Capabilities of new vs old?
 

Please nobody shoot me for asking this, but I’m generally curious.

I’ve seen lots of the older tractors (not just CC) with what I would consider “weak” engines for a tractor - 5-7HP. Yet they were beast machines and could pull/haul/push like nobody’s business. And they are also “small” - what you would consider a “lawn tractor” by modern standards.

My question is, with modern lawn tractors having double the HP and some even having the same hydro transmission models as the older ones, why is it that the newer ones can’t do the same stuff as the old models with lower HP? I mean I’ve seen push mowers with 6HP engines - is it something I’m missing or does it simply come down to them selling labels and making money?

Heavy iron and torque!

It is NOT the horse power...... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kA0E7kRhd6M

That video is impressive, but what is it exactly that makes the older stuff have more “umph” than the new? Is it torque? Transmission/gear ratios? Or is just cuz “old shit was built better”?

What specifically is keeping a newer tractor from doing the same stuff as an old?

TORQUE!

:IH Trusted Hand:

I guess I just need to research more about torque and how it works. I’m guessing since the engine isn’t’t very powerful yet it can do more, then it’s something to do with the transmission? But don’t some of the modern LTs use the exact same transmissions as the older stuff, just different housings for different models?

NOPE. Things today are made.................cheaper.

So it is just all money and marketing. They make the new stuff cheaper with weaker transmissions, yet give you a big engine to make you feel special. Then they deny warranty when you blow it up trying to do something you shouldn’t. They want you to spend more money on the bigger more powerful version to do what the older ones could do by default…

This is why most of the guys here prefer the Pre 1990 machines.

:IH Trusted Hand:

Ok now I’m really confused.

My 2155 (lawn tractor) has the BDU-10L Hytrans transmission. And the 2185 (a garden tractor) appears to have the same transmission based off what I’m reading on tractorgearbox website. The only difference between the two is the 2185 has a 2-cylinder engine with more HP. So what’s to say I couldn’t do the same things as this higher model garden tractor, since the older models have newer, lower HP engines than mine?

Is this all just marketing bullsh*t?