3550 hst problems,cheap built,lemon?

[DavesTractor]

The shaft must be the designed weak link. It is not hardened or it wasn't hardened since it was broached. The direction of the twist was in the reverse direction; which means it sheared with forces in the reverse. I was expecting the opposite, like taking to much torsion going into a gravel pile or ramming something.
The splines did not shatter as a hardened piece would, but rather they twisted right along with the core metal. An engineer would have probably deliberatly made this piece weaker since it is the cheapest piece to replace. the only time I could imagine the front wheels took extra force was getting gravel from a creek and punching it in reverse as I coming fast at a hidden root ball (I hit it anyway).

The typical situation where we see damaged front drive parts, like ring gears, pinion, axle shaft or front drive line issues is when backing up. I think folks will go down a creek bank and scoop a big load of gravel, and then back up the bank. All the weight is on the front axle, the rear tires are probably still touching earth, but they aren't helping propel the unit. Then if you get a little carried away you are asking more of the front axle than it is designed to handle. The rear ring gear/pinion and axles are quite large on most tractors. In theory, the front axle is just an assist. When it all the sudden is doing all the work, you can break parts. The other task we see that breaks tractors is people pushing trees over. They push with the front loader as they lift as they move forward. The front axle gets incredible traction, the rear axle is almost in the air and if the tree does not move and the operator does not back off, then the tractor either stalls, the clutch slips or something breaks. No other options because the traction is so good the front tires won't spin.

Tractors can be broke, and if we understand the dynamics of what is happening we can be a little more aware of when we might be putting undue strain on things.

As for your theory on the shaft being the "fuse", that might be the case. It would be a good idea to allow for some relatively easy to replace and relatively cheap part to be the weak link.

 

[3550hst]

The typical situation where we see damaged front drive parts, like ring gears, pinion, axle shaft or front drive line issues is when backing up. I think folks will go down a creek bank and scoop a big load of gravel, and then back up the bank. All the weight is on the front axle, the rear tires are probably still touching earth, but they aren't helping propel the unit. Then if you get a little carried away you are asking more of the front axle than it is designed to handle. The rear ring gear/pinion and axles are quite large on most tractors. In theory, the front axle is just an assist. When it all the sudden is doing all the work, you can break parts. The other task we see that breaks tractors is people pushing trees over. They push with the front loader as they lift as they move forward. The front axle gets incredible traction, the rear axle is almost in the air and if the tree does not move and the operator does not back off, then the tractor either stalls, the clutch slips or something breaks. No other options because the traction is so good the front tires won't spin.

Tractors can be broke, and if we understand the dynamics of what is happening we can be a little more aware of when we might be putting undue strain on things.

As for your theory on the shaft being the "fuse", that might be the case. It would be a good idea to allow for some relatively easy to replace and relatively cheap part to be the weak link.

You know, Dave, I see good physics in your post. We all know we have done exactly what you are talking of. Will have to watch both of those situations. The added knowledge that can be obtained in these threads often beats the owner's manual (use of both recommended).
I will add that the power surge these tractors display right after one takes the foot off the pedal seems to me that would kill the fronts if the rears are near spinning. I don't know the reason for the power surge, but it ceartainly would bust that shaft if it is not made for power greatly in excess of total engine horsepower.
Besides, pushing trees carries extremely high risk of fatatality. Large falling branches really hurt. I have a skid steer with a smashed roof.
Thanks, Dave

 

[tbzep]

The front axle is doing all the work when I put out hay. My tires are filled with fluid but the hay is so heavy the rear gets almost no traction on anything other than level ground. I can't maneuver in the barn with the bush hog on the tractor so I just slap it in 4wd and go. Hopefully I won't snap anything.

 

[roadhunter]

Hopefully we will start seeing more tractors with larger front axles and tires to handle the loader work that these machines are typically used for. I suspect that for CUT's loader work is as popular as pulling work.

 

[flusher]

You can also bust up the front wheel drive by trying to scoop up material that's been dumped on a concrete surface. That's the first thing the dealer warned me about when he delivered my brand new 2005 Kubota B7510HST. If you ram the bucket into the pile and push too hard, the front wheels will grab and stall on the concrete surface and poof. There goes the front axle and/or transfer case. No problem if the pile is on dirt since the front wheels will spin when the tractor forward motion stalls. Better to use 2WD if the pile is on concrete.

 

[tbzep]

You can also bust up the front wheel drive by trying to scoop up material that's been dumped on a concrete surface. That's the first thing the dealer warned me about when he delivered my brand new 2005 Kubota B7510HST. If you ram the bucket into the pile and push too hard, the front wheels will grab and stall on the concrete surface and poof. There goes the front axle and/or transfer case. No problem if the pile is on dirt since the front wheels will spin when the tractor forward motion stalls. Better to use 2WD if the pile is on concrete.

I always run 2wd until I absolutely need it. I obviously do feeding hay, especially after a few freeze/thaw cycles. I'm running industrial tires so it needs 4wd in the mud. The 3550 will see 98% bush hogging and loader/hay spear work.

I still use the old 8N for pulling trailers and just about everything else that doesn't require a bucket or a lot of grunt just because it's small and easy to see my surroundings and maneuver it...and because I grew up on it, rebuilt it with my dad before he passed away just like my brother did with him 50 years earlier...and of course, it's cool. The Dearborn breaking plow is oiled up and placed in the corner of the barn, having not been used in the last 20 years. All my arable land is in permanent pasture for the cattle except the garden. I still use the disk and the 2 row planter with the 8N in the garden, and the Farmall Cub to cultivate it (our garden has always been huge, big enough to put a couple houses on it and still have yards). It's great soil and I can cut it about as deep with a few passes of the disk as I could with the plow.

 

[3550hst]

I always run 2wd until I absolutely need it. I obviously do feeding hay, especially after a few freeze/thaw cycles. I'm running industrial tires so it needs 4wd in the mud. The 3550 will see 98% bush hogging and loader/hay spear work.

I still use the old 8N for pulling trailers and just about everything else that doesn't require a bucket or a lot of grunt just because it's small and easy to see my surroundings and maneuver it...and because I grew up on it, rebuilt it with my dad before he passed away just like my brother did with him 50 years earlier...and of course, it's cool. The Dearborn breaking plow is oiled up and placed in the corner of the barn, having not been used in the last 20 years. All my arable land is in permanent pasture for the cattle except the garden. I still use the disk and the 2 row planter with the 8N in the garden, and the Farmall Cub to cultivate it (our garden has always been huge, big enough to put a couple houses on it and still have yards). It's great soil and I can cut it about as deep with a few passes of the disk as I could with the plow.

Industrial tires or R4's cause us to use the 4wd more often because they don't bite. I have them too. There are times when flotation tires help us and they don't tear up our yards and driveways, but get less traction often.

 

[tbzep]

Industrial tires or R4's cause us to use the 4wd more often because they don't bite. I have them too. There are times when flotation tires help us and they don't tear up our yards and driveways, but get less traction often.

Yes, that's why I chose them. However, with the weight of my hay, Ag tires would have no traction in 2wd. They are smaller, hold less fluid, and would barely skim the ground without a lot of weight hanging off the back end of the tractor regardless of tread design.

 

[Btown]

Yes, that's why I chose them. However, with the weight of my hay, Ag tires would have no traction in 2wd. They are smaller, hold less fluid, and would barely skim the ground without a lot of weight hanging off the back end of the tractor regardless of tread design.

How big are those hay bales 5x6?