What would cause my H1502 to have less power in low gear?

[amanda11270]

I use my H1502 to mainly plow snow, I used to use it in Low all the time, in the past two years though Low seems to not have the torque that it once did, I put it in High which is obviously faster and it feels now to even have more torque in High, which should be better in Low. Low just seems to make the tractor run slow but doesn't seem to have the power it once did. I cant see how it could be the clutch since the same disc is used for High and Low right? Anyone got any idea what would cause this?

 

[Ilikeurtractor]

Can you clarify if your tractor is a hydro or gear drive? Your title indicates hydrostatic, but your profile indicates a G152 (gear drive) (?)

 

[amanda11270]

Its a hydrostatic H1502, I must have put G152 by mistake.

 

[Ilikeurtractor]

I'm guessing your issue is related somehow to the hydro drive, but I'm not really familiar with them. Hopefully someone else who is can help.

 

[upsetray]

Have you ever changed oil grade ,related to viscosity ? I have always plowed with mine with it in High range ,you should lose traction long before you notice any sign of power loss due to engine power . I no longer plow snow with mine ,but did for many years , with chains on tires for added traction .Have 760 hours on motor ,still runs purfect , lock that differential and it will move snow as fast as most pick up trucks with the ability to change direction so much faster than gear drive on standard transmissions.

 

[amanda11270]

It does plow good in high, and I have changed the hydro fluid in the past. I really don't think I understand how to lock the diff. I can't seem to keep my foot on the accel and that dff pedal at the same time.

 

[upsetray]

It is hard to use the differential lock unless you are using the fender speed control to move. . I have the 4 way plow and I could plow with just the inertia of tractor with chains on without any difficulty . The lock has to be held to stay locked in , as soon as you take pressure off lever it will release the lock ,hard to do all at one time .If the tractor is out side in cold , the oil in hydro may take time to warm to operate properly , only thing I can imagine ,if you have proper oil in hydro .I have had mine since 1986 , had little to no problems ever with tractor other than self created minor details. I have block heater .but no longer use the tractor in winter time any more .

 

[amanda11270]

I too have the 4 way 54" plow, and the inertia of the whole rig really moves the snow. My driveway is just over 1/10 mile long, and when plowing it, once the tractor is moving, unless the snow is real deep it feels invincible, unitl I get to the bottom and have to turn around, there it is a just a very slight incline back up, and that is where I used to use my low gear. And it just felt faster a few years ago in Low. This is also where I should be using the diff lock. Now I just go back up the slight incline and plow back down in High. The tractor has given no problems other than the radiator got blocked with probably 20 years of dust (I've only owned it for 4 years) and I cleaned it out this past summer due to overheating light coming on. Since owning this tractor, I learned a lot about compact machines as compared to the ones I used prior to owning such a large property that you would buy at Lowes or Sears, and there is no comparison. I would probably buy one that has 4WD if I had to buy another just due to the incline of my driveway. But its always been a great machine for me, even now.

 

[upsetray]

I never plowed in low range . For your incline you could use the fender control with differential lock with chains on and not have a problem ,unless you have a large snowfall then you just change tactics. Even backing up with differential is tricky to hold your foot lever down and pulling the pedal with you hand to get traction . HAHA. I graded the dirt to level spots on edge of road ,to my liking in spring. You are making sure the plow (float feature) works correctly ,right ?? Once my dad ,put gas in my fuel tank by mistake ,took me a while to figure out why it wouldn`t start. Didn`t hurt it though.

 

[upsetray]

I wanted a 4WD but the dealer that sold them at that time had none . I have been happy with this one and actually has more usable power , a small diesel loses horsepower due to differentials. Overall its a great little unit and seems to really be trouble free if you give good maintenance and make sure it doesn`t get overheated and ruin it .Oil filters are available at most Kubota dealers and auto parts stores everywhere . Filter for hydro can be cross referenced at Tractor Supply , some dudes on ebay want to rip us 40 plus ship for it. If I can offer any info on what I am familiar with, I will try.