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...

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.

Turning is no issue for me when I had Toro or Honda as my yard is a fairly simple 190' by 120' rectangle.  I just wanted a little more HP since when the grass gets long and wet, the lawnmower makes that terrible sound.

MN_Runner wrote:

Friction drive is fine, but when used for a couple of hours (probably from water more than heat), my old MTD simply would not drive and I would have to let it sit overnight. But I have no problem inherently with them and I think the design is brilliant. It would not be my deciding factor to choose/not-choose a snowblower. My number 1 thing to choose is reliability in tough conditions, number 2 is availability of parts. Snowblowers take a beating, and I'm of the opinion that you've got to learn to fix it yourself, because they only break when conditions are bad (that is, when your local dealer can't get to you, or vice-versa). So factor in the purchase of the shop manual to the price.

Off topic but I have 2 Masters series mowers.  1 Hydrostatic and 1 3 speed.  I have owned Toro, Ariens, Craftsman, Lawnboy, Snapper  and I must say that I would not trade my masters for any other mower.  I use the Hydo all the time  and the 3 spd once in a while. I have used some of the newer Honda models but they are not the same.  aa335 wrote: