TECHNCIAL: In our comparison of compact yard tractors (profi 2/20232 and 3/2023), we got the chance to work two Kioti DK5020 tractors, the mechanical transmission Shuttle and the hydrostatic drive HST. Otherwise sharing a like for like specification, here we look at the plus and minus points of the different transmissions.
If you are in the market for a nominal 50hp yard tractor, there is a key spec choice between hydrostatic and a mechanical gearbox. In our two-part compact 50hp tractor comparison we made a few observations. Here we delve a bit deeper.
Geared drive from engine to wheels
With a mechanical gearbox, power flow from the engine is transmitted mechanically from the crankshaft to the gearbox and then to the drive axles and wheels. The Kioti DK5020 Shuttle has four speeds in four ranges to provide a total of 16 forward and reverse gears.
Once a gear and ratio are selected, they are linked via the clutch to the engine, adjusting the engine speed clearly varying the speed of the tractor, with manual swapping between the gears to suit the job. The fitted synchromesh gearbox makes shifting gear straightforward, but the operator still needs to select the right gear for the job.
The DK5020 Shuttle is so named as it has a synchro shuttle to ease swapping between forward and reverse. Dip the clutch, stop, move the shuttle to select the direction of travel, and re-engage drive. An HS shuttle variant if the DK5020 is also available. This enables direction changes to me made without dipping the clutch and is the variant we would choose for loader work.
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