Slope advice

[Anonymous Poster]

I would like some pointers on how to operate safely on slopes. I realize that most of the forum's members have BXs which gives them a real advantage on slopes (lower center of gravity), so I'd especially like to hear from some of you who have saddle time on some of the larger tractors. I have a L245 (well known to be light in the front end) with 16.2-24 R1s on the rear. I am not an overly tall person, but I am a little over 6ft. This combination of tractor, tires and height is giving me a very high center of gravity and making me a little nervous when mowing or tilling on slopes. I plan on ordering a tilt-meter, but I'd love to hear a laundry list of do's and don'ts from some of you who have more hours logged than I do. Thanks in advance.
duckdown44

 

[Pks]

The rule I learned as a kid was to "travel up and down the slope, not across". And if you are carrying something heavy, point the heavy object up hill when ascending and descending.

 

[theboman]

Have the ROPS up and seatbelt on. LOW and SLOW with any loads.

Nothin' like pucker power.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

That's what I forgot to say in my initial post. The tractor is old enough to pre-date factory installed ROPS. I'm looking into having one added. Believe me . . . the lack of a ROPS increases the pucker factor by 10.
duckdown44

 

[Bird]

If there's any doubt at all, I go up and down slopes, never across, and if it's steep enough to me to worry about that, I always go both up and down with the front end of the tractor aimed downward; i.e., drive forward down the slope and backwards up the slope. If you have a front end loader, keep it as low as possible. If you have 4WD, use it on the slopes; that way the brakes brake both front and rear axles at the same time.

 

[kyoders]

If you find a spot that you think you feel comfortable going across the slope instead of up and down, go very slow and watch for depressions/bumps. Even small ones can be enough to peg the pucker meter real quick, depending on the situation. By going slow, you reduce the momentum that a bump or depression can cause.

If you have a FEL, keep yourself in a position to be able to drop it to the ground. It might be enough to keep you from going over if you end up in a bad spot.

And probably the most important thing I've found is to never take for granted that you are safe. In going up one of my hills, I found a soft spot in the mulch that was enough to make me very uncomfortable. Even though I was looking, the mulch made it look like it was solid.

Since you don't have a ROPS (yet), I would assume there's no safety belt? If there is, don't use it without a ROPS. If you start to go over, your best chance may be to jump, preferably away from the direction of roll /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif. Conversely, if you have a ROPS, always wear the safety belt. A ROPS without a safety belt can be almost as bad as no ROPS at all.

Kevin

 

[JohnMiller3]

<font color="blue">… If there's any doubt at all…</font>

Rule #1… if it doesn’t feel right…
STOP... DON’T!

Be Safe and Stay Alive…

Go back to basics… remember when you first started driving Dad’s car… you took things slow and easy and built things up as you gained “confidence” with “experience”…

Do the smaller slopes and inclines first… gradually with time, do the steeper ones… you will know how far to go… you have to “trust” the capabilities of what your tractor is capable of doing… but first you have to trust yourself…

Lots of Time and Practice = Experience and Confidence… /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

So the only way to combat the "unknown", is to practice safety and constantly do the "what if" in your mind at all times. In other words, know what you're going to do "before" it happens... to prevent it from happening….

(Study and practice the proper & safe ways of using your tractor and implements...)

 

[Anonymous Poster]

JohnMiller3,
I totally agree with your post. I tend to try and do dumb things with my bx 'cause it seems so simple and so stable. I constantly have to remind myself that this machine is not a toy. I work on machinery every day and am cautious(after 30 years I still have all the appendages that I was born with and haven't been electrocuted) but when I'm at home my normal caution slips a little bit.
It pays to be a little slower, and a little wiser.
DaveL