The real hazards of bush hogging blind in hilly country!

[otlski]

Operator's position will change in a rollover.
Fuel in the tank will shift in a rollover.
Fluid in tires will shift in a rollover.
Hydraulic fluid in reservoir will shift in a rollover.
Oil in the crankcase will shift in a rollover.
The implement on the rear may shift if not secured in a rollover.
Material in the bucket may shift if not secured in a rollover.

Just sayin...

You are right of course. I think most of your list fall into the same category as tire flex except for material in the bucket and fluid in the tires. Otherwise the change in CG is likely measured in 1/16ths of an inch due to the other factors and in the end is not the reason the tractor tipped, rather it was because too much margin was already used up.

 

[sandman2234]

No one is allowed within 300' of my machine when the cutter is running and I cut in places humans can't walk.

I mow 10 acres at a Church where people come and go, a lot! If I see someone on the property when I am mowing, I take the pto out of gear and go explain, usually nicely, that they can't be on the property when I am mowing. Most understand, but every now and then I have to explain myself a little better. Another 8 acre field is done for a friend and her grandkids like to hit golf balls out into the pasture. Let the bushhog catch a golfball just right and it will go all the way across the field.
David from jax

 

[MossRoad]

You are right of course. I think most of your list fall into the same category as tire flex except for material in the bucket and fluid in the tires. Otherwise the change in CG is likely measured in 1/16ths of an inch due to the other factors and in the end is not the reason the tractor tipped, rather it was because too much margin was already used up.

Once you get on the hairy edge of tip-over in a small cut or sub compact, a 250# man leaning the wrong way in the seat can send it over.

 

[DarkHelmet]

Listening to all of these brush hog stories of stuff being shot everywhere makes me happy that I bought a flail mower. I'm new to the mowing game and I really appreciate the video. We all make mistakes and forget about what's on our property at times. He said he knew the ditch was there and thought he was far enough away from it. I have the same situation with my driveway and sometimes you try to get too close and make a mistake. I'm a chicken **** and always afraid of rolling, honestly I'm probably way too cautious about it, so I stay away from the ditch as much as I can. Even doing that I have made the mistake of starting to enter it, but I go very slowly there just in case I make that error.

Glad no one got hurt and you got your machine out without damage!

 

[chas0218]

For the purposes of my post, and to wrangle some variables under control, assume three things. One, the tractor has no suspension of any type and has no front axle pivot. Two, the flex in the tires is not a significant factor. Three, any FEL is not changing height or three point hitch implements for that matter. Assuming these three things, and for the purpose of dispelling something I have seen repeated many times on TBN: a tractors CG does not move (change) while it is tipping over or even just before tipping. It does not change due to hitting stumps, holes, or ruts; or due to any terrain or motion related factors (accelerations). The tractors CG is a fixed point in 3D space where all the mass of the tractor could be said to balance. It does not matter if the tractor is upside down, the tractors CG remains in the same place.

What moves is the location of the potential overturning pivot relative to this fixed CG location. The pivot is a line connecting the contact patches of the two downhill tires. When the tractor is perturbed, this fixed CG can pass over from the stable side of the pivot to the unstable side; and you tip over.

Apologies to chas0218 above, I am sure you did not quite mean it so literally; it is just that on multiple occasions on TBN I have seen the notion that the CG somehow moves location on the tractor while in the act of tipping, that I wanted to respond. I think in those cases it is just a misunderstanding regarding to what CG actually is.

All is good! I could have been a little more specific.