Anybody have any experience with the auto trans in your Mack?

What are the pros and cons? How does it do in mud, Etc?

automatic is awesome but it sucks when you want to drop down gears to pump through small line because it only goes in your locked torque converter gear. I ran a 2002 schwing 42 meter (automatic). besides that I really really enjoyed it and it rarely got stuck

I love my automatic!! It performs awesome hardly ever get stuck. However repairs are not cheap. But nothing is cheap nowadays 

i also run a auto.can eat and drive  at the same time LOL.fuel sucks on auto.can live with that what sucks is clutch fan,so noisey

Great in heavy traffic areas, sucks climbing hills and have to be real careful in mud you can drop a driveshaft or rearend if you aren't paying attention. ..

Can't you switch it to manual when driving in mountains??

I driven an automatic for 8 yrs here in NC, and I like them! However, you still have to drive them like any other transmission! VERY few drivers understand them! The trans doesn't know you are in the mud, or going up a steep hill! If you need to get out of a hole or are going to pull a steep driveway, you need to downshift it! The torque converter has a lock-up mode, which is what allows it to drive the pumps in 4th, without freewheeling. It has been told through the computer to keep the converter locked up, just the same as it's told to lock up when YOU SELECT the gear! When you are going down a steep hill, SELECT your gear,or its going to try to upshift! It will hold the gear you chose in lock-up mode and allow you to run against the Jake! You can manually downshift them...to a point! They will not let you chose a gear that is TOO low for the speed you are going: IE : you can't drop into 3rd at 55mph! It's at least that smart! I can't tell you about accidently pushing the reverse button...I don't have the balls to try that one! I can tell you its durable, it's easier on the drivetrain, and its absolutely driver friendly! Fuel milage is an issue, although with its overall reliability, I think it's cost is minimal! I can tell you DON"T forget to put it in neutral before switching over the PTO!!! You can't step on the clutch to keep it from grinding the Steibel Box! You only get TWO " I forgots" in a Schw*ng... I don't know how many you get in other MFG's! We've put switchcovers in ALL our Schw*ngs, because of where the PTO switch is located... it's easy to hit it with your hardhat ( that's my story, and I'm sticking to it!) when reaching over to get it!

 Great in traffic. Cant rock them as well though when stuck. bad in mountains with 6 to 7% grade. Have to drop extra gear or 2 down hill in 61 meter.

Sounds like that system is 10 years behind on the latest stuff.. On our automatics you just can't switch to pto when in gear.. DUHH! And when you go down hill and use the enginebrake it will shift DOWN rather than up.  Up hill is hardly any problem and when stuck in mud you just push a buton on the dashboards and it goes to a special mode to get you out of trouble..

But I remember all that wasn't there 10 years ago though. Almost nobody liked automatic in that time because you had to work it so much that there was hardly any point in having an automatic..