hello all in orangeville,i have recently bought a l3800.the transmission has seemed loud the higher the speed the louder,has a whining noise like a squeal.i have installed a curtis cab on the machine and you cant even think about useing it without ear protection(total waste of money putting a radio in it]today after snow blowing the 32" of snow that fell in 12 hours,i noticed that it would not pull high range,would bog the engine.tryed with blower of and in 2wd same result.sounds like the pump in the tranny is shot.this machine has 35 hours on it.anyone else have any problems?
l3800 transmission noise
- Thread starter 315scott
- Start date
Mine is gear drive and quiet, but a little whine in high gear.
I would call your dealer real soon.
I would call your dealer real soon.
If the pump in the transmission were "shot" it would not bog down the engine. I suspect you have more of a power or performance expectation issue.
As far as noise is concerned, yes, the basic "L" tractors are poor candidates for aftermarket cabs! especially with the HST trans.! They are much too noisy and the only time you'll be able to use your radio OR hear yourself think is when you are on coffee break with the tractor off!
Ed
not shure what you mean by power performance issue,it would pull high range when i first bought the machine,,now it does not.why would the L series HST transmissions have such noise issues and others dont?this thing is not just noisy it is freaking crazy loud.the cab has amplified it 10X.really i am not very happy for a $30,000 investment i thought i would own for the rest of my life.i bought the machine,loader,cab and 6" snowblower,traded a dt3000 that was reliable as a hammer.
Probably not the answer but make sure you don't have your brakes locked on. That happened to me when I first got the L3800, sounded like the noise you are describing. Another thing is I'm pretty sure your not supposed to run in high range until after the 50 hour service. I have no cab and yes the trans does whine but not to the degree that you say.
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Manual Shift. Also called straight shift. The Massey Ferguson folks, over in England, refer to this as a crash shift gearbox. That's a pretty good name, because that is (more often than not) exactly what occurs when you try to shift on the go. The two gears that you are attempting to mesh are rotating at different speeds, causing that grinding noise you hear. The two most popular styles of manual shift transmissions are the sliding gear, and the collar shift. In the sliding gear style, the gears are splined to the main shaft, and gear selection is made by actually moving the gears, via shift forks, into the appropriate location. For the collar shift style, the gears are built up into a stack. The gears do not slide back and forth. These gears are not splined to the main shaft but are free to rotate when not engaged. There is a shift collar in between each gear pair, i.e. 1st & 2nd or 3rd & 4th. This collar is splined to the main shaft, and is the movable component when a speed change is called for. Manual shift transmissions, while not as user-friendly as some of the other types, tend to have cast iron durability.
Synchro-Shift. Essentially a collar shift transmission, with the addition of synchronizers, which allow for crash-less shifting on the go. In order to achieve a smooth shift, the first thing that must happen is an equalization of rotational speed of the gears that you wish to bring into mesh with each other. This is the chief function of the synchronizer. Let's suppose our transmission is synchronized between 3rd and 4th gears. We'll start out in 3rd gear, and then shift into 4th. As we shift, the first occurrence in the chain of events is that we move the transmission out of 3rd gear, and into neutral. As we continue moving the shift lever towards 4th gear, a brass cone applies friction to 4th gear, increasing or decreasing it's speed to match that of the rotating collar. Once the speeds have equalized, the gears still may not be lined up with each other, so there are little triangular shaped teeth around the outer circumference of the brass cone, which serve to ever so slightly rotate the shift collar teeth and the gear teeth into perfect alignment. This whole process occurs rapidly, usually allowing a straight-through shift, directly out of one gear and into the next. Synchro transmissions range from simple, where only a single pair of gears are synchronized, on up to full synchronization of all speeds, including forward and reverse. Shuttle-Shift, which refers to synchronization between forward and reverse, is a real benefit to have on a tractor that will be used for front loader work. Still a reliable transmission, but a little more subject to failures because of the extra bearings, synchro rings, etc. that are in use. More complex = more potential for failures to occur.
Power Shift. Has a lot of similarity to the collar shift, in that the gears are in constant mesh. Instead of a sliding coupler, there is a clutch pack, that when energized, causes the selected gear to rotate by locking it to the main shaft. Some, or all, of the speeds in a given transmission may be selected via the power shift method. However it more often the case that only a portion of the speeds are selected in this manner. This usually results in a hybrid, synchro-shift/power shift type of transmission. Power shift gives you the ability to select several different speeds while on the go without having to use the clutch pedal. When everything is working properly, they are really nifty to use. Beware of poor maintenance habits, though. Neglecting to change the transmission oil and filters, as recommended, will result in this transmission biting a big chunk of money out of your wallet.
Hydrostatic Drive. There is nothing new-fangled about this transmission. It has been around for a long time. Nevertheless, it is among the least understood of all transmission types. It is common for it to be compared with the automatic transmission in an automobile. They are different animals altogether. The only similarity is that they both use oil to transmit power. Tech types describe a hydrostatic transmission as being a variable-displacement hydraulic pump, driving a fixed-displacement hydraulic motor. Now, to the un-initiated, that's a bunch of gobblety-gook. So let's s t r e t c h that explanation out a little bit. Any hydraulic pump's sole purpose in life is to deliver some amount (volume) of fluid to some other device, which in turn moves whatever is attached to that device, causing work to be performed. This can be either through linear motion (as in a hydraulic cylinder), or rotary motion (as in a hydraulic motor). If we want to control how quickly our device moves (or rotates), one way we can do that is to vary the amount of oil that the pump sends to it. If our pump is delivering four gallons a minute, things will happen four times faster than if we only pump one gallon a minute. (Are you with me, so far?) Since we can control our pump's output, we can control the motor's speed. Now, unless we just want to go around in a circle all day long, we've got to figure out how to change directions. No problem. (You knew that, didn't you?) Most hydraulic motors don't care whether they are turned clock-wise or counter-clockwise. (They probably don't even know the difference!) Since a hydrostatic transmission operates in what is called a closed loop system, consisting of the pump and motor units, we simply reverse the direction of flow from the pump, causing the motor to operate in the opposite direction. Oh, by the way, closed loop means that a fixed amount of system oil is trapped, or contained, within the pump/motor circuit. Assume that a certain hydro transmission is of a size that it contains 500 ml of oil within the closed loop. That volume remains constant, never changing regardless of tractor speed or direction. So, for any change that we make in the output volume and/or direction of flow of oil from the pump section, a reaction must occur in the motor section, inducing a corresponding change in motor speed and/or direction. In reality, there is a certain amount of oil that is constantly escaping from and being replenished back into the closed loop section of the transmission. This is because a small amount of oil is allowed to flow all around the various components for lubrication and cooling purposes. The greatest advantage of a hydrostatic transmission is the ability to infinitely vary the ground speed and quickly change directions. It's like having a million speed transmission. If you need a travel speed of 1.200589 MPH, it is available. Another advantage is reliability. This transmission is, by way of design, pretty much self-protecting from operator abuse. Also, on foot pedal controlled transmissions, there is a built in safety factor in that you need only lift your foot from the pedal, to bring the tractor to a controlled stop. The only disadvantage of note is a slight loss of power at the PTO shaft. You must also remember to apply the parking brake should you park the tractor on a slope. Hydrostatic is, by far, the best choice for turf mowing applications or for any tasks that require constant speed and direction changes within a small area.
Glide Shift. This is a Kubota exclusive. It is best described as a manual shift transmission whereby gear selection is achieved without the necessity to operate the tractor's main clutch. It is very similar in design and function to the synchro-shift type. All of the gears in this transmission are synchronized. The major difference is found in the addition of one hydraulic clutch pack and a hydraulic shift cover that is mounted to the side of the transmission housing. Eight speeds are available, with forward and reverse (shuttle) for each speed. Stay with me as we go through a shifting sequence. Let's assume that we are in 2nd gear and wish to shift into 3rd. Without touching the clutch pedal, we simply move the shift lever from 2nd gear position into 3rd gear position. (Boy, that was easy!). What just happened was, we lined up some oil passages in the shift cover to redirect pressurized hydraulic oil to make the shift for us. The first thing that happened was that the hydraulic pressure that was holding the clutch pack squeezed together was allowed to escape, releasing the clutch. This causes the engine to stop driving the transmission. Next, oil (under pressure) is directed to the 2nd gear shift rail cylinder in a manner which places that rail in neutral. Then, oil pressurizes the 3rd gear shift rail cylinder to move 3rd gear into engagement. Oil is then directed to the clutch pack squeezing it together once again, to reconnect engine drive power to the transmission. The actual shift part of the sequence occurs very quickly, taking about 4/10ths of a second. Clutch pack re-engagement, however, is a time-controlled process in order to allow smooth shifting and eliminate jerkiness in the shifting process. Glide shift has been around for several years now with excellent reliability. It is a great choice if you will be doing a lot of front loader work, as well as working in larger fields. Using a front loader can be very hard on main drive clutches. With glide shift the need for manual clutching is eliminated, thus saving wear and tear on the clutch as well as your leg!
Selecting the right transmission for the jobs you do (or may do in the future) is every bit as important as getting the right size tractor. A lot of people have traded their tractor shortly after purchasing it, because they found out that the transmission wasn't suitable for the jobs they were doing. Maybe the shift pattern was so odd they just couldn't get used to it. That is way more expensive than getting the right one to begin with. If you are new to the world of tractors, take time to drive and familiarize yourself with some different types of transmissions. As with the rest of life, no transmission is perfect for every application, and all of the different types will involve some compromises.
Synchro-Shift. Essentially a collar shift transmission, with the addition of synchronizers, which allow for crash-less shifting on the go. In order to achieve a smooth shift, the first thing that must happen is an equalization of rotational speed of the gears that you wish to bring into mesh with each other. This is the chief function of the synchronizer. Let's suppose our transmission is synchronized between 3rd and 4th gears. We'll start out in 3rd gear, and then shift into 4th. As we shift, the first occurrence in the chain of events is that we move the transmission out of 3rd gear, and into neutral. As we continue moving the shift lever towards 4th gear, a brass cone applies friction to 4th gear, increasing or decreasing it's speed to match that of the rotating collar. Once the speeds have equalized, the gears still may not be lined up with each other, so there are little triangular shaped teeth around the outer circumference of the brass cone, which serve to ever so slightly rotate the shift collar teeth and the gear teeth into perfect alignment. This whole process occurs rapidly, usually allowing a straight-through shift, directly out of one gear and into the next. Synchro transmissions range from simple, where only a single pair of gears are synchronized, on up to full synchronization of all speeds, including forward and reverse. Shuttle-Shift, which refers to synchronization between forward and reverse, is a real benefit to have on a tractor that will be used for front loader work. Still a reliable transmission, but a little more subject to failures because of the extra bearings, synchro rings, etc. that are in use. More complex = more potential for failures to occur.
Power Shift. Has a lot of similarity to the collar shift, in that the gears are in constant mesh. Instead of a sliding coupler, there is a clutch pack, that when energized, causes the selected gear to rotate by locking it to the main shaft. Some, or all, of the speeds in a given transmission may be selected via the power shift method. However it more often the case that only a portion of the speeds are selected in this manner. This usually results in a hybrid, synchro-shift/power shift type of transmission. Power shift gives you the ability to select several different speeds while on the go without having to use the clutch pedal. When everything is working properly, they are really nifty to use. Beware of poor maintenance habits, though. Neglecting to change the transmission oil and filters, as recommended, will result in this transmission biting a big chunk of money out of your wallet.
Hydrostatic Drive. There is nothing new-fangled about this transmission. It has been around for a long time. Nevertheless, it is among the least understood of all transmission types. It is common for it to be compared with the automatic transmission in an automobile. They are different animals altogether. The only similarity is that they both use oil to transmit power. Tech types describe a hydrostatic transmission as being a variable-displacement hydraulic pump, driving a fixed-displacement hydraulic motor. Now, to the un-initiated, that's a bunch of gobblety-gook. So let's s t r e t c h that explanation out a little bit. Any hydraulic pump's sole purpose in life is to deliver some amount (volume) of fluid to some other device, which in turn moves whatever is attached to that device, causing work to be performed. This can be either through linear motion (as in a hydraulic cylinder), or rotary motion (as in a hydraulic motor). If we want to control how quickly our device moves (or rotates), one way we can do that is to vary the amount of oil that the pump sends to it. If our pump is delivering four gallons a minute, things will happen four times faster than if we only pump one gallon a minute. (Are you with me, so far?) Since we can control our pump's output, we can control the motor's speed. Now, unless we just want to go around in a circle all day long, we've got to figure out how to change directions. No problem. (You knew that, didn't you?) Most hydraulic motors don't care whether they are turned clock-wise or counter-clockwise. (They probably don't even know the difference!) Since a hydrostatic transmission operates in what is called a closed loop system, consisting of the pump and motor units, we simply reverse the direction of flow from the pump, causing the motor to operate in the opposite direction. Oh, by the way, closed loop means that a fixed amount of system oil is trapped, or contained, within the pump/motor circuit. Assume that a certain hydro transmission is of a size that it contains 500 ml of oil within the closed loop. That volume remains constant, never changing regardless of tractor speed or direction. So, for any change that we make in the output volume and/or direction of flow of oil from the pump section, a reaction must occur in the motor section, inducing a corresponding change in motor speed and/or direction. In reality, there is a certain amount of oil that is constantly escaping from and being replenished back into the closed loop section of the transmission. This is because a small amount of oil is allowed to flow all around the various components for lubrication and cooling purposes. The greatest advantage of a hydrostatic transmission is the ability to infinitely vary the ground speed and quickly change directions. It's like having a million speed transmission. If you need a travel speed of 1.200589 MPH, it is available. Another advantage is reliability. This transmission is, by way of design, pretty much self-protecting from operator abuse. Also, on foot pedal controlled transmissions, there is a built in safety factor in that you need only lift your foot from the pedal, to bring the tractor to a controlled stop. The only disadvantage of note is a slight loss of power at the PTO shaft. You must also remember to apply the parking brake should you park the tractor on a slope. Hydrostatic is, by far, the best choice for turf mowing applications or for any tasks that require constant speed and direction changes within a small area.
Glide Shift. This is a Kubota exclusive. It is best described as a manual shift transmission whereby gear selection is achieved without the necessity to operate the tractor's main clutch. It is very similar in design and function to the synchro-shift type. All of the gears in this transmission are synchronized. The major difference is found in the addition of one hydraulic clutch pack and a hydraulic shift cover that is mounted to the side of the transmission housing. Eight speeds are available, with forward and reverse (shuttle) for each speed. Stay with me as we go through a shifting sequence. Let's assume that we are in 2nd gear and wish to shift into 3rd. Without touching the clutch pedal, we simply move the shift lever from 2nd gear position into 3rd gear position. (Boy, that was easy!). What just happened was, we lined up some oil passages in the shift cover to redirect pressurized hydraulic oil to make the shift for us. The first thing that happened was that the hydraulic pressure that was holding the clutch pack squeezed together was allowed to escape, releasing the clutch. This causes the engine to stop driving the transmission. Next, oil (under pressure) is directed to the 2nd gear shift rail cylinder in a manner which places that rail in neutral. Then, oil pressurizes the 3rd gear shift rail cylinder to move 3rd gear into engagement. Oil is then directed to the clutch pack squeezing it together once again, to reconnect engine drive power to the transmission. The actual shift part of the sequence occurs very quickly, taking about 4/10ths of a second. Clutch pack re-engagement, however, is a time-controlled process in order to allow smooth shifting and eliminate jerkiness in the shifting process. Glide shift has been around for several years now with excellent reliability. It is a great choice if you will be doing a lot of front loader work, as well as working in larger fields. Using a front loader can be very hard on main drive clutches. With glide shift the need for manual clutching is eliminated, thus saving wear and tear on the clutch as well as your leg!
Selecting the right transmission for the jobs you do (or may do in the future) is every bit as important as getting the right size tractor. A lot of people have traded their tractor shortly after purchasing it, because they found out that the transmission wasn't suitable for the jobs they were doing. Maybe the shift pattern was so odd they just couldn't get used to it. That is way more expensive than getting the right one to begin with. If you are new to the world of tractors, take time to drive and familiarize yourself with some different types of transmissions. As with the rest of life, no transmission is perfect for every application, and all of the different types will involve some compromises.
A common mistake many new operators of an HST transmission make is to treat the pedal like a gas pedal. This will not work! You must look at it like a gear shift, the further down you push it the higher gear you have effectively shifted into. You must push it down slow enough to allow the engine to keep up with the load. The grand L tractors have features like "stall-guard" and "auto-throttle- advance" that allow the transmission to be operated more like the automatic in a car or truck but the basic L does not.
Ed
Ed
eserv,thanks for the education.the part you arent grasping here is this machine would go just fine in high range a few months ago,now it does not.when the machine was first purchased it did not have a cab,when mowing with a brush hog the tranny was louder than the mower.now i have a cab on it and it is retarded how loud it is.if that is the way this machine is designed,it is extremely flawed.i dont remember reading in the sales brochure that in your words"you wont be able to hear yourself think" when operating this machine.L line being cheaper machine than Grand line is not a valid excuse for this obsene amount of noise.
you get what you pay for???i spent $30,000 friggin thousand dollars,and i drive a $3,000 truck everyday.maybe im the retard.
you get what you pay for???i spent $30,000 friggin thousand dollars,and i drive a $3,000 truck everyday.maybe im the retard.
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Oh I'm grasping that alright! It could be you have a power problem in the engine or brakes sticking etc. I really doubt the HST is at fault. ( it could be though)
Those tractors are loud, and with a cab on unacceptably loud! I would never recommend a cab on one, if you want a cab get a grand L.. It was NOT designed with a cab!
The basic L's have been very reliable utility tractors. we have sold lots of them with almost no repairs but they are basic utility tractors
ColdRider
New member
Equipment
L3800 Hst,QA fel, B7200Hst,(sold) tiller, bushhog, finish mower, snow plow blade
Mine is loud too, much louder than the 20 year old B7200 HST it replaced.
It also starts easier, has loads more power, steers easier, mows faster, moves way more snow and is just much more tractor all around.
I'll keep it. I didn't really want a cab, really.
It also starts easier, has loads more power, steers easier, mows faster, moves way more snow and is just much more tractor all around.
I'll keep it. I didn't really want a cab, really.
dealer picked up my machine yesterday,gave me a L5030 loaner,my L3800 is for sale now.now i dislike my machine even worse now.i wish i still had my dt3000 and $20,000 in my bank account.
Sorry to hear about your troubles.
I'm glad I got the gear drive in my 3800, after hearing about the noisy HST. This tractor is a blast to use. I love it!
I'm glad I got the gear drive in my 3800, after hearing about the noisy HST. This tractor is a blast to use. I love it!
Bluegill's tractor may be noisier than normal. They aren't quite tractors but are acceptable without a cab. The curtis cab turns them into a drum unfortunately!
Ed
My L3800 has the "normal" HST whine that every HST tractor I've owned has had. It may be a hair louder than the others were but nothing worth mentioning. Now if you want to hear a loud whine put a factory steel cab on a Case 446 hydraulic drive garden tractor. Unbearable. Tractor gone. Should have known better. It was irritating without the cab.
I know this is old, but I just saw this. My L3800 is very quiet, just motor noise and a very little normal gear/trans whine in 7th & 8th.
Burt
New member
Equipment
L3700SU, box blade, 6 foot rhino blade, 1 bottom plow, 3 point receiver hitch.
Scott:
The cab is the issue. Even the top alone will amplify your noise significantly. Get a parka to substitute for the cab if running in cold weather and try the Vallen safety supply ear plugs. They will knock out about 32DB of noise. You will still be able to hear what your tractor is doing.
Double check your brake being off and warm that puppy up first a bit. Go slow when "shifting," accellerating give the fluids time to reach their capacity. It's not like an accellerator on a car, it's a fluid transfer device.
My L3700SU can make some funny noises and I've learned that is the nature of the beast. It's a lot like owning one of those early Volkswagen beetles. They were a good design with a lot of noise to boot.
Your tractor is the same kind of critter. I just remember that it is, after all, a tractor, not a bose sound system.
If all goes badly, ask the dealer to check the hydraulic pressures and test for factory normals.
Good luck. You'll like those earplugs if you get some!
Burt
Breeze
New member
Equipment
L3700, Box Grader, 60" Bush Hog, Rear Grader Blade, York Rake, Boom Pole.
I kept reading "Hi-Range" in the unhappy 3800 owner's posts. It was my belief and operating practice with my L3700 to use "Hi-Range" only for moving from point A to point B. I work hilly ground with bush hog and grading and it's Lo or Mid range only with a load, PTO speed with the mower, 2,500 rpm or less with dirt moving.
I guess there is value, if you have the ground, to racing around with a mower. There is no value period to racing around with a york rake, box blade or grader blade. Snow....what's that?
I guess there is value, if you have the ground, to racing around with a mower. There is no value period to racing around with a york rake, box blade or grader blade. Snow....what's that?
I really don't understand the problem....so what it's a little noisy, get over it, it's a tractor and a damn good one. I wear ear muffs with my cub cadet lawn tractor. If that doesn't work for ya wire up a kick ass stereo. Are ya gonna put up with a little noise or buy a stick. For me a little convenience far outways a little noise. For the record, I do not have a cab on mine. I have the poor man's cab called snowmobile gear. OK boys and girls fire away but bottom line is I'm more than happy with my tractor....even waxed it yesterday...yyup that's luv