ahem...
robert... I'm not the one who strayed from the original topic.
As I am doing agricultural research... most of the equipment I operate is of the non-synchronous transmission type... the rest is hydrostatic.
...all except for the pickups. They had to be purchased for the LCD.
...and no. Not everyone here knows how to operate a vehicle with a manual shift. It is not a requirement to post here, but that doesn't mean those individuals have no desire to learn. I know one or two posters have actually recently learned.
The piece of equipment that I'm currently working with would be much easier to operate with a clutch than the current CVT. Just like a torque converter, there is a window where the engine will rev before the output shaft is powered that varies with load, incline, and temperature.
In the last four days, I've put close to 1,500 miles on a 3/4 ton with an automatic and I absolutely hate it. Shifting when it shouldn't, not shifting when it should, always under power with the brake pressed, sometimes doesn't have the power to coast forward when the brake is released (I'm not on pavement at the sites).
...and that doesn't even include the yelling I did while towing a mere 5,000# trailer.
...and just in case you were wondering... the three pedal automatic joke that CAT got was a model 'T'
