Can I descend a 40 degree hill on my 4700?

[pclausen]

Thanks Barely Smokin'. I'll keep that in mind. Good to know there is someone around with heavy equipment in case it should be needed!

 

[mr.offroad]

That is not steep at all. I have been pulling logs up a much steeper hill. Have to have a load in the bucket for some logs, and then there are the logs that I have to leave at the bottom and winch up, I can tell because the front end starts to come off the ground. When using your tractor in precarious places, the slower the better. Always keep the load as low as possible.

Correct. A lot of making-a-mountain-out-of-a-molehill!

 

[SPYDERLK]

I can drive the truck down the logging trail just fine and be at the bottom of the hill and use a snatch block on a tree just above the steep part I suppose. The M15000 has 90' of 1/2" cable on the drum, so that should get me pretty far.

I can see doing this the first time as insurance to see how it goes. In the long run, that would be way too time consuming I think. Perhaps a better long term solution would be to spray something that would keep brush from growing in the first place, this eliminating the need to bush hog the really steep parts?

Since you can go to the bottom of the hill it would be expeditious to just do that with the bh on the tractor and then pick up some dirt for ballast in the bucket. Set the bucket low and the bh with the wheel barely above ground and start up the hill in 4wd with the diff locked. If it wheelies the bh wheel will touch quickly, moderating the rearward shift of balance and giving you time to correct. It is good that the steepest part is at the bottom because you can quickly shuttle to reverse and back down the short distance if you have a problem. I wouldnt use cables ... better to slide a small distance to a graceful stop than to slide to a jerk.
larry

 

[dex3361]

I took the L4400HST With the 7'BB and the FEL on up the steeper trail I use to access the ridge and I measured the slope it was 27 degrees at the steepest with the majority being 25 degrees and I used a magnetic base angle finder. Here are a few pics of the hills. The first is looking down, the 25 degree and 2nd is looking up the 27 degree, the 3rdis looking up the 25 degree. The hills have very little grass and I grip decent but if it were steeper I would have chains on all four tires.

 

[SPYDERLK]

So I used these 3 instruments to meassure the inclination:

The angle where the 4700 was parked in those inital pics was 22 degrees.

I took about 10 meassurements from that position to the bottom of the hill, and they were all in the range of 30 - 36 degrees, generally getting steeper the further down I went.

So not quite the 40 degrees I guesstimated, but pretty darn close!

:thumbsup:Good info!
Let us know if your tractor will climb the 30+ area. Be sure to keep the loader low and lock the differential. I dont know whether you have Industrials or Ags, but both have more guts when the driving force is forward. [That would be backing down or forward up.]
larry

... Itchin to know how this turned out.
larry

 

[dex3361]

... Itchin to know how this turned out.
larry

Maybe not good cause its been quiet for some time now.

 

[pclausen]

Lol, I'm still here. :laughing:

I never did end up attempting to negotiate that hill as I never did have the brush growth I was anticipating from cutting the trees.

I have since sold the 4700 for a 5085M. The new tractor has 420/85 R34s on the rear and 13.6R24 up front, so this is likely even more of a hill climbing beast than the 4700 was.

 

[dex3361]

Lol, I'm still here. :laughing:

I never did end up attempting to negotiate that hill as I never did have the brush growth I was anticipating from cutting the trees.

I have since sold the 4700 for a 5085M. The new tractor has 420/85 R34s on the rear and 13.6R24 up front, so this is likely even more of a hill climbing beast than the 4700 was.

You know the TBN saying "if there aren't pictures it really didn't happen".
Lets see what the new beast looks like.

 

[pclausen]

Sure thing Randall. Here's a shot when I just got it home on my trailer.

And here's a shot from in the shop.

I think it has hill climbing potential!

 

[eray1066]

I know it is an old thread, but I do have an opinion. I used to bushhog briars and brush on a wicked steep bit of hill with a 50 HP Kubota (L4150). I always backed up the hill first. If it was too steep it let me know and back down we went. My hand was on the FEL control most all the time ready to provide emergency braking and stability. Seatbelt was on. I had to be aware of any stump or hole as they would have dire consequences. I would never choose to try a really steep slope from the top. Made a feller feel alive.