I am thinking of buying this backhoe, but I am unfamiliar with the transmission operation. I have only operated regular tractors with clutches, so the backhoe transmission feels like it slips to me. The guy selling it said if it takes off in high gear then they are o.k. In high gear, I had to floor it to get it to move, but it eventually caught up and went about 20 mph. Does this sound right? I checked the fluid. It looks clean. Any help would be appreciated. I don't want to buy an almost broken tractor. Thanks.
a 15,000 pound backhoe is not a dragster I would never go full throttle in 4th gear takeoff low tire pressure works the tlb against roading the machine
Yeah. Normally you take off in 2nd or 3rd and shift to 4th once you are moving. The slip you feel should be in the torque converter if everything else is right.
This is exactly the same issue I was facing today buying a 580 E. I have also been told never to take off in 4th. I did it yesterday just to see what would happen, and it did exactly what your 555 did; was very sluggish, but eventually made it. If you suspect the shuttle is failing, try seeing how it climbs hills on the road in 3 and 4. On an old 580E I used to drive, it would do a hill in 4th gear and only lose a little bit of speed. My new machine, with 3000 more hours, will not even think about climbing a hill in 4th gear. If it is really steep, I have to shift down to 2nd and go 5mph up the hill. To me, climbing a hill in higher gear may be a good test to see how much wear is on the internals. Good luck.