JD 4400 tipped over...............................

rdbrumfield · Apr 1, 2003

Owning a 5300 I can sure appreciate the difference in stability of the smaller tractors. This weekend I was digging a driveway and footing for my sisters new house. Her neighbor came over to ask for help. He had rented a 4210 with loader and back blade. He was stuck down over a bank. It didn't take me long to drive it out, but in the process I noticed how much more the loader affected the cg as compared to the bigger machines. Be careful, and remember that when you have that rear emplement on the ground your tipping cg is dramatically changed. Have fun out there and be able to hug your wife at the end of the day.

Anonymous Poster · Apr 1, 2003

<font color="blue"> (Glad to hear you're O.K., but how many bullets do you want to dodge?) </font>

Hopefully, all of them /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif I have a level lot in a level state, and honestly, have never used the seat belt. I had to dig it out from under the seat. I always have the ROPS up since it holds my umbrella. I jump on and off the tractor so much when I'm using the FEL that it really never occurs to me to use the belt. I am really trying to get in the habit now!

Phred · Apr 1, 2003

Well I don't doubt that it makes more of a difference in the compacts. By I see the difference in my ultility tractor without the counter weight. 5600 lbs without attachments, loaded tires or the loader.
Yes loaded tires would help, but for all but the very heavy tractors a counter weight is a good idea.

Also depends on bucket size and material. I think mine is about 20 cubic feet or ~0.74 cubic yards. A full bucket of gravel with fines is about 2200 lbs plus ~500 lb bucket.
Ill stick to my counter weight.

Fred

Anonymous Poster · Apr 2, 2003

All 4 of my tires are filled and I did not have a counterweight and I tipped,andI was not carrying anything in my bucket.My bucket was about 3' off the ground.

Anonymous Poster · Apr 2, 2003

Steel_Wheels,

You were moving very slow.

Your empty loader was about even with the top of your hood [3 feet off the ground]

You were crossing a very light slope.

Both your front and rear tires are loaded.

You were using a middle buster [potato plow? can't remember]

This implement was causing you to have to use brake steering, and you were stil being pulled sideways, down hill.

Your tractor fell on its side!

Am I summing up your experience correctly?

Tell me what I am missing because something here does not make sense. I can't imagine how under these circumstances the tractor would tip over.

Unless you were moving faster and hit a rock [or fell in a hole], or unless the slope is steeper than I picture it from your description.

I just read this thread again top to bottom...it seems like it would take a VERY large rock to cause the tractor to tip on a slight slope and very slow speed.

Would it somehow be possible for the implement you were using to grab onto something under the earth, and somehow push the tractor to the side causing it to flip over?

A flag keeps waving in my mind saying that something is wrong with this picture...what am I missing? /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

DavidD · Apr 2, 2003

My neighbor was using my tractor the other day to do some dirtwork on his pond dam.He tried to back down a slope and tipped my Iseki over when the rear wheel hit a hole he had just filled.He claims it just layed over slowly to a point then fell over. My wife took some pics for me which I will post on Thursday.
My neighbor tells me the homemade rollbar stopped it when it hit the ground without any damage to the tractor {except a big pucker mark in the seat...lol} he pulled it back over , checked fluids , and drove it home. He ended up with a bruised arm and ego.
The FEL is sitting in my shop awaiting my return with a new valve for it, he thinks he could have dropped the FEL to stop the tip.How many times do people actually react fast enough to do this?

This little tractor has a very confining seat area which is hard to get out of, so bailing out isn't really an option. It could have been very serious without the rollbar on this little narrow tractor.

My neighbor suggested an ejector seat ...or a kickstand from my son's bike to hold it up.

thcri · Apr 4, 2003

This last week-end I was trying to move my dock and used the FEL to raise one end of the dock and then pull it away from the ice that was moving up on shore. Raised the dock with no problems and then started backing up, No Problem right, wrong, the wheel at the other end of the dock got hooked by a chock and next thing I new the back end of the tractor was coming up. I stopped it right away, thank god for hydro, my foot was right on the pedal. I was only lifting 300 lbs and the back end of the tractor was going up, and yes I was on a slight side hill. Side hill was enough that it would have gone over.

Keep your alert at all times cause it doesn't take much

murph

ernemats · Apr 8, 2003

Very good advice , also it is good to have a counter weight of some kind in the rear of the tractor. Once I did not have an impliment on rear for weight, only loaded rear tires, I had the bucket full of dirt taking it to the edge of a bank to dump, I applied the brakes to stop and tractor did not want to stop , I had to drop the bucket to the ground to stop. The rear wheels did not have enough weight on them for the brakes to stop me.