1528 Diff Lock Issue

JAlba1975 · Wednesday at 4:58 PM

Hi All - I have a 2005 Massey 1528 with the HST and a 1520 FEL. I recently purchased the tractor and have been combing through the unit, everything is seemingly good but when I tried to engage the DIFF I could not tell if it was working... the lever (right above the reverse pedal) seemed to be really locked up so I have been soaking it with Deep Creep and I finally got it to move! Now that it is moving, I jacked up the rear and tried to engage it. Does anyone have any experience with this DIFF? Should I be moving for this to work or in 4wd? Any help is appreciated!

JWR · Wednesday at 10:11 PM

JAlba1975 said:
Hi All - I have a 2005 Massey 1528 with the HST and a 1520 FEL. I recently purchased the tractor and have been combing through the unit, everything is seemingly good but when I tried to engage the DIFF I could not tell if it was working... the lever (right above the reverse pedal) seemed to be really locked up so I have been soaking it with Deep Creep and I finally got it to move! Now that it is moving, I jacked up the rear and tried to engage it. Does anyone have any experience with this DIFF? Should I be moving for this to work or in 4wd? Any help is appreciated!

I do not have direct experience with the MF 1528. However, I have with various Kubotas and a MF 2660. For sure the rear axle differential lock has nothing to do with 4WD being in or out or even being on that tractor. The 2WD tractors have differential locks. From your description I would guess that the diff lock just has not been used much (or at all) and got corroded in place. Trying it a few times may be all it needs. Also some tractors require some motion before the lock goes into effect.

JAlba1975 · Wednesday at 10:30 PM

JWR - thanks for the feedback. Since I have only had the unit for a few weeks I contacted the previous owner and apparently you have to manually hold the DIFF lever down while applying gas pedal so while I still had it jacked up I tried it and it worked. Crazy that someone who is stuck has to steer, apply gas and hold this lever down!! Now I know!

RayIN · 2025-06-12T00:45:54-0400

JAlba1975 said:
JWR - thanks for the feedback. Since I have only had the unit for a few weeks I contacted the previous owner and apparently you have to manually hold the DIFF lever down while applying gas pedal so while I still had it jacked up I tried it and it worked. Crazy that someone who is stuck has to steer, apply gas and hold this lever down!! Now I know!

My tractor has a foot-feed accelerator on right foot-rest AND the diff.lock pedal which must be held down with my right heel; they are 14" apart. Thankfully I still have a dash throttle lever. Operators manual states tractor should not be moving when engaging diff. lock. My diff. lock will remain engaged until you lift your heel.

Suggestion, buy a steering wheel knob.

JAlba1975 · 2025-06-12T16:09:44-0400

RayIN - that does not sound any better... lol. Thanks for the good suggestion of the Suicide knob! I think I will find one!

JWR · 2025-06-12T16:20:23-0400

RayIN said:
My tractor has a foot-feed accelerator on right foot-rest AND the diff.lock pedal which must be held down with my right heel; they are 14" apart. Thankfully I still have a dash throttle lever. Operators manual states tractor should not be moving when engaging diff. lock. My diff. lock will remain engaged until you lift your heel.

Suggestion, buy a steering wheel knob.

I think to clarify your operator's manual means not to try to engage the diff lock when running at much speed or more commonly while spinning when stuck. That is a big temptation but a good way to bust something. However what they don't say is that a SMALL amount of movement and rotation of the rear axles may very well be necessary to get thee= diff lock to engage. To me that is normal.