Tilt Meter

[bigdaddy]

Any opinions on how useful or "good" this "Tilt Meter" is? I just bought a tractor (Mahindra 5525) and going to be doing quite a bit of Bush Hogging. (6' Bush Hog) Not OVERLY hilly terrain but...... The last time I operated a tractor extensively, I was in my teens and bullet proof. Agile. Supple. Able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. Now I'm 56 and lifting my foot to wash it can sometimes be an effort so I approach Bush Hogging with a little more trepidation!

 

[3RRL]

I'll share my opinion with you. I bought what I thought was a pretty good one.



I found, however, that it was rather slow to respond to the slopes. It did not always react to the slope I was on either. So for me, it was not much value. Perhaps mine is defective or it's not mounted properly. I'm hoping other's will reply with better information for you.

 

[hbaird]

I at 68 know how easy it is to screw up big time. I bought and use a tilt meter. The main thing I have found is most of my tilting is limited to about 15 Deg. A safe, in most cases, limit as long as the loader mass is below the axles and speed is very slow and the ground is smooth and God is smiling on you. A blown or quick flat tire or any of a dozen other surprises can flip you in a heartbeat. Slopes and tractors are not friends.
Harold

 

[602466]

I purchased one about a year ago. Seems to do what it said it would do. I was new to this so I thought it would help.

Bottom line, if I don't feel comfortable doing something don't. Why do I need the meter to tell me that?

Just my 2 cents!

Thanks,

Wally

 

[RonMar]

I find my pucker factor goes off well before the tilt meter I installed hits what I would call critical. The pucker factor makes me cautious and gets my mind in gear to confirm loader height and mower height are as low as possible. The tilt meter allows me to determine if I can proceed(slowly) with what I am doing or continue thru the area I am traversing. I found a very reasonable 2" X 3" meter used for sailboats($11?). It unfortunately is a little lower resolution than I would like at +/- 45 degrees. +/- 20 degrees would be much nicer to have, but I havn't found one at a reasonable price in that size.

 

[bigdaddy]

I purchased one about a year ago. Seems to do what it said it would do. I was new to this so I thought it would help.

Bottom line, if I don't feel comfortable doing something don't. Why do I need the meter to tell me that?

Just my 2 cents!

Thanks,

Wally

Because my "Comfort Meter" over the years has grown feathers??

 

[woodlandfarms]

With the PT rated to 45 degrees, I bought the slope meter before the tractor ever arrived.

All of the note above are great, and for me, the built in slope meter (the one built between me and my seat) activates much sooner than the physical meter on my dash. But having that meter is a great confidence builder and has helped in many ways beyond just keeping me alive. Just knowing a grade of something helps in laying out future building sites and fence lines.

I would have one on every tractor...

Carl

 

[Bird]

I had 2 on the canopy of my B2710; one for side to side and one for front to rear (before Rick made a single, dual axis model). It won't keep you from turning the tractor over any more than a gas gauge in your car will keep you from running out of gas, but it was information that I wanted, so I liked mine.

 

[dmccarty]

I have two tilmeters mounts on the tractor. One tells me the slope left and right and the other fore and aft. The second on is more for grins and giggles but I do use to get the tractor as level as possible when changing fluids. My land only has a few level places and the meters help me educate my fanny on what is safe and not.

For the most part I'm not happy between 5-10 degrees. I know its 5-10 degrees because of the meters. 15 degrees is starting to get into Change The Fruit Of The Looms territory.

The meters are good just to tell you what the slope is when you are in a new area. There is not any guessing. You know. Going to 15 degrees is my limit. I get out before crossing 15. If I see that I'm at 10 or so then I go even slower. It only takes a rock, hole or stump to put you in the roll over zone. And I have lots of rocks, holes, and stumps.

On our road, near the gate the ditch and road bed are at about 5 degrees. I'll put the left side of the tractor in the ditch and start mowing uphill. After about 500 feet or so its time to get out of the ditch. The road bed slowly and gradually gets higher than the ditch so your angle increase. Since it slowly happens you adjust to it. I keep my eye on the meter and when it gets to 10-15, we get out of the ditch.

The meter aint a silver bullet but it helps.

Later,
Dan

 

[hill]

I'll share my opinion with you. I bought what I thought was a pretty good one.



I found, however, that it was rather slow to respond to the slopes. It did not always react to the slope I was on either. So for me, it was not much value. Perhaps mine is defective or it's not mounted properly. I'm hoping other's will reply with better information for you.

#RRL,

That particular meter is kinda' slow acting for our use. I have those on my cabover camper for leveling in both axis when landing it from the truck, and for that they are adequate. For tractor use, if yours is like the ones I have, I think that we'd be flipped already before the bubble got wind of it and moved. Maybe the little tube is too small to allow quick bubble changes.

 

[jbrumberg]

I installed a standard Lev-O-Gage Clinonmeter (45-0-45) to my FEL upright post. It works, but as others have noted it is slow to respond to changing slopes in some circumstances. I rely on my "Pucker Meter "- it works much quicker than my Lev-O-Gage. If you roll it will happen a lot quicker than the inclinometer would respond. I still do look at the Lev-O-Gage for recalibration with the Pucker Meter . Jay

 

[TomOfTarsus]

Being an engineer (of sorts, don稚 tell the boss!) I naturally like numbers and gauges. So I've been thinking about this a lot. I have about 5 minutes of seat time in my tractor, and this spring will be heading out to some freakishly steep places (see attached pic taken when we were having a tree felled. I own what you can see, and more like it!). Since I want to come back with the tractor upright, undented, & underneath me, and since this is the most recent thread on the subject, here are a few of my thoughts vis-a-vis roll-over, tilt meters, etc:

1. We all know tilt meters aren't going to keep one from tipping over. In my inexperience, I've even wondered if glancing at the gauge could keep one from seeing that rock that flips you.

2. Naturally, when it comes to tip-over, the side-to side tilt is the most sensitive. But each tractor has a different critical angle (that could vary depending on the total gradient & orientation of the machine, & certainly varies with load and attachment configuration). So in addition to the gauge, I'd sure like knowing something about my tractor's weight distribution, CG and mass moment of inertia, as well as that of the attachments, just to give me some idea of what it takes. Wonder if NH has that info, and how I could get it!

3. Impulse would also be a factor when you're in a range that's still "safe" - i.e. hitting a rock or log or gopher hole, ditch etc. Reacting to this faster than humans could do - and correctly, I might add - would require the tractor equivalent of an air bag - either rapidly shifting counterweights or "kickstands" of some sort (perhaps with a wheel so the stand doesn't stick and pull you... mind you these are only thoughts...)

4. So a more complete rollover protection is probably impractical or very expensive, requiring electronics, instrumentation like accelerometers, and powerful stuff to shift weight quickly - you get the idea.

5. Thus the idea of a tilt meter as a cheap but reliable indiciator is a mixed bag to which I'm leaning on the positive side, having read the 2001 thread where Rick of R & B pointed out that in addition to safety, it's a really useful tool for grading, etc. Having reviewed his page, I think I'd like a few more ticks on the front-to back scale, as one is supposed to approach slopes in that direction, no? And so naturally grade that way as well? (Inexperience strikes again)

But years have passed since the 2001 thread, so I'm looking for feedback for/against tilt meters from people who use tractors extensively on very non-horizontal land - don't tell me you don't want one because your land is flat as a pool table! As well, do Rick's meters respond better than the Lev-O-Guage? Maybe only Rick knows...here I am throwing his name around like I'm on a first name basis...

By the way, if you look at the pic... I'll still be mowing that grassy area behind the house by hand!

Thanks for reading a lengthy post,

Tom

 

[elad]

Bought one 3 years ago and use it very little. Not that dependable.
As others mentioned--- too slow to warn me. Even at ultra slow speed.
Looks fashionable though. Good Luck with your decision. elad

 

[Bird]

What do you mean by "Not that dependable"? Are you saying it's giving erroneous readings? Or that it doesn't react quickly enough for your needs, or what?

Of course, it's been a few years for me, but I did have one of Rick's tiltmeters for side to side and one for front to rear. As has been said, they won't keep you from turning over any more than a fuel gauge will keep you from running out of fuel, but they did provide information that I liked to have.

 

[Mech]

I have one but I find that I don't feel comfortable when I approach 10 deg.

 

[Dargo]

That's the exact same meter I have in my tractor. When my wife or son uses the tractor I tell them to stop when they get in the yellow area. I've run it with the ball buried past the 25 with no issues when mowing. I suppose it really depends on your tractor and how you have it setup.

 

[Mech]

All my young life I drove big tractors in flat land. Now I have a small tractor in very hilly land. It could just be me, but I have the front and rear wheels on my 790 in their wide settings and the rears filled, and still I have been in a number of situations where I lowered the bucket and Box blade almost to the ground and got out of a situation in low range. Maybe it wasn't going to tip but it felt like it to me and unless I actually tip it over I don't know how to know when it will.

 

[EastTexFrank]

I have the R&B tiltmeter mounted on the brush guard at the front of the B2400. It works great. I find I can look at it when the tractor starts to tilt without moving my eyes too much from watching where I'm going. I bought the original one to confirm that I was starting to "pucker" at approx 15 degrees. As I got to know my pasture I find that I only glance at occasionally these days but it's still nice to have as confirmation. When the tractor gets to 15 degrees, I'm starting to look for a way out of there. I really need to get another one for the L4740 because it handles differently on the slopes.

I found Rick at R&B very good to work with. When my first one fell off and I ran over it with the bush hog I mentioned it on a thread on this board. Completely unsolicited, he supplied a replacement under their lifetime warranty program. You don't get service like that many places anymore.

 

[elad]

What do you mean by "Not that dependable"? Are you saying it's giving erroneous readings? Or that it doesn't react quickly enough for your needs, or what?

Of course, it's been a few years for me, but I did have one of Rick's tiltmeters for side to side and one for front to rear. As has been said, they won't keep you from turning over any more than a fuel gauge will keep you from running out of fuel, but they did provide information that I liked to have.

How would I know if the reading was erroneous or not. By the time I decide
I could be splatter matter. I just couldn't put much faith in it. Maybe my
76 years make me over cautious. If they are dependable for some people;
then go for it and GOD bless them. elad

 

[Eagleview]

I mow the levy banks around our city lengthways , they are between 35 and 40 degrees . I must use 4 wheel drive to keep the front end steering up hill and find i have a sore back from sitting side saddle all day . A simple strip of steel around 1"X 1/8" and 6" long with a point on the bottom end , painted red and hanging loosely on a bolt at its top and a scale at the bottom is all you need . Attach it to the loader frame or some place you can see it , it will react immediately to changes and you will soon learn what is safe , most cranes have them on the jib .