Yesterday evening, I spotted a small oil puddle on the top right side of the mower deck, just under the loader control lever. There was a consistent drip of hydraulic oil coming from inside the right fender where the loader’s hydraulic lines connect to the dual SCV. This caught me off guard because I hadn’t done anything that could have caused damage in that area, and I’ve only logged 42 hours on my 1025r! I parked it for the night and let it sit. Today, when I checked the hydraulic fluid level, the dipstick showed nothing. I ended up adding about half a quart of john deere 1025r hydraulic fluid fill location before it even registered. Even though the tractor is still under warranty, I was curious if a loose fitting from the factory might be to blame. I loosened the right fender just enough to inspect the oil lines connected to the dual SCV and found the source of the leak—an elbow fitting on the line that controls the loader’s lowering mechanism. However, the fitting didn’t seem loose, and I would need to completely remove the fender to get a wrench on it. At this point, I’m leaning towards letting the dealer handle the repair.
Has anyone else experienced this with the 1 series? This will be the second time I’ve had to call the dealer for a fix. The first issue occurred when I had around 15 hours on the tractor and noticed a lot of play in the rock shaft, which turned out to be missing a snap ring. That was a simple enough fix. Hopefully, these are just minor issues and I won’t encounter many more down the road. Other than these problems, I really love this tractor!
Maybe the dealer will do the 50-hour service for free since I’m approaching the 50-hour mark and there’s a fluid leak. It doesn’t hurt to ask!
Hydraulic lines can occasionally loosen over time, so it’s not unusual. I’d recommend trying to get the 50-hour service covered or at least request a discount for it.
Sorry to hear you’re dealing with this…
It’s fairly common for fittings to come loose, even after owning the equipment for years—you might encounter one that needs tightening now and then.
As for the low hydraulic fluid, it’s likely because the loader was installed without fully topping off the hydraulic system. When you first use the tractor, it fills the loader, which causes the fluid level to drop a bit. I had to add about half a gallon to get it back to the proper level. It’s not a huge issue, just a small frustration.
