Sup Fellas, getting Kioti NX 5010 for my 27 acres. I wouldn't call my land hilly, but there are a few slopes heading down to a creek. This is my first tractor. I'm a safety first guy and was wanting some basic knowledge on tractor stability on slope. Will be brush hoging area and maybe removing brush, so at times will have stuff on FEL. Getting my tires filled btw, thanks for y'alls input.
No flipping tractor
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CobyRupert
Super Member
Read this:
View attachment Tractor Overturn Hazards 202[1].pdf
A big factor is "center of gravity" (COG). The lower the better. Add weight below COG, lowers COG for more stability, adding weight, or raising FEL above COG decreases stability.
So when brush hogging, having mower hanging (low) on 3 PTH lowers COG than if mower is floating on ground.
Keep FEL low!
The wider the better, set tires (if adjustable) as wide as possible, or look into "Wheel spacers" for making rear tires wider apart.
Filling (partially) tires with fluid lowers COG.
View attachment Tractor Overturn Hazards 202[1].pdf
A big factor is "center of gravity" (COG). The lower the better. Add weight below COG, lowers COG for more stability, adding weight, or raising FEL above COG decreases stability.
So when brush hogging, having mower hanging (low) on 3 PTH lowers COG than if mower is floating on ground.
Keep FEL low!
The wider the better, set tires (if adjustable) as wide as possible, or look into "Wheel spacers" for making rear tires wider apart.
Filling (partially) tires with fluid lowers COG.
AWSubie
Platinum Member
Use your 4WD and don’t drive across the slope. Drive up and down the slope in 4WD and you’ll be safe.
D2Cat
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When on slopes have the tractor in 4x4. This engages the front end, and offers more resistance when going down hill. You have no brakes on the front of a tractor, so the engagement of the engine helps keep things under control.
CobyRupert
Super Member
To be more technical, when in 4 wd you also have "pedal braking" at front tires, in addition to "engine braking". When in 4wd the front wheels are mechanical linked to rear wheels, so the front wheels will have braking power (when you press brakes) by this linkage to the rear wheel's brakes.
This why it's important to be in 4wd when heading downhill with a load in FEL which make back tires have very light contact with ground causing rear tires to easily skid/slide, sending driver on a wild ride until they figure out to drop the bucket to the ground.
BrokenTrack
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On a hillside, just remember that slow is deliberate, and deliberate is fast.
By and large, tractors are designed to stay on their wheels. If you go fast, it upsets the weight transfer and that is what sends you over.
I mow some pretty steep hillsides as I mow the sides of the road, and generally, as long as the hillside is consistent, the tractor wants to stay upright, it is just you never know when there is a woodchuck hole, and you begin to pucker up in the seat.
But this is the number one rule of roadside mower operators everywhere: "No grass is worth cutting if you do not feel safe." There are a ton of other machines that can get to that grass to mow if need be, it is not worth getting hurt over.
By and large, tractors are designed to stay on their wheels. If you go fast, it upsets the weight transfer and that is what sends you over.
I mow some pretty steep hillsides as I mow the sides of the road, and generally, as long as the hillside is consistent, the tractor wants to stay upright, it is just you never know when there is a woodchuck hole, and you begin to pucker up in the seat.
But this is the number one rule of roadside mower operators everywhere: "No grass is worth cutting if you do not feel safe." There are a ton of other machines that can get to that grass to mow if need be, it is not worth getting hurt over.
ericm979
Super Member
When on a side hill take care to note dips on the low side and hillocks on the high side. Either can change your machine's angle pretty quick.
Also remember that it's the rear axle that provides side to side stability because the front axle is on a center pivot. So you can drive over a dip/lump with the front and the tractor's angle won't change until you get there with the rear tires.
You can get off and walk the area if it's covered by grass.
Also since you have a ROPS you need to wear the seat belt on any questionable terrain. It'd be unfortunate to have the ROPS keep the tractor from going over but pin you under it.
Also remember that it's the rear axle that provides side to side stability because the front axle is on a center pivot. So you can drive over a dip/lump with the front and the tractor's angle won't change until you get there with the rear tires.
You can get off and walk the area if it's covered by grass.
Also since you have a ROPS you need to wear the seat belt on any questionable terrain. It'd be unfortunate to have the ROPS keep the tractor from going over but pin you under it.
ning
Elite Member
One thing I recently realized is that "how much is too much" (regarding side tilt) also depends on what's to your side.
As in, "If the tractor rolled here, what would happen?" - If you're mowing the side a ditch and a rollover would result with the tractor laying on its side on the other side of the ditch, that's not ideal, but it's not particularly terrible. If you're mowing the side of a pond, and a rollover would result in a bath... that's significantly worse, especially if the pond is deep and muddy, your ROPS could sink in significantly with all the weight of the tractor on it. If you're a steep hill and there's no flat spot to turn around at the top (you are mowing up and down the slope, right?) so you've got a brief side-slope as you turn around... a rollover could be over and over and that could get really nasty too.
In my own moment of clarity, I was considering that a rollover (I wasn't at the pucker stage yet but I was like "what if this edge collapsed now?") could get me skewered by a t-post that was to my side and below, or smooshed against a very strong wooden post... think like a tree. ROPS won't help that.
My point is, danger is relative. I'm not suggesting that it's ok to rollover in some situations, but I am saying that I'm willing to push things more in some cases than others.
Think track days. You get on a motorcycle and ride at a track in controlled situations where a crash is most likely going to result in a few scuffs on the protective suit (and there's an ambulance standing by); you're more willing to ride hard there than on the country road, but you still would rather not crash.
As in, "If the tractor rolled here, what would happen?" - If you're mowing the side a ditch and a rollover would result with the tractor laying on its side on the other side of the ditch, that's not ideal, but it's not particularly terrible. If you're mowing the side of a pond, and a rollover would result in a bath... that's significantly worse, especially if the pond is deep and muddy, your ROPS could sink in significantly with all the weight of the tractor on it. If you're a steep hill and there's no flat spot to turn around at the top (you are mowing up and down the slope, right?) so you've got a brief side-slope as you turn around... a rollover could be over and over and that could get really nasty too.
In my own moment of clarity, I was considering that a rollover (I wasn't at the pucker stage yet but I was like "what if this edge collapsed now?") could get me skewered by a t-post that was to my side and below, or smooshed against a very strong wooden post... think like a tree. ROPS won't help that.
My point is, danger is relative. I'm not suggesting that it's ok to rollover in some situations, but I am saying that I'm willing to push things more in some cases than others.
Think track days. You get on a motorcycle and ride at a track in controlled situations where a crash is most likely going to result in a few scuffs on the protective suit (and there's an ambulance standing by); you're more willing to ride hard there than on the country road, but you still would rather not crash.
ericm979
Super Member
Excellent points.
jbrumberg
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All good posts. Rig balance (fore-aft) is important as well.
Possibly another link from PSU:
Tractor Stability and Instability
Possibly another link from PSU:
Tractor Stability and Instability
PEJ5
Gold Member
The article you link to does not work for me. Can you point me to it another way?
Thanks
CobyRupert
Super Member
If you go to the link in Post #10, it's the same information.
That website there has the download (.pdf ) that I posted (that doesn't work).
radios1
Elite Member
there you go right there, good advice!. I've seen mowing done on banks nearly vertical!. they have the tractor on the flat road, and use a hydraulically driven mower on an outrigger!.
CobyRupert
Super Member
Yes, for stability.
Some tractor rims are separate/ detachable and offset from the center dish of the rim, so not only does moving wheel from one side to side take advantage of this offset for greater width, but you can also change how the center dish mounts to the outer rim for added total width.
DarkBlack
Elite Member
Not sure I agree with the brush cutting part. Lifting the cutter just off the ground does lower the cog of the tractor itself, but that痴 ignoring the combined cog of the tractor, cutter combination. The cutter on the ground would resist the overturning of the tractor, with variance depending on linkage play. Raising the cutter also is a canterlever force on the rear axle, which adds instability. I say it痴 too complex with too many variables to say one way or the other.
IndyIan
Veteran Member
Ag tires and rims usually have the ability to flip the rims and the inner wheel to get a wide spacing. Also Ags could be better as they don't slip as much off road in most situations. I suppose turf tires could be better on mowed slopes but I think Ags are the best compromise.
Widening them helps the stability but doesn't make them invincible. I've had the rears off the ground more times on my 3301 in the last two years than I ever did using the same implements with my 275, which was lighter; if I keep it, I may even load the tires, which I would never even have considered before.
CobyRupert
Super Member
One thing about raising it and being a counterlever force on rear axle is now more of combined weight is on sidewall on rear tires. More on downhill side. Probably increases chances of sliding than if weight is distributed on front.
Zebrafive
Super Member
One thing not mentioned is dew/wet conditions. I have one hill (not very steep, never feels like the tractor will roll), that if there is any dew/wet grass the rear of the tractor will slide a little. It took only one pass for me to only mow it when it was bone dry. Even though the tractor only slid a little, the mowing can and will wait for better conditions.
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