Is This our Future Transmission ?

There are 3 you-tube (short) videos here , I'm impressed ...... but time will tell , there is equipment already in the field with these transmissins.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T8ZLoCMrtTs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwINIY_o76U

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=grZPhUMnrYE

Does any member have experience with this transmission firsthand, My Murray 46" and My MTD 46 " Yard Machine , both use a VARIATOR pulley type system, ....sort of the same principle,
just FWD. N. or REV. and mash the gas ..... the more pressure on the pedal the faster you go ! ........Ya'll take care ...... later .... Boobala.......:biggrin:

The last video , is a partial dissassembly ...... very interesing !!

When I first come across these transmissions it was in the mid 60's on snowmobiles. Back in them days they were very troublesome, noisy, and the belts didn't last very long. They have come a long ways and has become very trouble free, smooth and now use this style transmissions just about everything. Yes I do think they will be the transmission of the future. Also they are a lot cheaper to build.

A little difficult to believe but a 1957 Baldwin combine ( may be off a year or two ) had a hydraulic variable speed. There was a little lever at my finger tips about the size of today's joy stick that controlled speed.

So they have made a foot controlled semi automatic sliding sheave in a plastic box.
Should we be excited ?

Note they did not show you how to change the axel which is probably the 2nd most common job I do on trannies.
The most common is freeing up a stuck brake.

Nice to have a clock showing you how fas it is to partially dismantle all of the bits yu are not likely to need to replace on a nice new clean box.
Missing is the 4 hours it takes to clean all of the cud built up in all of those spaces between the strengthening webs so you can start to pull down a box that has been used is real life for 5 + years.

I see a parking brake, but no drive brake so if you are going down a hill and the belt breaks or starts to slip, good luck.
Note the videos show the easy bit with sliding sheaves, applying max power going up they seem to forget about trying to slow the decent .

Much is made of the "light weight" as if that is a major feat and massively desireable feature but in most cases tranny weight is not a problem and in fact a bit more is oft an advantage as mowers tend to slip on fresh cut wet grass

MTD had a RER with a similar trans like that back in the late 1960's. After about 50 - 75hrs. of use, the center of the sliding pulley would wear to the point it would get stuck and stop pulling the mower. And you had to replace the whole assembly not just the pulley and it was expensive. Maybe they have improved upon that since?

I really think its going to be the most upcoming thing to come. I have a ATV with that clutch/ transmission in it and it has 8000 miles on it with the original drive belt. Its had very hard use and still operates as good as the day I bought the ATV. Yes maybe some bugs in it at first but I think they will be worked out. Another thing I hope to see come is electric fuel injection instead of carburetors. Its about time we have some big improvements in lawn mowers.

Couple of years ago on a vacation, I rented a Nissan Rouge with a CVT transmission. It was weird driving one for the first time but it seemed to work well. You'll probably see more electronics in small engine fuel systems in the next tier of EPA emissions. There's been work on small engine carburetor mixture control solenoids in the past but don't know if anyone has come to market with them yet? They were kinda the forerunner to throttle body injection. EFI has been used on larger air cooled engines for over a decade now and you'll probably see more of that and direct fuel injection (DFI) on small engines in the future.

Seems like more parts=more things that can break

reynoldston said:

Another thing I hope to see come is electric fuel injection instead of carburetors. Its about time we have some big improvements in lawn mowers.

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I don't believe that's cost effective. EFI requires a lot of fuel pressure. Usually from an in tank pump. The whole EFI idea contradicts the current manufacturer's theory: "It's all throw away in less than five years, so who cares."

Rokon said:

I don't believe that's cost effective. EFI requires a lot of fuel pressure. Usually from an in tank pump. The whole EFI idea contradicts the current manufacturer's theory: "It's all throw away in less than five years, so who cares."

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You might throw your mower away in five years but not me or a lot of people. My Ferris is 15 years old and I plan on keeping it for another 20 years or till I can't run it anymore from old age.