L3301 can't pull itself in high gear!

[TheMadOne]

Ok, so I've had my L3301HST for two weeks now, and have done a few things with it, dug a hole, moved some dirt, things like that.

Yesterday I went to move it to where the dealer could easily pick it up(They're installing the remotes that were backordered when I took delivery), and I thought I'd pop it into high to go down the level section of my driveway, just for funsies.

Well, funsies didn't happen, because the tractor in high gear would not go anywhere! I revved it up and as soon as I pressed the pedal it bogged down and almost stalled before I let up. Shifted to medium and didn't have a single problem.

Am I doing something wrong? I checked and rechecked the manual, and I get that high is for transport only, but it should be able to move itself down a level road with nothing but the loader, right?

 

[k0ua]

Ok, so I've had my L3301HST for two weeks now, and have done a few things with it, dug a hole, moved some dirt, things like that.

Yesterday I went to move it to where the dealer could easily pick it up(They're installing the remotes that were backordered when I took delivery), and I thought I'd pop it into high to go down the level section of my driveway, just for funsies.

Well, funsies didn't happen, because the tractor in high gear would not go anywhere! I revved it up and as soon as I pressed the pedal it bogged down and almost stalled before I let up. Shifted to medium and didn't have a single problem.

Am I doing something wrong? I checked and rechecked the manual, and I get that high is for transport only, but it should be able to move itself down a level road with nothing but the loader, right?

It sure should.. was the parking brake off? If it was, you may have a HST relief valve problem.

 

[TheMadOne]

The brake was off. I asked the dealer to check it out while they install the remotes. I'll see what they say.

 

[k0ua]

The brake was off. I asked the dealer to check it out while they install the remotes. I'll see what they say.

That is about all you can do then. Good luck with it.

 

[nybirdman]

You will find in HIGH that you must just barely depress the go pedal until it starts to move.Let up for power down for speed.The only time mine sees high is on the paved road;and then HIGH turtle then rabbit.
I have a dual speed control,I don't think the L3301 has this.

 

[Grandad4]

Road gear, as it used to called, is much taller gearing intended for on-road travel. Even with your HST, it's like starting a stick shift vehicle from a dead stop in 3rd or 4th gear, so you need to rev it up and feather the HST to allow the tractor to gather speed gradually. Putting the "pedal to the metal" like you do in L or M range will bog the engine. If you start out gradually as described, it should work its way up to a decent travel speed and it should be able to hold it at speed unless you've got a hill to climb.

 

[4570Man]

You have to barley press the pedal and slowly depress it farther unlike in a vehicle. My tractor can't climb much of a grade in high, but it moves along on flat ground pretty good. When going up a slight grade I find it faster to downshift to turtle high ( an option I'm pretty sure the L3301 doesn't have ) instead of trying to let up on the pedal. I can average about 15 mph on mostly flat ground. It will top 20 mph on a slight down grade.

 

[chim]

Something doesn't sound right. I sometimes mow with a 6' deck in 3rd range.

 

[s219]

I don't really have to baby my L3200 to start of in high range. Not really any different than medium as far as getting going. Now, if the OP mashed the treadle with low RPM, than that is the wrong way to do it in any gear. Remember, the treadle is not the throttle, it's the gear ratio. The farther you push it the taller the gear and the less "mechanical advantage" the engine has. Less pushing means lower gearing and more torque.

 

[k0ua]

I don't really have to baby my L3200 to start of in high range. Not really any different than medium as far as getting going. Now, if the OP mashed the treadle with low RPM, than that is the wrong way to do it in any gear. Remember, the treadle is not the throttle, it's the gear ratio. The farther you push it the taller the gear and the less "mechanical advantage" the engine has. Less pushing means lower gearing and more torque.

Agreed, if it won't take off in HI, it has the parking brake on hard or it is broken. Since he indicated that the parking brake was off, by definition his tractor is "broken". I agree that taking off in HI range does not have a lot of torque, and is just like starting a gear tractor in one of its higher gear ranges, low torque and high speed, but it should always take off, and especially on level ground it should move right out.

 

[Fallon]

My L3200 won't maintain full speed in H going up a hill. It usually has to warm up a bit to get full power, but not to bad. H only is usefully on smooth roads.

 

[TheMadOne]

Dealer didn't find anything wrong. Maybe I just wasn't patient enough and tried to lead foot it. I'll try it again tonight.

I do wonder if they filled the oil when they mounted the loader? I didn't check, because it was fresh from the dealer...

 

[TheMadOne]

I...have no idea.

Works fine now.

Maybe I hallucinated taking the brake off? And checking it?

 

[k0ua]

I...have no idea.

Works fine now.

Maybe I hallucinated taking the brake off? And checking it?

Just to be clear, you are now saying under the same conditions. (level ground, in HI range) that the tractor takes off fine now as is should?

 

[JWR]

I...have no idea.

Works fine now.

Maybe I hallucinated taking the brake off? And checking it?

Nah, there was a problem and you had huge reason to get the new machine right back where it came from having nothing to do with remote hydraulic connectors. I take your word for it that the tractor would not move in high range but moved fine in medium range. If that was true, there was clearly something wrong with the tractor ... UNLESS you had the brakes set tight enough that a lower range would overcome the brakes and high range would not. I would quiz the dealer more closely (the guy who worked on it, not the service manager) about what they found. If they found the brake set then they probably gave it no thought and just said there wasn't anything wrong... [long way of saying K0ua is exactly right.]