Hydro all the way. Only way I would buy a manual is if the only job my tractor did was cut huge fields of hay. My last tractor was a manual and I will never buy another manual gear tractor again. Thy HST is faster at work by a huge margin, and can do everything a manual can do. But a manual can't do everything a HST can do.
The only other reason I can see for someone to get a manual over a HST is cost, but my time and comfort is worth way more than the cost difference. For those that say a HST if for cutting grass only, that is laughable. My 5100 has done way more work than my gear tractor ever could. Heck I have cleared more woods, and dug hug holes with my HST. Pushed many many trees down, dug up many stumps and so on.
I would put it up against any similar geared tractor and bet lots of money it will do any job faster.
Yeah only good for cutting grass.
The only other reason I can see for someone to get a manual over a HST is cost, but my time and comfort is worth way more than the cost difference. For those that say a HST if for cutting grass only, that is laughable. My 5100 has done way more work than my gear tractor ever could. Heck I have cleared more woods, and dug hug holes with my HST. Pushed many many trees down, dug up many stumps and so on.
I would put it up against any similar geared tractor and bet lots of money it will do any job faster.
Yeah only good for cutting grass.
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