chaversdad:
if you think the Daf,s are bad you want to try a 9yr old auto Man, I have to nip to work on Sunday night and put it in gear ready to set off Monday morning its that slow !
Well if you think that’s slow you could have tried some of the buses First had banging round Bradford. The Atlanteans with the Pneumo-Cyclic semi auto gears were nice to drive, but to be honest there was enough to do without changing gears as well.
Worse were some of the other Leylands with the air operated accelerators which took forever to set off from a standing start. The trick was to rev it’s ■■■■ off with the parking brake applied 'til it felt like the bus was going to buckle in two then when a suitable gap appeared release the brake. They normally set off like ■■■■. 
As one of the elderly on this site from the days of old my opinion is you can take your manual and shove it.the Auto gearbox on my Maggie is superb
and if I want to manualise it works perfectly indeed in the last snow,that’s the white stuff we once had before global wotsit,I stayed in manual shift and
it all worked well and dare I say my left leg is now obsolete.From an old guy…move on,live with modern technology and leave the past behind but yes,
I do have friends, fleet owners who still swear by a manual box,they’re paying their choice.
Armagedon:
As one of the elderly on this site from the days of old my opinion is you can take your manual and shove it.the Auto gearbox on my Maggie is superb
and if I want to manualise it works perfectly indeed in the last snow,that’s the white stuff we once had before global wotsit,I stayed in manual shift and
it all worked well and dare I say my left leg is now obsolete.From an old guy…move on,live with modern technology and leave the past behind but yes,
I do have friends, fleet owners who still swear by a manual box,they’re paying their choice.
I,m with you bud,I drive mainly a FH12 auto which i think is excellent, and sometimes one of them horrible Scania things.
The Scania is manual and at the same time a horrible thing to drive, for all sorts of reasons, compared to the Volvo or even the yard forklift.
Automatic every time.
Muckaway:
How many auto converts out there would buy an auto car though?
Yep got a Dodge Charger with an 8sp auto and just bought an Isuzu Xseries pick-up this week with an auto box, wouldn’t ever bother with gears again.
I’m 52 and a newbie (c+e 2 years ago). I learnt on a manual Daf (85 I think), drove manuals on agency work for a year before gaining full employment with a firm that use auto’s only. I’m very used to using the auto now. My problem is…I’ve an assessment in 10 days (for another firm) and wonder how I may ‘perform’ if presented with a manual to pilot! …nah, I’ll be fine 
Tazbug
Must admit I prefer my 18sp Eaton Fuller box. Once you get used to it it’s great and the bonus is if my batteries go flat and still get a tow start instead of waiting for a fitter 
neilg14:
Muckaway:
How many auto converts out there would buy an auto car though?
Yep got a Dodge Charger with an 8sp auto and just bought an Isuzu Xseries pick-up this week with an auto box, wouldn’t ever bother with gears again.
How do you rate the Charger, Neil. I’ve been looking at that and the Camaro ■■ Though I’m tempted by the new Cadillac cts-v aswell to replace my STS
Autos are ok for city work…
But must admit I do miss manuals .
Used to love the old b10m with the 6 speed split box.
Felt like a driver!!.
Now I look forwards to getting the odd hire 7.5 tonner with a manual in it
Comparing the ‘manual-auto gearbox’ debate to going back to ‘no power steering’ is simply ridiculous. The only time fuel consumption is improved in an auto over a manual is when the driver of the manual either doesn’t know how to ‘get the best’ out of his truck or simply doesn’t give a toss about fuel consumption. (or both)
I’ve been driving an FH with iShift for a while but I’ve just changed trucks to a manual Scania R440 and would never go back to an auto by choice, especially an Opticruise Scania.
viewtopic.php?f=28&t=46665&p=1733364#p1733364
I couldn’t stand listening to the Volvo engine revving far higher than was needed while accelerating for either decent progress or best fuel consumption, also it would sometimes change down too early and other times hold on to a gear so long that by the it decides to change down it needs another down change while '‘climbing’. That never happens when my hand is on the gear lever of a manual truck!!!
Any dim-whit can drive an auto (which is why 99% of all new trucks are auto) but it takes a ‘half decent’ driver to get the best out of a manual.
Ross.
bigr250:
Comparing the ‘manual-auto gearbox’ debate to going back to ‘no power steering’ is simply ridiculous.
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Any dim-whit can drive an auto (which is why 99% of all new trucks are auto) but it takes a ‘half decent’ driver to get the best out of a manual.
Ross.
It takes a driver who understands the difference between automatic and automated as you and I clearly do Ross 
I drive mine mostly in manual so the difference is I just flick the lever up or down instead of stirring the stick and pushing the peddle. All of which means less effort for the same returns and no need to put my coffee down
billybigrig:
neilg14:
Muckaway:
How many auto converts out there would buy an auto car though?
Yep got a Dodge Charger with an 8sp auto and just bought an Isuzu Xseries pick-up this week with an auto box, wouldn’t ever bother with gears again.
How do you rate the Charger, Neil. I’ve been looking at that and the Camaro ■■ Though I’m tempted by the new Cadillac cts-v aswell to replace my STS
I bought because of mix of power and fuel consumption, it’s got the 300hp Pentastar engine only 40hp down on the Hemi and on a 1800km rounder into BC last summer, it averaged 43.8mpg and averages about 30mpg mixed.
Quiet engine, great gearbox.
Needed a 4 door so that’s the Camaro & Mustang out the running.
Don’t know anything about the cts-v.
In normal driving conditions give me an auto any day, I really don’t understand why anyone thinks changing gear makes it a real driving experience. Yes I have driven most types of manual boxes.
However when it comes to snow and ice I’d kill for a manual because of the control it gives the driver.
I drive a 9 year old Volvo FH manual and what an absolute joy to drive it is especially after driving a 61 plate CF auto on tipper work
The Daf could never decide what gear it wanted and after every 6 months it destoryed the wiring loom
billybigrig:
bigr250:
Comparing the ‘manual-auto gearbox’ debate to going back to ‘no power steering’ is simply ridiculous.
<>
Any dim-whit can drive an auto (which is why 99% of all new trucks are auto) but it takes a ‘half decent’ driver to get the best out of a manual.
Ross.
It takes a driver who understands the difference between automatic and automated as you and I clearly do Ross
I drive mine mostly in manual so the difference is I just flick the lever up or down instead of stirring the stick and pushing the peddle. All of which means less effort for the same returns and no need to put my coffee down
I also drove my iShift in ‘manual’ most of the time when loaded, running empty using manual definitely fell into the ‘diminishing gains’ category so I’d normally let it make it’s own mind up. I’m really enjoying driving the Scania with the manual box, I’m generally not a lover of that Swedish maker’s trucks and have avoided them over recent years (our firm runs mostly Scania) but I’ll have to ‘eat my words’ as it drives really well and even after a long day I get out feeling OK. (for a fat old git)
Car wise, my last 5 or 6 cars have all been auto and the current ‘whip’ is an 06 S type Jag 2.7 diesel auto, I’ve never seen one in manual but the handbook has the spec sheet for it so I guess it was available, quite why anyone would want one of them in manual it totally beyond me. My last car was an 02 Lexus GS300 which was only available in Auto, good call Lexus 'cos big cars definitely don’t benefit from a manual box.
Ross.
Muckaway:
How many auto converts out there would buy an auto car though?
I wouldn’t because they remind me of a bin wagon.
I mostly drive an FH with ishift, but sometimes I get to drive the Manual FH or the Premium. It’s nice in a strange way to use the a manual box again, but always pleased to get back to the Ishift truck.
I’ve never understood the lack of control argument, not with a modern auto box or at least with the Volvo and Renault box.
before I was doing this job I was working for a company doing a mixture of forestry, agricultural and building site work with Renault Premiums, and I couldn’t fault the new auto ones.
What I have noticed from double manning is how many drivers don’t really understand the features of an auto box and how to use them. Maybe this is where the lack of control feeling comes from.
muckles:
What I have noticed from double manning is how many drivers don’t really understand the features of an auto box and how to use them. Maybe this is where the lack of control feeling comes from.
The “lack of control” issue (for me) relates to things like backing on to loading bays, with a foot or so to go & it rolls to a halt, you touch the gas & nothing happens, give it a bit more & you almost knock the flippin building down!! But the biggest issue in terms of control (for me) is when your stuck (in our yard) with snow, ice or mud, with a manual gearbox you can often ‘rock’ yourself out where in an auto you’ve simply got no chance of doing this as the wheels are still spinning forward as you slide back into the hole.
Just my opinion mind.
Ross.
bigr250:
muckles:
What I have noticed from double manning is how many drivers don’t really understand the features of an auto box and how to use them. Maybe this is where the lack of control feeling comes from.
The “lack of control” issue (for me) relates to things like backing on to loading bays, with a foot or so to go & it rolls to a halt, you touch the gas & nothing happens, give it a bit more & you almost knock the flippin building down!! But the biggest issue in terms of control (for me) is when your stuck (in our yard) with snow, ice or mud, with a manual gearbox you can often ‘rock’ yourself out where in an auto you’ve simply got no chance of doing this as the wheels are still spinning forward as you slide back into the hole.
Just my opinion mind.
Ross.
fair points Ross, I work with blokes who’d much prefer to drive our manual box FH, which is good for me as I get the Ishift to myself most of the time.
But like I said I’ve driven them on snow, off tarmac, and had to do a bit of precise maneuvering, and it could cope with it all, but maybe on someones else job could be a different story and maybe something that not Volvo or Renault wouldn’t be so easy.
I did have the misfortune of driving and old Renault Auto, now that was horrible. I got stuck on a hill, when it jump into a gear the load would never pull and would only spin as the road was wet. Took ages to get it going again, held it in first until I reached the top, if it hadn’t got underway at that attempt I was considering reversing down and taking a run up at the hill.
muckles:
fair points Ross, I work with blokes who’d much prefer to drive our manual box FH, which is good for me as I get the Ishift to myself most of the time.
But like I said I’ve driven them on snow, off tarmac, and had to do a bit of precise maneuvering, and it could cope with it all, but maybe on someones else job could be a different story and maybe something that not Volvo or Renault wouldn’t be so easy.
I did have the misfortune of driving and old Renault Auto, now that was horrible. I got stuck on a hill, when it jump into a gear the load would never pull and would only spin as the road was wet. Took ages to get it going again, held it in first until I reached the top, if it hadn’t got underway at that attempt I was considering reversing down and taking a run up at the hill.
You do indeed have the good fortune of driving (what is without doubt) the best ‘automated’ box around, what I like about the Volvo box it the way the clutch ‘bites’ as you press the accelerator and before the engine rev’s rise so no jerky starts, you need to try a Scania 3 pedal Opticruise!!!
Ross.
i hate it when you reverse under a trailer and the auto box seems to die on you, give a little push on the pedal and it suddenly comes to life and slams backwards and anything loose in the cab goes flying,really annoying