Mowing Tractor problem or shredder issue?

[MisterB Tx]

I have sharpened the blades with a grinder. Not sharp exactly, but not round. Little change. The.cut looks better, but not much easier.
Not really seeing wind rows.
Rev under no or low load is not 2500 rpms. I'm luck to get 2200 or right at the "540" mark.
Can it be as simple as throttle adjustments?
Hand or foot throttle won't go any higher.
I do use a little additive "diesel Kleen" with cetaceane boost. Just what's recommended on the label though.

 

[SPYDERLK]

Hey folks, I have a 1988 model ford 1920. It's my first tractor and it has about 850 hours. It starts easily and runs well. So lately when I'm shredding it bogs down in just about any grass. That needs cutting. I've dropped down to lower gears, but it just seems to have no power. It doesnt really smoke maybe the tiniest bit of black smoke occasionally.
The shredder is a 5 foot rotary brush hog. It came with the tractor so I figured they used it with this tractor.
Am I asking too much of my little tractor?

Thats a classic fuel problem.

Thanks everyone. I did start last summer mowing in 2nd range 2nd gear. Rarely in 3rd gear. Dropping down to 1st because of thick grass. Sometimes this season I've been running in 1st range sometimes in 1st gear.
I changed all my hydraulics last year because of water. Changed my oil so I knew how old it is. Last week changed fuel filter.
This tractor starts so fast, I have a hard time imagining an engine problem

Next thought was air.
If there was air in the lines from the fuel,filter change, would it even run? I did the bleed screw on the pump to get bubbles out.
And it starts and runs great

,,,,Better power now?

Running at what seems max. My RPMs won't go past the "540" mark on my tach. I think that's like 2000 actual RPMs

I have sharpened the blades with a grinder. Not sharp exactly, but not round. Little change. The.cut looks better, but not much easier.
Not really seeing wind rows.
Rev under no or low load is not 2500 rpms. I'm luck to get 2200 or right at the "540" mark.
Can it be as simple as throttle adjustments?
Hand or foot throttle won't go any higher.
I do use a little additive "diesel Kleen" with cetaceane boost. Just what's recommended on the label though.

Yes it could be since as reported the rated rpm is 2500. Set hi idle up to ~2600. Also be sure to service your air filter.

 

[MisterB Tx]

Thank you.
Do you happen to know if the adjustment is in the pedal/lever or in the engine?

Do governors usually have any issues? I wouldn't expext problems like that at 850 hours.
Also, any experience with injector nozzles?
I'm just thinking ahead.

I suppose I should check the tank for gunk, though it's not in the filter

 

[SPYDERLK]

Thank you.
Do you happen to know if the adjustment is in the pedal/lever or in the engine?

Do governors usually have any issues? I wouldn't expext problems like that at 850 hours.
Also, any experience with injector nozzles?
I'm just thinking ahead.

I suppose I should check the tank for gunk, though it's not in the filter

Follow the linkage that moves when you operate either "throttle". They start separate but join quickly and lead onward to the fuel injection pump. Observe that he linkage operates a lever on that pump. The lever has a stop screw. Is it coming all the way to the screw when you operate the "throttle". ... It should. If not, figure out why. ... If it is reaching the stop screw you can back off the screw a turn or so to increase the high idle rpm you can set.

,,,The governor acts from that lever, but inside the pump itself. It trys to hold the rpm you set by increasing fuel if the rpm drops. Some governors are sensitive and will increase fuel more sharply thus holding the set rpm closely until the max fuel limit is reached. Others are less sensitive - like maybe yours. If you let your engine lug all the way down to 1000 in hard mowing, does it smoke then?

Did you check the air filter?
larry

 

[MisterB Tx]

I took the air filter off when I changed all my fluids just a visual check. Seemed ok, I tapped it a bit and really very little came out. Thought it was fine, but it's a small fix to replace.

I just got it last year from a guy I'm sure was flipping it for a buck. It had appearance of being taken care of, not scratched, rusted, even had the headlights and grill intact. Just changing things to make sure I know where I stand.

Thanks again, I'll check out that linkage and screw soon.

 

[MisterB Tx]

It doesn't smoke when it lugs down. Maybe just a tiny black puff hardly even noticeable unless you are watching.

 

[ErikVann]

Does the tractor run well for a period of time and then lose power? Does the engine noise sound normal and regular or does it sound broken up and erratic? As others have mentioned it very well could be a fuel issue, either collapsing fuels lines or sucking air through a fuel line. I had a 1920 that developed a fuel delivery issue. The tractor would run great for 10-15 minutes then it would lose power, the engine noise sounded broken up and scattered. I changed out the old field lines from the tank to the filter and filter to the injection pump and problem solved.

 

[SPYDERLK]

I took the air filter off when I changed all my fluids just a visual check. Seemed ok, I tapped it a bit and really very little came out. Thought it was fine, but it's a small fix to replace.

I just got it last year from a guy I'm sure was flipping it for a buck. It had appearance of being taken care of, not scratched, rusted, even had the headlights and grill intact. Just changing things to make sure I know where I stand.

Thanks again, I'll check out that linkage and screw soon.

Air filter is good then.

It doesn't smoke when it lugs down. Maybe just a tiny black puff hardly even noticeable unless you are watching.

Sounds as if your max fuel limit is set low ... but maybe upping the hi idle will make the needed difference.

 

[redman135]

A possible reason for the reduced revs may be that some one screwed the rev limiter down from max revs.
I had a tractor with screwed down max revs (2000, not factory 2400) as it was on hills with poor brakes so the revs were limited to reduce the over rev risk.

 

[MisterB Tx]

The tractor never sounds like it is running poorly. Always sounds like a diesel tractor, smooth.
I'll get on that adjustment screw soon as I,don't live there yet.
All of your advice has been sound, thank you all.
This is a great group.