but it's like driving a 72 International Loadstar
The first "big truck" I ever drove was a 1982 chevy with a 8.2 fuel pincher diesel. 5 +2 speed rear. So when I first drove a super 10, it was like old home week. I have a super 10 now in a international 8100 behind a M11. If you're not loaded to the gills, its not a bad setup. If I haven't driven it in a while, I can get a little lost in the gears when making big multiple gear jumps, but I can usually find my way into a gear. Its really hard for guys that have always driven straight 9- 10- 13 speeds to get onto a super 10, but anyone who's driven a old 5 +2 its just like them shifting.
Its funny, of the equipment at my shop, only a couple have the same shift pattern. And some of the 13's are U pattern and some are H, and sometimes I can't stand and explain to a new guy which ones are which, but I can drive them and not have to think about it.
I've got a old small box 613 (used to have 2 - sold the other one last year) , a 9 speed eaton big box, 9 speed mack, super 10, 4 big box 13 speeds, and a 15 speed. No 18 speeds, and no two stick macks, or 5+4's either.
As far as ratio's go. I actually like the old small box 13's the best. Super low 1st gear, and all the gears are about the same distance apart. Works really nice in my short steep hills. Lots of low gears close together. It actually is nicer than the big box 13's where the top half splits. I really don't need my gears that close together up top, because I don't do that much road time in milder hills, where the close splits at road speed are nice.
I kind of wish some of my 13's were 15's, because the 15's are more like the old small box 13's, where the gears are closer together down low. I don't want it bad enough to change them out, but it would be nice.
I guess the 18's are the best of both worlds, always a split away. Whether up top or down low. But man they are pricey to buy.
