Outdoor Power Equipment (Lawn Mowers, Snow Blowers, Chain Saws and more) Discussions

FWIW, I bought my 1st 2 stager - Honda unit - without ever demoing a unit that had Hydrostatic Transmission.
Just short of the fact that it's variable infinite speed, can anyone just give me a laymens primer on the benefits of a Hydrostatic Transmission ?


BTW, how often if any do you do a OCI on the hydro transmission.

I was just surprised how much ~harder~ is is to move when not engadged as opposed to ~regular~ geared transmission.
I was at the local orange borg last night and wheeled the Organge buckets around and they wheel so much with ease...

You can't the friction disk is touching the drive plate so won't slide to another gears when the clutch is engaged.  You can quickly let off the clutch and get another gear quickly if you are very familiar with your machine but most people arn't because of infrequent use.

aa335 wrote:

I've used an MTD track for 13 years and I just got my Honda tracked about a month ago, but I've never encountered a time with tracks that you need to rock it out of a rut. Worst case when I ended up in a ditch, the machines are always set up to simply balance the thing backwards and let it climb its way out.

I was just moving all my OPE and cars around in my outdoor workshop and the ground had about an inch of snow (I've not used the Honda yet) and I realized the Honda in snow turns effortlessly. No joke, no exaggeration. I'm a small guy so I'm not muscling the thing around, its just easy to turn. And I don't think its any worse than the MTD because the MTD sat "flat" on the tracks, meaning even with the trigger drive, that thing would not allow you to slip it on the ground. By contrast the tracks on the Honda are raised in the center meaning there's a high spot where its pivoting on a 1/2" inch piece of rubber, so as long as I keep it going, I can spin it 180 degrees. And with the hydro drive, as I come to tight turns, I don't have to stop, I simply slow it down let it spin on the tracks a bit and go. Nice. I am looking forward to 30" of snow now.

And in thinking about how people keep saying the Honda track drives are hard to maneuver, I finally realized its a matter of perspective. *I've only ever used a track drive*, the first year I struggled because I had to keep stopping to steer it, move it slide it, and after a while tracks become second nature. Tracks might take a homeowner 2-3 years to really get accustomed to how to use them.

I'm guessing that aa335 was talking about a situation where the tracks have lost traction (there spinning). So you have to rock it a bit for the tracks to get a better bite on the surface. Or you are simply digging a hole with the tracks, so to speak.

It isn't recommended, but changing gears on a friction disc without stopping or disengaging is possible.  I do it sometimes.

Not sure if having hydrostatic transmission is good for sensitive owners like myself.  The fluid level is just funny - it looks like nothing there but when the engine warms up, the level looks normal.  It just feels strange - so I called my dealer this morning and told me it is just normal and nothing to worry about.  I asked him if I should add an oz or two and that would make me feel better - so the dealer said that would be just fine and asked me to bring a plastic container so he can give me an oz or two to add.  So having this extra flud check level is not a good thing for someone as anal as I am.

MN_Runner wrote:
You can wrap the reservoir with a black plastic bag so you don't see it.    I'm surprised you don't have a fluid level table at every temperature so you can tell that it's 2 microns low.

jrtrebor wrote:
I tried climbing a 4 foot mound just for fun.  The snow was soft and the machine sunk in and got high centered, and there was still 2 foot of base snow underneath the tracks.  A little rocking back and forth and side to side helped pull it out.

   Interesting comment on taking a few years to get used to snowblowers.  It has with me.  I'm getting better and looking for jamborees. Buy a 350 and flat bed and do the snowblower circuit.

   I tried stairs yesterday.  Down was fine but I could not get back up.  Going down did not clear all the snow as I did not want to bang the bucket so the treads were not exposed going up.  I figured it could dig it's way down to them but it did not.  They probalby had to be "clean" to go up.  ??

I am begining to like FD as there is nothing to see or check.  Perhaps that is the hidden beauty of FD.  Hydrostatic transmission was one of the reason why I did not buy HRX217 with that fluid reservior on it.  It would just drive me crazy.

MN_Runner wrote:
I never got warmed up to the design of the HRX217 mower.  The hydro fluid reservoir didn't bother me.  What bother me about it was the long handles which makes it hard to maneuver around tight areas and turning around, the complicated blade clutch and drive bail arragement, Xenoy plastic deck, and the GC engine.  I don't find the mulch/bag lever useful for me.  It's either bag, or mulch.  Nothing in between. 

Just give me the updated version of the Honda Master HM series, cast aluminum deck, GX engine, chrome handles, and cone clutch drive.  That's all I ask.  Hydros are fine for heavier pieces of equipment, but too complicated and heavy for a walk behind 21" mower.