Bought a B21, have a few questions

jhdesenberg · Jul 16, 2015

I have owned my used B-21 TLB for a year and am wondering why I get a high pitched squeal when going up hill, or pushing into a pile with the loader. In general it has a real lack of power to the rear wheels. It never seems to drag down the diesel, just squeals and slows way down until I shift into a lower gear. Could it be low hydraulic pressure or flow?

dfkrug · Jul 16, 2015

You must be in low range when pushing into a pile of dirt or going uphill. You only
have a 21hp engine and what you hear is the HST relief valve opening. The 21 is
a great tractor, even if a bit underpowered.

BTW, I lived in Buchanan, MI back in the early 60s.

downsizingnow48 · Jul 16, 2015

Ditto what dfkrug said.

troutsqueezer · Jul 17, 2015

Mine does not squeal, ever. Not even if I forget I'm in high gear when pushing into a pile or going uphill. It just loads down the engine until I let up on the pedal a bit.

jhdesenberg · Jul 17, 2015

Thanks, I realize that 21 HP is way low. My worry was that I had a malfunction. I had HFS (local dealer) change all fluids thinking someone had put the wrong trans/hydraulic fluid in and I was screwing up the system. The big transmission company in town solved a noise problem in one of their heavy equipment transmissions by going to a heavier viscosity fluid. I just retired from the corporate test lab with over 20 years of listening to screaming power train equipment.

Gary Fowler · Jul 17, 2015

I think you need to have the relief valve setting checked. It should stall the engine at least a little before going to relief. My B26 will kill the engine if I don't let up on the HST pedal when in high or M, but I never hear the relief kick in. In L range it just spins the tires.

downsizingnow48 · Jul 17, 2015

If I have it in high range and try to dig in a pile, it will bog the engine then squeal just before the engine dies if I don't let off in time.

In low range it will spin the tires and rapidly dig holes when up against something, no squeal.

Starting off in high range uphill, even a slight hill, it will squeal for a moment until it gains speed.

dfkrug · Jul 17, 2015

downsizingnow48 said:
In low range it will spin the tires and rapidly dig holes when up against something, no squeal.

IMO, any properly designed HST-powered tractor will be able to spin the tires in Low range up
against an immovable object with excellent traction. H range is for travel on level
ground only, in most cases.

I have had numerous HSTs, and I can report that some fail to do that, either bogging the
engine, or going to relief. My Kiotis go to relief, and my B21 would bog the engine. I
suspect that the 21 was a little tired due to high hours, and not putting out the hp it had
when newer. Other B21s should pass this test.

In each case, this test was done with backhoe mounted and at full RPM. The JDs all
passed this test (spin the tires in L) with flying colors, even with AG tires.