Do you prefer auto or manual?

[v8will]

I spent today in an Iveco Eurocargo 7.5T with the automated manual box. Horrid horrid thing.

[All that jazz]

philmots said:

Auto auto auto auto auto..

I've driven some ste autos though, 55reg MAN, 55reg DAF CF.

58reg Axor not great but a lot better than above.

Volvo I shift is perfect! So are the Renault Premiums, but it's a Volvo box.

Anyone who doesn't like autos go drive the Ishift you'll probably be suprised.

Agree with you on all that, and I was a diehard manual man up until this few years - I'd throw the keys back if it was an auto .

MAN, DAF and Stralis auto boxes are utter garbage - ridiculously slow to change. Merc, Volvo and Renault auto boxes are fantastic - they change up so fast and so smooth I think you'd struggle to do it faster yourself with a stick. I've not driven a Scania auto for a long long time so can't comment on those.

[MagicRMorris]

I hated auto,s when they first came out.
I get a bit pissed off now if I have to change gear my self.
Auto all the way for me, I must be getting old.

[philthy]

Anybody else ever driven an auto in snow?
That is definitely one of the occasions they show their weaknesses.

[Dave Hedgehog]

duel clutch for me, best of both worlds

[rumple]

A work mate and i left northampton friday morning, both at 44 tonnes, both in the same truck except mine's manuel and his is auto, came off J15 onto M1 northbound and my manuel absolutely killed it, by the time we were at J15A there was a massive gap, probably a third of a mile, weve only just had auto's added to our fleet, the driver's like them but say the manuels had far more get up and go, saying that id prefer to drive the auto anyday of the week, these are daf XF's.

[MagicRMorris]

GC8 said:

Ive never driven an auto, but Im not keen on Eaton Twin Splits...

What kind of shed are you driving with that in?
Last one I had was in a F reg Foden. Good gear box in its day, well out dated now though. I do not think any gearbox would make a foden nice to drive.

[4key]

philthy said:

Anybody else ever driven an auto in snow?
That is definitely one of the occasions they show their weaknesses.

Yep, never had a problem with the box, although its a lot easier rocking back and forth with a clutch if you do get stuck. The downfall of all of the modern ones though is the lack of diff lock, everything weve had in the past couple of years just has a little electronic button that turns the traction control off. I want to push a switch and hear a clonk. None of our renaults or Volvos let us overide the lift axle either, theres no 30 second lift to give you extra traction

[philmots]

philthy said:

Anybody else ever driven an auto in snow?
That is definitely one of the occasions they show their weaknesses.

Yeah! I've been stuck countless times..

Don't go anywhere without a few bags of rocksalt over each mudguard!

[GC8]

MagicRMorris said:

GC8 said:

Ive never driven an auto, but Im not keen on Eaton Twin Splits...

What kind of shed are you driving with that in?
Last one I had was in a F reg Foden. Good gear box in its day, well out dated now though. I do not think any gearbox would make a foden nice to drive.

The last one that I saw was a W registered Foden eight wheel insulated tipper. Its still in service and presentable in its appearance, in fact, its still on the hauliers scheme.

[Humper]

philthy said:

Anybody else ever driven an auto in snow?
That is definitely one of the occasions they show their weaknesses.

Can't say i've found them particularly bad?

[Flawless Victory]

I prefer auto mainly due to the last two motors being auto, so I think I've forgotten the joys of a manual.

The autobox on my old TGA was definitely weak though, lots of shunting back and forth in slow-mode would cause it to overheat and throw up errors on the display but it never packed in.