My JD1025, purchased new in 2014, has been used for about 1,300 hours. Yesterday, I encountered an issue with the drive system. When pressing the forward pedal, there was no resistance—it simply went straight to the floor. The reverse pedal appeared to function normally, and afterward, I noticed some resistance returning to the forward pedal. The tractor is still operable in both low and high ranges, but it seems to freewheel when moving forward and accelerates on its own when heading downhill. It feels like an internal spring might be broken, but due to my age, inspecting it myself is challenging. The oil level is fine, slightly above full. Has anyone dealt with a similar issue?
While I don’t own a John Deere 1025R myself, my neighbor does, and he experienced something similar. In his case, we discovered that a small control rod, located under the seat on the right side of the transmission, had snapped at one end. This rod links the control mechanism to the transmission. Others with more expertise on the 1025R might be able to provide more detailed guidance, but it could be worth inspecting that area. Does the tractor still respond to the pedal by moving forward and backward at speeds proportional to its position? If so, it does sound like an issue with the linkage.
The OP is struggling to get the tractor to move much at all. It really seems like there might be a serious issue with the linkage. I’d recommend checking underneath to ensure that the movement of the pedals is properly transferring to the transmission control lever or whatever mechanism is responsible for that connection.
