and vice versa.

Our Whites/Olivers had 6 forwards and two reverses with a three speed power shift for a total of 18 forward and 6 reverses.


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## hog987 (Apr 5, 2011)

I think any tractor that has a nice increase in gears. With no major gaps or overlaps. A lot of the 8 speed with high low have the range change in the middle of ideal feild speeds.


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## Orchard6 (Apr 30, 2014)

The Deere 5105m I usually run has the 32 speed in it and I really like it. There is a gear for every job and condition.

A funny story about tractor transmissions, my great-great uncle sold Case tractors back in the 1920's and 30's. (yes I knew him, he lived to be 100 years old!) He asked dad one day how many gears the tractor he was driving had, dad replied "8 why?" My uncle said when he was selling Case tractors Case wanted to come out with a new 4 speed transmission. The local dealers told Case officials that there was no way anyone would ever pay $100 for an extra gear in a tractor! 
I'm glad the dealers back then were wrong! I love my 32 speed!


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## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

deadmoose said:


> What tractors have the best tranny/gearing options? I know ivt... But am curios as to what setups work best. My M7040 has an 8 speed (4 sp hi low). That seems to be lacking to me. I wish I could go 4-5 and vise versa but most of the time it is more hassle than worth for feeding and small chores.
> 
> It seems to me that instead of a high low it should have 3 speeds there. Most work would be done in 2nd gear of the 3. 3 for road, 1 for slow. And of course maybe a couple more gears and a power shift in dreamland.
> 
> What do you have/like or dislike?


Deadmoose, that's the main reason I gave up on my 7040. The 8 speed trans killed me when tedding-seemed like it was too slow or too fast. When roading, it was much too slow, felt like it took forever between fields at under 19 MPH. I have a lot of distance to drive, so high road speed was a big plus.

I now have the 9540 24 speed dual speed and I never have a problem finding a gear. Sometimes I wish I bought the M95X instead. I would have gotten a powershift same as 126X, but it was too big a tractor for tedding, raking, spraying, etc.

I have the 16 speed power shift in my 126X and you are right, its like a dream come true.

I wish pickup trucks could have transmissions like that!!!

Wonder if you could find a M8540 with a 12 speed without too much "walletary damage"? Youd love the 12 speed, the park brake and the extra HP. You also say goodbye to the pizza cutter front rubber.


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## deadmoose (Oct 30, 2011)

JD3430 said:


> Deadmoose, that's the main reason I gave up on my 7040. The 8 speed trans killed me when tedding-seemed like it was too slow or too fast. When roading, it was much too slow, felt like it took forever between fields at under 19 MPH. I have a lot of distance to drive, so high road speed was a big plus.
> I now have the 9540 24 speed dual speed and I never have a problem finding a gear. Sometimes I wish I bought the M95X instead. I would have gotten a powershift same as 126X, but it was too big a tractor for tedding, raking, spraying, etc.
> I have the 16 speed power shift in my 126X and you are right, its like a dream come true.
> I wish pickup trucks could have transmissions like that!!!
> ...


I went in to buy a cheap part for my lil L3400 one day. A bit of chit chat and a few weeks later I had an M.

I looked long and hard at the m5140. Hindsight says bigger and better, but I am good where I ended up. Miles ahead of where I was.

Mine does all I ask of it now. It is tier 3 (one reason I decided to buy, knowing the lil L wouldn't get me much further). For me, the perfect rake, tedder, utility tractor. I hope one day to get a bigger one with CHA (in addition). Til then mine does great.


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## PackMan2170 (Oct 6, 2014)

For me, 16-20 forward speeds seems to be sufficient for pretty much any application. But, I guess the more the merrier as long as you can maintain reliability.

One of the many reasons I'm a Deere fan. Full PowerShift for convenience and needing to vary speed without stopping (i.e. baling), or PowerQuad for durability and working at a constant speed (i.e. groundwork).

Why in the world can't we get like a 10 speed PowerShift in a pickup.......?


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## central va farmer (Feb 14, 2015)

In my opinion the 30 series ford powershift (funk) is the best. One joystick, bump to right to upshift, bump to left to downshift. Your reverser is the joystick. You push forward to go forward, pull back to back up. They have 18 forward gears and they are bullet proof transmissions. I've had 2 tractors with that transmission, a 8730 and 8830. Always wanted to find a 8630 2wd to pull round baler but every time I've found one,haven't had the disposable income lol. They are really nice baling transmissions. 
Just my $.02


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## foz682 (Jan 10, 2013)

Our Ford-New Holland 6635 has a great transmission setup IMO. It's 3 ranges, 4 gears in each range and each gear has a rabbit-turtle powershift, and has a left hand reverse. Range 2 seems to have any speed you'd need for around the yard and short runs down the road.

I run a JD 6140M with Powrquad plus 24 on a regular basis, nice tractor but it seems like your endlessly shifting gears to find the right one, and the gearshift is way too far away from the driver seat when you get into higher gears(E&F).


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## Gearclash (Nov 25, 2010)

Different tools for different jobs? I have found that a 4 range 4 powershift (or synchro) 16 speed is a pretty good general purpose transmission. The only time I find I have too few gears is in front of the big square baler which has a more defined capacity limit than a round baler. IVT there for sure. Full sequential powershifts like the 18 speeds are nice when shifting is always under a load, but I think they are clumsy for general purpose use. Too many gears you have to bang through to get where you need to be. Last fall I picked up a NH TM120 with a 17 speed full powershift, and found I didn't like that as well as the "power quad" style trans that the other baler tractor has.


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## cmsc (Feb 14, 2010)

I have a tm190 ford with 18 powershift. Its great on big baler however next one be a cvt for it. Have a new holland T7.185 with cvt for small baler an accumalator also rotor rake and ted with it and thats the best trans for small baler or rotor rake.


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## treymo (Dec 29, 2013)

Have both 15 spd and 8 spd powershifts and also a quadrange. I would rather bale with a quadrange transmission because that is what I grew up with but that is my raking tractor. A friend complained that the 15 spd has way to many gears.

Trey


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## OhioHay (Jun 4, 2008)

Have 4 quad ranges that we use in our hay operation. Really like the transmission and gear selection. As for powershifts, I guess you can't miss what you've never had.


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## IH 1586 (Oct 16, 2014)

Really like the powershift on the 4040 but for plowing and when chopping you always want that gear between 3 and 4. Used the 15 speeds out west and liked it, can't wait to have one myself.


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## PackMan2170 (Oct 6, 2014)

Yeah the ol' 8 speed PowerShift (although great for its day) is a little lacking on the gear selection and smoothness of shifting. I run my small baler with a powershift 4020 with it and I'm always looking for either gear 2.5 or 3.5....

And if you liked the 15 speed you should try out the 19 speed. You will get pretty spoiled, especially with the 25mph road gear.


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## hog987 (Apr 5, 2011)

I looked at one deutz tractor at the trade show. That thing had 64 gears. It would take awhile to figure out how fast each gear runs.


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## IH 1586 (Oct 16, 2014)

PackMan2170 said:


> Yeah the ol' 8 speed PowerShift (although great for its day) is a little lacking on the gear selection and smoothness of shifting. I run my small baler with a powershift 4020 with it and I'm always looking for either gear 2.5 or 3.5....
> 
> And if you liked the 15 speed you should try out the 19 speed. You will get pretty spoiled, especially with the 25mph road gear.


I was looking forward to the 19 speed until I read some of the posts on here. They were kinda pointing in the direction that they start to fail around 5000 hrs and expensive to fix. If I bypass the 50 and 55 series I will probably stay with the power quad. I realize it's alot to do with the maintenance and with buying used there will always be that question as to when it will fail, not saying that could not happen on the power quad. I drove a 7810 for a guy I relief milked for and it was awesome going through the gears. Tractor sounded like a jet when you got it wound up.


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## IH 1586 (Oct 16, 2014)

The 30,40,50,55 series utility Deere with the hi lo for a total of 16 speeds are nice. Never had problems finding what I needed with them. Had a 6400 with the 16 speed power quad, no issues there either. My uncle has a 2950 with only 8 speeds. Every time I drive it I am always trying to find the hi lo lever.


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## Colby (Mar 5, 2012)

I like the 16 speeds in the case CVT tractors.

I always wished deere would make 6 gears in each range on the new 20,30 and m tractors....


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