4035 HST gutless!!

[IronHorsePilot]

I have been using a '52 8N for the past 6 years pulling a 6' finish mower to mow my 10 acres of slightly hilly property. After borrowing a friends Massey shuttle 3015 I decided I wanted a new tractor with a FEL so out shopping I went. I bet I shopped every brand of tractor there is to be made over a 6 month period annoying every dealer in my state driving the tractors around the parking lot etc. I decided on a Mahindra 4035 HST with FEL. I went with the HST because I am gone sometimes and the otherhalf said she would like to be able to mow if I am gone and I felt the HST would be easier for her.

I bring the tractor home and now that I have my 6' finish mower hooked up to it and start actually using it on my property going up and down my small hills this thing is the most gutless powerless thing I have ever driven. Im doing all this mowing in medium and I literally have to baby the pedal by crawling up the hills or I can literally bog the tractor down till it dies. My 8N will go up and down the hills in 2nd gear better and faster than this brand new tractor will. I was hoping to cut my 7 hours a week in mowing time down but right now its taking me longer to mow with a new tractor than my old 8N.

Is anyone else having a power issue like this? I have a whopping 32 hours on the tractor. I have called the dealer and they are scheduled to come replace a leaking fuel line (happened at 13 hours, had 10 when I bought it) that they bandaided with some rubber hose and a few hose clamps till the new line came in. They said the technician will drive it and see if he thinks there is an issue. I just cant believe there isint. I also mow about 3 acres of an elderly couples property down the road from me and when I get on the road I put it in high and there is the smallest crest in the hill and the tractor can not make it down the road past the crest in high gear unless I again baby it.

I love the size and power of the FEL but the actual tractor driving itsself around is so disappointing.

Sorry for the rant but I just cant believe that this 40 horse tractor is so sluggish.

Any suggestions??

 

[maxmah3621]

I have been using a '52 8N for the past 6 years pulling a 6' finish mower to mow my 10 acres of slightly hilly property. After borrowing a friends Massey shuttle 3015 I decided I wanted a new tractor with a FEL so out shopping I went. I bet I shopped every brand of tractor there is to be made over a 6 month period annoying every dealer in my state driving the tractors around the parking lot etc. I decided on a Mahindra 4035 HST with FEL. I went with the HST because I am gone sometimes and the otherhalf said she would like to be able to mow if I am gone and I felt the HST would be easier for her.

I bring the tractor home and now that I have my 6' finish mower hooked up to it and start actually using it on my property going up and down my small hills this thing is the most gutless powerless thing I have ever driven. Im doing all this mowing in medium and I literally have to baby the pedal by crawling up the hills or I can literally bog the tractor down till it dies. My 8N will go up and down the hills in 2nd gear better and faster than this brand new tractor will. I was hoping to cut my 7 hours a week in mowing time down but right now its taking me longer to mow with a new tractor than my old 8N.

Is anyone else having a power issue like this? I have a whopping 32 hours on the tractor. I have called the dealer and they are scheduled to come replace a leaking fuel line (happened at 13 hours, had 10 when I bought it) that they bandaided with some rubber hose and a few hose clamps till the new line came in. They said the technician will drive it and see if he thinks there is an issue. I just cant believe there isint. I also mow about 3 acres of an elderly couples property down the road from me and when I get on the road I put it in high and there is the smallest crest in the hill and the tractor can not make it down the road past the crest in high gear unless I again baby it.

I love the size and power of the FEL but the actual tractor driving itsself around is so disappointing.

Sorry for the rant but I just cant believe that this 40 horse tractor is so sluggish.

Any suggestions??

have you tried to use the cruise control on the tractor? by using that and setting your rpms you should have better luck, im sure your use to the gear drive and setting your rpms and goins so your speed doesnt change on your your 8N im not critisizing just askin?
let me know if you have any luck i will do some more research on it as well for ya. hydrostatics are great, for alot of loader work, but long passes i prefer a gear or shuttle, with that said by using the cruise control, you may have an easier time keep us posted hope that helps!!
max

 

[IronHorsePilot]

Ive tried the cruise. Works great for long passes but if I go to the hill it will bogg down until it dies. I have to crawl up the hills.

I just got off the phone with the dealer and they are finially sending someone down on monday to fix the fuel line mwiththe factory part instead of their bandaid fix. He thinks that will solve my power problems. I dont see how but well see.

 

[Soundguy]

well.. if you are using the hst correctly.. and just applying a lil pressure, and it really is a load issue killing her.

wow... i'd be upset too. that N is about 27hp.. NEW less old like you have it.

a 40hp new tractor should play with a 6' mower....

 

[KubotaToy]

Sounds like you may have tractor problem. I rented a used 4035 when I was shopping for a new tractor a few years ago, it had all the power that a 40hp tractor should have as I ran a 6' brush hog with no problems on my goat hills. Unless your grass is 4' tall, it should pull a 6' finish mower like it was not there.

 

[JerryK]

I think that part of it is being used to a gear tranny and going to a HST. First the 4035 tractor itself is pretty heavy, lot of iron to move uphill. Try lifting up on the go pedal a little when going up the hill to keep the RPM's up. Most folks instictively push down on the go pedal trying to give it more power... especially if they are used to a gear tractor with a throttle pedal on the floorboard like my JD2240 Reverser.. but the HST go pedal works backwards from that. Your tractor might need a few more hours on it to loosen it up some, too. Just my .02 ....

 

[Jim Dodgins]

It could be a fuel starvation problem. I would make a finale judgment after the fuel line is replaced. I have a 3316 and it has no problem with a 6' mower.

 

[joshuabardwell]

I think that part of it is being used to a gear tranny and going to a HST. First the 4035 tractor itself is pretty heavy, lot of iron to move uphill. Try lifting up on the go pedal a little when going up the hill to keep the RPM's up. Most folks instictively push down on the go pedal trying to give it more power... especially if they are used to a gear tractor with a throttle pedal on the floorboard like my JD2240 Reverser.. but the HST go pedal works backwards from that. Your tractor might need a few more hours on it to loosen it up some, too. Just my .02 ....

I agree with this advice. HST pedal is very unintuitive at first. If the RPMs drop, back off on the pedal. Once the system goes into relief, pushing down more on the pedaI only makes it worse. It's not like a gas pedal in a car. Also, always run at PTO RPM. HST loves RPMs.

 

[Ted Summey]

I am suspect of the leaking fuel line. It may be sucking air or collapsing the rubber hose bandaid repair. It is possible it is either getting air in the line or starving for fuel.

40 hp should handle a mower up hill and down unless the grass is unusually tall and or thick.

 

[IronHorsePilot]

I think that part of it is being used to a gear tranny and going to a HST. First the 4035 tractor itself is pretty heavy, lot of iron to move uphill. Try lifting up on the go pedal a little when going up the hill to keep the RPM's up. Most folks instictively push down on the go pedal trying to give it more power... especially if they are used to a gear tractor with a throttle pedal on the floorboard like my JD2240 Reverser.. but the HST go pedal works backwards from that. Your tractor might need a few more hours on it to loosen it up some, too. Just my .02 ....

That is the problem. I have to back off the pedal so far that I am basically crawling up the hill at a snails pace to keep the tractor RPS's up. I am barely pushing the pedal and if I do the RPMs go so low I can actually kill the engine. For a 40 horse tractor I expected alot more.

Well see monday after this fuel line is fixed correctly.