Stupid question I need to ask...

[JoeR]

I am within 24 hours of taking ANOTHER hurricane beating within 3 weeks. This time I will get 95-100mph winds gusting over 115 and it will last for 8 plus hours. If it continues on its path, they expect 12 to 20 inches of rain. This leads to my question... What is the limit for depth of water on an L4330? Is it the axle, or can you go deeper? Is there an exposure limit to certain depths? I don't expect really deep water, just standing water between 8-10 inches. Since we have no hills, Florida doesn't get raging rivers just slow moving water for mosquitos to breed in...

 

[Bob_Skurka]

Any engine, in theory, can operate underwater, PROVIDED the air intake and the exhaust are above the water level. So the practical liimit of any tractor would be the elevation of either the exhaust or the air intake, whichever is lower.

 

[frank_f15]

not sure i am understanding the question correctly. if u are only expecting 8" of standing water i don't think that will even get to the axels on that tractor.

 

[BubbaJr]

I would check the vents on your axles to see how high they are. If you get water in the front or back axle vents, bad things will happen to the insides of the tractor. You also want to keep any electrical switches, connections, etc. out of the water to prevent shorts while you are running. If you get into water just go slow and watch out for wakes from some idiot that wants to see how high he can make the spray go.

Good luck with Frances, hope she misses you. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[texbaylea]

Vulnerable points are the oil dipstick and the transmission dipstick. Also, if any electrical connectors or switches are submerged here is the one thing that WD-40 IS good for. Flood the item with it to flush out any water. We were badly flooded in 1979 in Dickinson, TX. Upstream in Alvin, TX they received the national record, 42 inches in 24 hours. Anyway, I flushed all electrical appliances and equipment that were flooded, with WD-40 and recovered all of them.

Vernon

 

[JoeR]

Good idea on the wd-40.

I will try to keep the axle vents above water. I didn't think those fill plugs were water tight. Otherwise, I will be changing axle fluids??

Frank: I expect 8 inches overall, but one slip into a drainage ditch when you can't tell where the road is located can change the depth from 8 inches to 3 feet... When I was younger, I remember a hurricane that dropped plenty of rain. Numerous people drove off the road since you can't tell where it is located when it is flooded. Plenty of people in Florida have driveways that do not have culvert pipes, therefore, part of their driveway slopes through the drainage easement.

Thanks for the responses, I never had to deal with extreme flooding and it is good to get an idea of what challenges I face when using the tractor in these conditions.

Joe

 

[JerryG]

These tractors were designed to work in water. (rice patties) But, when it is over, check your oils, to see if they are milky. If they are milky, change them.

 

[Larry_T]

If it was mine I would put it on highest spot.Just to be safe.