Mahindra 1538 HST Losing Drive Power

rademamj1 · Sep 16, 2020

But you only have 200hrs on the tractor. It maybe a clutch adjustment issue if none of the other possible causes apply, but certainly not a burned out clutch at only 200hrs.

s219 · Sep 17, 2020

The clutch adjustment is more about pedal travel on the tractors I have owned. If the clutch really is burned up that adjustment probably won't make a difference.

If the clutch burned up no doubt you would have smelled it along the way. But it's possible some other part of the clutch assembly has broken. I wonder if there is an inspection plate or other way to take a look without splitting the tractor.

koenick · Nov 22, 2020

Mice. The issue was due to mice.

They'd packed the clutch so full of debris and droppings that the disk and fingers could no longer press together. I'd had the tractor taken to the local dealer on a flatbed, and they were the ones to discover the issue after they split the tractor. I didn't get to see it myself, but they said they couldn't believe how tightly everything was packed in, and glazed from the rubbing. Some parts were repairable, others were replaced. 9.5 hours in labor and $760 in parts and part repair, for a total cost of $1800. I was... upset.

There was a drought here in southern NH, and apparently the mice were invading vehicles and homes very aggressively in search of water. Mice in another garage damaged my wife's motorcycle, and ate a wiring harness in her car that's parked out in the open during the summer and was driven regularly. I didn't have any mouse problem at all my first 2 years on this property. One garage can be made mouse-resistant fairly easily, but the one that houses the tractor needs a lot more work. I'm trapping for now; about 100 over the past 2 months.