How about outriggers for tractors

suttles · Aug 13, 2006

Ok, this may sound dumb but after reading all these messages about slopes I have some more questions.
I just wondered if there were anything made like a outrigger for tractors?
It would be like a bicycle training wheel.
So far out Kubota L3130 has not felt unstable. I have been going downhill and then some very small dip that is not visible until one wheel goes into it.
It scared me but then before I could do anything I was out of the small trench.

After seeing these pictures of tractors on slopes with a 15+ degree, I think I have been mowing some hills like that.

Now I think I have scared myself again. The 10 acres we bought in Jan has been farmed but these small ruts are not visible until going over it. We are getting more familar with the property and plan on having someone smooth out these ruts with some heavy equipment.

I look at all the farm land surrounding me and most of it is steeper than ours. I see tractors mowing right along with long slopes steeper than ours.

The man we bought our land from plowed and cut hay from just about all this farm.

Some of the soil is like composed cow manure and it can be very soft.
Where the fences use to be makes an area like a drop down bank. This does not show up like it feels until over it.

The Kubota L3130 feels like it hugs the ground. The few times I got a scare was these places that you could not see. Even if you were walking you would have to step in that spot to know it was a gulley or depression in the ground.

I do appreciate the feed back from the pictures.
This lets me know what it looks like.

Are riding lawn mowers safer on hills?
Would the outrigger idea work?
Thanks,
Sandy in the TN hills

bugstruck · Aug 13, 2006

Outriggers are for catching fish

. Riding mowers are probably more stable in general. I mow hills on my JD mower that I wouldn't even consider traversing on the Bota. Much past 15 degrees on the tractor and I get a little up-tight. It would take 20 degrees I believe and possibly a little more, but I have no desire to find out.

gordon21 · Aug 14, 2006

Your outrigger "training wheels" would probably be more trouble than it might save. If you had a 3'-5' extension on the rear wheels and one rear wheel went into a 6" deep rut, the outer end might suddenly catch on the ground hard and act as a brake on one side. That MIGHT send the tractor over due to the pivoting around a point. I doubt you could build an extension that would be stronger than a tractor tryting to fall over under power.

On wide open spaces, there is no problem with the extra width. However, trying to maneuver around trees or fences would be a big problem even if the land were rut free and fairly flat.

Make sure BOTH sets of wheels are set in their widest possible stance. Rims are typically dished differently to allow a narrow track or a wider track on both the front and back. Widening the front will make a big difference.

Go slow and ALWAYS wear a seat belt. I always buckle up before I turn the key. ROPS and seat belts are there for a reason.

mdbarb · Aug 14, 2006

I use the backhoe for counter balance,
Of course go directly downhill, slowly.

Soundguy · Aug 15, 2006

The county mowing tractors that have the big boom and ditch bank mowers like Alamo.. etc.. generally have a large counterballance weight protruding out 3-4' on the side of the tractor opposite of the mower.

Not exactly what you were talking about.. but close..

Soundguy

slowrev · Aug 15, 2006

Duals on the rear are pretty much outriggers.
My friend and I cut and roll hay on slopes much worse than 15 deg. without duals.
Ben

Eric_Phillips · Aug 15, 2006

I sure could have used some outriggers this past weekend. As I was driving home after picking up a 10' cultipacker form my uncles I thought I should put my disc on the back of my little tractor before I lift this off the trailer. So I get home the tractor is already backed up to the disc and I just drive away. I hook up the cultipacker and lift it off the trailer. No problem, then I turn sidways on the slope of my backyard. I went to stop and I felt the tractor going over. In my panic my foot slipped off the clutch and the tractor kept moving forward and stayed up right. So now I am leaning over the high side as far as I can with the seatbelt on thinking, should I turn up the hill or down the hill. I prayed and just kept going straight down the hill on an angle until it flattened out. Since I had used the facilities just prior to the incident there was not much to clean up. Hopefully I learned my lesson. The most lucky thing was my wife did not see this balancing act.

Eric