Shuttle Shifting. Clutch? No Clutch?

lastcowboy32

Well-known Member
So, my new tractor is my first real experience with the Forward/Reverse shuttle shift.

You don't need to clutch. You can just slam the darn thing from forward to reverse, or vice versa... and the tractor will obediently change direction... even if that means lurching and spinning the tires.

I use this every so often when working with the haybine to back out plugs and such.

I have instructed my family that they should at least pause in the neutral position for a second or so and hit the brakes to stop the tractor's momentum before changing direction.

I, out of habit, almost always still use the clutch pedal to boot.

Thing is, I wonder if I'm doing the tractor more harm than good. With a regular clutch, they last longer if you shift decisively...as in, you let the clutch up quickly without "popping" the clutch, but minimizing that intermediate slip time.

These tractors have automatic hydraulic clutch packs, right? You move the lever or push the pedal...but in the end...They sort of shift when THEY want to shift. I almost wonder if the shuttle is already designed to use the optimum clutch engagement; and I'm just bungling the situation by adding in the foot clutch pedal input.
 
Depends on what tractor it is. Some if you do that one time to many your going to be rebuilding the transmission
 
(quoted from post at 15:36:25 09/06/19) Depends on what tractor it is. Some if you do that one time to many your going to be rebuilding the transmission

Old! How ya doin' buddy? Anyway... which "that"?

Which one is worst for the tranny?

Jamming the shuttle from fwd to reverse with the tractor rolling?

Pausing the shuttle in neutral, braking to stop the tractor and then shifting the shuttle?

Or

Using the clutch with the shuttle as if you're shifting a regular tractor?
 

Mahindra 6075 with the non-hydrostatic shuttle shift tranny.

3 ranges
5 gears per range
fwd-reverse shuttle on the console
 

And a hydraulic clutch pedal that is really hard to "feel" when you're trying to inch along during things like having someone hook you up to a wagon.

I think these hydraulic clutches last longer than the old traditional clutches in, like, my old Ford 2N or Ford 3000... but man... are they hard to "feel" when you're trying to feather.
 
Whats the owners manual say?? By the way you could not give me a Mahindra tractor. Had one in my shop this summer and what a piece of junk. Very poorly engineered and finding parts well hens teeth are easier to find LOL.
 
It looks like they had a full hydrostatic in some smaller models with direction controlled by foot pedals, push the pedal for the direction you want to go in - no clutch. Then the non-Hydrostatic shuttle had to use the clutch when shifting the shuttle forward to reverse. The add info on the 6075 is, it has a power shift shuttle transmission, which appears not to need the clutch when shifting (key word appears). What parameters that might apply, such as reducing engine speed or pausing in neutral, were not shown.

As old posted: What does your Owner's/Operator's say? If you don't have the manuals I would advise getting them. I would have thought your dealer should have gone over all that with you as part of the delivery of a new tractor, as well.
 
Put the heal of your clutch foot on the floor board and rotate your foot off your heal
to feather the clutch pedal. Then you have control of the pedal regardless of movement
from your leg and seat.-----------Loren
 

I have the manuals, and I've been through them.

I guess, in the end, since there is no specific warning to NOT use the clutch with the shuttle, it probably doesn't hurt anything.

As far as reducing engine/ground speed and pausing in Neutral, I think I'll stick with those practices, since they just make common sense to me.

CaseGuy... that's interesting, the pedal IS close enough to the floor to pin my heel down... I might try that.
 
(quoted from post at 05:51:27 09/09/19) If its rough shifting as you described when shifting the shuttle then it going to tear up something eventually.I'd use the clutch.

It's actually very smooth shifting...unless you're doing a few miles an hour forward and you just grab the shuttle and whack it into reverse without pausing in the middle in neutral, or at least using the brakes to slow the roll.

I have really found no faults with this tractor, other than these three issues:

1. The shuttle shift is on the side of the console, and it's tempting to use it as the only method of putting the tractor in neutral, if you get off to do something...say check the bales coming out of the baler... when you climb back on, it's easy to hit that lever with your hip, and the tractor will start moving.

2. It's a small block (2.6l) turbo, and it has Tier 4 emissions, so... it doesn't "lug" out of the hole like an equivalent older tractor with the same horsepower, which probably used almost twice as much displacement.

On the other hand? I can do all of the mowing and baling for 500 bales of hay on ten gallons of diesel... so... yin...yang...

I'm extremely happy, but you won't be, if you think you're going to win a tractor pull (by the way, the traction and balance on this machine is excellent... I'm pulling a baler and full wagons through places that buried my old 4000 without spinning a tire)

3. The parking brake indicator cable assembly is on top of the deck to the right of the seat, and it came to me kinked a little, I had to wiggle it to get the wires/pins seated in the connector. This isn't a big deal, except I am very big on making sure that nobody leaves the parking brake on and burns out the brakes... which is easier to do, if you don't see the little red light on the dash.
 

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