The tilt factor

[cmkh3]

OK so I saw somewhere a basic guide for figuring out tilt angle of the ground. I was wondering if there is a way besides ending up on your head of figuring out what angle you should not exceed? Also what uphill slope can most 2 wheel drive garden tractors successfully navigate while mowing or pulling a garden cart?

Chris

 

[HomeBrew2]

I'm new to this forum so I'm never sure what some of the terminology is ... when you say "garden tractor" do you mean like an MTD 16HP Briggs with a 42" mow deck or do you mean something like a BX23 or do you mean a Texas-garden-tractor of 100HP+ ? There's nothing in your bio to give me a clue. If you're talking like an MTD ("premature baby tractor" [I have one]), I go by this rule: If I can pick up, at least, the front end of the tractor, I don't worry about any position I put it in. If I can't lift it, I pay real close attention to what it has to say about the position I propose to put it in and back off just before it starts to talk. I don't know from first hand experience but an old mountain Cat skinner told me once that all you need to know when you are on a machine, you will feel from your butt.
That probably didn't help but, Cheers!

 

[bontai_Joe]

The general rule of safety is to not exceed 15 degrees while driving across a slope. Now I know a lot of folks regularly operate on steeper slopes, as have I on occasion, but in doing so I fully realized I was putting myself at a greater risk. As to how steep you can drive up and down, that is limited more by traction of your tires than anything else. Of course if you use chains or some other traction enhancing method over the stock turf tires, there is a point of incline where the front of the tractor will lift off the ground going up hill and you and the machine will do somersaults down the hill. I don't know what that point is, and don't really want to find out.

 

[HomeBrew2]

Now I will consider the "wedge factor" ... wedged the back blade 4" into the gumbo ... bummer ! Make a note Danno.

 

[HomeBrew2]

A new theorem: Don't buy a tractor bigger than the biggest machine you have onsite. The situation didn't look like much but the baby tractor sure failed to proceed or reced so ... a gallon of gas down the 4 barrel and out she comes.
Cheers !

 

[BRIGUY]

HomeBrew2,

I have been there twice with my Box Scraper (different spots). Both times were about 15 minutes before I had to leave for work. The BX got out on its own but a 4'x4' chunk of sod was removed each time.

 

[Mith]

a way to work out the angle of a slope is to bang in a post vertical at the top of the slope using a spirit level and get a lonng peice of wood lay it up the slope and againdt the vertical bit. draw a line along the top of the wood on the vertical peice than measure it off with a protractor - now your confused eh..
as to the slpe they can sucessfully (not safely) navigate - your gunna spin the wheels before you roll so try it out. Make sure youre aimed straight up the slope (at an angle you may roll it down the slope) and floor it. if you stop either reverse off or you now have a new ornament
btw im not recommending it - im just saying this is how i go about it and im still here