Is it me but why does nearly any technical post eventually get around to the title of this post. Like some mythical beast. Will a religion be formed in a thousand years where followers will be anointed with oil whilst worshipping at a cab of a gilted erf.
Anyway got to go Matron is coming
Best box going Eaton twin splitter! 
rose tinted specs 
from yesteryear 
Q ten hundred pages! 
A real lorry drivers gearbox that some did not know how to use properly! Every driver should have to use that gearbox on a driving test. That would keep a few off the road.
albion1971:
A real lorry drivers gearbox that some did not know how to use properly! Every driver should have to use that gearbox on a driving test. That would keep a few off the road.
+1…
Guys have it to easy on the test with there fancy Autos…
I never really understood the fascination with that box. Knowing how to use it didn’t make you a “proper” driver, just a competent one. The only people that couldn’t grasp it were tear arses that got the revs wrong. Was a very simple box to me, although I only used it a hand full of times. Bosses liked them as the change pattern forced the drivers to drive correctly. Give me an ishift over it any day though. Technology moves on, you wouldn’t want to go back to nights out across the seats, so why yearn for a guvnors box?
OVLOV JAY:
I never really understood the fascination with that box. Knowing how to use it didn’t make you a “proper” driver, just a competent one. The only people that couldn’t grasp it were tear arses that got the revs wrong. Was a very simple box to me, although I only used it a hand full of times. Bosses liked them as the change pattern forced the drivers to drive correctly. Give me an ishift over it any day though. Technology moves on, you wouldn’t want to go back to nights out across the seats, so why yearn for a guvnors box?
Did you use the upshift brake Ovlov? There were certainly a few never knew it existed.
OVLOV JAY:
I never really understood the fascination with that box.
I think it acquired a status as being the most unlike a normal car box. I’ve never driven one and probably never will.
My generation’s equivalent is bemoaning the slow demise of manuals.
albion1971:
OVLOV JAY:
I never really understood the fascination with that box. Knowing how to use it didn’t make you a “proper” driver, just a competent one. The only people that couldn’t grasp it were tear arses that got the revs wrong. Was a very simple box to me, although I only used it a hand full of times. Bosses liked them as the change pattern forced the drivers to drive correctly. Give me an ishift over it any day though. Technology moves on, you wouldn’t want to go back to nights out across the seats, so why yearn for a guvnors box?Did you use the upshift brake Ovlov? There were certainly a few never knew it existed.
I did use it, to be honest, I was taught that way to change up, and wasn’t until years later that I realised there was another way to do it. So I was in fact the other way around
I think that it is that sense of achievement when you master it. Making nice smooth changes all the way up without the clutch; then the downshifts and, finally, fast downshifting in the lower gears when climbing a steep hill fully loaded.
To a lesser extent, it’s that same feeling you get the first time a blindside reverse slots in first time.
OVLOV JAY:
albion1971:
OVLOV JAY:
I never really understood the fascination with that box. Knowing how to use it didn’t make you a “proper” driver, just a competent one. The only people that couldn’t grasp it were tear arses that got the revs wrong. Was a very simple box to me, although I only used it a hand full of times. Bosses liked them as the change pattern forced the drivers to drive correctly. Give me an ishift over it any day though. Technology moves on, you wouldn’t want to go back to nights out across the seats, so why yearn for a guvnors box?Did you use the upshift brake Ovlov? There were certainly a few never knew it existed.
I did use it, to be honest, I was taught that way to change up, and wasn’t until years later that I realised there was another way to do it. So I was in fact the other way around
I don’t quite follow this ,you were pressing the clutch to change gear ?
Swampey2418:
albion1971:
A real lorry drivers gearbox that some did not know how to use properly! Every driver should have to use that gearbox on a driving test. That would keep a few off the road.+1…
Guys have it to easy on the test with there fancy Autos…
the eaton was an early auto 
Dan Punchard:
OVLOV JAY:
albion1971:
OVLOV JAY:
I never really understood the fascination with that box. Knowing how to use it didn’t make you a “proper” driver, just a competent one. The only people that couldn’t grasp it were tear arses that got the revs wrong. Was a very simple box to me, although I only used it a hand full of times. Bosses liked them as the change pattern forced the drivers to drive correctly. Give me an ishift over it any day though. Technology moves on, you wouldn’t want to go back to nights out across the seats, so why yearn for a guvnors box?Did you use the upshift brake Ovlov? There were certainly a few never knew it existed.
I did use it, to be honest, I was taught that way to change up, and wasn’t until years later that I realised there was another way to do it. So I was in fact the other way around
I don’t quite follow this ,you were pressing the clutch to change gear ?
Only on the splits, not between full gears. Wasn’t until later on I realised how to split without the clutch. In my defence I was 21, just passed my test, it was the second box I’d driven, the first being a foden with a crash, and I thought it was a pretty easy box to get on with either way. Didn’t really understand the mythology to be honest
Think they depended on who installed them .
ERFs seemed always good with long lever and short throw .
Leyland/DAF ■■■■■ as always . had short stick with long throw which hit the dash before gear selected .
Seddon Atkinson . terrible but had no limiter and big motor so rarely needed to change down .
Foden i drove had fuller but looked identical to eaton . disasters all round .
boredwivdrivin:
Think they depended on who installed them .
ERFs seemed always good with long lever and short throw .
Leyland/DAF [zb] as always . had short stick with long throw which hit the dash before gear selected .
Seddon Atkinson . terrible but had no limiter and big motor so rarely needed to change down .
Foden i drove had fuller but looked identical to eaton . disasters all round .
This is so true the E series really has to be the best installation ,the other short stick and cable jobs only good while new ,the EC is not bad but the stick is very short .
In the mid 90’s my then boss brought his first artic, a second hand ERF with a twin splitter in it, he trundled around in it for a week before deciding he needed to test me in it.
After an hour we pulled over for a chat, he wanted to know how I was changing gear without using the clutch. It turned out he’d never driven one, and was hoping I had so I could show him how to use it.
I often drive into London now on multi drop work in my DAF, and would I want to go back to the Eaton gearbox?
No chance!
Personally I’m more than happy to embrace any new technology that makes my job easier and means I can concentrate more on the road.
albion1971:
A real lorry drivers gearbox that some did not know how to use properly! Every driver should have to use that gearbox on a driving test. That would keep a few off the road.
Drove the parcelforce ones 15 years ago. Still prefer my autos.
I went from Iveco with fuller to Iveco with eaton, must admit much preferred the fuller.
although the eaton once you had the hang of it was as easy as any auto about now once you were rolling.
It’s loved by drivers who like to pretend lorry driving is hard
albion1971:
A real lorry drivers gearbox that some did not know how to use properly! Every driver should have to use that gearbox on a driving test. That would keep a few off the road.
+3.
Superb box, with the right engine you could make progress that could only be dreamed of from the gearboxes of today.
I drove MAN F90’s for years with this box, it suited the engine characteristics well, engine was high revving but the revs would drop or raise very quickly so the changes even without using the brake were fast, using the brake if you so wished the changes could be so quick that anyone following could be forgiven for thinking the vehicle was electric driven like a Scalextric car.
I’d give my eye teeth for one again.
Anecdotally my son was (un)fortunate enough to get one when he first started on agency, wondered what the hell had hit him that day but now he knows he was lucky because no matter what gearbox anyone throws at him it will come easy.