Safest way to Park on slope with engine running???

MossRoad · Feb 9, 2003

I'd use the slope for an excuse for more seat time to haul the stuff to a flat area to work on it there, if at all possible... /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

In all seriousness, there really isn't a totally safe way to do anything(you could choke on a marshmallow)... you can only minimize the risks. Use common sense. If it looks dangerous, it is. If your brain brings up questions of safety, listen to it.

With that said, why is it such an inconvenience to turn off the tractor? That's what electric starters are for... they eliminated hand cranks. I turn mine off every time I get off of it, with the exception of warming it up in the shed on cold mornings. I could see leaving it running with a chipper or log splitter, but those tasks seem better suited for flat ground and wheel chocks than hill sides and a rock or log for a chock. Good luck... and be safe /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif

Anonymous Poster · Feb 9, 2003

With that said, why is it such an inconvenience to turn off the tractor? That's what electric starters are for... 

I guess I bought into the theory that every time we start our engines they suffer more wear than if we had kept them running...so...I tend to not want to to turn off my engine every time I have reason to get off the tractor.

It's not so hard to start and stop the engine, but it may be hard on the engine to keep starting and stopping it. If I did not plan to keep my tractor for decades I might not care, but...

JohnMiller3 · Feb 10, 2003

( I tend to not want to to turn off my engine every time I have reason to get off the tractor. )

Hi Bill,

Exactly what do you plan on doing on slopes with your tractor?

What are you doing now, that causes you to jump on and off the tractor while running multiple times?

Right now, it sounds like you have quite an exercise program going... /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Anonymous Poster · Feb 10, 2003

John and all...

 Right now, it sounds like you have quite an exercise program going...


That's pretty funny /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

I know the focus of my question has shifted a bit...get off once or get off twenty times in a day...same concerns are there, at least in my mind.

Two acres behind my pond slope upward and what is there is about 30 to 40 years of whatever wanted to grow on land that was once cleared and farmed in some manner. I want to make it more usable. It has a lot of trees of various sizes and also the smaller stuff that fills in the spaces. Very typical of ignored land...

I have done some clearing, but there is a lot more to do. Some fallen dead trees, some standing dead, and a lot of other's living. What I end up doing, it seems, is cutting stuff with the chain saw where it falls, and moving the tractor over to it, throwing it in the loader [and this summer probably the carry all too], moving to the next little pile, and repeat.

Then I take it near the fire pit and dump it on the pile for those evenings of relaxing by the fire...under the stars /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Smarter guys probably do it easier, but that is what I have been doing...the slope is generally probably 10 degrees, but there are steeper sections that I have not taken the tractor on that approach 20 degrees...

Thinking back, the real reason I asked this question is because I was not certain whether I should leave the hst in gear or neutral, when parked with the engine running. I think I will ask that question seperately...in this forum after posting this reply...

thcri · Feb 10, 2003

Not sure there really is a good answer. Leaving your HST in gear will hold the tractor on most hills as long as your in the lower gear. But even on the level I always worry about leaving the HST in gear. Could something go wrong with a valve and get the tractor going?? Not sure?? It just seems possible. My brake seems pretty secure but know that they can go bad or the loc could release at any time. I guess locking the bracke, putting in nuetral and blocking two of the four wheels would be the best. Wheel chocks are not too expensive for those that are on lots of hills especially with kids around. You could even build yourself a little box to hold the chocks so they are always there for you.

I thinks someone mentioned even when parked on a hill and running the PTO for an attachment. Your tractor is then running some pretty high RPM's and there is a lot of vibration there. Vibrations can cause things to happen, brakes letting go and who knows what els. To me, nuetral, brakes locked and wheels chocked.

murph