JoeL4330
Platinum Member
Awful hard to give tactical advice without seeing the situation, but here's some anyway...get to know your seatbelt and make sure the ROPS is up and secured (if it is a folding ROPS). Order a toothbar for your bucket ...with your "concrete" soil, it is probably the best investment. Can I assume that the tractor is 4wd? If so, this is a lot easier:
No one mentioned the problem with going downhill with the FEL loaded; the problem is that the rear wheels tend to "unweight" and lose traction ...and, braking, of course. This problem is overcome with 4wd as the front wheels provide engine braking (you are in low range on your HST, on a serious slope ...and never try to change on a slope. and never, never let your foot get near the clutch) and you will be able to descend to a more level spot, but never turn the wheels...you should be going straight up or down the "fall line", as skiers say ...I cannot conceive of a situation where the tractor is ever going to flip over onto its back "longitudinally" (i.e., tail over nose or the reverse) short of going over a cliff (does "cliff" describe coming over the top of your berm?) or running into an immovable stump with the bucket at really, really, really high speed (for a tractor) [but, see, below, discussion of improper pulling]
While you are waiting for your toothbar, try a few confidence building exercises. Get to your flattest spot, roll your bucket forward and apply downforce ...the front wheels will lift ...no problem ...lift them as high as you can with your bucket ...again, no problem ...now inch up or down the fall line and do the same ...no problem ...no way the tractor can do a "nose-over" or tail-over" and it's not going for a sleigh ride, either because your bucket is anchoring it ...indeed, that's the best way to park on a slope rather than rely solely on the "parking brake", drop the rear implement and raise the front wheels slightly. This front-wheel-raising exercise is important for when you get your toothbar and start digging into your concrete berm.
Pointing directly up or down the fall line, you will become comfortable with raising both front wheels (evenly) off the ground. Now, here's something that will make you very uncomfortable: your bucket catches, say a root, on either end of the bucket and you attempt to raise the bucket (or grapple) to worry the root out. The forces are unequal ...one side of your bucket is raising, the other is anchored and now you are raising only one wheel and your tractor is tipping sideways ...fortunately your hand is still on the joystick and you cancel the bucket lift ...and, of course, your ROPS is in place and your seatbelt is tight. This situation is scary, although you might now try little increments as confidence builders because, contrary to what your digestive tract is telling you, that wheel can come up a ways before ...well, you get the picture. It is this imbalance, incidentally, why we are discouraged from welding chain hooks on the bucket, except, perhaps in the middle.
There is one situation in which you could make your tractor do a "wheelie" and go nose up, over your tail...pulling a load by attaching rope/chain high up on the rear of the tractor (say, the ROPS) ...the load sticks, the rear wheels torque, and the tractor rotates around the rear axle. Any pulling should be from your drawbar, at or below the level of the rear axle. So, your real enemies are steep sidehills (i.e., across the fall line) or immovable objects you are trying to lift of pull. If in 4wd, with the engine braking, your tractor can probably go up or down a fall line much steeper than you will ever dare attempt (but if you do, make sure there is a flatter "run out" at the bottom)...It is the dynamics of lifting or pulling that get you into trouble.
Of course, this is just my take and no substitute for your own judgement or practice ...I would my original advice--ROPS, seat belt and toothbar, and confidence building exercises in a safe environment ...cutting the berm can probably wait a few seat-hours. sorry to be so longwinded
No one mentioned the problem with going downhill with the FEL loaded; the problem is that the rear wheels tend to "unweight" and lose traction ...and, braking, of course. This problem is overcome with 4wd as the front wheels provide engine braking (you are in low range on your HST, on a serious slope ...and never try to change on a slope. and never, never let your foot get near the clutch) and you will be able to descend to a more level spot, but never turn the wheels...you should be going straight up or down the "fall line", as skiers say ...I cannot conceive of a situation where the tractor is ever going to flip over onto its back "longitudinally" (i.e., tail over nose or the reverse) short of going over a cliff (does "cliff" describe coming over the top of your berm?) or running into an immovable stump with the bucket at really, really, really high speed (for a tractor) [but, see, below, discussion of improper pulling]
While you are waiting for your toothbar, try a few confidence building exercises. Get to your flattest spot, roll your bucket forward and apply downforce ...the front wheels will lift ...no problem ...lift them as high as you can with your bucket ...again, no problem ...now inch up or down the fall line and do the same ...no problem ...no way the tractor can do a "nose-over" or tail-over" and it's not going for a sleigh ride, either because your bucket is anchoring it ...indeed, that's the best way to park on a slope rather than rely solely on the "parking brake", drop the rear implement and raise the front wheels slightly. This front-wheel-raising exercise is important for when you get your toothbar and start digging into your concrete berm.
Pointing directly up or down the fall line, you will become comfortable with raising both front wheels (evenly) off the ground. Now, here's something that will make you very uncomfortable: your bucket catches, say a root, on either end of the bucket and you attempt to raise the bucket (or grapple) to worry the root out. The forces are unequal ...one side of your bucket is raising, the other is anchored and now you are raising only one wheel and your tractor is tipping sideways ...fortunately your hand is still on the joystick and you cancel the bucket lift ...and, of course, your ROPS is in place and your seatbelt is tight. This situation is scary, although you might now try little increments as confidence builders because, contrary to what your digestive tract is telling you, that wheel can come up a ways before ...well, you get the picture. It is this imbalance, incidentally, why we are discouraged from welding chain hooks on the bucket, except, perhaps in the middle.
There is one situation in which you could make your tractor do a "wheelie" and go nose up, over your tail...pulling a load by attaching rope/chain high up on the rear of the tractor (say, the ROPS) ...the load sticks, the rear wheels torque, and the tractor rotates around the rear axle. Any pulling should be from your drawbar, at or below the level of the rear axle. So, your real enemies are steep sidehills (i.e., across the fall line) or immovable objects you are trying to lift of pull. If in 4wd, with the engine braking, your tractor can probably go up or down a fall line much steeper than you will ever dare attempt (but if you do, make sure there is a flatter "run out" at the bottom)...It is the dynamics of lifting or pulling that get you into trouble.
Of course, this is just my take and no substitute for your own judgement or practice ...I would my original advice--ROPS, seat belt and toothbar, and confidence building exercises in a safe environment ...cutting the berm can probably wait a few seat-hours. sorry to be so longwinded
