TC24D on a slope

[Trouser Bark]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( It sounds like you are a rookie tractor driver )</font>

That would be me. Not a totally clean slate as I do have the odd JD450 time here and there ...but up till recently, zero time on a little farm tractor. Thanks for the comments and if I've struck the group as a man w/ delicate sensibilities ...ah, not to worry.

Teach me as if I'm a five year old but don't worry about me getting my panties in a wad over your choice of wording. Shoot straight and I'll duck when I need to. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

You all seem to be mentioning the same thing: weight. That's what I'll do second is add some steel weights. The liquid in the tires doesn't seem like a wise choice up here in that we could easily wind up w/ frozen fluid in the tires (potentially for several months) and the removeable weight just sounds better. A lot better if I wind up having to disassemble this little booger and hike it back up the hill.

For my first adjustment I'll swing those tires from one side to the other to widen the tractor's stance. I'll take a good look at the front to see if that's swappable too.

...and my credit card is warming up as we speak. I'll have a tiltmeter en route pdq.

Thanks to all for the comments. Not having any experience on this type of equipment and not seeing many CUT's around here sure makes it nice to be able to ask a question and get straight, experienced answers pdq.

Jinman, that ditch you posted a picture of makes me laugh at my feeble attempts to fill the bucket so far. I've got a couple yards of D1 I've been playing with and the first few tries have seemed pretty sad. So far when I dump the bucket it seems like I could've moved as much w/ a big coffee can ...but I'll stay after it and we'll see what happens.

I've attached my first attempt at filling the bucket just so you all could cackle at how what you take for granted actually doesn't come naturally. Be gentle, and remember that this is a maiden experience we're looking at here.

Thanks again for the comments ...and I'll keep my seatbelt on!

 

[spencer200]

Nice view and totally of the subject. How much snow do you get in your part of the country? Just had to ask. /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

 

[Trouser Bark]

Thanks ...and the snow level isn't as bad as some of the other spots up here in Alaska. These pics are taken from the mountainside above Anchorage and there's rarely much more than 4' on the ground unless you're in a drift. If you look at the weather charts it'll tell you that there's typically around 100" of snowfall, but it melts and compacts over the months and never gets too deep.

Some other areas like around Valdez for example (where the Exxon Valdez ran aground) get 30' in the winter, which for me is waaay too much. You know you're in snow country when in fall you see people putting 3/4 plywood over second story windows to keep 'em from breaking under load.

I've lived here since '70 and my hands just don't fit a snow shovel that well anymore.

 

[OkeeDon]

<font color="blue"> I've attached my first attempt at filling the bucket just so you all could cackle at how what you take for granted actually doesn't come naturally </font>

Been there, done that. It's not so long ago. Within a few months you'll be cackling at yourself. What I can tell you is the first time you actually get a full bucket in one scoop, you'll get such a warm feeling that you won't mind the Alaska cold! No point in running off to get someone else to appreciate your accomplishment, though - they just won't understand. Fortunately, I have a son-in-law next door who is obligated to show appreciation of such feats or I won't let him use the tractor... /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[thcri]

Legion,

Don't worry on filling that bucket. Dad taught me when I was much younger, best is to hit the pile with your bucket tilted just a wee bit forward and as you go into the pile start rolling your bucket back. You will fill that bucket right up and sometimes you will fill it with more than you want depending on what your filling. Dirt and manure can pretty heavy and becomes unsafe.

murph

 

[jinman]

I had to "drop in" again on the subject of safe operation of your tractor on a slope. I'm not sure how cold it gets in the winter, but even in Texas we put anti-freeze with the water we add to our tires. Yours might have to be a 50-50 mix or you could use some other liquid other than water which would not freeze. I don't have filled tires on my tractor, but I carry a pretty heavy boxblade on the 3PH. If you don't like the idea of loading your tires, the wheel weights might be your best option. From the looks of your pictures, I think your tractor will see plenty of hours working on slopes.

I've also attached a simple sketch to illustrate what center-of-gravity does on a flat surface, downhill, and uphill. Think of it like a pendulum suspended from a point just about your hood. When you go down a hill, the pendulum moves forward and the rear wheels tend to lift. If you are going uphill, the pendulum moves backward and the rear wheels actually carry more weight than on a flat surface. I can't put a number to it, but at some angle, the rearward weight will be so much that you overcome the friction of the tires and you will slide backwards. I don't think you are anywhere near to that point yet.

Finally, if you switch your wheels side to side, you will have to reverse your tires or the cleats will be backward and all your traction will be in reverse instead of going forward. Nothing is ever simple. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

 

[jwstewar]

If he puts his left wheel on the right side and his ride tire on the left side he will accomplish his dish out and the tire tread will still be facing the correct direction, however if he just takes a tire off and rotates and puts it back on in the same location you are right his tire would be on "backwards."

Not sure if this is better/easier than changing the tires as you now have to have the entire real tractor up in the air at once w/ no tires.

 

[spencer200]

Thanks for the report. Thats not as bad as I thought it would be with the view from the mountain that you have.

 

[Trouser Bark]

Xlnt sketch, Jinman. Thank you very much. As far as your comment about "nothing's ever simple", I beg to differ. I know for a fact that there's a fairly simple connector between the seat and the steering wheel on my TC24 anytime I'm on it /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif ...and JWStewar, I was thinking the same thing.

I know how stable it is on a hillside and it looks like I'll see how stable it is w/ both rear wheels off.

Thanks again, gents, and I'll post pics for others of how much width is gained when you swap the rears around. Now where'd I leave that tape measure? Hmmm, might have to use cubits again. Maybe 10 1/2 Redwings. Hmmm.

 

[jinman]

Well, you got me that time, Jim. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif Of course you are correct since he was planning on reversing the wheels. Thanks for keeping an eye on me. /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif