I had the rear wheels pop off the ground a couple of times but otherwise he performed exemplary. .
We on TBN refer to that as "The PT Pucker"....
On an articulated machine such as these, the center of gravity changes significantly as you turn. As you turn the steering wheel either direction from straight forward, the machine gets shorter and the center of gravity shifts to the side you are turning towards.
For fun, put on a loader bucket and lift it 3-4 inches off the ground.
Turn the steeering wheel all the way to the right.
Set the parking brake and get off the machine.
Start throwing stones, boulders, bricks, pavers, etc.. into the bucket until all of a sudden, the bucket sits on the ground and the left rear wheel comes off the ground.
Take the last item tossed into the bucket out and watch it sit down again and the bucket rise.
Then put it back in again so the left rear comes off the ground again.
Go sit on the tractor and see if it makes the left rear come down. If not, turn the steering wheel towards straight.... the left rear will go down. Turn right and it'll come off the ground again.
Pretty fun.
I think it should be required reading and hands-on practice for everyone to understand about the center of gravity on these things....
and then keep it in mind as you operate the FEL every time. It'll remind you about lifting a full bucket too high on even the slightest slope and what can happen quickly. Keep it in your mental toolbox. :thumbsup:
