ponytug
Super Member
I agree with Gravy about the need to be cognizant of having 6-800lbs high in the air, and Terry did mention about a 1430 owner who drove out on a slope and raised the weight up only to tip his machine over. It is definitely a large mass, high in the air, even before the weight gets lifted.
However, I think about the tipping moment(big weight, high in the air) from a slightly different perspective that may be helpful. I try to keep the weight low when in motion, and then only raise the driver to the vertical only when the long axis of the driver will be rising up perpendicular to gravity, i.e. vertical.
With the driver, one can lift it up and tilt it forward, and then lower the whole thing back down again, giving one weight lower to the ground, but farther in front of the tractor. This reduces the chance of tipping on the way to the post driving location, at the expense of possibly having a PT pucker. One can then drive to the desired location, with a relatively low (relatively!) center of gravity. Once at the desired site, one positions the tractor upslope or down slope (but avoiding cross slope if possible). Before curling the driver up, orient the driver in the horizontal plane so that when it is actually lifted, it will be rising in the vertical plane, with the weight centered between the wheels of the tractor. This is the critical bit, as it keeps the heavy weight from tipping the tractor, by keeping the weight centered.
Once it is up, on any sort of slope, I set the foot pad on the driver, and use the lift arms to press the foot pad heavily into the ground. After the foot pad is set, with 1000lbs of tractor resting on it, and the driver is level, then I think about raising the weight, which I do slowly to check for potential SNAFUs. If it checks out OK, I gently lower the weight, and set up to drive the post.
On level(ish) ground, having the driver tipped flat probably isn't as much of an issue, but I do think that maneuvering the driver with the weight down and in front is more stable. With the curl cylinder, it doesn't take long to tip it and flatten the driver close to the ground.
Just trying to help keep the tractors upright...
All the best,
Peter
P.S. the rock around here is so fractured that I have never had the opportunity to experience driving a post through large rocks. I believe Charlie has hit a few.
However, I think about the tipping moment(big weight, high in the air) from a slightly different perspective that may be helpful. I try to keep the weight low when in motion, and then only raise the driver to the vertical only when the long axis of the driver will be rising up perpendicular to gravity, i.e. vertical.
With the driver, one can lift it up and tilt it forward, and then lower the whole thing back down again, giving one weight lower to the ground, but farther in front of the tractor. This reduces the chance of tipping on the way to the post driving location, at the expense of possibly having a PT pucker. One can then drive to the desired location, with a relatively low (relatively!) center of gravity. Once at the desired site, one positions the tractor upslope or down slope (but avoiding cross slope if possible). Before curling the driver up, orient the driver in the horizontal plane so that when it is actually lifted, it will be rising in the vertical plane, with the weight centered between the wheels of the tractor. This is the critical bit, as it keeps the heavy weight from tipping the tractor, by keeping the weight centered.
Once it is up, on any sort of slope, I set the foot pad on the driver, and use the lift arms to press the foot pad heavily into the ground. After the foot pad is set, with 1000lbs of tractor resting on it, and the driver is level, then I think about raising the weight, which I do slowly to check for potential SNAFUs. If it checks out OK, I gently lower the weight, and set up to drive the post.
On level(ish) ground, having the driver tipped flat probably isn't as much of an issue, but I do think that maneuvering the driver with the weight down and in front is more stable. With the curl cylinder, it doesn't take long to tip it and flatten the driver close to the ground.
Just trying to help keep the tractors upright...
All the best,
Peter
P.S. the rock around here is so fractured that I have never had the opportunity to experience driving a post through large rocks. I believe Charlie has hit a few.