low fuel

[Deere Dude]

Cars operate totally different than tractors as far going up hills. With cars you can downshift and just step on the gas and away you go. With tractors on larger hills make sure it is wide open throttle and if you see you are slowing down you will have to stop and shift down a gear, then crank the throttle back up. If it still slows down unacceptably you need to stop and downshift to a lower gear, throttle up and away you go.

I had my wife drive my 45 HP 3 speed hydro tractor to the city dumps with me following with the truck and trailer. She got half way up the hill and I saw her slow way down in top gear and the motor wide open. I was sweating it because she didn't know enough to stop and put it in a lower gear, but luckily she made it over the top. If it was steeper or longer she would have killed the motor. I was ready to get right behind her to keep from rolling backwards.

I taught her how to drive the tractor on the flat but never dawned on me to go over the hill climbing part.

Another thing to think about if you have a 4WD tractor and have a big load to the bucket or even in the rear, you could lose traction and slide downhill if it is slippery unless it is in 4WD.

 

[Gary Fowler]

Most hills unless very, very steep and require 4WD to get enough traction should be able to climb in H or M at minimum without stalling the engine. On my B 26 TLB or my RTV900 if going up a hill while in H range, I just back off the throttle a bit to give it more torgue but will make going a bit slower. I can usually load my FEL with gravel in H range by just backing off the HST pedal and keeping the engine RPM at minimum of 2000. I cant do this from a dead stop but if from a rolling 2-3 MPH the inertia and the tractors power will usually do the trick. Loading dirt requires M or L depending on if the dirt is loose or compacted. In M or L the tractors tires should be spinning before the engine stalls unless you don't have sufficient engine RPM.
Failure to keep engine RPM up and /or continuing to press the HST pedal to the metal will eventually stall the engine.

 

[Gary Fowler]

Oh and I NEVER let my fuel gauge go below 1/4 tank without heading it to my fueling station. It only takes a couple minutes for me to put it to full and then back to work at hand vs letting it run out of fuel and spending 1/2 hour or more priming it (after walking back to my shop andhauling a 5 gallon fuel container out to wherever the tractor quit)

 

[rjmack]

the axle lock will not usually engage on my tractor without spinning a wheel. I press lightly on it and apply some torque to the hydrostat, as one wheel starts to spin it will drop in. as well, I can drive in a circle with light pressure on the engage pedal and it will eventually drop in.

I NEVER push hard on the lock engage lever.

my tractor only has two ranges but I never go '4 wheeling' in anything but low range.

I have run my tractor out of diesel, filled it back up, started right away... no problem.

 

[AxleHub]

have a brand new MF 1526, was going great. than it would NOT climb a slight hill.

as a city slicker (born again) these tractor things are a puzzle. now I was on the second red line on gas gauge...verrrry low.

could that have caused this issue?

also, how do u engage the transmission rear wheel lock? cannot do it.

thanks.

First off - I read a couple dozen posts before responding so I wasn't duplicating anything.

Secondly - there are all kinds of "city slickers" who are driving and owning tractors - but everyone starts as a "rookie" sometime. You will find many fine threads talking about going up and down hills and different issues involved. The important thing to take away from responses you've gotten or will get - is TBN users may be more or less polite or "delicate" in their phrasing - but they are all concerned about your health. Tractors are incredibly beneficial if you let them be - and can be incredibly dangerous when you forget the caution concepts you'll learn. Just like driving vehicles - you want to keep the shiny side up because on a tractor - you are often not on easy flat even surfaces.

Third - no one noticed so I'll ask - you stated you were on your brand new MF 1526 tractor. I'm surprised you were able to buy a brand new one - as I thought they were a very nice "next step" up from the sub compact products while still keeping small in physical size - a nice blend between the GC1700s and the 1700s. But I thought they were out of production and discontinued 2 or more years ago when the 1700s first came out. Did your dealer have more ???? I've never seen one on a lot - only in pictures and brochures.

Welcome aboard.

 

[atsah]

I believe the 1526 with three ranges is back on the lot's, as far as climbing a hill and the tractor stops with the engine still running, I would venture to say the OP was in to high a gear, if he was in low I don't know why it wouldn't climb a hill, my Tractor in low range may spin on a hill but it will dig a hole trying to climb it.

 

[JWR]

I believe the 1526 with three ranges is back on the lot's, as far as climbing a hill and the tractor stops with the engine still running, I would venture to say the OP was in to high a gear, if he was in low I don't know why it wouldn't climb a hill, my Tractor in low range may spin on a hill but it will dig a hole trying to climb it.

Agree. Lot of unanswered questions. Hopefully the OP will give us updates as this gets solved.

 

[atsah]

I just verified that they are now making the 1526 with three ranges and a mid PTO, I may consider it next go round, it's a nice size upgrade and the three ranges would make up for the added weight of the tractor.

 

[SteveM70]

Last May when I went to my dealer for the stuff to do my 50 hour service he had a new 1526 setting on the lot that wasn't there a couple months before when I purchased my gc1720.

Like axlehub I thought they were out of production but obviously they are around.