Problems with Workmaster 50

   / Problems with Workmaster 50 #1  

KentC

New member
Joined
Aug 29, 2016
Messages
16
Location
Wylie, TX
Tractor
Branson 7845R
I have a new Workmaster 50 that now has about 60 hours and has several problems.

The seat safety switch on my new tractor is making work difficult. I weigh about 200 lbs and have to set the seat on the lightest setting to keep the engine running. Even at this setting, the engine will die if I lean too far to watch the rear implements. A lighter person cannot use the tractor at all. Took it to the dealer, who contacted New Holland. Said they are aware of the problem, but do not have a solution. Any ideas without bypassing the safety switch?

The bucket on my front end loader will sometimes stall on the downward rotation. Sometimes it will go really slow and others will stop altogether. Most of the time the bucket rolls down fine. Intermittent problem. I have a dealer installed after-market third function hydraulic valve installed.

I am concerned that along with the problems listed, that the dealer has already replaced the alternator and the neutral safety switch on this tractor. In the few months that I have owned the tractor, it has spent about 8 weeks in the shop. The build quality seems weak on this tractor.
 
   / Problems with Workmaster 50 #2  
Kent,

I am a retired NH dealer service manager and we solved the WM50 OPS switch issue by using high density foam to modulate the switch action. Our problem was a light operator and the switch would not close so the engine continuallly died.

The fix is to put a piece of foam next to the switch under the seat, adjacent to the contact arm to "modulate" the movement - don't jam it in to defeat the switch or bypass it as you need to have it should you fall off the machine accidentally. The foam usually is found in packaging materials and the stuff we used was black in color. New Holland dealers can look this solution up on the Dealer Portal Asist program.
Kubota had a similar problem years back and solved it by changing the pivot brackets for the seat - I think it was the B26 but not 100%.

Good luck!

YC
 
   / Problems with Workmaster 50 #4  
So How are you dealing with your Workmaster 50 problems? any luck?

Let me explain my experience with one. I just purchased a new one and have had it 4 weeks 27.5 metered hrs. The first thing i noticed when it was unloaded in the driveway and i started getting familiar with the thing was the seat kill switch. If i adjust the seat to where i am comfortable i cannot operate the tractor! so a call to the service manager at my dealer resulted in him saying just adjust it to the lowest possible weight setting and see if that fixes it. Well It did....and it has fixed my kill problem but still a'int comfortable, but i could live with it .

So then i hooked my 5 ft bush hog up to it the next day and noticed if i am driving through the field and the bush hog raised it will intermittently take a shaking spell and i mean violently shaking almost as if the hydraulic pump is loosing pressure and letting the implement drop the slightest little bit and trying to catch it. and on top of that if i have an implement on the rear that weighs anything at all the loader shakes the tractor so violently when raised or lowered that it has shaken nut's loose on the machine. So i immediately called the dealer and spoke again to the service manager. and he said maybe air in the hydraulics if it didn't quit in a couple of days to call him back. So that was day 2 of owning the tractor.

So, I bush hogged the rest of the day and moved about 15 loads of dirt with the front bucket on day 3 and bush hogged some more. By the evening of day 3 i called the service manager back and he said well, i was hoping you wouldn't call back i know the problem i'ts the hydraulic pump we had one do this back in the winter and he stated he would get me one on order. I asked him about using the tractor as i had hay to bale and he said, Go ahead and run it! the pumps already bad just be careful around the three point or loader??? so i went ahead and used it only to bale hay with and stack some with the loader. That was the second week i had it. I worked most of the third week and weather did not permit me to use it much (it don't Float too well). By the end of the third week of owning the tractor the service manager called and said we have your part and were coming to get it next week (week 3). So they came got it last Friday and then called Monday evening to tell me the tractor was fixed.?? and they delivered it back too me Thursday just before a monsoon hit and it lasted all day yesterday also. So today (Saturday 7-29-17) i get it out of the barn and hooked the bush hog up to try it out and guess what?, Yep same problem only worse now loader shaking violently up and down and bush hog shaking the same way. I am NOT HAPPY going to call my dealer 1st thing Monday. Does anyone have any idea what is going on with this thing????


Also just checking, but i supposedly bought a new tractor but everything on the machine says 2016 would that be correct?
 
   / Problems with Workmaster 50 #5  
Not saying that this is what you want to do but to defeat the kill switch tape it down. That's safer than the tractor cutting off while in operation.
The build quality on my unit has been fine. 125 trouble free hours.
Good luck on getting your unit repaired. Intermittent issues are difficult sometime to repair.
 
   / Problems with Workmaster 50 #6  
So How are you dealing with your Workmaster 50 problems? any luck?

Let me explain my experience with one. I just purchased a new one and have had it 4 weeks 27.5 metered hrs. The first thing i noticed when it was unloaded in the driveway and i started getting familiar with the thing was the seat kill switch. If i adjust the seat to where i am comfortable i cannot operate the tractor! so a call to the service manager at my dealer resulted in him saying just adjust it to the lowest possible weight setting and see if that fixes it. Well It did....and it has fixed my kill problem but still a'int comfortable, but i could live with it .

So then i hooked my 5 ft bush hog up to it the next day and noticed if i am driving through the field and the bush hog raised it will intermittently take a shaking spell and i mean violently shaking almost as if the hydraulic pump is loosing pressure and letting the implement drop the slightest little bit and trying to catch it. and on top of that if i have an implement on the rear that weighs anything at all the loader shakes the tractor so violently when raised or lowered that it has shaken nut's loose on the machine. So i immediately called the dealer and spoke again to the service manager. and he said maybe
air in the hydraulics if it didn't quit in a couple of days to call him back. So that was day 2 of owning the tractor.

So, I bush hogged the rest of the day and moved about 15 loads of dirt with the front bucket on day 3 and bush hogged some more. By the evening of day 3 i called the service manager back and he said well, i was hoping you wouldn't call back i know the problem i'ts the hydraulic pump we had one do this back in the winter and he stated he would get me one on order. I asked him about using the tractor as i had hay to bale and he said, Go ahead and run it! the pumps already bad just be careful around the three point or loader??? so i went ahead and used it only to bale hay with and stack some with the loader. That was the second week i had it. I worked most of the third week and weather did not permit me to use it much (it don't Float too well). By the end of the third week of owning the tractor the service manager called and said we have your part and were coming to get it next week (week 3). So they came got it last Friday and then called Monday evening to tell me the tractor was fixed.?? and they delivered it back too me Thursday just before a monsoon hit and it lasted all day yesterday also. So today (Saturday 7-29-17) i get it out of the barn and hooked the bush hog up to try it out and guess what?, Yep same problem only worse now loader shaking violently up and down and bush hog shaking the same way. I am NOT HAPPY going to call my dealer 1st thing Monday. Does anyone have any idea what is going on with this thing????


Also just checking, but i supposedly bought a new tractor but everything on the machine says 2016 would that be correct?

Sounds to me like the hydraulic system is sucking air somewhere on the suction side. Obviously, your dealer should be able to find and fix this for you. I would check all the fittings/connections and ensure they are tight. Maybe check the filter base and make sure it's not cracked.

A hydraulic system can suck air in through a loose fitting or crack and never leak a drop of oil out, so sometimes they are not obvious.
 
   / Problems with Workmaster 50 #7  
Thank You, I will mention that to them when i speak to them Monday. I do not think they took much time with it when they had it last week i think they just put the pump on and said that's it, and Brought it back. It is just frustrating too me lots of money and a big decision to make then its broken when you get it. Thank you for the reply it's one of the most logical suggestions i have had. In my mind it seems like a relief valve is not doing it's job somewhere, But my hydraulic experience is limited.

Also I may try the switch bypass but i read somewhere in the manual that it gives a trouble code if you permanently bypass the switch for more than 25 hrs or something like that? i may have to re-read that part.
 
   / Problems with Workmaster 50
  • Thread Starter
#8  
The official answer from New Holland on my bucket roll problem is that I am running the engine at too low rpms (about 1500) and it is causing the muffler to "soot up" thus causing power loss. They said that I need to run the engine at 2350 rpm when dumping the bucket to prevent the problem.
 
   / Problems with Workmaster 50 #9  
The official answer from New Holland on my bucket roll problem is that I am running the engine at too low rpms (about 1500) and it is causing the muffler to "soot up" thus causing power loss. They said that I need to run the engine at 2350 rpm when dumping the bucket to prevent the problem.

I've never had that issue in 16 months of ownership...
I typically run between 1500 and 1800 RPM's on most chores using the FEL...
If I am running the RFM I keep the engine around 2200...
Usually just a tick under 540 RPM's on the PTO...
I can roll the bucket at idle...
I tested my FEL loading 50 old cement blocks into the bucket...
It raised it to full height at idle...
And to my knowledge the muffler has never clogged up...
I've never lost power either...
Confused...
 
   / Problems with Workmaster 50
  • Thread Starter
#10  
I called back and now they are saying that the tractor must be at 2600 rpm for the bucket to roll down and dump properly. Said that the tractor must be kept at that rpm for all the functions to work properly. At about 1200 rpm, when I dump the loaded bucket, it will rotate about 3/4 of the way down...stop... then start rolling back up for a few inches before changing directions again and roll all the way down. I am dealing with Four Brothers Outdoor Power in Royse City, TX.
 
 
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