Angle of operation

[TrippleT]

I have two ponds that I mow the banks. They are very steep, and you have to mow up or downward. I use the loader to keep the tractor from flipping over backward or forward depending on whether I am going up the bank or down.

The question is, what angle would be dangerous to proper oiling of the engine?

My son in law, tried to mow it with a snapper with briggs engine, and burned the rod out in it. Of course the tractor has a pressure system of oiling.

When we used to drag race we put baffles in the oil pan to keep the oil from running up the back of the pan and burning out the crank and related items.

I am sure that depending on engine design between various brands there would be a difference of angle that would be dangerous to the engine.

 

[MossRoad]

It really depends on the engine and how it is made. For instance in our Power Trac PT425 we have a 25HP Kohler gas engine that is not supposed to be operated over 25 degrees or the oil pump may not be able to pick up. Power Trac makes other models up to a 45 degree slope mower using Deutz diesel engines which are oil cooled. That is steep!

You should check with your manufacturer to be sure.

 

[JerryG]

Different tractor and different engine, but I have mowed on banks so steep that I couldn't walk up them. There is one bank that I use to mow for someone else that was so steep that even with the loader on and as low to the ground as possible, it would still be real light on the front end when going up hill. I didn't have a gauge at the time so I don't know how steep that the slopes were. I mowed all these places with the last two compact tractors with no engine damage.

 

[chrisjbell]

I'd guess that you are right about there being an angle of operation that will starve the engine for oil. The thought that comes to mind is that if you're worried about that happening, you are probably on too steep a hill... ;-)

 

[oliver28472]

I have one in the pasture that I mow several times a year with the rfm. Going down in 4wd it will slide the last foot or two. I would not try it side ways.

 

[thcri]

I would be talking to my dealer and manufacturer. Even though it is a pressure system you still have to get oil to the pump. In fact this might one of them areas where I would allow my wife to plant her natural prairie flowers/weeds.

murph

 

[jimainiac]

Here's what I've learned about a too-severe angle; last winter I was dumping snow over a bank when I got too close to the edge. I stood on the brakes, but the ground was frozen and down I went. The angle is about 45 degrees and I was saved by a couple of trees that caught me. I quickly shut it off and connected two pickups in tandem to pull it out. When we were ready, the engine started and ran okay, but the loader wouldn't operate at that angle. After the rescue I let it sit for a while, and then it was okay. The tractor's a Kubota L3830HST.

 

[MossRoad]

Different tractor and different engine, but I have mowed on banks so steep that I couldn't walk up them. There is one bank that I use to mow for someone else that was so steep that even with the loader on and as low to the ground as possible, it would still be real light on the front end when going up hill. I didn't have a gauge at the time so I don't know how steep that the slopes were. I mowed all these places with the last two compact tractors with no engine damage.

I have a Chevy van that has run out of oil 3 times to the point the engine locked up. After it cooled and I added five quarts of oil, it still ran. Heck, it still runs today. But I'll bet it is damaged. But it still works. I also have a 1985 Briggs engine on a Craftsman mower that has NEVER had an oil change. I just add a couple tablespoons each spring. It still runs, too. But i'll bet it is damaged, too.

My points being, how much damage is measurable damage or how much damage can an engine sustain and keep running so that we think it is not damaged? Will an occasional oil issue really do long term damage or shorten the life of a unit? Who knows

 

[daTeacha]

Most modern oils will leave a microns thick film on metal parts which will protect the engine even when fresh oil isn't being delivered. There is a pretty good volume of oil in the engine galleries that will take a bit of time to get back into the sump, too. Some modern engines can run for a surprizingly long time with the oil drained out. So long as you aren't upside down for a long period of time with the engine running you probably won't hurt it too much running on steep slopes. I'd be more concerned about stability than engine damage.

 

[johnk]

Think about the engines in Dozers..... Baffles or restrictors, some of those operators need a 3 point harness to hold em in the seat going up some of the slopes I've seen them go up.