Gator Stability

[Phred]

Guys,

I have a few places that make me nervous on a tractor.
Across slopes that are pushing 20 degrees.
I had a dozer out and no problem. Can go just about anywhere, but that is to be expected. Almost the same with a miniexcvator.

The problem is that some of these areas I want to cut.

How about a 6 wheel diesel gator and a swisher?

How steep a hill can one run across with a gator?

Fred

 

[beenthere]

<font color="blue"> ""run across "" </font> ??

Do you mean drive, like in slow? I assume that, but was not sure as the implication was to move across pretty quick.

The gators seem to be very stable on side hills. I was impressed with my 4x2 gator a while back when my grand daughter surprised me with a quick turn off the road and down a pretty steep slope into the ditch. The gator handled it quite well, but I was pretty emphatic when I said "don't EVER do that again!!". I think she was just looking for some attention. Hope she was a bit scared herself. I can't say what slope I think they will traverse, 'cause that depends on your pucker factor, not mine. I doubt it will tip over on any slope that you can still remain in the seat (without a seat belt /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif ). Just an opinion.

 

[cowboydoc]

Hi Fred,

You can't beat the Gator for stability. I have had mine on some very steep side hills and no problems at all.

 

[Phred]

Guys,

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( ""run across "" ?? )</font>

Yes. Poor choice of words. I meant drive slowly.

Would you guys rate these as much more stable than a tractor our about the same?

One thing that I have noticed is they do not seem to offer a roll bar? That would seem to me to be a basic requirement.

But the idea is that I could use this for all sorts of tasks on a regular basis, and with a swisher tow behind mower as needed a couple of time a year to cut down the steep spots.

These gators seem to be very low to the ground, and I suppose you could also fill the tires to get the center of gravity even lower.

Thanks for the advice.

Fred

 

[yellowsocks93]

I could not roll my 4x2 Gator if I tried. Being 18 years old and all I have taken it full 15 MPH full wheel turns on our gravel drive, off the main paved road into our very steep ditch, and pretty much anywhere in the woods. Over small trees and everything. Most of the time I drive it gingerly but now and then i take it sidehilling and everything. I scared my fried the other day when I went off the paved county road and into our ditch which is very steep and side hilled the whole way to the driveway. Tractors can be very stable too like my JD 990 and our JD 970 with the wide turf tires handle side hilling very easily. I would say the gator is more stable than some tractors such as my old 4300 but not the 990.

 

[Ole_Hickory]

<font color="blue"> I could not roll my 4x2 Gator if I tried. </font>

Let me try and I will show you how it is done.

 

[Dargo]

I owned a 4X6 diesel worksite Gator for a while. The one thing I can say about it is that I've never been on a more stable vehicle, except maybe a 955 Cat dozer I had. On both the dozer and the worksite Gator I'd have to say they would stay on the side of a steeper hill than you would imagine. Unless your tractor has duals or triples on it, the worksite Gator will traverse a steeper hill than a tractor. I've flipped boats, ATV's, tractors, cars, trucks, lawn tractors, you name it; and have the scars to prove it. Heck, my JD 4600 went over really easy. Some think I've been a bit wild, others think just a bit stoopid and a slow learner. I've begin to mellow with age. Stuff just seems to hurt more now. Not to mention that I'd like to lengthen the time between surgeries. Anyway, I never did manage to flip my worksite Gator or 955 Cat. I once screwed up and missed a curve with the Gator and slid sideways down a steep bank and honestly expected it to go over, and it didn't. In my experience, I've found when sliding sideways down a hill, one of the leading downhill wheels always seems to grab, and over you go. The Gator didn't. I have a Kubota RTV now and am going to try to keep it rubber side down as well. So far, it seems pretty stable as well.

 

[Dargo]

Oh yeah, forgot to mention, make sure that the "swisher" engine has a pressurized lubrication system. I roasted several gas engines mowing the side of a dam because at steep angles they lost lubrication and cooked.

 

[cowboydoc]

The Gator is much more stable than the tractor. You would be hard pressed to cause it to rollover.

 

[yellowsocks93]

Ok Ole Hickory. You could not roll it unless you don't know how to drive.

 

[Phred]

Guys,

Thanks for all the good advice.
Sounds like the gator is a good tool for the job.

It appears that the "trail" version is just a camo version of the normal gator?

The diesel is quite a positive selling point for me.
Pretty much everthing else I own that consumes more than a half gallon of fuel at a time is a diesel. I like the fact that the flamability is lower, and with the cost of fuel so high, running off road in the gator would be nice. I could just pump it out of the same tank I use for the tractor and not need to keep gas around.
Also the gas is a pain if you let is sit for a month. I bet I am not the only one that has had a carb. apart on a string trimmer beacuse I forgot to drain it and it gummed up. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

Dargo,

Yes this is a good point that has been worrying me some.
These guys appear to just use standard briggs and strat engines.
http://www.swisherinc.com/44_trailcutter.html
Anyone know of an aftermarket product to correct for the lack of oil pressue, on what is basically a lawn mower engine?

If money was no object, which off course it is; a hydraulic brush hog driven off the back of a dozer or off the front of a track loader would be the ideal. But the comercial versions of these are huge money. In some case several hundred thousand dollars. Of course I would only need such a beast for a few days a year which is impossible to justify. The problem is those few days of work is about a years worth of work with a chain saw or string trimmer.
So something in between is needed.

Fred

 

[Dargo]

You could always go with a hydro mower off the back of an RTV. The "turf" version of the RTV already has the outlets. The only problem is the "turf" tires on anything stinks as far as traction goes. Admittedly I have not put my new RTV in the positions I have put the diesel worksite Gator in, but it seems to be pretty well designed with the center of gravity low. Since it sits up really high compared to the Gator, I was at first concerned with the stability issue. So far, so good. I attached a copy of both sitting side by side. Although it looks like more, there is less than 1" difference in the width.

 

[Ole_Hickory]

<font color="purple"> I could not roll my 4x2 Gator if I tried </font>
<font color="blue"> You could not roll it unless you don't know how to drive. </font>

Now Yellowsocks....which is it ?
You rascal you........... /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

 

[yellowsocks93]

I do what I can. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif Seriously though it is hard to roll unless one were to drive it off a cliff because you fell asleep.

 

[Ole_Hickory]

<font color="blue"> Seriously though it is hard to roll unless one were to drive it off a cliff because you fell asleep. </font>

What if I drove off the cliff wide awake ? /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif