Mowing Mowing on steep slopes

[sros990]

I understand the danger of tractor roll-over on slopes and that you should stay off steep slopes, but how steep is too steep?

Thanks,

Steve

 

[RRacing]

Well Steve from my trials and tribulations I can tell you that there are a number of factors to how steep is to steep. Soil conditions such as sand or wet soil can shift under load and change the angle your on faster than you can correct. Tractor weight and width of tractor and center of gravity make a difference. I had a JD 790 with a loader and backhoe and that thing was very unstable at 20 degrees (sideways)Now I have ( When its not broke and at the dealers)4320 and it seems very stable at the same angle. Kubota has the new GR2100 and GS 2000 That they in print say they can handle 35 degrees and still be stable. Craftsman lawn tractors are only rated at 18 degrees but can be coaxed for a few more( I should know I rolled 1 over the first day I had it /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif)My JD dealership looked everywhere to try and get me an angle # for there zero turns but they won't publish anything for liability reasons.I hope this helps.

Jim

 

[HGM]

Dont forget your mowing speed, a safe angle can turn dangerous quickly if your going fast enough to shift momentum on a slight bump. It doesnt take much.Like Jim elluded to, be careful.

 

[klm]

I see the highway dept mowing slopes that I would never attempt to just drive on, let alone mow and I have never heard of them rolling one. They use JD 4WD's around here.

 

[Cityboyfarmer]

I just had a scare while bushhogging last Saturday. I was on a slope that the tractor was stable on, in the lowest gear, when I drove my left front wheel up on a stump. In a split second the tractor became unstable and felt like it might go over. I was going slow enough that I was able to stop quickly and back off the stump. You have to be extremely careful on any slope no matter how slight it seems because conditions can change in a heartbeat and over you'll go before you know what happened.

Do some research in the Safety Forum. There is lots of excellent info there and some examples of rollover accidents that will really suprise you by just how slight the slope or dip that caused it was.

 

[beenthere]

Feeling unstable and being unstable are two different things, IMO. They 'feel' unstable much before they are unstable.
That doesn't in anyway imply that one shouldn't be careful and go slow, and back out of an unstable 'feeling' situation.

I have a slope that I couldn't get the nerve to go on, until my neighbor who worked for the county said it was not near the 'tip over' hill I thought it was. I go on it all the time now, but carefully.

But respect your feelings.

 

[RoyJackson]

There is an ANSI (American National Standards Institute)) spec that tests tractor on a tilt table. The test is static, meaning it's just setting there when the table is tilted.
The table is tilted to 20°.

This test is just the tractor, no FEL to my knowledge.

Your manual may list this ANSI spec, probably in the first few pages. It'll also caution you on side slopes.

As far as what is safe for you to operate on...that depends on your slopes. As others mentioned, it just takes a uphill stump or downhill rut or hole to upset the tractor, if traveling at a speed fast enough to overcome inertia.

If your tires are filled, that increases the tractor's stability by lowering the center of gravity.

It's always better to travel up and down a slope. Sometimes that isn't possible. If you do have to go across a slope, make sure you go slow and are seat belted. If your machine has a loader, remove it (there's a lot of weight above the center of gravity when the FEL is on the tractor).

 

[BB_TX]

<font color="blue"> I see the highway dept mowing slopes that I would never attempt to just drive on, let alone mow and I have never heard of them rolling one. </font>
The service road over on the main highway was shutdown for a while a couple months ago while they uprighted a highway dept tractor that rolled down the embankment. You rarely hear of it, but it happens. But like you, I would not even drive across some of those slopes. I rarely let my tilt meter get beyond 20 degrees.