New 3120 lacks power, any thoughts?

[Claybuster]

My 3520 had the same problem exactly. There seemed to be a difference between the demo and the tractor I bought. I asked the dealer about the adjustment of the hydro pressure to increase the breakout force after finding some info on TBN, he said that there was an adjustment and would check into it. He called last week with a tech update from JD and picked it up on Wed. I should have it back Fri. I am curious to see the difference.

 

[Deere Man]

Claybuster I was curious if you ever found anything out. I've gone to two different dealers and I just don't think they care.

One thing I noticed this weekend. On the 4200 I use to jack it up one rear wheel at a time, put the tranny in neutral and turn the wheels to see how the brakes were adjusted up. I could turn the wheels fairly easily when the tranny was in neutral. On the 3120 it's difficult at best to turn them. Is there something different on this vs. the 4200?

I also changed the hydro filter this weekend even though it only has 170 hours on it. The drain plug magnet had a marble-sized ball of metal shavings on it and the filter has several chips stuck around the outside. There were also several fibers in the oil that looked like clutch or brake linings for lack of a better way to describe it. I was told this is normal and nothing to worry about.

I'm tired of feeling like I have to trade to "orange" to fix the problem. Any help would be appreciated.

 

[DrainPondDesign]

Just a thought but the JD 3320 engine develops maximum torque at about 1,500rpms so it may make sense for it to drop to that speed when the load increases like starting up a hill. I too was concerned about slow performance especially when blowing snow going uphill untill someone posted how much work was being done by only 30hp. Now I relax & enjoy the ride.

 

[jd110]

If your rear wheels don't turn freely when in neutral, you definitely have brake drag issues. How much "free travel" do you have on your pedals? You should have 2 - 2 1/2" of free travel before brakes start to engage. There is a turnbuckle under each side of platform to adjust left and right pedals. The debris you are seeing in the oil sounds like it may be the normal "break-in" filings. Even if the brakes have been dragging since new, chances are that they are OK. The wet style brakes used on these tractors are amazingly resistant to this kind of abuse. I have seen some larger tractors have brakes drag so bad that the wiring harnesses melt anywhere they touch the housings, and if you disassemble them, the brakes still look new. Did the oil smell burnt? If so, then I would recommend changing the fluid if you haven't yet. If your tractor is still in waranty, your dealer should be responsible for these repairs.

 

[Deere Man]

There is about 1-1/2" of travel before the pedal starts to engage. Is that the only adjustment on these brakes? I called and asked the dealer if he would adjust them and I was told that he wouldn't. If anyone has the section out of the service manual on adjusting the brakes that they could get me I would appreciate it.

 

[Nuru]

Here is my thought as I had a similar problem but the cause of my effect was not the same as yours.

My 4300 HST ran excellent for 5 years. I mostly ran it in low(A) range. Then one day I needed to go on the road so I shifted into High(C) range and the tractor would barely go. It would usually start off semi-normal and then the rpms would aggressively decline. Same thing would occur in mid-range but not as aggressive. The mechanics at my dealer said I was having major HST problems. I decided to check things over myself during the weekend.

To make a long story short I discovered that both of the brake springs under the rear axle had come off. This caused both brakes to have too much tension (brakes not releasing) which dragged the rpms down. I was a non-believer about this being the cause of my problem until I replaced the springs. It made all the difference in the world and from then on my tractor ran better than ever. It might be worth while if u check those springs if your tractor is has/had them.

ArkLaTexSam

Gee this is an excellent "out of the box thinking based on real experience" post