I'm freaked my B2920 will tip over sideways

deathtoblackberries · Apr 8, 2013

How far can you lean one of these sideways before it tips over? You sit so high up even a marginal side slope seems dicey. I spent a lot of time jogging around today trying to keep it flat on slopes I'd just burn across with a riding lawn mower. To the point I'm now wondering if I made the right choice for mowing. Note I have ballast in the rear tires a FEL and BH though I'll take the BH and FEL off for mowing.

jeff9366 · Apr 9, 2013

Do not go across slopes. Go perpendicular to the slope. Partly you will get used to sitting up high there in the center. But you need to be VERY CAREFUL at the same time. Make sure your seat belt is fastened at all times.

Taking off the backhoe will probably make you feel more secure. Most people mow with the FEL on, just keep it low.

What are you mowing with?

rmorey · Apr 9, 2013

I think you would be surprised at how far over you have to go to actually tip it. The centre of gravity is well below your knees when sitting on the seat. Just have to get used to it.

s219 · Apr 9, 2013

If there is a number (maybe check the owner's manual) it won't be consistent since there are so many variables.

You can tip a tractor on flat ground if you get a wheel in a rut, so it's not just the slope you need to look out for.

If mowing on a hill, you may need to mow up/down the fall line assuming you can make a safe turn on each end.

sandyc · Apr 9, 2013

Use a tilt-meter. Like they say, low and slow if you have to go across a slope....keep the ROPS up....seatbelt!

AStanton · Apr 9, 2013

You can also invest in spacers for your rear wheels that would give you a wider stance. They cost about $350 at the dealer with about one hour of labor to install.

Depmandog · Apr 9, 2013

There is an interesting website that discusses rock climbing / trail jeep rollover angles.

http://www.jeepaholics.com/tech/cog/#_Toc535118730

It gives you some mathematical equations to play with to determine rollover angles. Of course, you have to have a way to measure the weight of each axle / each tire to have the data to plug into the equations. I didn't study the equations in detail, but first glance it appears it should work for determining the rollover angle of tractors too.

On your setup, can you move your rear wheels out any further? I know I could gain several inches of width on my L5030 if desired. That would make a huge difference in your situation.

vtsnowedin · Apr 9, 2013

Here is a good explanation of the physics involved.
National Ag Safety Database - Tractor Overturn Hazards

Quite a few of the compact and sub compact tractors have taken the compact part a bit too far when it comes to rear wheel tread width. If you have slope work to do on a regular basis changing the wheel spacing will make things much safer. Do keep the ROPS up and wear your seat belt.

Deano · Apr 9, 2013

vtsnowedin said:
Here is a good explanation of the physics involved.
National Ag Safety Database - Tractor Overturn Hazards

Quite a few of the compact and sub compact tractors have taken the compact part a bit too far when it comes to rear wheel tread width. If you have slope work to do on a regular basis changing the wheel spacing will make things much safer. Do keep the ROPS up and wear your seat belt.

Intersesting reading!

newbury · Apr 9, 2013

Drive with the downslope stabilizer out

Or both stabilizers out and hoe extended

ericher69 · Apr 9, 2013

Don't think it has been mentioned but 4x4 is a must on slopes to keep the rear end from breaking loose!

kcender · Apr 9, 2013

Interesting thread.I now have a BX2360 that I use for mowing.I find it very stable on side hills which I mow such as the sides of a ditch.I was thinking of replacing it with a B2320 or 2620.I was wondering if the B series would be as stable on side hills,starting to think that they wouldn't be.

oldballs · Apr 9, 2013

I found the BX2660 with turf tires to generally be a better mowing machine than my B2620 with R4. It also seemed more stable on a couple embankments that are long and just a little over 6 feet wide...e.g. along the road. So going up and down is not an option. The B2620 does it okay but just doesn't "feel" as stable. I try to mow when it is dry.... As enricher69 mentioned, use the 4 x 4.

kco · Apr 9, 2013

Interesting thread and view points. As mentioned a tilt meter may give you an idea as to how close you are to a comfortable limit, but as others mentioned rocks, ruts and stumps can make the tilt meter meaningless in a split second. When I upgraded to my new tractor a couple of years ago I spent the first few hours driving in the most challenging spots where I used the old tractor. That way I could concentrate fully on the tractor with no distractions.

I see your tractor has HST. That is great for safety because you can readily slow it to a crawl.

As mentioned, spacers can dramatically improve stability. Another source for spacers for your tractor is Bro-tek who makes add-ons for the Kubotas. The website is:

Bro-Tek: Tractor Add Ons

Information on the site is not up todate so it is best to contact the owner. I did that when considering spacers for my Kioti to increase clearance for tire chains. The website does not even indicate he makes spacers for my tractor. But I did get quoted a good price. In the end I did not need spacers because of modifcations I made to my chains.

Other good advice already given is to always use 4x4 on rough terrain. Also, keep the bucket as low as possible to increase stability. Sharp turns also reduce stability. Spend some time playing with the tractor until you get a feel for it and err on the side of caution.

Cheers

AStanton · Apr 9, 2013

Here's pics of what spacers did for my B3030. I had to add them because I couldn't run chains without em.

Baby Grand · Apr 9, 2013

That freaked feeling is healthy. Never ignore it, but try to learn (gradually) what is safe and what isn't. As others have said, there are many variables - soil softness after a wet spell, woodchuck activity, etc that make any hard rules about what angle is safe meaningless or dangerous. Most important advice I have is to pay attention - don't get distracted by anything that doesn't have to do with your stability when you're on a slope. No cell calls, no waiving at the neighbor's pretty daughter ... you get the idea.

Know what to do if you start tipping - turn down the hill, drop the FEL & 3PT, etc.
1) If you have your ROPS up, you should have you belt buckled.
2) If your ROPS is down, you should be unbuckled and ready to bail to the high side.

These two states are mutually exclusive - you won't have time to buckel or unbuckle your belt to match you ROPS state when you need to, so make sure you have the right combination before you start to move.

tshep · Apr 9, 2013

Like GB said - good - you should be freaked!

Another offered running with stabilizers/backhoe extended - I do that when I absolutely have to work on slopes. I mostly set back hoe extended to high side, right angle to tractor, to generate 'lever torque' to balance wheels down. The downhill side stabilizers will be about 3 inches off the hill.

I think it's real important to work on reactions.
I bet your gut reaction (like mine) will be *** backwards as they say. Watch a bunch of 4 wheeling FAIL youtubes - drivers turn across the slope when scared, thinking to stop, and end up rolling over - when they could just roll down the hill shiny side up. Our equivalent is a slope with a downside pothole (or an uphill stump), a turn up the hill can make it flip - you want to turn into the down side hole and just roll down the hill. (Think about turning a car fast, the inside tires lift, the outside tires squat - on a hill that dynamic is enough to add to the pothole to continue that flip.)

Practice in a relatively safe place, stabilizers out, folks watching, and phones available. Good luck.!

deathtoblackberries · Apr 9, 2013

Ideally I want the BH and FEL off the tractor when I mow to keep the weight down when I'm out on the lawn, I'll just have the 60" MMM which itself will add about 300 lbs of weight below the center of gravity so that's good. That BH is 1400 pounds and most of the weight is up high well above the center of gravity. I could keep the FEL low but it has some weight above COG but mostly removing it is about visibility which itself is a safety factor right.

As I'm grading the property over the new few months I'm going to give consideration to flattening out slopes where I can and how I'll mow it with the tractor. It would still be good to know what the safe zone is in terms of side slope absent stumps, potholes, etc. e.g. what's the safe tilt. I don't have any slopes so steep that I'm worried about flipping over backwards mowing, box planing maybe but I'll keep the FEL on for that.

I was coming straight up a hill yesterday and got the left rear into some soft fill dirt and it started to sink and lean, turning into that lean put me on a side slope leaning further in the direction of the sunken tire which was my first instinct but a bad idea, I pulled the wheel back around and powered straight up and out. It only sunk about 8 inches deep but it feel like WHOA! :shocked:

Coyote machine · Apr 9, 2013

Another thing to consider is checking the ground you plan to cover on foot first, looking for and marking with stakes, or whatever before you go over it with your machine. Look for potholes, stumps, soft spots, etc.

Gary Fowler · Apr 9, 2013

Your instinct was good. Never turn down slope so the low wheel will be on the low side of the slope. You could also have stopped and backed up while turning down slope to keep the stuck wheel on the high side of the slope. This could have been bad had you been going across the slope and the low side wheel fell into the soft spot which is why everyone suggests that you mow up and down the slope and only turn on flat ground or decrease your speed to a crawl when turning and turn as sharp as you can to avoid as much as possible side slope time.
The larger you tractor the more you are going to feel the angle. On my P7010 it feels much less stable on the same slope that I run my lawnmower on without any problem. You just have to get adjusted to the height from ground issue similar to walking a 12" wide plank 3 feet off the ground vs that same plank 50 feet in the air, which one gives the strongest pucker factor?