Another new Yanmar 424 owner

[raymondjunk]

Drove 2 hours to pick this machine up yesterday and I've been super excited to get her into action. Admittedly, this is my first real tractor, but I've already been pretty disappointed. ...and the level of disappointment seems even greater on the heals of such feelings of excitement and anticipation. Mahbe some of you gurus can ease my mind about my observations.
1. The HST. This thing groans so loudly I can't even hear the roar of the diesel cranked up to 3500 RPMS. FWD, Reverse, High, Low, 2wd, 4x4... it is loud and it does not stop. I get the impression this might be normal but...
2. Reverse. I might as well put it in neutral and push it to back the thing up. ...particularly if I'm on any sort of hill. I mean, it won't even budge if there is any sort of incline.
3. 4x4. My 1st full day of ownership and I tried to pick up a load of spoils I had dug with the backhoe and got this thing S-T-U-C-K stuck in the mud ...in 4wd, mind you. While I was gradually inching my way out thanks to the awesome hydraulics behind the loader, I had my 2 front wheels up in the air and out of the mud. When I accelerated either forward or in reverse, I noticed that NEITHER of the front wheels were turning. I shifted to 2wd and back to 4wd multiple times to make sure I wasn't mistaken, and I wasn't. 4wd was not inspiring any movement from my front wheels.

Now, I know I'm a newbie and I recognize that all 3 of these issues seem in some way related to the transmission. Anyone familiar wmough with this machine and/or these issues to be able to tell me how much of this is ignorance on my part and how much might actually be a problem with the tractor?
My hopes and my wallet are counting on my ignorance this time...
Help!

 

[Tonyinohio]

Raymond, none of that is normal or acceptable. Sounds like a return trip is in your future. There is a forward and reverse limiting bolt under each pedal. When you get a different unit adjust them down and you will see more umph for reverse. Best of luck.

 

[blackhecilopters]

For the first 2, sounds like your parking brake is on. I hear a slight whine under power but it pretty much goes away around 3000+ RPM. Something isn't right.

 

[raymondjunk]

Thank you for pointing me to the bolt under the pedal. That's all it took to resolve the issue with reverse.
After that last post, I propped the tractor up on the loader in the front and the backhoe in the rear, so that no tires were touching the ground, and tried 4wd again. This time, all 4 wheels turned. It seemed like the front wheels were turning at a slower rate that the back, but indeed they were turning.
While that was certainly a relief to see, I know for a fact that they weren't turning while I was stuck in the mud.
Could that be due to the lack of traction in the rear?
Could it simply have been mud caked on the wheels preventing them from turning?
Perhaps just the fact that I had not yet adjusted the bolt under the reverse pedal?
...though I'm fairly certain I would have tried the FWD pedal too while stuck in that mudhole...

 

[raymondjunk]

I agree. It sounds AND feels like the parilking brake is on.
I haven't had much chance to get time behind the wheel, save for thag test I mentioned above, of the 4 wheels off the ground. However, after the bolt adjustment under the reverse pedal, that "HST Groan" seemed less exggerated in the little bit of test driving I undertook. It wasn't as bad in FWD as in REV, but I may adjust the bolt under the FWD pedal if it seems more pronounced next time I give her a whirl.
Thanks!

 

[Tonyinohio]

It really does sound like you have the brake on. I drove my New Holland for 2-3 minutes while bush hogging once last year with the brake on. It was laboring hard and I was scratching my head why since the grass wasn't that tall! Live and learn and then pass on the knowledge

keep us in the loop. hopefully the fix is just that simple.

 

[Gods Country]

A couple things to consider.

Light tractors suck in the mud. Light tractors with r4 tires really suck in the mud. Light tractors with r4 tires and no rear differential lock really, really suck in the mud. IIRC for some inexplicable reason Yanmar did away with the rear diff.

If you are in some real slop rear chains will help beyond belief.

Were your rear tires spinning when you were stuck?

 

[raymondjunk]

A couple things to consider.

Light tractors suck in the mud. Light tractors with r4 tires really suck in the mud. Light tractors with r4 tires and no rear differential lock really, really suck in the mud. IIRC for some inexplicable reason Yanmar did away with the rear diff.

If you are in some real slop rear chains will help beyond belief.

Were your rear tires spinning when you were stuck?

Yep. Rear tires were spinning and throwing slop all over me and the new tractor.

 

[Tonyinohio]

For what it's worth, I was in a dtich area and ended up on 3 wheels with the left front reaching for the bottom of the ditch. 4WD was useless until of light applied the brake. Worked like a basic limited slip diff.

 

[raymondjunk]

For what it's worth, I was in a dtich area and ended up on 3 wheels with the left front reaching for the bottom of the ditch. 4WD was useless until of light applied the brake. Worked like a basic limited slip diff.

That's a curious statement... So are you saying that with a light application if brakes while also pressing an accelerator pedal, you were able to get all wheels to turn?
Having gotten my 424 TLB completely bogged down in the mud 2 out of 2 times I dared go near it now, I feel rear diff lock might have been a necessity for my uses.
That said, I've also had opportunities to put her to use outside of any mud patches and really enjoyed digging stumps with the hoe, grading the driveway with the loader, picking up railroad ties and loads of dirt and transporting them effortlessly, unlike used to be the case with my wheelbarrow, shovel, pickaroon and several gallons of sweat...

 

[raymondjunk]

Also as a bit of a follow-up on the issue where the front wheels were not turning in 4wd... after retrieving the 424 from the mud this most recent time, my neighbor remarked that he didn't see my front wheels turning. I quickly checked that I was in 4wd, switched over to 2wd then back to 4wd again, and suddenly the front wheels were turning.
It seems now like maybe I had not pushed the 4wd lever all the way up, or "Slammed" it into 4wd hard enough. I'll explore this more, obviously. Unfortunately, it seems like unless I'm bogged down somewhere or up off the ground entirely, this theory can not be tested.
Anyone else find their transition to 4wd can be finicky?

 

[TnAndy]

Since you mention it has a backhoe, let me ask a couple questions:

1.Is the backhoe unit 3pt hitch mounted ?

2. Do you have the lift in the full up position ? (handle all the way to the rear ? )

THAT might be your issue.

I had a New Holland, and a Bushhog backhoe unit. To mount the backhoe, you removed the normal top link, and there was a welded, fixed top link/bar that stayed on the backhoe. You could lift the backhoe a certain height with the lift control, BUT if you raised the handle all the way back, what was happening was the hydraulics for the 3pt lift were trying to fight a battle it couldn't win....lift an immovable object !....so the pressure relief valve 'may' be what you're hearing screaming !

IF yours mounts that way, try lowering the 3pt lift handle until you see the backhoe drop just slightly.....then you are putting no lift pressure on it. See if that cures your problem.

Because it sounds a whole lot like the same thing I had happen once on my NH HST tractor....the power when to like half of normal, and I drove around for several days before I figured out I'd raised the handle too far while I had the backhoe mounted ( I took mine off and on a lot)

 

[TnAndy]

Also, for what it's worth.....the HST on my New Holland wasn't noisy at all.....but my neighbor has a different model, about the same mid 30hp mine was with HST, and he has a cab on it.

The hydrostatic unit in his is so loud you can't hear yourself think in that cab....I mean I can hear his screaming from a 1/4 mile away when he is using it. I asked him about it, but he said the dealer says it's normal.....well, if it was mine, knowing mine didn't sound anything like that, it would have gone back to the dealer until they fixed it.

 

[Tonyinohio]

Also as a bit of a follow-up on the issue where the front wheels were not turning in 4wd... after retrieving the 424 from the mud this most recent time, my neighbor remarked that he didn't see my front wheels turning. I quickly checked that I was in 4wd, switched over to 2wd then back to 4wd again, and suddenly the front wheels were turning.
It seems now like maybe I had not pushed the 4wd lever all the way up, or "Slammed" it into 4wd hard enough. I'll explore this more, obviously. Unfortunately, it seems like unless I'm bogged down somewhere or up off the ground entirely, this theory can not be tested.
Anyone else find their transition to 4wd can be finicky?

Most likely it just didn't sync. To confirm an earlier question: yes, using the brake pedal along with the F/R pedal is an easy way to send power to the wheel with traction. Works on cars/trucks with an open differential too.

 

[colsonbrooke]

The HST is noise, but every other tractor was to. Even my mowers can be noisy .

When U get stuck. Try locking the break in the first notch. It will cause the rear end to lock together and that should work on getting you out better.

My 4x4 always spins. That sounds like a problem.

For reverse, adjust the set bolt. It will get much faster. Just word of wisdom. After you do that. DON'T come off the pettle to fast . it will make the front end come off the ground.

I also do not like the 1400 rpms. I turned mine down to 800 rpms. It still drivers well especially sence our roads are not the best.

I have had mine 6 months and 200+ hours. It has been a great help and I have not had any major problems.

You just have to remember it is a small tractor. While there are somethings it may do, over working it will prematurely were it out.

 

[raymondjunk]

Since you mention it has a backhoe, let me ask a couple questions:

1.Is the backhoe unit 3pt hitch mounted ?

2. Do you have the lift in the full up position ? (handle all the way to the rear ? )

THAT might be your issue.

I had a New Holland, and a Bushhog backhoe unit. To mount the backhoe, you removed the normal top link, and there was a welded, fixed top link/bar that stayed on the backhoe. You could lift the backhoe a certain height with the lift control, BUT if you raised the handle all the way back, what was happening was the hydraulics for the 3pt lift were trying to fight a battle it couldn't win....lift an immovable object !....so the pressure relief valve 'may' be what you're hearing screaming !

IF yours mounts that way, try lowering the 3pt lift handle until you see the backhoe drop just slightly.....then you are putting no lift pressure on it. See if that cures your problem.

Because it sounds a whole lot like the same thing I had happen once on my NH HST tractor....the power when to like half of normal, and I drove around for several days before I figured out I'd raised the handle too far while I had the backhoe mounted ( I took mine off and on a lot)

Thanks TnAndy.
The way I understand, the backhoe on the 424 is not exactly 3pt mounted. Mine came with a 3pt. hitch in a box, which I'll have to take the backhoe off to install. I've been using the backhoe, so have not yet installed the 3pt. Just to give your suggestion a try, I did crank the 3pt. lever up and down to see if it would affect the sound of the HST, but could not detect a difference.

 

[colsonbrooke]

Also, for what it's worth.....the HST on my New Holland wasn't noisy at all.....but my neighbor has a different model, about the same mid 30hp mine was with HST, and he has a cab on it.

The hydrostatic unit in his is so loud you can't hear yourself think in that cab....I mean I can hear his screaming from a 1/4 mile away when he is using it. I asked him about it, but he said the dealer says it's normal.....well, if it was mine, knowing mine didn't sound anything like that, it would have gone back to the dealer until they fixed it.

I am thinking to nose is not the actual hydro drive unit but the final drive gears. The 2014 Yanmar came with beveled gears and I noted other companies offering beveled final drive. The 2015 came with straight final drive gears.

But what ever it is, my 424 is a champ at pulling. My F-450 fully loaded at 15,900 lbs, when it needs a pull start. My Yanmar has never let me down.

 

[raymondjunk]

The HST is noise, but every other tractor was to. Even my mowers can be noisy .

I'm gradually getting used to the HST. I've operated 3 of these Yanmars and all of them seemed louder than the Deeres & Kubotas I tested out in the same general class.

When U get stuck. Try locking the break in the first notch. It will cause the rear end to lock together and that should work on getting you out better.

I am curious about what you mean by "Locking the brake in the first notch". I didn't think I had notches. And do you mean applying the parking brake?

I also do not like the 1400 rpms. I turned mine down to 800 rpms. It still drivers well especially sence our roads are not the best.

Here's another place you've thrown me for a loop. How did you turn your RPMs down to 800?

 

[raymondjunk]

I am thinking to nose is not the actual hydro drive unit but the final drive gears. The 2014 Yanmar came with beveled gears and I noted other companies offering beveled final drive. The 2015 came with straight final drive gears.

But what ever it is, my 424 is a champ at pulling. My F-450 fully loaded at 15,900 lbs, when it needs a pull start. My Yanmar has never let me down.

Wow. That's pretty impressive.
Is yours a 2015?

 

[colsonbrooke]

Wow. That's pretty impressive.
Is yours a 2015?

I thought the same thing, especially out of 24 hp. Yes it is a 2015. I got it Nov of last year.
Me and a nother guy" he uses bobcats " were impressed how well the 424 scrapes grass off the ground. I was stripping a new area for a building of the turf. It was a 50x100' area. And it I could keep the bucket at 4" to 6" deep, well it would just keep digging , and eventually start pushing the grass over the top of the shovel.