MChalkley
Elite Member
- Joined
- Mar 27, 2000
- Messages
- 3,239
- Location
- Eastern Virginia
- Tractor
- EarthForce EF-5 mini-TLB (2001)
L4310\'s and very steep hills
First of all, a few disclaimers (lest TomG, or others, rightfully chastise me for not being safety conscious /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif), in no particular order: Just because I do something on my tractor, don't assume that you should/can/etc. No matter how implausible this sounds when I describe the following stunt, I always try to operate the tractor in a safe manner. I've spent a lot of time exploring the limits of my tractor with safety mechanisms in place (like a backhoe bucket for a "wheelie bar" or stabilizers for "training wheels"). My tractor is very highly modified and may react very differently from your tractor (and by "differently" I don't necessarily mean "better", just "not the same"). I recommend against trying this - just take my word for it. (Aside to the "lawyers": Did I leave out anything?)
Anyway: I found out something very interesting today. If you climb a hill steeper than just over 40 degrees (according to my side-mounted tiltmeter), the HST transmission stops picking up oil and begins to coast. Going down a hill that steep doesn't cause similar problems because the oil pickup is in the front of the transmission. I was a little surprised at first. I started up this hill, very slowly of course, then all of a sudden the tractor just stopped. I wasn't sure what had happened at first, but it dawned on me just as the tractor started to roll back down the hill. So, I tried backing up the hill instead - no problem. I don't think this is something that should be a problem very often, but just in case it ever happens to you (just don't do it because I brought it up!), now you know.
MarkC
First of all, a few disclaimers (lest TomG, or others, rightfully chastise me for not being safety conscious /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif), in no particular order: Just because I do something on my tractor, don't assume that you should/can/etc. No matter how implausible this sounds when I describe the following stunt, I always try to operate the tractor in a safe manner. I've spent a lot of time exploring the limits of my tractor with safety mechanisms in place (like a backhoe bucket for a "wheelie bar" or stabilizers for "training wheels"). My tractor is very highly modified and may react very differently from your tractor (and by "differently" I don't necessarily mean "better", just "not the same"). I recommend against trying this - just take my word for it. (Aside to the "lawyers": Did I leave out anything?)
Anyway: I found out something very interesting today. If you climb a hill steeper than just over 40 degrees (according to my side-mounted tiltmeter), the HST transmission stops picking up oil and begins to coast. Going down a hill that steep doesn't cause similar problems because the oil pickup is in the front of the transmission. I was a little surprised at first. I started up this hill, very slowly of course, then all of a sudden the tractor just stopped. I wasn't sure what had happened at first, but it dawned on me just as the tractor started to roll back down the hill. So, I tried backing up the hill instead - no problem. I don't think this is something that should be a problem very often, but just in case it ever happens to you (just don't do it because I brought it up!), now you know.
MarkC