Pucker factor to the 10th degree !

[bp fick]

I suspect MT was sliding down that hill in a heartbeat and had no time to find and then lift any levers. That's the problem. 90% of this kind of thing is forethought, preparedness and prevention.
In most of my accidents and close calls, my failure was foresight; as in the smart thinking had to be done ahead of time. Our friend has been schooled well today by experience. It's just that she's such a tough teacher.

 

[jimmyj]

Glad you are OK MT. A lesson learned I guess (the half full approach).

Nice looking new place.

 

[JDGreenGrass]

OMG, thank the Angels.!!! That is one scary ride.

I have bought 3 houses over my life span. First thing I look for....I want a flat landscape. Period.!! I will not buy a property that is laid out wilth a steep yard or worse...a steep driveway. I simply will not do it. I walk.

I look at some places and I can't believe where some people build a house, cliffs, long up hill drives, real steep grass sections, etc.

And, I can't believe how many properties are laid out this way.?? There are many.!!!!!

I don't get it.??

To the OP. Looking at the pictures.....just let that grass grow and it leave it to the crickets.!! THAT is an accident waiting to happen.

Anyone else think like I do.???

 

[missourithunder]

JDGreenGrass,
We don't have much of a choice when it comes to flat yards in the Ozark mountain range. I have yet to see a home in Pulaski County with flat yards on all four sides of the house.

jimmyj,
So good to hear from you and thanks for the kind words. How many hours on the great pumpkin now ? After yesterday's fiasco, I'm up to 48 hours and will get the 50 hour service next weekend. Do you still have/use the old Allis Chambers or are you having too much fun on the new one ?

bp,
You know me to well. Seems the entire incident took less than 5 seconds. My heart was pounding like the drum from AC/DC's "Thunderstruck" song. This will never happen again.

Runner & dcyrilc,
I like both of your techniques and will practice both to familarize myself but I think I'm a lot like a horse. Once I get spooked by something I tend to never "go back there" again. I don't see me going down that slope again. Up the slope no problem, just not down.

MT

 

[sweettractors]

Not the same as your experience, However about 20 years ago, I was brush hogging a real steep hill side and could only mow going downhill. There were 2 multifloral roses that were taller than my 65 hp JD tractor that just had to go. I got to the top of the hill and centered up on the last one and headed off down the hill, The tractor went into a slide and as the rose bush came closer to me, I could see a gigantic snake coiled up in the top sunning. He was headed right for me, I stood up and he came slithering down the hood, hit the steering wheel and down beside my left leg and over the back axle. The brush hog got him. I had to go to the house and check my underwear. Funny now, looking back on it. Ken Sweet

 

[woodlandfarms]

Because of our severe slopes, we bought a PT. One of the features on the PT is a Draft control. Basically, it acts like a float control but raises that mower about 3" off the ground to add weight to the wheels. As others have said, it might help with traction if you put let the mowers weight be more supported by the tractor. I am not sure if other tractors have this Draft Control feature (I am sure they do, but unsure how implemented).

Carl

 

[rekees4300]

By the way, the loader was barely off the ground so that had nothing to do with it.

Wrong! It was the reason you didn't have any brakes. Do yourself a favor and remove the FEL before doing any slope work. I had the same experience except I had a level field at the bottom of the slope to stop instead of a 10' drop like you! That was 10 years ago and I still have nightmares about that incident.

 

[TripleR]

Wrong! It was the reason you didn't have any brakes. Do yourself a favor and remove the FEL before doing any slope work. I had the same experience except I had a level field at the bottom of the slope to stop instead of a 10' drop like you! That was 10 years ago and I still have nightmares about that incident.

If I have learned anything in dealing with tractors many things do not fit into the "always/never" category. Depending on the conditions/tractor, I may or may not keep the FEL on working on slopes. In fifty years, I have never turned over; scared myself a few times, but a FEL had nothing to do with it; well not that I can remember, OK there was that one time.

 

[missourithunder]

rekees4300,
I have to agree with TripleR, I still don't believe the loader had anything to do with it. It was a mere few inches off the ground. The rear tires are loaded and the weight of the RFM helps so counter balance wasn't the issue. Dex and a few others mentioned that raising the RFM a bit to put more weight on the rear tires would have prevented this. Of course the real saftey violation was my complacency in not making sure I was in low range and in 4WD to begin with. I take pride in my saftey record and no one has beaten me up over this more than myself.

MT

 

[rekees4300]

missourithunder
So you think the lack of rear wheel traction (aka no brakes) was caused only by the damp topsoil? Why would the FEL being barely off the ground not contribute to lack of traction?

 

[sweettractors]

missourithunder
So you think the lack of rear wheel traction (aka no brakes) was caused only by the damp topsoil? Why would the FEL being barely off the ground not contribute to lack of traction?

It will, I turned a Deere with FEL over one time when I lost control of my rear axle traction because of front loader up with a log in the bucket. I Should have had 1500 lb on my 3 point to offset the weight on the front. It rolled down the hill while my 14 yr old Son and I tried to stay about 3 steps ahead of it. Ken Sweet

 

[JoeL4330]

MT: glad no real harm was done ...having experienced that sleigh ride myself more than once, the best answer is 4wd, as you said...but, your original analysis was flawed on two other counts: having the rear mower down on the ground took weight off the rear and the loader on the front (high or low) also helps to un-weight the rear wheels which are the only wheels with brakes (on most tractors with which I am familiar).

4wd gives you front-wheel braking (unless you push in the clutch or shift into neutral, of course)...if you still need the rear wheel brakes, raising the mower will help, as will having had the foresight to leave the loader home...but, I always mow with the loader on and welcome the front weight when coming UP my steep hills...wheelies, otherwise.

You've already figured all this out and the best advice is learn from your experience.

 

[JDGreenGrass]

Man, some of you guys are daredevils the places you take these tractors.!!

Yow-zaa.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

Read in the paper today of a local man who died in a tractor accident this weekend. Was the obit, it didn't give details.

 

[Gale Hawkins]

Not the same as your experience, However about 20 years ago, I was brush hogging a real steep hill side and could only mow going downhill. There were 2 multifloral roses that were taller than my 65 hp JD tractor that just had to go. I got to the top of the hill and centered up on the last one and headed off down the hill, The tractor went into a slide and as the rose bush came closer to me, I could see a gigantic snake coiled up in the top sunning. He was headed right for me, I stood up and he came slithering down the hood, hit the steering wheel and down beside my left leg and over the back axle. The brush hog got him. I had to go to the house and check my underwear. Funny now, looking back on it. Ken Sweet

In fact from my position it was very funny.

 

[missourithunder]

JoeL4330 & sweettractors,
Thank you for trying to explain this to Mr. rekees4300 but he obviously still doesn't get it so I'll dummy-proof it for him in his own language.

rekees4300,
I made a stupid mistake. I tried mowing down hill on a slick infested surface without the assistance of low range and 4WD. The FEL's weight had absolutely nothing to do with the sliding motion because the counter weight to the loader exceeded the loader's weight by 357 lbs. You seem to be mathmeticly inclined so take a look at my calculations and correct me if I'm wrong;

FEL weight - 617 lbs (straight from my owners manuel)


RFM weight - 494 lbs (straight from my other owners manuel)
Loaded rear tires - 2x 85 lbs = 170 lbs (straight from the MFA receipt)
Custom canopy - 70 lbs (I paid by the pound and I watched him weigh it)
My fat ***** - 244 lbs (you're gonna have to trust me on this one)
Total counter wt - 974 lbs

So, 974 - 617 = 357 lbs in total counter weight difference to the FEL

So tell me again you silly mathamatishin, how did the weight/distribution of the FEL contribute to my near fatal accident (focus on the message here not the grammer) ?

MT

 

[The Haymaker]

Haymaker,
I understand your opinion about taking off the bucket but what do you mean by "pick up mower?"


MT

"Drop" as in "push lever forward to drop bucket", meaning.... instant DRAG! Also transfers weight to the rear wheels.

Raise mower because it too will transfer weight to the wheels with brakes on them.

But, as said, lesson learned.

 

[rekees4300]

JoeL4330 & sweettractors,
Thank you for trying to explain this to Mr. rekees4300 but he obviously still doesn't get it so I'll dummy-proof it for him in his own language.

rekees4300,
I made a stupid mistake. I tried mowing down hill on a slick infested surface without the assistance of low range and 4WD. The FEL's weight had absolutely nothing to do with the sliding motion because the counter weight to the loader exceeded the loader's weight by 357 lbs. You seem to be mathmeticly inclined so take a look at my calculations and correct me if I'm wrong;

FEL weight - 617 lbs (straight from my owners manuel)


RFM weight - 494 lbs (straight from my other owners manuel)
Loaded rear tires - 2x 85 lbs = 170 lbs (straight from the MFA receipt)
Custom canopy - 70 lbs (I paid by the pound and I watched him weigh it)
My fat ***** - 244 lbs (you're gonna have to trust me on this one)
Total counter wt - 974 lbs

So, 974 - 617 = 357 lbs in total counter weight difference to the FEL

So tell me again you silly mathamatishin, how did the weight/distribution of the FEL contribute to my near fatal accident (focus on the message here not the grammer) ?

MT

974 - 0 (no FEL) = 974
Doesn't 974 lbs on the rear wheels provide more traction than 357 lbs

 

[missourithunder]

Doesn't 357 lbs difference over the rear axel still give me the superior advantage ?

MT !

 

[two_bit_score]

Pick up mower and drop bucket. You're lucky you didn't roll it.

But, that said, "lucky learning experience" to be had and won't make the mistake again. Been there, done that!

A little late to this thread, shows three pages already, but.....

I agree with dropping the bucket in a situation like this but why pick up the mower?