Question for slope mower guys with duals

[KentT]

Have you tried running one set of tires with the ag tires' lugs reversed, for traction backwards, or do you run them all the same? What were the results?

Just bought a Gravely walk-behind with duals and all turfs, and will be putting ags on it, and just wondering what would be the best setup to try first...

I need traction forward and reverse, but most of all I need the lugs to prevent sliding sideways on those steep TN hills, and which direction the lugs are pointed doesn't matter in that regard...

TIA

 

[J_J]

This is not about tires, but brakes.

As an alternative to the brakes you have now, here is an idea I have had for a long time.

A high pressure gate valve in each leg of the wheel motor circuit, and when applied, it would stop all flow to the wheel motors .

For instant on, a one button switch to each solenoid valve could be use to provide instant braking.

The larger PT have spring activated braking in the wheel motors. It then takes a certain psi for the brakes to release.

 

[ernemats]

On my 1845 I have r-4 tires (industrial tread) and I have them installed in the forward traction mode, ag tires I don't think it would make much difference in side slipping which way they were on.. I had an old Gravely with dual ag tires and it would hold on the hills but was difficult to control on steep side slopes hard to walk on without slipping and also you had to keep the tractor pointing up hill slightly, I really don't think it would make much difference in which way the tires were mounted. It was really a bear to use.

 

[MossRoad]

Have you tried running one set of tires with the ag tires' lugs reversed, for traction backwards, or do you run them all the same? What were the results?

Just bought a Gravely walk-behind with duals and all turfs, and will be putting ags on it, and just wondering what would be the best setup to try first...

I need traction forward and reverse, but most of all I need the lugs to prevent sliding sideways on those steep TN hills, and which direction the lugs are pointed doesn't matter in that regard...

TIA

I've often wondered the exact same question. And a PT is just about the ultimate forwards/backwards capable machine. However, we do spend most of our time going forwards, so that's why the treads are probably always forwards on dual-wheeled machines.

Road wear is probably not a problem for us as we are almost always off road.

I was thinking if you have duals, you have twice as much traction.... except you also have twice as much flotation, so that would offset some of the weight you need for traction, which could be a factor going up and donw hills. On cross-slopes, duals would really help with tipping, but again, I think you would lose some traction, gain flotation, and have a tendancy to slip sideways down hill.

Perhaps with duals set forward and backward as you describe, you may have some cross-slope advantages and maybe some hill holding advantages up and down.

Pure speculation on my part, of course.
The only way to do it is test it out. See which one works best.

 

[ponytug]

Just my two cents worth, but chains revolutionized my slope mowing with my 1445.

Prior to having chains the weight of the mower would tend to drag the front of the mower/tractor downslope. The cure was to mow at an angle with the mower a little higher up the slope compared to the tractor.

I used the diamond pattern chains recommended here.

With chains, no slipping, and I can mow (uphill/downhill) much steeper slopes than I could without chains.

All the best,

Peter

Have you tried running one set of tires with the ag tires' lugs reversed, for traction backwards, or do you run them all the same? What were the results?

Just bought a Gravely walk-behind with duals and all turfs, and will be putting ags on it, and just wondering what would be the best setup to try first...

I need traction forward and reverse, but most of all I need the lugs to prevent sliding sideways on those steep TN hills, and which direction the lugs are pointed doesn't matter in that regard...

TIA

 

[woodlandfarms]

I have my insides pointed forward, and my outsides pointed back.

Here is what I think but take it with a grain of salt.

Direction make a bit of difference but because the pt is so light the treads never engage like a normal tractor. Ultra low tire pressure is what is called for to handle slopes sideways. I put chains on my pt and will never take them off again. They make a huge difference in traction, BUT I feel with chains I have lost a small amount of sideways slope traction. I tend to slip more above 30 degrees than before.

Carl

 

[MossRoad]

I tend to slip more above 30 degrees than before.

Carl

Most people would be quit uneasy on much less than a 30 degree slope... gotta love the PT. :thumbsup:

 

[SpringHollow]

i have run my PT with one half of the duals reversed when i knew i had to do lots of backing up in muddy conditions. For that, it definitely helps. Chains help a lot more.

Ken

 

[KentT]

This is not about tires, but brakes.

As an alternative to the brakes you have now, here is an idea I have had for a long time.

A high pressure gate valve in each leg of the wheel motor circuit, and when applied, it would stop all flow to the wheel motors .

For instant on, a one button switch to each solenoid valve could be use to provide instant braking.

The larger PT have spring activated braking in the wheel motors. It then takes a certain psi for the brakes to release.

JJ, I'm talking about a Gravely walk-behind tractor with brakes, not my PT...

I'm aware of the issues on the PT...

 

[KentT]

On my 1845 I have r-4 tires (industrial tread) and I have them installed in the forward traction mode, ag tires I don't think it would make much difference in side slipping which way they were on.. I had an old Gravely with dual ag tires and it would hold on the hills but was difficult to control on steep side slopes hard to walk on without slipping and also you had to keep the tractor pointing up hill slightly, I really don't think it would make much difference in which way the tires were mounted. It was really a bear to use.

This old 5260 I just bought has a steering brake, which I hope will help control that crabbing issue and make it much more usable on hillsides, without having to man-handle it to keep it pointed in the right direction. It's a low hours (400-600 estimated) 1989 model that had the engine upgraded in the late-nineties with a Kohler Magnum 12HP. Here's pics, if you're interested:

Gravely 5260 with replacement Kohler Magnum

I'm getting it because there are some places I'll need to maintain have no runout at the bottom, nor anywhere to turn at the top -- so mowing up and down is a challenge. I need to mow the sideslope.

Plus, I'll need to mow the sideslopes on my hillside lawn. I've already found a 30" weed/brush mower for it, in addition to the 50" finish mower that came with it. Once cleaned back up, I'll try to maintain it in slow-motion with a sicklebar...

Luckily that area is small in comparison to the rest of the mess... such as the hillside above this service road, below the trees.