Not getting stuck strategy

[DCS]

It seems to me it is better to avoid getting stuck in the first place then having to get a tractor "unstuck".

After getting stuck the last time, I am really paranoid about mud now. I used to keep my tractor in four wheel drive all the time while brush hogging but, that just kept getting me in some pretty "sticky" situations. My new strategy now is to keep the tractor in two wheel drive and as soon as the back tires start slipping, I will stop, raise the mower, put it in four wheel drive, back out and go around. What do you guy's do to avoid getting stuck?

 

[Thomas]

Morning DCS.
Heck give it shot.
Over the years I've got a good feeling when to and not to try mowing or traveling thru questionable sections,if the area to wet I mowe around than stop and take trimmer w/the blade and lay it down.

I keep her in 4WD when mowing etc. for there have been times I didn't realize the ground was that wet until half way thru,and 4WD drive was just enough to get thru...whew...if I had to stop and engage the 4WD there would have been deeper ruts.

"Getting unstuck wasted moves on the body's joints and bones"

 

[daTeacha]

The way it's been raining in Texas, it sounds like you could get stuck on a concrete driveway this year. Your strategy sounds pretty good, but you might want to include using the differential lock, too. Quite often, when one rear starts slipping in 2wd, simply stepping on the diff lock pedal with your left heel will be enough to get you through without even using 4wd.

 

[EddieWalker]

I'm running 100% on getting stuck every time I try to mow. I'm in 4wd when it happens, but I'm also mowing right at the edge of where it's safe to mow and where I know it's too wet. That's just me and I'm not suprised when it happens, just annoyed.

I have had more close calls then I can remember when I've started to sink and know I was in trouble, only to lock in the rear diferential and somehow keep going. My tires are directional, so going forward is MUCH better then trying to back up.

I also think that lifting your mower will put more weight on your rear tires and make you sink even faster. I've pretty much switched all my mowing to my finish mower and the difference is huge. The finish mowere has it's own wheels and there is no weight on the rear of the tractor. It pulls the mower along and without the added weight, I'm able to go places I never could with the rotary mower. Mostly this is on side angles, but it's also a big difference in wet conditions.

Eddie

 

[jbrumberg]

DCS:

I like your strategy and it seems to be working for you . If I remember correctly you have R-1's; they will "goo" you in but, but they will not "goo" you back out as EddieWalker has stated. I think that Eddie is also correct about the geometries of raising the RC. Thomas is right about knowing the property and when to avoid certain areas, and daTeacha suggestion of using the differential lock is solid too. It is important that you are moving slowly when you engage the differential lock do not engage at high ground speed! Jay

 

[patrick_g]

Doug, I think your strategy is just fine. I used to employ it on my 1943 (Ford) Jeep on weekends in the desert. We'd head out and get out in the desert late Fri night and head out in an area of dry washes where getting stuck in the sand was a definite possibility. I learned to "go for it" in 2wd and go till we got stuck. That picked the campsite. Next morning I'd flip the hubs, engage 4wd and we were not stuck.

If you proceed across your property in 4wd and get stuck then the diff lock may help enough to get you out, or maybe not. If you have the FEL mounted you might be able to work your way out backwards. Running in 2wd and reserving 4wd to get unstuck is a good plan. If you run in 4wd till you get stuck, then what?

Often muddy areas are worse in the vague area of the middle. If the muddy area is small and your momentum carried you past the center then proceeding forward is best but if you clearly didn't make it half way then going forward is a BAD IDEA. You know the ground behind you supported your travel so if you can back up just a little you will be better off than forging ahead into the likelihood of deeper mud.

If you notice that you are getting into mud you need to assess the situation and decide if making it out going forward is pretty much assured. In general backing out the way you came in is a safer bet and if you got into the difficulty in 2wd maybe backing out in 4wd will git 'er done.

I leave the FEL on all the time. Yes it gets in the way (a little bit once in a while) but it is too handy to do without. As I approach a fence or obstruction requiring maneuvering while brush hogging I raise the FEL temporarily to clear the obstacle. Works well with fences and similar when NOT ON A STEEP SLOPE where you don't want to raise your CG. I do not recommend raising it fully and leaving it as a fast turn could be an upsetting thing.

If I encounter a downed limb or such I can shove it aside with the FEL. I sometimes use the FEL's cutting edge to push over a little tree that I don't want to run over and risk underside damage (fuel filter canisters hydraulic lines, and such.)

I have avoided being irreparably stuck several times by using the FEL bucket to help push me backwards to the firm ground that bright me to the brink of disaster.

Pat

 

[JayDavis]

Out here in east Texas it is pretty soggy as well. I've gotten a JD4450 dual rear wheel 4x4 stuck while plowing a field. I couldn't go forward cause the tractor sank so low that the drawbar discs bottomed out to the frame even with the wheels raised. So I locked the diff and put it in reverse. It started coming out of the hole. I shuttled it into the highest reverse gear and floored the throttle and mud started flying all over the place (6 tires will do that) but it started crawling out. It made it out and I learned that you need to keep it in 4x4 because momentum is your friend. If you stop to shift you might not get going again. Next if you feel wheel slippage start to turn out of the wet spot and lock the differentials. If you sink whatever implement you are pulling may start to dig into the ground and act like an anchor. Raising it will lessen the traction needed to get out. Once you find a wet spot, work around it and come back to it when you are done with everything else and take small bites out of it at a time keeping solid ground as close as possible. This way if you get stuck at least you have pretty much finished the job. Where I work sometimes I spend 10+ hours operating tractors in an agri/industrial environment. It isn't a matter of IF you get stuck... it is a matter of WHEN... It is no big deal. It happens to everyone at one time or another.

 

[wolc123]

Getting stuck while spring plowing was always a given back when all I had was 2wd tractors. I would always leave my biggest, heaviest tractor in reserve and use that to pull out the next biggest one (used on the plow) when it got stuck. This occured on occasion because my ground is mostly mucky bottomland and field conditions vary a lot. To get the plowing done in time to get in spring crops, it is almost always necessary to start before all the low spots in the fields are completely dry. 4wd has made a dramatic difference for me. I can start my plowing earlier and get it done faster and have not got stuck since I have had it. I am amazed that I can leave the plow down and watch the wake form off it right thru the water holes with out any spin on them big R1 tires. I do leave the loader on while plowing semi-dry ground and figure I could use that to push myself if I ever got in trouble but, based on what I have seen, I doubt that will ever happen.

 

[pat32rf]

DCS:

It is important that you are moving slowly when you engage the differential lock do not engage at high ground speed! Jay

Yes, with both wheels at the same speed... My tenant or my son(I'm not sure which, neither one admits to it) used to step on the diff loc and hold it til it "clicked in" while one wheel spun. Dealer tells me that it is now a huge job to restore the diff loc so it will work..Both "helpers" have since moved out so I just use the wheel brakes if one spins. And I always leave the FEL on.