L3400 grinding and shifting problem

[praha]

Also, thank yoy for your kind words and your time.

Joe

 

[N80]

Well, I have an L4400. Gear driven. Very similar tranny. Mine does not grind at all, even when I shift very quickly. So I'm not sure that I buy that this is a problem inherent with a nonsynchronized tranny.

Rarely on my L4400 it will not go in gear from neitral. So, I let the clutch out, push it back in and it will go into gear, sometimes with a little grind. But, this is rare.

I never get grinding shifting between hi and lo range or reverse.

I'd try test driving another L3400DT. As mentioned, if it does the same thing, either it is the nature of the L3400DT or your timing with the clutch/shift is off.

But to be honest, I don't believe there should be any grinding if you shift properly regardless of the type of tranny. At least mine doesn't. Or not that I've noticed. I'll pay attention this weekend and see.

Still, try another 3400 on the lot. It is a great, simple, tough tractor.

 

[praha]

George,
I will. I don't think, it should grind, either. I think Kubota has a problem with some of these transmissions.
Thanks,

Joe

 

[N80]

Well, in trying to think about what I normally do, it may be that I have to ease it into gear from neutral when I'm first starting off. Not sure, but at this point I'm not ready to stand by my claim that mine never grinds at all. I'll check it out this weekend and get back to you.

 

[dutchman56]

I have a GL4630GSTC and use the clutch to start off and then shift while moving by just going up or down on gear selector. Only have 30 hours on tractor so hope I am doing it right.

 

[praha]

I checked a couple L 3400 at the dealer nearby, they shift fine....

I lost a pin on a 3 point hitch while using a box blade the other day, and when I put the tractor in neutral, left rear tire was still getting some "power", it had tendency to turn. So, it was in neutral... and left wheel was grabing, trying to turn, but did not have enough power to actually move the tractor. It was weird, I had to turn the motor off to put the pin back. / all in uneven terrain/. The right side tire did not move at all. The tractor had 2 hours on it at that time.


Joe

 

[canoetrpr]

What you described there is now a safety issue. Yes it does not have enough power to move the tractor now but if what is wrong gets worse - who knows?

If all the other L3400s you have driven don't have this problem AND you've got this left wheel grabbing when the tractor is in neutral (I'm assuming that you can demonstrate that to the dealer), I'd be camping out at my dealers place telling them to either fix it or give you a new tractor.

Failing that I would escalate to Kubota's customer service. From everything we have heard on this forum, Kubota's customer service in the USA is pretty good at ensuring that customers are satisfied.

 

[WTA]

I'm guessing this is a new tractor you are having problems with. If so, I'd also guess something is too tight in the transmission. A burr on a shaft or something. I haven't run into it yet on a new Kubota but something is wrong. If it was used I'd be highly suspicious of the oil in it. It's probably the wrong type. I have seen so many tractors with the wrong oil in different places than I could count. Like hydraulic oil in a gear oil using rear end. That will sure make the gears take their time winding down so you can shift. My old farmall super C was a hard shifter with the correct oil weight in the rear. I had to count to 5 before I could move the lever when it was hot. I put in the heaviest synthetic gear oil I could get and it fixed that problem.
Most all of the Kubota transmissions and final drives I got into were syncronized so without seeing yours I couldn't begin to diagnose it but the non synchros do require a couple seconds to let the gears slow down normally. Things need time to align before you can engage them. If it's still got enough power to pull a tire with the clutch down, It's an open differential so it will only pull one tire at a time, then it's got problems. They need to be looking at that clutch a little closer.

BTW, my neighbor has this same model tractor and I borrow it occasionaly. I have to wait a second or two on it after pushing the clutch down or it grinds but that is the nature of the beast and I'm used to it. On my new Holland I can shift to any gear at any time quickly but it's all synchro. Mine cost a bit more than his too so.......

 

[N80]

I tried all this out on my L4400. It does not grind at all when changing gears. Not from neutral to L or H or R. Not in any of the other gears either. The only time I get any grinding is when I try to shift while still moving, of if my timing is off with the clutch.

Again, there are rare occasions when it won't go in gear from neutral. This always feels like a synch issue. Let the clutch out, then back in and if you shift right in you get a little grind. If you wait a second, no grind. But, this is rare.

 

[Kubota In Canada]

My new L3400 grinds every time I shift from neutral. When in gears /loader work/ it is OK.
MY dealer told me , that I have to wait 2 seconds, hold the pedal for at least 2 seconds before shiffting. Sometimes that is not enough, it has to be held longer and I must be very gentle and carefull to move the shifter into the gears without that terrible grinding sound.
I should be able to push the clutch and shift ..without waiting!!!
Please, tell me what you think about it.

Thanks,
Joe

Hello Joe,

Like many have mentioned, it is not a synchromesh tranny .... so the occasional delayed shifting is normal. I currently have an older B6100 that has that same shifting presentation. I have worked on gear-driven John Deere, Massey, and International tractors that also work the same way.

Try depressing the clutch slighty, moving your shifter partly into gear, than push the clutch pedal completely again and shift ..... it will often do the trick.

Some of the factors that affect shifting:

-engine RPM
-tractor load
-PTO in use
-tractor incline
-and of course, clutch wear preventing a complete disengagement

Good luck .....

Regards,

Eric

 

[Shimon]

I think WTA may be onto something here...even though it is a new tractor...it is quite possible the dealer put the wrong fluid in the transmission. Of course, they would never admit to that but it is worth checking out.

 

[DiezNutz]

The thing is , I did not buy a hydro, I don' t want a hydro, I want a simple gear tractor...working as it should.

Can I ask why you wouldn't want a HST? You said you're doing loader work, most can't imagine doing that with anything other than a HST, or at the very least some type of shuttle. Reliability of HST is at least the same or as many will claim better than gears, and resale value of HST is definitely higher.

To be honest, I would have to say that you did not pay a premium dollar for a broken tractor, you paid a standard dollar for a standard tractor with basic features. If it's because you didn't really know all the benefits of HST when you bought, we can accept that. If it was ONLY because of the extra cost of the HST, then that's not a good enough reason given how you're using the tractor. Very few people COMPLETELY strap themselves on a tractor purchase (it's a luxury item unless perhaps you're a farmer), and if they did then they really can't afford to operate & maintain it either. Most of us can always make a few sacrifices to get those absolute must-have features.

 

[N80]

Can I ask why you wouldn't want a HST? You said you're doing loader work, most can't imagine doing that with anything other than a HST, or at the very least some type of shuttle. Reliability of HST is at least the same or as many will claim better than gears, and resale value of HST is definitely higher.

Well, I'll answer that question. I don't want or like HST. In my mind HST means less power for more money. I do a fair amount of ground engaging work. I do tons of loader work (5 hours yesterday alone) and my gear drive doesn't bother me a bit. I like the simplicity and affordability and if I break something in my tranny, I can fix it in my B-I-L's shop. Not so with a hydro.

Now, I'm not knocking HST for anyone else. I'm not arguing that it isn't great for loader work, it is. But I think there are plenty of valid reasons not to want HST. For me, I wanted the most HP I could get for the money and HST never fits that bill.

To be honest, I would have to say that you did not pay a premium dollar for a broken tractor, you paid a standard dollar for a standard tractor with basic features.

I disagree with that. What makes a dollar 'premium' is how hard it is for me (or anyone else) to come by that dollar, not what you buy with it. The L3400DT is not a 'premium' tractor, but that doesn't make his dollar worth any less to him.

If it's because you didn't really know all the benefits of HST when you bought, we can accept that. If it was ONLY because of the extra cost of the HST, then that's not a good enough reason given how you're using the tractor.

I disagree with that too. HST costs more whether you know its benefits or not. If you have a budget, you have a budget. I don't think some people get that, but some of us actually live by our budgets. If I've got $20k for a tractor, $21k breaks the deal. It has to stop somehwere. And even if you don't have a budget, a gear drive tractor is still a perfectly resonable option. If I were buying another tractor today, with no budget limitations, I'd still buy a gear drive, or possibly a shuttle shift.

Very few people COMPLETELY strap themselves on a tractor purchase (it's a luxury item unless perhaps you're a farmer), and if they did then they really can't afford to operate & maintain it either. Most of us can always make a few sacrifices to get those absolute must-have features.

Are you saying that people don't bury themselves buying luxury items? The credit card companies beg to differ. I don't mean to pick at you, I'm just not sure suggesting that this guy bought the wrong tractor just because the one he got is defective is a reasonable approach. I make a pretty healthy living, but there are still only so many dollars to go around. Spending more than my budget would mean spending less on something else. I suspect there are plenty of people out there who fit into such constraints.

Now, if the OP is clueless and simply can't drive a tractor, and thus is having problems due to operator error, then sure, HST would be a reasonable alternative. It is certainly easier to drive. I think that is how a lot of tractors are sold to people who have never had tractors. And in my experience, every dealer I went to steered me towards an HST machine so unless he bought used, he surely must have been introduced to HST.

Personally, I think his tractor is defective. If a tire is spinning when in Neutral, something is wrong. And if there is something major wrong and the dealer lets him return it, I would agree, HST might be worth looking into, but I certainly don't see buying a geared tractor as a rooky mistake.

 

[ccsial]

I checked a couple L 3400 at the dealer nearby, they shift fine....

I lost a pin on a 3 point hitch while using a box blade the other day, and when I put the tractor in neutral, left rear tire was still getting some "power", it had tendency to turn. So, it was in neutral... and left wheel was grabing, trying to turn, but did not have enough power to actually move the tractor. It was weird, I had to turn the motor off to put the pin back. / all in uneven terrain/. The right side tire did not move at all. The tractor had 2 hours on it at that time.


Joe

Sounds like your clutch needs adjusting.

 

[RayMunising]

If it's because you didn't really know all the benefits of HST when you bought, we can accept that.

Who exactly is this "we" you're representing?

 

[cityfarma]

I have a L4400 and I get slight grind if the shuttle has been in neutral, clutch released then put in the clutch and move shuttle to F or R. The grinding does not happen moving from F to R or back. I simply wait a short time and ease the gear lever into gear. The grinding only happens if the clutch is released while in neutral.

Cityfarma

 

[N80]

Sounds like your clutch needs adjusting.

I may not be thinking clearly, but even if the clutch is out of adjustment, there shouldn't be any power going to the rear wheels when it is in neutral.

 

[ccsial]

I may not be thinking clearly, but even if the clutch is out of adjustment, there shouldn't be any power going to the rear wheels when it is in neutral.

Your thinking clearly. I didn't read it very carefully. I was thinking it was in gear with the clutch in and creeping. If it creeps in neutral there is some serious friction in the tranny. This would account for shifting problems too. I'd want a new tractor. This can't be a common problem.

 

[praha]

Thank you guys,
Thank you George for a perfect answer .
I mentioned paying a top dollar, since I paid over 17000 dollars for the tractor and FEL. I could have bought it cheaper, but I want to give a bus. to the dealer I want to use for any future service. He ask for a " TOP " dollar, or the highest price of all/3/ dealers. / The difference between L3400 and GL 3240 was only 1100 dollars/.....I paid his /17200/ price without any objections.
I don't want to discuss money here. It was my choice and I chose a gear L 3400. I would n e v e r complain about this model without a serious reason.
The size and the weight of L3400 was also important for me , since I have F 150 to tow it with.... 7000 lb trailer. I did not want to buy 10400 GvWR trailer.
And a loader work is very easy once I am in gears. And I love to have a gas pedal.

There's also a different perspective I may look at this problem. What if I want to sell it a year from now or after a warranty's over??? ... what kind of explanation I should give to a potential buyer?????... it grinds when you shift it , but hold the clutch down for some time, it's been doing since brand new.but that's OK???????/ Yeah, right. I would not buy it, would you?
And I am almost sure , that a dealer would use it as an excuse for lowering the value of the tractor.

I guess this tractor was built friday afternoon. I had a gas pedal stuck several times when 0 hours on it, I fixed it. 3 point hitch control is lousy, I can't start it once a while. I have to touch and move shifter, clutch, ignition key and try several times before I can start it again. I don't even mentioned this to my dealer, it is imposible to fix, I know that.
What bothers me is the grinding. I just want to get it fix. Period.

Thanks again to all.

Joe

 

[N80]

I can't start it once a while. I have to touch and move shifter, clutch, ignition key and try several times before I can start it again. Joe

You do know that it has to be in neutral to start it, right?

Please let us know how this gets resolved, but do resolve it. If you are really getting power to the rear wheels while the tractor is in neutral, that is an extreme safety hazard. I cannot imagine how that could happen, but if it did, its a real problem.