Another Power Shift Question

Rather than hijack Bill's thread, I'll ask a follow up here. When did Deere quit making the 8 or 15 speed powershift? I have a 4020 with Power Shift, and I really like it. I've read a lot of good things about it here over the years. Are the newer tractors with PowerQuad or AutoQuad transmissions a true powershift, or a hybrid of a powershift within a range? Are they better than the 8 or 15 speed powershifts, or are they just cheaper to build? Does (did?) anyone else offer the equivalent of Deere's powershifts?

The only question I can answer is the last one. My CaseIH 7240 has an 18 speed power shift. Lever and cable manual control just like the Deere's you reference. Works just like my 4020, only lots more speeds.

The Quad Range just used a clutch pack so you had two speeds in each gear without clutching. I know that because the one in my 4040 went bad and had to be rebuilt.

My 20, 30, 40 series were/are 8 spd, the 1983? 4450 MFWD is the 15 speed.

My 7800 has a 19 speed power shift, but I think that it's a big departure from what you are thinking. The manual says you don't need to use the clutch to start out but it will rip your head right off your shoulders if you try. It also downshifts regardless of whether the clutch is in which is unnerving at first. If you are headed down the road in 16th, don't push in the clutch and pull back on the shifter at the driveway thinking you are freewheeling. It will change you through all of those gears rather abruptly! You are better off just clicking it down through those gears. It is an awesome planting tractor, I will tell you. I'm afraid of the gizmos that make all of that work but so far, so good. It's nearing 9000 hours with no issues.

The 15 speed came in with the 50 series and left with the 60 series(when the "new breed of power" tractors came to the market). The 8 speed was available in the 30 and 40 series, other than the 4030, which was available as a Quad-Range or Syncro-range only.

Forgot about the 20 series. 8 speed PS was available on that as well.

The Power Quad and Auto Quad are a four speed power shift in front of a GEAR transmission with 4,5 or 6 ranges giving you 16,20 or 24 total speed selections. These ranges are synchronized . The only difference between the Power Quad and Auto Quad is how the power shift part can be shifted. The Power Quad is manually shifted by moving a lever. The Auto Quad is shifted by moving a button for manual shifting and it can be set to Automatically shift under different loads.

The Power Quad or the Auto quad are a much better transmission than the old eight speed power shifts. They have proven to be very durable and have at the least twice as many speeds. The old eight speed power shifts held up well but where limited in speed selections for field work. In the higher horse power tractors you many times could run against the governor in one gear but not pull the load in the next. With the Power Quad you would have a gear selection that would "fit" the load.

The 15 speed power shift was a GREAT transmission. I prefer it over the 19 speed that replaced it. The 19 speed is durable but can be very aggressive when shifting in certain speeds up or down shifting. Especially when the oil is cold. I have seen guys break the back window out with their heads when they hit one of these "jumps". When the 10 Series ( 7610,7710, and 7810) came out JD had a much improved Power shift control program. These tractors did not shift as aggressive when cold.

Your JD 4020 8 speed power shift was a marvel for it's time. The trouble with them today is the cost of repairing one can be HIGH. You can easily get to the $5K mark with not much being wrong in one. I ran into one that still shifted but shifted rough a few years. Using new parts it was going to be over $12K to fix it. We found a donor tractor and kept the repair bill under $7K. The cost to repair one is why I do not personally own one.

The 20-40 series had 8 speed powershifts while the 50-60 series had a 15 speed powershift. I think the ivt transmissions took the place of the powershifts. Other brands offered powershifts as well.

IVT's (CVT's) have only partially taken over power shifts. Power shifts are still very popular. IVT's aren't available in the higher HP range tractors. I'd say that the majority of Deere 8R's and CIH Magnums are Power shift. It's going to be a closer divide on the 6R and 7R/Maxxum and Puma sized tractors, but I'd still think the majority are still Power Shift vs CVT/IVT.

You are right on the 8R's and bigger having more powershifts. I still do not know why deere didn't offer the powershift in the small frame 7000 series. I am not a fan of the power quad.

Jeremy in NE: What do you not like about the power quad??? It is rugged and dependable.

Case-IH 7100, 7200, & 8900 Series had basically 1 transmission available. The 18 speed powershift is probably about as good as the Deere 15 speed, & maybe better. I have a 1995 Case-IH 7220 that I cant even entertain parting with because of the transmission. I like it more than anything! I have neighbors that had, & have 8 speed Deere's. You wont get me to sit on the fenders due to the gap in speed changes. I feel like I am going to slide off! Also a single transmission means a corporation can spend all their time solving transmission problems on 1 type, & not 2, or 3.

I'll take a quad over a power shift in a JD any day. Especially on a loader. Even the old ones that were pure gear transmissions and the synchro partial power shift. Reverse is too slow in the 15 speed and I can never find the gear I want.

The new ones with the shuttle are really nice. For baling or loader work, you just flick the shuttle lever, no clutch to push. I've been told that using the clutch too much will take them out.

Just be sure to get one with E range. D range is just as slow as a 4020 or 4840. When you have to drag the baler 15 miles over here, 10 over there, 12 that way, back 20 this way, that extra 6 mph starts adding up.

I don't think much of the 8 speed power shifts. I know many of you will disagree. I don't farm but I have bought and sold several. I have known people who had a 3020 gas power shift new and said it was so gutless that it would hardly pull itself in the high gears. A neighbor bought a new 4440 PS and traded it back in within 6 months because of the harsh shifting. My son had a 4840 PS and when you shifted down from 8 to 7 it would put you right through the windshield if you didn't hang on to the steering wheel. Just as harsh going up. Buyers who have never used one have the perception that it is a must to have a PS. I ask if they have ever driven one and they so no. The lower gears are OK but there just aren't enough higher gears. That's why they went to 15 speeds and more. I understand that there are ways of driving that make it less harsh and that some are worse them others. I think I did have one that shifted pretty smooth.

Well I tend to agree with T, have no experience with a 4020, but we owned a 3020 with powershift, hated it, worked for a guy who up graded from a 4430 with quad to a 4640 with powershift and he said he regretted it everyday he owned that 4640. To be honest it seemed the 46 struggled to pull the same equipment we pulled with the 44, especially when we upshifted after turning etc. I'll take the quad or the synchro range.

They are a very rugged transmission that are proven but I like the powershift. It seemed like every time I used one doing tillage I would be at the bottom of one range or the top of the other. I am sure it was due to equipment size but with a powershift you just shift thru it. Baling hay I am usually going thru 2-4 gears which would be harder with a quad. It is just a personal preference.

Have had, owned, and operated tractors with both the 8 speed and the 15 speed powershift transmission. The 8 speed is a good transmission, but we always found it lacking with the large gaps between gears when doing heavy pulling for tillage. I did like the 8 speed for those tasks such as planting, cultivating, hauling grain, etc The 15 speed is quite a bit better in that it does have more gears and smaller gaps between the gears, making it a very good transmission for all tasks. I especially like the modulation feature for the neutral to forward or reverse gear shifts when stopped. I have spent quite a bit of time in the early 8000 series tractors with the 16 speed powershift, and I recall when one moves into the field range gears, the gaps are even smaller between those gears, in which the operator can find more choices than even the 15 speed in the 50 through 60 series JD tractors. I only operated a 7000 series briefly with the PowerQuad transmission and found that to be a nice set up. I have never operated one with the 19 speed powershift, so I know nothing about it. I am aware of the latest offerings from Deere providing what is called their E-23 powershift transmission, but know nothing about it, nor have I operated any of their machines with the IVT either. The Case IH Magnum tractor line has a very good 18 speed powershift transmission, too.