Brand NEW L4400 with Backhoe stalling out...

[KubotaNewb]

Ok, I am new to this forum, but have been reading a ton of post then I signed up... now the not so good stuff. Brand New L4400 HST with frontend loader (not sure the model) and the bh90 backhoe and the wheels filled with whatever to not need a counter balance. Tractor starts, idles fine. I can increase rpm and use the backhoe fine. In High gears with 300 pounds of weight in the frontend loader I can not back over a simple red brick.. on a flat level concrete driveway. I drive down the road slight downhill asphalt road rpms at idle 2800... rpms once I put my foot on the forward pedal... 2000 rpms and so slight black smoke.. like it is bogging out. In Medium I can not drive it out of 8 inches of mud that it stalls. The kubota dealer says nothing is worng with it. I have a 23hp jd that hands down makes my L4400 look like crap and out works it by a mile.. I can not in low get a full scoop of dirt with out it cutting out on me a few times and then I settle for a half load. Checked fuel filter, it looks clean and the air filter is installed right.. the fluids look to be at the correct level in the sight glass. The dealer I bought it from says bring it back to them (5hours). I have a dealer 45 minutes away that is saying nothing is wrong. They say use it in low with full rpm and everything seems ok, but in low I can get 3/4 scoop of dirt and it still cuts out, and I can not drive up a hill with the dirt. I know long post but please help... 40k down the drain at this point...

 

[dex3361]

Ok, I am new to this forum, but have been reading a ton of post then I signed up... now the not so good stuff. Brand New L4400 HST with frontend loader (not sure the model) and the bh90 backhoe and the wheels filled with whatever to not need a counter balance. Tractor starts, idles fine. I can increase rpm and use the backhoe fine. In High gears with 300 pounds of weight in the frontend loader I can not back over a simple red brick.. on a flat level concrete driveway. I drive down the road slight downhill asphalt road rpms at idle 2800... rpms once I put my foot on the forward pedal... 2000 rpms and so slight black smoke.. like it is bogging out. In Medium I can not drive it out of 8 inches of mud that it stalls. The kubota dealer says nothing is worng with it. I have a 23hp jd that hands down makes my L4400 look like crap and out works it by a mile.. I can not in low get a full scoop of dirt with out it cutting out on me a few times and then I settle for a half load. Checked fuel filter, it looks clean and the air filter is installed right.. the fluids look to be at the correct level in the sight glass. The dealer I bought it from says bring it back to them (5hours). I have a dealer 45 minutes away that is saying nothing is wrong. They say use it in low with full rpm and everything seems ok, but in low I can get 3/4 scoop of dirt and it still cuts out, and I can not drive up a hill with the dirt. I know long post but please help... 40k down the drain at this point...

Welcome to TBN and I hope we can help you out.
A few questions and a few things to think about.

Check your brakes to see if you left them on or if they are stuck on.

The fuel filter could be waxed off and it will look good change it. It is a cheap try. Your tractor is self bleeding of the fuel system so it is a no worry task.

Check your air filter to see if it is dirty. Check the inner filter too.

High range is for tramming on flat ground is is not for working.

Your FEL is an LA703A most likely.

The tendency of most people is to push forward on the HST pedal(like you are giving it more fuel) if the machine starts to bog down but what you should do is back off(this is like down shifting a transmission in an HST).

 

[Kep]

"The tendency of most people is to push forward on the HST pedal(like you are giving it more fuel) if the machine starts to bog down but what you should do is back off(this is like down shifting a transmission in an HST)."

I think you hit it on the head, it's not intuitive and feel backwards. :thumbsup:

 

[Elcid76]

When I am working it hard, I keep it in low, and the RPMs around 2500 with the throttle. I use the HST to move and the throttle to lift. I have done a LOT of digging, but it did take some time to learn how to use all the HST electronics to my advantage. After 250 hrs I am still experimenting with switching ranges and throttle settings. To me the key is that the throttle should be set for the work that you are doing. You have to feed it fuel if you want it to work.

 

[kuboman]

I like the brake idea. I test drove a tractor not long ago and it just had no power at all. Bogged down black smoke and would only move in low range. Turned out the brakes were on even though I checked to make sure I had released them. I just had not checked good enough, unfamiliar machine and all.
Check the brakes

 

[KubotaNewb]

dex3361,
Yeah I pulled both air filters and they are brand new looking. I only have 5 hours on the tractor and most of that was letting it idle while checking a list of things the dealer told me to check with the tractor on. I did check the brakes and they seem to be free.

 

[KubotaNewb]

Kep,
I am familiar with using a hst tractor as my dad has a hst john deere 2305. It is just a little tractor, but his in hi at 1800 rpms can still get a load of loose dirt from a pile. Mine in load bogs out getting a load of dirt in low with 2800 rpms. Same dirt pile, hill, and conditions. Feels bad having him talk crap at how his little deere trumps my big kubota.

Kuboman,
I drove a L3400 that a friend has, and though I did like the JD features better, I liked the Kubota price better. But now I am kind of regreting the choice. The dealer has the tractor and says nothing is wrong with it.. which I know can not be the case. Not when I am beside a much much smaller tractor and he is moving and hauling twice to three times the dirt.

 

[KubotaNewb]

Elcid76,
I do understand the gear/fuel and work load use. The problem I have is that a john deere 2305 with the same load in the fel in high at 1800 rpms driving on a slight downhill road is passing me while my tractor is having issues. We are going down an asphalt road my throttle is set to full and he is mid throttle same load and he is driving by me. I will change the fuel filter when I get it back from the dealer. Maybe waxed up like said above.

 

[kuboman]

Elcid76,
I do understand the gear/fuel and work load use. The problem I have is that a john deere 2305 with the same load in the fel in high at 1800 rpms driving on a slight downhill road is passing me while my tractor is having issues. We are going down an asphalt road my throttle is set to full and he is mid throttle same load and he is driving by me. I will change the fuel filter when I get it back from the dealer. Maybe waxed up like said above.

Are you getting any smoke out of it? Do you run out of power just running the loader? If you could get a full bucket would the engine strain to lift it?
I am trying to determine if it is a power output issue or a driving issue.

 

[KubotaNewb]

Went I first starting to drive it does give me a little black smoke, then it kind of spurts out here and there. I have not been able to get a full load of dirt in the bucket, but I am thinking it would handle the load, I just can not drive into the pile to get a load of dirt. I am thinking it is a hst issue.