# NH Boomer 55 no power to wheels



## rjmoses (Apr 4, 2010)

Last winter, I traded my old JD 4710 compact tractor in on a NH Boomer 55 w hydrostatic drive.

I've been having a problem with the hydrostatic drive. The engine has power but the power just isn't making it to the drive wheels. I can pull an 8' shredder behind it in 1st or 2nd range and the shredder doesn't bog the engine down, no matter what I'm tearing up.

But, in 3rd range and sometimes 2nd, it can't pull its own weight over a 1' rise. Example: the other day I was spot spreading some areas in my OG fields that were weak with a 3pt broadcast spreader. This tractor could not get me out of the field an onto the road in 3rd range. The lip on the road was a little rise of about 8", sloped. (The JD would have walked right out).

I had the tractor into my NH dealer twice now and they can't find anything wrong. The service manager and salesman came over last Thursday and they were able to stall the tractor out in 3rd range going up a little rise by my barn. They were running about 2000 RPM.

Two other things: When turning, the tractor feels like it is pushing back on the pedal. Often when going downhill, it will start freewheeling until I hit the reverse pedal--not good on hilly ground.

I had them put beet juice in the tires when I bought it. The salesman was hinting that the weight of the beet juice might be to much for the tractor (55HP on 17.4x21 tires).

Overall, the tractor is OK. I like the loader, dual hydraulics ports, etc. but, if I can't go anywhere, it's as good as a very expensive brick.

Any thoughts about this will be greatly appreciated.

Ralph


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## slowzuki (Mar 8, 2011)

#1 - never ever should hst feel like its free wheeling! Likely sign of air in pump/motor and not oil, which will damage it asap. As far as I can tell its not an electronic HST either with "car" type drive setting.

#2 - Push back on the pedal under load is common in direct acting control of hst pump but yours should have servo (hydraulic over) control that cuts the feedback to pedal. It runs off the charge pressure circuit which may be provided by the steering pump so the two things may be related.


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## Gearclash (Nov 25, 2010)

I will echo slowzuki's thought, I think there is air getting in the hydro. I would think that air would have to be introduced into the system prior to the charge pump that feeds the hydro. Is the hydro or any other hydraulic function noisy or jerky?


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## rjmoses (Apr 4, 2010)

Gearclash said:


> I will echo slowzuki's thought, I think there is air getting in the hydro. I would think that air would have to be introduced into the system prior to the charge pump that feeds the hydro. Is the hydro or any other hydraulic function noisy or jerky?


Thanks.

Loader bucket, rear hydraulics, are quite, not jerky, seem just fine.

Any thoughts about salesman's beet juice weight concerns? I'm SWAGging about 50 gal/tire, totaling about 1100 lbs for both wheels.

Ralph


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## r82230 (Mar 1, 2016)

rjmoses said:


> Thanks.
> 
> Loader bucket, rear hydraulics, are quite, not jerky, seem just fine.
> 
> ...


I'm trying to wrap my head around the salesman's comment. Doesn't make sense to me, it's rolling weight, not lifted weight.  But if I'm thinking wrong, swap a some rear wheels, would tell you quickly if that's the problem.

SWAG could be in the ball park (or a little heavy), see attached, perhaps 42-43 gals per tire.  Couldn't find your exact tire size, but maybe close.

Did any of these problems happen when new or before beet juice, or has it always done this?

Larry


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## Gearclash (Nov 25, 2010)

"Any thoughts about salesman's beet juice weight concerns? I'm SWAGging about 50 gal/tire, totaling about 1100 lbs for both wheels."

Horse manure. This thing is what, 55 hp? The hydro should be able to kill the engine stone dead. If I had $100 dollars for every time I've killed a hydro skid steer I wouldn't have to work quite so hard . . .

Ok, there could be an exception to this. I have run a fly by wire skid steer and it is impossible to kill the engine on it. The electronics won't let you. It will pull down pretty good but won't stall.


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## rjmoses (Apr 4, 2010)

r82230 said:


> Did any of these problems happen when new or before beet juice, or has it always done this?
> 
> Larry


Took delivery of it with BJ in the tires. I had them put it in as a condition of sale.

It had 29 hours on it when I bought it. It had been sitting on the dealer's lot for a while and they wanted to clear it off the books before year-end--that's why (I think) I got a pretty good deal on it.

Ralph


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## rjmoses (Apr 4, 2010)

Continuing conversation with NH dealer on this tractor's problems.

The salesman and service manager talked with NH tech rep. They were told that the 3rd range is a road gear, no pulling power. I responded today that the tractor couldn't even pull it's own weight onto the road.

They're offering to replace it with a NH Workmaster 50 which has a 8x8 shuttle transmission. I really prefer a hydrostatic drive for some of the work I do when shredding, dragging the arena, post hole digging, spreading bagged urea and spraying pastures, etc.

The Workmaster seems like a much cheaper build.

Ralph


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## somedevildawg (Jun 20, 2011)

I believe it is....


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