Traction Handling a steep slope

[mswlogo]

I have a B2320DT and curious if I can safely go down this path and up.

I want to go along the railing and it's bit narrow now but I can widen it.
Brush near bottom might be hiding the steepest part.

I may have to back up, up the hill for now as well.

I need to haul a bunch of soggy dead wood that is at the foot of the dock.

I might swap out my tractor for a BX and would assume it would have the same capabilities but not need quite so much room to manuever.

Also I've absolutely loved manual B2320DT and had a hydro BX23 before it. Would Hydro be any safer here?
If you fumble the clutch on something steep with the manual it rolls real fast.

 

[crashz]

Well - if you get stuck, call me! I'll come tow you out.

Its funny - I just posted about steep slope mowing. There looks to be a lot of boulders to maneuver around. That may be the most difficult part. I'm assuming your machine is going to stay on the foot path. Looks shallow enough to get down and up again. Only to the deck though.

Yes stay in 4wd and crawl down and crawl back. Don't risk shifting. And if anything looks or feels weird, drop the bucket and stop. I always keep an eye on my front axle. It tells the future.

For reference, the slope I was mentioning is like the one on the right side of your photo. No leaves though.

 

[Thomas]

Try practice run first with out mowing or hauling in 4wd and if you have front loader keep it close to the ground than see/feel about your confidence.
If were I, I wouldn't try mowing or hauling the steep part but that's me.

 

[mswlogo]

I don稚 plan on mowing. Don稚 even have a mower deck. Just hauling.

Also note that I have turf tires at the moment.

Hmmm, I dont know why apostrophes are doing that. Posting on iPhone.

 

[Henro]

Looks pretty steep.

Going up and down is much safer than going across, so I would suggest you try going up with the tractor and seeing if you lose traction. If the tractor cannot make it by itself, you will not haul anything up probably, unless the load is somehow increasing your traction.

Now if you can not get the tractor to the bottom to try going up, without first going down that slope, make a plan on how you will get the tractor back out if it cannot make it by itself.

Ever post a picture of that area before? Seeing the picture gave me a deja vu moment for some reason...

Edit: I now see you have a gear tractor and not hydrostatic. I think for me a hydrostatic is a better choice when trying something tricky.

 

[dodge man]

Looking at the pic to the right between some trees looks better.

 

[jeff9366]

I would not take a tractor on that slope for anything. Not only is it steep but you will lose traction as individual wheels traverse rocks and low spots adding to potential for rollover. Rebuilding a clutch at the Kubota dealer in rural Florida is $1,200. Probably more in NH. Tractor tires may create erosion channels to the lake.

If you decide to go ahead check all four tire pressures first. Easy to roll a under-inflated tire bead off the rim in your conditions.

Get a ventilated burn barrel or create a fire ring from rocks. Throw in a couple bags of charcoal for intense heat and burn the debris you want to dispose of at the shoreline.

You will not free-wheel in reverse with HST.

From Kubota brochures in front of me: B2320 turning radius with brake = 6.9 feet. Have you used turning brakes?

BX turning radius without brake = 7.5 feet. (BX does not have split/turning brakes.)

Also note that I have turf tires.

Turf tires = low traction. You will be lucky to get the tractor up the hill WITHOUT ANY LOAD.

 

[Thomas]

If you do try it make sure ground not damp, if you got rear tire chains might wise to put them on.

 

[bcp]

Buy one or two of these and drag your wood up. No need to get a different tractor or drive into an unsafe area.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Everbil...zed-Steel-Uncoated-Wire-Rope-803142/203958866

https://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/editpost.php?p=5750534&do=editpost

Bruce

 

[mswlogo]

Your second link didnt work.

Dragging it up the hill would not work well. Many are small pieces and the big ones might fall apart. Its wood that has sat in the lake for many years.

My alternative is to rent/borrow a small barge/raft, bring that to a flat beach near by and transfer it piece by piece to a trailer and haul it away.

Im hoping this wont be a seasonal thing but only after a flood like storm which might happen once a decade. Or it may only be occasional pieces that I can manually keep up with.

 

[mswlogo]

Im probably leaning towards not doing it after researching after watching several videos discussing steep slopes and tractors. They labels slopes much less than mine as steep. I think the biggest risk is the tread loads up from one wheel spin and then your screwed.

But what I did learn is adding some load might be safer than no load. And it might be safest to back down and keep the bucket on the high side with the load.

 

[Diggin It]

Move it by hand away from the water. Let it dry in the Sun. Have a few lakeside campfires over the Summer.

 

[dragoneggs]

Com'n you flatlander guys! That slope looks tame compared to my 1.5 acres. If you are going straight up/down, no problem. Granted, I have HST on my BX but I routinely tackle those slopes and steeper. Have also cut several traverses and switchbacks too for more sane travel. Low and slow. Biggest problem is overloading your FEL so you lose the traction on the backend. Another reason why a heavy backhoe on board is an advantage. Not to mention you can swing the weight towards the slope while traversing.

Again, just be careful and get a feel. Low and slow and limit your front end load. No need to be playing with gears on a slope in my opinion. Did I say take your time? You will grin with the accomplishment. Oh and wheel spacers help with the pucker factor going sideways on a slant. Low and slow and weight on the back. I'll go now.

 

[JOHNTHOMAS]

Make sure it's dry and blow the leaves off and go down slow. I had one gear drive and it was a B2320 and hated the gear drive using my tiller and implements so my one and only gear drive. Any way with a HST BX with bucket down near ground with bucket tilted ia bit ready to drop it to stop you if needed go down forward in turtle after walking it first to determine if you have any drop offs. Make sure you have something, pick up truck or tractor to hook chain or cable to the back to pull you back up if it won't do it under its own power. Could hook a chain or cable to back before going down just in case and if you get down with no issues then have some one hand pull the strap, chain, cable back up as you back up. Once you do it you'll know whether your up to doing it again. I'd rather go forward down and back back up if super steep but I believe traction will be better reversing my choice with backing down and driving straight back up. I've done some almost straight down and back ups many times and I've gotten in wet areas, caught on root or rock or loose dirt and had to pull my tractors, mowers and RTVs out before with one of my other Kubotas and a strap or chain. Just part of the adventure of hillsides and help to have a friend or grandson to drive the other vehicle that is pulling you out..

 

[The Deerslayer]

First off, beautiful place you have there :thumbsup:

To weigh in on your question; hard to say without actually walking the terrain. I tend to go conservative in these situations based on safety considerations as well as the potential to adversely effect the financial investment made in my tractor if things go sideways (figuratively or literally :laughing If it were me and I had any reservations at all, I would let the material dry and then burn.

 

[RalphVa]

I agree with Jeff. No way would I try to take a tractor down that slope. If the tractor was already down there, I MIGHT try going directly up that slope to the right. Never ever try going down a slope first. Certainly don't go across any slope unless it's very gentle.

Our whole back yard slopes quickly down the hill through some trees. Some areas are just too steep.

Ralph

 

[Paul Thornton]

Lakeside campfires for sure!

 

[ruffdog]

Many of the water front property around here looks like that. They normally make a zig-zag path from the bottom to top to lessen the steepness of the grade. I would make a path from the bottom right going around the bushes on the left, then go to the right of the house.

 

[shooterdon]

I would not attempt it. I am new to tractors and an old man (69). I can afford to find someone to do stuff that I am not comfortable with.

 

[ericm979]

Looking at the pic to the right between some trees looks better.

That's the only place I'd even consider it. The rest is too steep and has big rocks.
Keeping in mind that slopes always look gentler in pictures than they really are, even the path to the right is probably sketchy.

If it's steep enough the tractor will roll when the HST is in neutral position. It depends on the HST- my old Kubota would do it more readily than my Branson. If the brakes are on the same side as the HST pedals you have to figure out how to apply both at the same time.