Would you buy an IVT?

If you were buying a new 140 HP MFWD tractor would you buy one with the Infinitely Variable Transmission or stick to the more venerable power shift? Or some other option that should be considered? It'll be used for general farm work--no loader. Some of you guys must have the IVT's already: what do you have to say about them? Thanks!

I have had a JD 7820 with IVT and left hand reverser. Never take the loader off the tractor and use it all fall and winter to fenceline feed cattle. Really like the transmission. Do a lot of .6 MPH to 1.3 MPH travel. Do not know what the extra cost is but my next one will have IVT also.

I think it depends on how you are going to use it. I have put a lot of hours on a Deere 8530 IVT and a Deere 8520 Powershift. Personally, I like the powershift better, but I'm a little old school. The IVT is great for lighter work but I haven't been impressed with it on heavy tillage, like pulling a deep ripper. I mean, it gets the job done but it just seems like the powershift handles it better. Maybe it is just me. And I know they must have done extensive testing on them but I feel the powershift will outlast the IVT. Planting,spraying,maybe pulling auger cart I would pick the IVT. Just my 2 cents....

the ivt is a pis- poor copy of a CVT. the Massey cvt will kick the crap out of JDS ivt or what ever the call it

If I wanted infinite speed,I'd go with an IH Hydro.The local JD dealer once told me that IVTs are not repairable.You had to buy a 'drop in'unit from JD....at a cost of around $25,000!So,no I would not want to own one.

Someone has set off the BS indicator light.

Stop making things up as you go. It makes you look like a fool.

Been running 1 for 3 years now, under the what could best be described as abusive conditions, with no issues to report. There are substantial numbers of IVT's in the field now, with very low incidence of problems. The imaginary story below (about the "drop in replacement") is pure BS on someones part, and should be written off as such.

Does anybody here know what the drivetrain
consists of..? Is it just another type of
automatic transmission, (Torque converter and
planataries) or is it some type of belt or chain
drive with variable diameter pulleys, like a
snomobile drive or as now availabe in some
mini cars?
In this case it may be a dumb question on my
part, but I don"t know, and am curious.

Well it should. It's been around for decades. Was patented by Oliver in the late 60s as I recall.

I ask because I have seen a couple used JD's advertised with 1Hr. on the IVT which makes me suspicious about their longevity. Thanks for all of your input. I am more "old school" and will probably stay away from them if this year really makes it happen. The next question will be about the new tier 3 engines vs a 2010 with minimal hours. I would really like the brand new one, but....

The Hydro thing,owned 3,love em(I grew up with them)The other thing,Thats what the JD service mgr told me...I know absolutely nothing about them,never drove one,never sat in the seat..Anybody,please set me straight,tell me the truth about these things.Thanks

MF,If you know the real story,dont leave me in the dark,tell me!

Greygoat, the IVT, CVT transmissions are basically a planetary gear set. One of the 3 main components (sun gear, planet gears and ring gear) is driven by the engine, one is the output, but the third component is driven by a hydrostatic motor. By varying the speed of the hydro motor you can get any output speed you want from a constant input (engine) speed. Versitility of a hydrostatic with the efficiency of gears.

Would I buy an IVT? No, not ever. Would I buy a CVT? Yes, in a heartbeat.

Delta-red is just passing on some BS he heard from an old line service manager. They are repairable just like any other transmission. If you need real slow speeds with full PTO speeds like a potato harvester they are great. Also I have ran one on a round baler it worked great being able to go 6-8 mph forward and 1 mph back wards with just one shift. Now on a real heavy deep ripper I would go with a power shift.

Something else to think about. IVT transmissions are not a real simple trans to run. If you have a lot of different operators then I would get a different transmission.

I about rolled a JD 7810 IVT. I was showing a customer how they would idle back at road speed and still keep the high road speed. I throttled back and turned into the parking lot without changing the IVT control. The controller sensed that the tractor had slowed down and sped the engine back up and shifted up. I still had the IVT set at 28mph. It went to 28 mph half way into the turn into a gravel parking lot. By the time I got my foot on the clutch and brake the tractor was on two wheels. Scarred me and the customer both. I would not put an inexperienced operator in one.

There is also 2 power-shift gears on a Deere. and 4 on a New Holland-Case IHC. I think Fendt, Massey & Challenger have 3 power shift gears. We will look back and wonder why we didn't have them sooner. We have a Compact JD 4320 with a E Hydro and I love it for dinking around. but if you were going to plow with it the hydro would suck.

Simpler is better.