was looking at  the new video posted on youtube titled "how to pump concrete"

i noticed but i might be mistaken , but is that an automatic gearbox running in that schwing 34x ?

if so what are the people's opinion about running automatic trannys  in the trucks on jobsites compared to the norm etc..

im very interested to know because id like to convert to auto when i get a new pump

From what I have seen it is 6 of one-1/2 dozen of the other. The fuel usage seems to be about the same, with a possible bias to the automatic. Common sense tells you that an automatic would deliver less 'shocks' to the drive train. And there seems to be very little, if any cost to operating the automatic for the first 4 to 6 years other than scheduled maintence. The down side is that when you do have a problem, either from not doing the proper preventive maintence or just the wear over time that the repair cost is very high. As an operator, I would prefer to have an automatic............ and a pump less than 5 years old. ;~)

It takes some getting used to!Darn near thru out my knee the first time I drove one when I came to a redlight.Looking for the clutch!!What I have learned is to get out of a hole you need to lock in the axles,put the trans in LOW (1) to get the converter to lock up When you do all this the computer tells the trans to lock up (putting it in PTO tells the trans the same thing)!Otherwise all you are going to suceed in doing is really HEAT UP the trans(250+)

We have an auto in our 39M and boy is it nice over the road! Off road it's not too impressive as it gets stuck quite easily. Unless you're getting a large pump I would save the money and stick with the manual, just my opinion though.

I am the guy who made the "how to pump concrete" video. I work at Coastal Carolina Pumping, and we are one of the top 5 largest pump companies in the nation. As a result, we have over 90% of our fleet are new trucks, within 3 to 4 years old or newer. All of these trucks are automatics, with the exception of one or two. The reason for this is simple, as other guys have mentioned, the fuel consumption is about the same as a manual tranny, and the maintenance is relatively the same as a manual. They do tend to get stuck a little easier, but any truck that drives through a mud hole is going to get stuck regaurdless of the trans type. The difference is simple, but huge. We have yet to replace or rebuild any of our automatic trannys. We have a few autos that are over 8 years old, and have never had to be rebuilt or replaced. This is huge because we all know how much stress these drivetrains have to deal with on a daily basis, and since none have had any problems, we feel that this transition has been very cost effective for our company. I have yet to see a manual transmission, in my company anyway, that has made it 8 years problem free. So, in a nutshell thats how my company has rationalized our transition from manual to automatic. And also, these automatics will take 10 times the abuse as a manual, I've had to personally replace a manual tranny and stobble box in one truck due to the gears locking up in the PTO box, but I only had to replace the stobble box in the truck with the automatic tranny that had the same thing happen. Just food for thought if your looking to buy a new pump. I say go with the auto.

Another thought is ask why do local and state goverments use auto's?.It becomes clear when you think about training,put it in D and go.Yes there are draw backs to the auto.An owner can control things such as maint. but inside the cab is uncontrolable.

would you say that it would take much the same amount of effort to get it unstuck as a manaul?

Absolutly,if your stuck your stuck.It goes a little beyond that,common sense.A side thought is a operator or o/o has a responsibility to the equip.As Bob pointed out the auto is more forgiving on drivelines.Now ask yourself how many dropped drivelines or broken diff's have you seen.

quite a few actually , broken tailshafts more often