I used to have a smaller HST tractor. That thing scared the beJesus outta me on steep terrain. Almost impossible to exactly control your stops/starts. A gear drive with a hydraulic clutch and hydraulic brakes is MUCH safer. My tractor has filled rear tires, plus weights, plus cast iron centers in the rear wheels and the BB weighs around 1300lbs. No worries. I drove down into that ditch carrying that culvert. The culvert is 24". I added additional length after I got it in the hole. Ended up with 60'. The top of the fill is 20' wide. Guessing it's 18' high. I think I have enough freeboard that if the culvert can't keep up for a short period of time it'll pool the water against the fill until it can empty. Drains pasture land which will help a lot also. Speaking of the dog. One day I was driving back there to haul more dirt. Willie goes everywhere I go. As we drove across a CRP field a coyote ran out into the neighbors grazed pasture. Willie was in hot pursuit. When he'd catch up the coyote would turn and nip at him, then try to run off. Each time it would run Willie would attack. After a couple rounds of that the coyote said "okay, I guess we are going to fight" and it layed on it's back all curled up. Willie is thinking, this is too easy. He piles on. Immediately all Willie wanted to do was get away. The coyote wasn't making a sound but Willie sure was. After a few seconds of yelping the coyote let him go. He hauled butt straight to me. Fight over. Coyote trotted away. I just got my phone camera going for the escape run back to the tractor.
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