I'm freaked my B2920 will tip over sideways

[ericher69]

Don't think it has been mentioned but 4x4 is a must on slopes to keep the rear end from breaking loose!

 

[kcender]

Interesting thread.I now have a BX2360 that I use for mowing.I find it very stable on side hills which I mow such as the sides of a ditch.I was thinking of replacing it with a B2320 or 2620.I was wondering if the B series would be as stable on side hills,starting to think that they wouldn't be.

 

[oldballs]

I found the BX2660 with turf tires to generally be a better mowing machine than my B2620 with R4. It also seemed more stable on a couple embankments that are long and just a little over 6 feet wide...e.g. along the road. So going up and down is not an option. The B2620 does it okay but just doesn't "feel" as stable. I try to mow when it is dry.... As enricher69 mentioned, use the 4 x 4.

 

[kco]

Interesting thread and view points. As mentioned a tilt meter may give you an idea as to how close you are to a comfortable limit, but as others mentioned rocks, ruts and stumps can make the tilt meter meaningless in a split second. When I upgraded to my new tractor a couple of years ago I spent the first few hours driving in the most challenging spots where I used the old tractor. That way I could concentrate fully on the tractor with no distractions.

I see your tractor has HST. That is great for safety because you can readily slow it to a crawl.

As mentioned, spacers can dramatically improve stability. Another source for spacers for your tractor is Bro-tek who makes add-ons for the Kubotas. The website is:

Bro-Tek: Tractor Add Ons

Information on the site is not up todate so it is best to contact the owner. I did that when considering spacers for my Kioti to increase clearance for tire chains. The website does not even indicate he makes spacers for my tractor. But I did get quoted a good price. In the end I did not need spacers because of modifcations I made to my chains.

Other good advice already given is to always use 4x4 on rough terrain. Also, keep the bucket as low as possible to increase stability. Sharp turns also reduce stability. Spend some time playing with the tractor until you get a feel for it and err on the side of caution.

Cheers

 

[AStanton]

Here's pics of what spacers did for my B3030. I had to add them because I couldn't run chains without em.

 

[Baby Grand]

That freaked feeling is healthy. Never ignore it, but try to learn (gradually) what is safe and what isn't. As others have said, there are many variables - soil softness after a wet spell, woodchuck activity, etc that make any hard rules about what angle is safe meaningless or dangerous. Most important advice I have is to pay attention - don't get distracted by anything that doesn't have to do with your stability when you're on a slope. No cell calls, no waiving at the neighbor's pretty daughter ... you get the idea.

Know what to do if you start tipping - turn down the hill, drop the FEL & 3PT, etc.
1) If you have your ROPS up, you should have you belt buckled.
2) If your ROPS is down, you should be unbuckled and ready to bail to the high side.

These two states are mutually exclusive - you won't have time to buckel or unbuckle your belt to match you ROPS state when you need to, so make sure you have the right combination before you start to move.

 

[tshep]

Like GB said - good - you should be freaked!

Another offered running with stabilizers/backhoe extended - I do that when I absolutely have to work on slopes. I mostly set back hoe extended to high side, right angle to tractor, to generate 'lever torque' to balance wheels down. The downhill side stabilizers will be about 3 inches off the hill.

I think it's real important to work on reactions.
I bet your gut reaction (like mine) will be *** backwards as they say. Watch a bunch of 4 wheeling FAIL youtubes - drivers turn across the slope when scared, thinking to stop, and end up rolling over - when they could just roll down the hill shiny side up. Our equivalent is a slope with a downside pothole (or an uphill stump), a turn up the hill can make it flip - you want to turn into the down side hole and just roll down the hill. (Think about turning a car fast, the inside tires lift, the outside tires squat - on a hill that dynamic is enough to add to the pothole to continue that flip.)

Practice in a relatively safe place, stabilizers out, folks watching, and phones available. Good luck.!

 

[deathtoblackberries]

Ideally I want the BH and FEL off the tractor when I mow to keep the weight down when I'm out on the lawn, I'll just have the 60" MMM which itself will add about 300 lbs of weight below the center of gravity so that's good. That BH is 1400 pounds and most of the weight is up high well above the center of gravity. I could keep the FEL low but it has some weight above COG but mostly removing it is about visibility which itself is a safety factor right.

As I'm grading the property over the new few months I'm going to give consideration to flattening out slopes where I can and how I'll mow it with the tractor. It would still be good to know what the safe zone is in terms of side slope absent stumps, potholes, etc. e.g. what's the safe tilt. I don't have any slopes so steep that I'm worried about flipping over backwards mowing, box planing maybe but I'll keep the FEL on for that.

I was coming straight up a hill yesterday and got the left rear into some soft fill dirt and it started to sink and lean, turning into that lean put me on a side slope leaning further in the direction of the sunken tire which was my first instinct but a bad idea, I pulled the wheel back around and powered straight up and out. It only sunk about 8 inches deep but it feel like WHOA! :shocked:

 

[Coyote machine]

Another thing to consider is checking the ground you plan to cover on foot first, looking for and marking with stakes, or whatever before you go over it with your machine. Look for potholes, stumps, soft spots, etc.

 

[Gary Fowler]

Your instinct was good. Never turn down slope so the low wheel will be on the low side of the slope. You could also have stopped and backed up while turning down slope to keep the stuck wheel on the high side of the slope. This could have been bad had you been going across the slope and the low side wheel fell into the soft spot which is why everyone suggests that you mow up and down the slope and only turn on flat ground or decrease your speed to a crawl when turning and turn as sharp as you can to avoid as much as possible side slope time.
The larger you tractor the more you are going to feel the angle. On my P7010 it feels much less stable on the same slope that I run my lawnmower on without any problem. You just have to get adjusted to the height from ground issue similar to walking a 12" wide plank 3 feet off the ground vs that same plank 50 feet in the air, which one gives the strongest pucker factor?