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Comment by grogenaut | Hacker News Reader

I couldn't figure it out even with this. Then my friend explained how a clutch worked and I started it on the first try. And I had been driving a tractor for years. But a tractor is a different torquey beast.

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Someone recently told me that petrol and diesel engines with manual transmission feel very different. He told me that driving his dad's manual transmission diesel engine was easier because the clutch was "more forgiving". I cannot driving manual, so I have no idea about it. My guess: That tractor is diesel.

Diesels have lot's of torque even at low RPM. My diesel can start moving from stopped at small inclines even at idle, no accelerator input. Not great to do, but it can.

Meanwhile some gas cars will stall without accelerator input at straight road.

Yep, I have a manual diesel 4WD and have taught several people to drive it in a pinch when needed. It's very forgiving as I can just tell them "Put your foot on the clutch, shift into first, and slowly take your foot off the clutch". At that point, they're slowly driving around in first gear and can practice shifting up and down a bit without worrying about the accelerator too much.

To explain different. Cars are geared like a bike in the fastest gears, starting takes a lot of torque. Tractors are like the slowest gear like a mountain bike climbing gear. In addition a tractor motor is like a champion squatter and a car's is like a the fastest kid at your school (Olympic sprinters are still strong).

Cars spend no time at .5 mph but plenty at 60. Tractors spend almost no time above 15 and tons of time at .25mph. tractors will pull your house over. Cars won't.

You can pop the clutch in idle in 6th in a tractor and it'll likely start

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