Slope...what is safe?? Anyone here ever roll over?

[dodge man]

6 year old post but good answer.

 

[Sono]

Just an experience Ive had ( I wasn't the driver but a buddy was ) I worked for Park and Forestry, we were cutting a city park on the county line, there was a home that abutted to the park (no fences) and the older gent needed his lawn cut bad since its been raining all week and just stopped that morning, it wasn't a bad hill at all just a slight slope from his house towards the park. Now this was basically a side yard to the homeowner but the front was actually a 5' poured retaining wall to the street, so my buddy told him he could come up by the house and just swoop in near the retaining wall and cut all the way down for him and be done in like 10 minutes to help him out since we were already cutting. Well, on the 3rd pass and being the grass was soaked from the downpour earlier the tractors rear end slid out, and instead of going down towards the park it headed for the retaining wall, he couldn't get out of the slide, hit the lip of the wall and Ive never seen a tractor do a Dukes of Hazzard !!! When the back wheels hit, that's all she wrote, it tumbled head over heels, He went to jump as it hit the wall but caught his boot strings on the clutch, then jumped again with force to break them. he hit the pavement and rolled and so lucky he did as the tractor landed where he originally landed. All this while we all took off running towards him, and so lucky we did at the time, the tractor ended upright and kept going, 2 of us managed to get to it and stop it before hitting a van a lady has just parked and got out of and seen the whole thing. It was crazy. Now back to my buddy, he was ok except, a week before he got 30 stitches in his leg from a chainsaw accident so he was on light duty that day driving tractors since he couldn't climb trees...Yeah, he ripped every stitch. Just amazing the slightest slope can be so dangerous...just because its wet. Be careful and show every machine respect... even a push mower can get away from ya.

 

[MechanicalGuy]

I was using my grapple to pull up privet bushes the other day. Very thick bushes that were 10-12' feet tall and had some 3&4" base stems. I grabbed a big mouthful of brush, with the roots being rooted just to the left of the grapple end on the left. When I picked up with the grapple, the roots and loader were all strong enough to cause my right side to pop up off the ground. I dropped the loader immediately and took another jab into the soil to break the root hold into the ground, but prior to that happening, I'd never considered that as a mechanism of tipping my tractor.

 

[CobyRupert]

....Well, on the 3rd pass and being the grass was soaked from the downpour earlier the tractors rear end slid out, and instead of going down towards the park it headed for the retaining wall, he couldn't get out of the slide.....When the back wheels hit, that's all she wrote, it tumbled head over heels, He went to jump as it hit the wall but caught his boot strings on the clutch, then jumped again with force to break them. he hit the pavement and rolled and so lucky he did as the tractor landed where he originally landed....
Now back to my buddy, he was ok except, a week before he got 30 stitches in his leg from a chainsaw accident so he was on light duty that day driving tractors since he couldn't climb trees...Yeah, he ripped every stitch. Just amazing the slightest slope can be so dangerous...

I had a coach once tell me “Sometimes you make your own luck.”

 

[k0ua]

I was using my grapple to pull up privet bushes the other day. Very thick bushes that were 10-12' feet tall and had some 3&4" base stems. I grabbed a big mouthful of brush, with the roots being rooted just to the left of the grapple end on the left. When I picked up with the grapple, the roots and loader were all strong enough to cause my right side to pop up off the ground. I dropped the loader immediately and took another jab into the soil to break the root hold into the ground, but prior to that happening, I'd never considered that as a mechanism of tipping my tractor.

Oh, yeah. A couple of days ago I basically did the same thing, and had the left rear wheel off of the ground for the exactly same reason. Part of my trouble was not stopping to take the blade off of the 3pt and putting on my ballast barrel. I had been grading the road. The blade might weigh 300 lbs if it was soaking wet, but I doubt it. Just not enough ballast= possibility of lifting rear of tractor. Fluid filled tires and all. I realized what was happening and was "taking it easy" knowing my rear end was light, but it happens pretty fast. No harm done, but a more novice operator could have panicked and flipped it I guess. Tractor with grapple on front and not enough ballast on the 3pt is a "whole different tractor".

 

[Fuddy1952]

I have a couple steep pastures to bush hog. It takes longer but I go up where not so steep, loop around going up that not too steep area. So downhill slowly, straight down, heavy side (bush hog) uphill.
I walked it beforehand removing any big rocks, tree stumps, filled pot holes.
Really bad areas I use a Cub Cadet zero turn mower. I learned how to shift my weight and PTO switch I can turn off instantly. I mow highest deck setting, if it gets out of control it's like riding a toboggan downhill. It's very safe. Better to go slow and easy. I never mow in morning (dew) or after a rain.

 

[TnAndy]

Hi,

I think the best mind set is to believe there is no safe slope for a tractor!.

Yep..that right there.

Charter member of the "rolled my tractor WITH a bush hog running and lived to tell about it" club. No rops. no seatbelt. My first little 22hp 1985 Yanmar, running a bush hog over a pile of tobacco stalks to chops them up....grade maybe 2-3%....nearly flat. Hit the pile at a run, back tire came up on the pile, and over it went. I fully believe bush hogs have a centrifugal effect that causes them hit a certain point, then 'gyro-scope' on over due to the rotating mass. It was 30+ years ago, I must have looked like Superman coming off the thing, because I rolled clear.

Broke the exhaust manifold because that model had a vertical muffler, little sheet metal damage. Used the truck to roll it back up, replaced manifold, started and ran it until I bought a NH Boomer in 1998.

 

[Jstpssng]

I was using my grapple to pull up privet bushes the other day. Very thick bushes that were 10-12' feet tall and had some 3&4" base stems. I grabbed a big mouthful of brush, with the roots being rooted just to the left of the grapple end on the left. When I picked up with the grapple, the roots and loader were all strong enough to cause my right side to pop up off the ground. I dropped the loader immediately and took another jab into the soil to break the root hold into the ground, but prior to that happening, I'd never considered that as a mechanism of tipping my tractor.

I did something similar except that I was trying to lift the front of my BH so that I could put it on. I hooked a chain from the top link mount on the implement to the chain on my bucket and tried to raise it while standing on the ground; so I was using my left hand instead of my right. Instead of the bucket lifting, the left rear did. I tried to drop it, but because I was using my left hand instead of my right I went the wrong way... and of course the tractor was starting to lean on me. I quickly stopped what I was doing, walked a 10 foot circle, came back and got things on an even keel. Then I put my draw bar on and used the 3 point to raise it.

 

[radios1]

I did get to see what the pro's use to mow 45 degree inclines.. they have the tractor on level ground, and extend a boom mounted mower to the incline, and mow the grass!.. it seems the pro's don't want to play Kamikaze for some reason!..

 

[MechanicalGuy]

I did get to see what the pro's use to mow 45 degree inclines.. they have the tractor on level ground, and extend a boom mounted mower to the incline, and mow the grass!.. it seems the pro's don't want to play Kamikaze for some reason!..

Those are just the people who can afford big heavy powerful tractors and insanely priced implements.

 

[MossRoad]

I did get to see what the pro's use to mow 45 degree inclines.. they have the tractor on level ground, and extend a boom mounted mower to the incline, and mow the grass!.. it seems the pro's don't want to play Kamikaze for some reason!..

Power-Trac 45 degree slope mower....

 

[4570Man]

Mowing a 45 degree slope that’s actually 45 degrees is no joke. I’d hate to do that even with a special built machine. Most people estimate slopes to be twice as steep as they are. Also you’d be very unlikely to roll a machine by slope alone. Sliding or hitting a hole plus having the loader too high is almost always what does it it.

 

[redman135]

In the farm cadet days we got told when the tractor rolls try to stay with it (no seatbelts then, early 80's), or, if you jump, go to the low side and run to the front or rear of the tractor.
1 guy in my class had rolled a tractor and he said the tractor rolls faster than you can jump. He was unscathed and had been thrown low side and run to the front of the tractor, which then rolled past him.
Personally, with a 2wd tractor on a hill decent, once you have a straight line use diff lock, if you think you may slide.NO SH*T. Diff lock forces BOTH wheels to rotate evenly when sliding and you have a MUCH SHORTER SLIDE, compared to a 1 wheel slide. A necessity when feeding hay/silage in winter in hill country.
If you have a load suspended from the bucket and you drive through a dip with 1 side of the tractor the load can swing sideways and lift the high side, even on a 10' wide tractor(loader had dual wheels). I dropped the load and dragged it out the other side of the dip. I had driven through that dip many tines before. The change: had just rolled out the 1st silage roll on the 3ph and was moving to clear ground to roll the 2nd bale out.

 

[MossRoad]

Mowing a 45 degree slope that’s actually 45 degrees is no joke. I’d hate to do that even with a special built machine. Most people estimate slopes to be twice as steep as they are. Also you’d be very unlikely to roll a machine by slope alone. Sliding or hitting a hole plus having the loader too high is almost always what does it it.

No foolin! A 45 degree slope is 1 for up for every 1 foot forward. To get an idea of that:

Stand facing a wall with your toes to the wall. Take two good steps backward and stop. Look straight ahead at the wall. The point from that spot on the wall to the tips of your toes would be very close to a 45 degree slope!

It's extremely uncomfortable to try and walk up a 45 degree slope. Driving up and down them is ridiculous, and the Power-Trac slope mower can do that AND drive across them on the side-slope. Yikes!

 

[arrow]

I thought a 45 degrees as it relates to hill sides is considered a 100% slope. So that picture of Moss Road's is a tractor on a 100% slope?

 

[Jstpssng]

I thought a 45 degrees as it relates to hill sides is considered a 100% slope. So that picture of Moss Road's is a tractor on a 100% slope?

Yes, if it is 45 degrees.

 

[Sono]

If you noticed, mowers made for slopes have a very low center of gravity, you are basically sitting on the frame as well as everything else hugging the ground. Tall tractors are top heavy and don't take much to get them Rollin.

 

[k0ua]

I have a simple question. Why do we always have this confusion about % slope and degrees of slope. Why in heck can't we all just use the EXACT same nomenclature when we talk about grades. Why not just use degree of angle. As in this is a 30 degree slope. Why do we need to refer to slope as a percentage? Doesn't degree define the slope exactly? Why do we do this to ourselves?

perhaps I am missing something here?

 

[bcp]

I have a simple question. Why do we always have this confusion about % slope and degrees of slope. Why in heck can't we all just use the EXACT same nomenclature when we talk about grades. Why not just use degree of angle. As in this is a 30 degree slope. Why do we need to refer to slope as a percentage? Doesn't degree define the slope exactly? Why do we do this to ourselves?

perhaps I am missing something here?

Probably because grade percent measurement can be done with more primitive devices and estimation.

That rock on the road ahead is about my eye level. I'll pace to it.

It took me 35 paces to get to the rock. So the grade is about 5 %. (5 feet rise in 100 feet)

Bruce

 

[Jstpssng]

I have a simple question. Why do we always have this confusion about % slope and degrees of slope. Why in heck can't we all just use the EXACT same nomenclature when we talk about grades. Why not just use degree of angle. As in this is a 30 degree slope. Why do we need to refer to slope as a percentage? Doesn't degree define the slope exactly? Why do we do this to ourselves?

perhaps I am missing something here?

It's all a matter of what you're accustomed to. I use a clinometer to measure slops, and also tree heights. When cruising, I often need to check the distance to a tree. If it's on a steep slope, I also need to adjust. using % I can do it directly. If I measured it in degrees I would then need to use Pythagorian's Theorum to correct; and I can't even remember how to spell the darned thing, let alone use it.

I could ask your question another way;
Why do we always have this confusion about % slope and degrees of slope. Why in heck can't we all just use the EXACT same nomenclature when we talk about grades. Why not just use % slope. As in this is a 66% slope. Why do we need to refer to slope in degrees? Doesn't % define the slope exactly?