Downhill braking is for the birds!

[DaveInColorado]

Just a reminder to those of us who live on a hill, BX brakes (and most tractor brakes) only work on the rear wheels. If you have very much weight in the FEL and are in 2WD, you have Zero brakes! I know - from experience, but with patience and a cool head I just let it skid for 20-30 feet until I got to a more level location. Future downhill excursions with something in the FEL always involve 4WD so that I have at least Some brakes. I did have the heavy tiller on the back counterbalancing everything. I can still lift the rear wheels off the ground with the FEL if I try hard enough.

FYI - I had the FEL low to the ground and my safety net was to just drop it all the way if the back end started getting weird on me. I was going maybe 2 mph during the whole episode so it wasn't really a high speed thrill.

 

[NIXON]

Dave . Excellant reminder of the braking capabilities of a tractor . Especially with a full FEL ! Most of us take for granted the safety of our machines . I'd be willing to bet that if we had a pick up with several hundred pounds of weight hung out in front of it and only emergency , or back braking , We'd be a bit more Ginger in the slopes we tried to descend .
John

 

[RoyJackson]

You might want to try backing down the slope.

 

[theboman]

In 4 wheel drive you have brakes on all 4 wheels.

Went trailering tractors you should put the tractor in 4 wheel drive and set the parking break and then chain it down.

 

[TheKid]

Welcome to the BX bobsled team. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif I did the same thing a while back when I was taking a bucket load yard waste to the compost pile. When the rear wheels hit some mud on the hill I started my 20 foot sled ride. I stopped when the FEL hit the compost pile. The next time the pile needs turning I think I'll do it at a little slower speed. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif