Can I descend a 40 degree hill on my 4700?

[SPYDERLK]

I was in the woods today going up my hill. When I reviewed the photos I took they look very similar to the photos posted of the steep hill, sooooooooooo I will retract my statement that it is "not steep at all". I will however say that going up and down a "steep" hill is much better than trying to traverse laterally, like one of those photos showed. Whenever operating a tractor, caution is needed.

Not so fast. From what I can tell your picture is not taken directly cross slope at ground level. His looks like it was. That will make his look accurately steep while yours diminishes the appearance of steepness and makes it very difficult to measure from the picture. Critically, yours looks steeper, but I could not make a pictorial measurement Id trust to verify it.
larry

 

[dklistul]

Assuming the traction is adequate and the machine can safely negotiate the slope, I'd be somewhat concerned about oil starvation at those angles. Maybe that's just the airplane mechanic in me coming out to play, though.

 

[MtnViewRanch]

I would think a 6/12 pitch is 22.5 degrees, a 12/12 pitch is 45 degrees.


pclausen
Both are difficult to work and can be very dangerous. Alot depends on the ground you are traversing and the real value of what you are attempting to do. Sometimes we have to get off the tractors and work on foot.

:shocked::thumbdown:

 

[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

 

[SPYDERLK]

Assuming the traction is adequate and the machine can safely negotiate the slope, I'd be somewhat concerned about oil starvation at those angles. Maybe that's just the airplane mechanic in me coming out to play, though.

Yeah, me too. If the manufacturer has done his homework on oil sump design it should be OK. If he hasnt: Id call it negligence. Good motorcycle sumps are quasi safe to 1G acceleration [either direction]. That is equivalent to a 45 degree slope
larry

 

[Barely Smokin']

Barely Smokin',

You must be just down the street from me. I'm in Nelson Co too! I'm on Ennis Mountain overlooking the Blue Ridge, right near the Blue Ridge Brewery, right off 151.

Hey! Yeah, I'm just over Brent's Mtn. from ya, where Hat Creek comes into the Tye, on a knoll overlooking the river. All my tractoring is pretty much downhill!

Headed up to Crozet Sat. to dig out a creek for a friend, maybe grade his driveway. Give me a holler if you get stuck!

 

[Barely Smokin']

By the way, after looking at your pictures again and knowing approx. where you live, I bet you'll be just fine on that slope as long as your tractor performs at 100% and the soil conditions are good. If anything appears marginal, I'd wait. Watch out for deep leaves. Otherwise, sounds like fun!

 

[dex3361]

I went out and measured a few slopes this evening to see what they actually were. These slopes are what I mow up and down on the BX1500. I only go here when its dry I do not go on the hills when its wet. I have no issues with a 20-25 degree slope when it hits 30 degees all the warning bells and whistles re going off. It feels like it is about to lose traction. That is the limit for me on the BX1500. I have a few places that I go on the L4400 and I will measure them. I think I would put chains on all fours before trying this hill.

 

[jenkinsph]

pclausen,

Seems to me it would be good to know how your tractor would do with Barely Smokin's winch line tied to your tractor the first time you try this. Sounds like cheap insurance to me, better than a runaway tractor.

 

[pclausen]

I do have a 15,000# winch on my K3500, but I obviously would not want to drive my truck nose down the hill on the 22 degree part.

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?