Rotary Cutter Do Batwing Mowers Increase Lateral Stability on Hills?

[4Papa]

According to my neighbor, who I pay to cut my hills each year, his 15' increases his stability such that he can cut my hill side-to-side vs up and down like I do with Kubotal L4330. He uses an M5060; his tires are not widened as near as I can tell.

Here is the hill I used to cut and now he does:

The grade of your hill in the photo looks close to identical to what I'm dealing with. With comments in this thread running 2 to 1 that a heavy batwing does NOT increase a tractor's stability, a picture, indeed, can be worth 1,000 words. Of course, an operator's experience can play a factor in mitigating a roll-over, after a certain point, gravity and physics don't care how experienced you are.

For landowners like me who have limited experience operating this kind of equipment, you depend on logic (common sense?) and the advice of others to guide the way. Operating on slopes is one of those grey areas where being overly conservative will keep you out of trouble. It can also be expensive (bending blades on crowns or destroying PTO bearings) and cost you time and maximizing the utility of the machine. As a beginning private pilot, any time I departed from level flight I got nervous. By the time I was instrument-rated and flying in the clouds, that nervousness went away (generally). When I first got my tractor and drove on even a 5% slope, my sphincter grabbed my attention. I'm thinking, "Is this safe if my butt is sliding to one side of the seat?"

Anyway, my logic still tells me a heavy batwing will increase stability. However, the comments from those who say no, resonate and will ensure that I keep a healthy bail-out plan when my sphincter starts talking.

 

[Industrial Toys]

My Batwing was an Alamo, bought from the City of Burlington Ontario.

I used it to cut farm fields that no one at the time wanted. Things have changed now, for the cash cropping. With trade wars, that might change again!

Anyway, it was never designed to cut fields and did not have the ground clearance. I had a friend make me new wheel support structures that raised the machine, as seen in the picture. It worked good after that, maybe cutting 6" or so.

I don't see any alarming grade in the above picture, but that can be misleading. When it comes to grade, I am very conservative when it comes to tractors.

Like I said, I don't think the tongue weight helps (in practice), but is that the weight with the wings up or down? The rear down would actually add weight but the sides down would remove some.

 

[1010]

I use a T155 with duals front and inside rear filled the outside duals are not filled. The duals are not spread out since this would INCREASE turning radius dramatically. You don't want that.
Land pride batwing bush hog with aircraft tires. Rice and cain tires on tractor.

This set up will cut a levee slope you can barley walk up at a flood control lake when it's dry. While this isn't going fast it's being very easy.

Regular bush hog laminated tires won't hold, I believe it's due to less surface contact when compared to the aircraft tires.
This land pride is several hundred pounds heavier than a HX15, with laminated tires, we also have on another T155. While it can be used on most moderate slopes going forward,, it will not let you back up,, the JD bush hog slides.
We also have a 3pt hitch JD HX10 it's not as stable as the batwing but will cut most of the same slopes as the batwings I mentioned above.
Except that one levee slope I mentioned.

So yes a bat wing will allow you on a steeper slope. 4WD is critical when turning, especially when turning down hill. The heavier bush hog then pushes you. And once you start sliding you're along for the ride.. Just make sure when you turn downhill, it's with nothing below you..

Stay off the clutch!!! Let the engine and throttle do the work,, and you can use the rear brakes some, VERY sparingly! Just don't lock one side completely..
The hill in the pic looks like a piece of cake

I could on..

 

[ovrszd]

As Yoda would say, "A can of worms, he opened." Is the assumption from the above quote to mean that the mower has already begun sliding as it痴 not tracking directly behind the tractor and that the tractor would safely traverse the slope without the batwing attached?

Yes, it would traverse the slope "safer" without the batwing.

 

[ovrszd]

The grade of your hill in the photo looks close to identical to what I'm dealing with. With comments in this thread running 2 to 1 that a heavy batwing does NOT increase a tractor's stability, a picture, indeed, can be worth 1,000 words. Of course, an operator's experience can play a factor in mitigating a roll-over, after a certain point, gravity and physics don't care how experienced you are.

For landowners like me who have limited experience operating this kind of equipment, you depend on logic (common sense?) and the advice of others to guide the way. Operating on slopes is one of those grey areas where being overly conservative will keep you out of trouble. It can also be expensive (bending blades on crowns or destroying PTO bearings) and cost you time and maximizing the utility of the machine. As a beginning private pilot, any time I departed from level flight I got nervous. By the time I was instrument-rated and flying in the clouds, that nervousness went away (generally). When I first got my tractor and drove on even a 5% slope, my sphincter grabbed my attention. I'm thinking, "Is this safe if my butt is sliding to one side of the seat?"

Anyway, my logic still tells me a heavy batwing will increase stability. However, the comments from those who say no, resonate and will ensure that I keep a healthy bail-out plan when my sphincter starts talking.

By my best calculations LTG's slope is 15-16 degrees. That's assuming trees in his country, like they do here, grow straight up.

All three of my tractors would easily tread that slope. My TLB 55A on the other hand, would not like it and I'd need the hoe swung 90 degrees uphill. So it's totally dependent on the particular tractor being used.

I've had three Kubotas. B2910, L4400 and M9540. Their ability to handle slide slope goes from worst to best in the same order. The M9540 is by a long shot the safest on slopes.

Again, let's clarify. The batwing will add stability until it starts sliding sideways down the hill. Then it instantly changes the effect on the tractor and starts trying to tip it over sideways. The added tongue weight causes the low side rear tire to dig in. This causes the up side tire to lift.

 

[Industrial Toys]

A big part of the equation is, who owns the machine? Give me a seat belt and ROPS and tell me to cut a hill side, well oki-doki, if you say so.

A friend had a girl cutting a hillside on his golf course. Ford 2WD low profile tractor and hydraulic wing mower. She jackknifed and it cost him six or so grand in pump repair as somehow the PTO shaft pushed into the mower pump.

 

[RickB]

Ineptness doesn’t require a slope.

 

[ovrszd]

Ineptness doesn’t require a slope.

Dangit I wish I'd said that.

 

[FTG-05]

Another view of my hill. You can clearly see the part I do (i.e. the flat)vs. the part he does on the hill. He can do the hill with his 15' batwing faster than I can do the my lower field with my 6' bushhog.

The steepest part of the hill is right in the center where the tree and power pole are located. I've since cut down both of those trees. Again, you can clearly see the part I've already bushhoged and the part he does on the side of the hill.

He does all this side-to-side; the only up or down is for turning around.

 

[1010]

Yes, it would traverse the slope "safer" without the batwing.

No it wouldn't. Not even close.