# L4701 sluggish engagement forward or reverse



## L S G (Dec 30, 2008)

2017 Kubota l4701 hydrostatic drive 

may not be an issue but it seems like engagement of gears is a faint slower than it used to be. 250 hours fluids filters have been changed with genuine kubota parts. Its full and cLear. 

I often use forward or reverse as my braking force especially when moving snow, maybe this is a bad practice but the actual mechanical brakes are weak from the start. At least in my opinion.
I may be hypersensitive to this but it does seem as if it’s not as positive of a force as it was when new. Its something you wouldn’t notice or complain about if you hadn’t been using it since day one. Its a nanosecond in reality. 

as to why I’m picking up on it. A few years ago I rented a John Deere. This thing took at least a second even longer to actually engage you could not use it as a braking action period I was moving heavy snow in a parking lot full of cars I hated it but the guys at the rental place thought it was normal. I had to ram into the snow because it wouldn’t built force fast enough to get any sort of motion going Then trying to stop before crashing into things was even worse. Never happier to get off a tractor in my life.

so maybe I’m paranoid because of that, I’m sure the rental had a problem with its drive. However if its an early sign of an issue I’d like to know.


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## BigT (Sep 15, 2014)

Howdy LSG,
Using forward or reverse as your braking force is a sure way of shortening your transmission's life. You may be noticing the affects already. Fix the brakes so they work. Kubota brakes on my little tractor have always worked well.


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## L S G (Dec 30, 2008)

Both of my tractors were purchased new brakes work as good now as they did then, seems in ice down hill which the paved road into the shop is just steep enough to make braking less than perfect. I should chain up but ive dealt with it for twelve years. I have to be under power at a fair speed to plow this driveway it’s about 600 feet and I clear the whole thing wider than one probably would so delivery trucks and two cars can get in and out. at the bottom there’s usually cars and if no cars it’s about an 8 foot drop and over the rock wall. Its only when I’m dealing with the ice under a few inches of snow if the snows thick it pretty much stops the second you let off.

I dont go from a high rate of speed and hammer it in reverse but I do use it along with my brakes to slow down and stay on target most of the time the bucket or blade will stop me dead in my tracks if I let forward pressure off but sometimes I need more.

ill probably do this less often as I’ve always wondered if it’s hard on my drive. But I’m pretty fluid or at one with my equipment, for sure I’m not abusing them I just make use of what’s there

i don’t think my bigger tractor has an issue either we’ve been working a large section of mud heavy gravel and I think what Ive been experiencing the last week is a combination of things one is my muck boots the super thick woody max versions mud packed under the shifter and soggy mud in the wheels all contributing to what I am overly paranoid about after using that rental tractor a year ago. I cleaned out the pedal area yesterday and was on it a good hour this morning and never felt anything at all I was also in normal boots.


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