roadhunter
Elite Member
It's amazing how even a little slope can feel like you are tipping on a tractor. Like was mentioned earlier all it takes is a tire going in a dip to lay the whole thing over when you are working on a slope.
How much side slope can my tractor handle?
- Thread starter plowhog
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beowulf
Veteran Member
- Joined
- Dec 31, 2003
- Messages
- 1,186
- Location
- Central California Foothills
- Tractor
- Kubota L3410 HST, J Deere riding mower
I live in the foothills and a decent percentage of my seat time has involved "potential" tipping issues. Like many here I suspect, I have had that very sudden realization, triggered by the pucker factor, that I need to be concerned about tipping. It has, however, rarely been a real issue - it just seems that way. But the pucker trigger is a decent gauge - trust it. I also keep the FEL low and when on a sideways slope keep my hand on the controls so I can drop the FEL quickly. I also have a tilt meter and will look at that from time to time. My recall is that when the tilt meter gets to about 20 degrees I need to pay more attention. And always - always - go slow when in a potential tilt situation. Speed is not your friend in those circumstances. I agree, as someone else has stated, that you will feel your circumstance is perilous before it actually is (if you are going slow) and there are times when I have gotten off the tractor and see that the tilt is much less than I perceived it to be.
That's not really correct. It doesn't matter where the attachment points are as long as the loader unit is rigid (and it is until you are tipped far enough over for the loader to raise - that is actually fall - by itself) the CoG of the loader is where the center of all of its mass is. If the bucket is full of something heavy and very low to the ground it is lowering the CoG of the whole unit (tractor and loader).
The weight of the loader parts above the tractor's CoG are counteracted by the heavier weight in the low-riding bucket. Since the whole loader acts as an inflexible unit its CoG is transfered to the tractor, raising or lowering the combined CoG depending on how high the load is carried in the bucket.
RaydaKub
Veteran Member
This the kind of thing I was referring to in my previous post; 2 good pieces of advice that seem at odds with each other.
My BX is a very small tractor, but I think the overall physics principles remain the same regardless of the size. To satisfy myself about how it handled my hill, I decked it out in "dig" mode. The rear tires are loaded. I have a 275# weight bar for the 3ph, I added 50# of weights to the rear wheels and had the fel on (which IIRC is about 400 lbs). I parked on my hill, bucket just off the ground, got off and pushed on the ROPS. I could lift the rear wheel with one hand. I then went back to the garage, removed the bar, wheel weights, and fel. I tried the experiment again and couldn't lift the rear wheel at all. The tractor was much more stable on the hillside w/o the fel. The reasoning is simple. The fel transfers a LOT of weight forward from the solid rear axle to the tippy front axle. All tractors will follow this idea, though obviously the numbers can vary a lot. And it goes to show that I want to increase the rear weight even more. :thumbsup:
So while the fel slammed to the ground can help stabilize a tractor that has started to tip, there is a decent chance that the tractor may not have been unstable at all if the fel were left in the garage. But we buy them to do work and if that work requires a fel, so be it. Just keep your hand on the stick.
ovrszd
Epic Contributor
- Joined
- May 27, 2006
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- Missouri
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- Kubota M9540, Ford 3910FWD, Ford 555A, JD2210
The part I highlighted is missed by most users. The front axle is doing nothing to keep you on your wheels until the oscillator has maxed out. By then you'll wish you were somewhere else.....
RaydaKub
Veteran Member
Right on, Richard. In that last instant when it hits the stops, it will help, but whether that is enough is questionable because we speak of these things in a static manner but the situations are always dynamic with motion and momentum involved. And once it hits the stop, the pucker alarm is blaring or you should get it replaced.The part I highlighted is missed by most users. The front axle is doing nothing to keep you on your wheels until the oscillator has maxed out. By then you'll wish you were somewhere else.....
I was Deployed late 2005 thru late 2006. My wife was left with the task of mowing. She was very concerned about tipping the tractor. I bought a cheap tilt meter and installed it on our Kubota B2910. Told her to use the gauge to get accustomed to the tractor and it's abilities. Told her to never exceed 15 degree side slope. The tractor was amazingly stable at that angle so figured I gave her enough cushion that she wouldn't have problems and she didn't.
Here are some pics I took of that tractor using a rope hanging off the ROPS to show actual tilt of the tractor as well as the gauge. I posted these pics on TBN nine years ago as an example in a thread similar to this. I think any tractor will function at 15 degrees. Obviously I'm wayyyy past that in these pics.
Maybe purchase a tilt meter and do some experimenting on your own to find your "safe" place.
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Old post I know, but WOW!!! I have a B2650 cab model, loaded tires and 1 5/8" (~56.9" total width) wheel spacers. When I'm at 15-16 degrees I get nervous. I did get out at that angle once just to see if there was a chance for me to rock the tractor to lift the wheels off the ground, but not a chance. But my pucker factor says to stop at that angle and drive slow even though I know the terrain. I'm not sure how much the cab (500 pounds) would raise my center of gravity, but if your inclinometer is correct, I think I would have gone past "pucker factor" to "implode factor". :laughing:
oosik
Epic Contributor
How much side slope can my tractor handle? That will get the same answer as these two questions - - How high is up? How far is down? Too many variables in everything - the tractor, the environment, the operation, the load.
By going slow - practicing maneuvers/operations - being safe - - over time an op will learn the limitations of his equipment.
The OP must learn to use his brain and listen to his butt.
By going slow - practicing maneuvers/operations - being safe - - over time an op will learn the limitations of his equipment.
The OP must learn to use his brain and listen to his butt.
^^^^
Also, keep your bucket as low as possible, which may have been mentioned when the thread was active.
Old thread, but it's something I've been thinking about a lot while I'm reclaiming gravel off an old road on a hillside. The wild card is when you drop a tire into a hole; if you are pushing the limits, things can go sideways fast.
Also, keep your bucket as low as possible, which may have been mentioned when the thread was active.
Old thread, but it's something I've been thinking about a lot while I'm reclaiming gravel off an old road on a hillside. The wild card is when you drop a tire into a hole; if you are pushing the limits, things can go sideways fast.
oosik
Epic Contributor
Jstpssng - that is the only time I've got in trouble. Lifting a bucket full of wet sand w/out sufficient weight on the 3-point. Rear end up in the air what seemed like feet but was probably 6" to 8" - tractor began to pivot on the front axle pivot pin. Dropped the bucket so fast it bounced when it hit the ground. That was very close to a "filling my shorts" situation.