Tilt Meter

[tiltbed]

Phred,i believe this was discussed a while back..my opion then and still now would be tiltmeters are fine for Jeeps where extreme off road conditions are sought.Tractors would bring a false sence of safty..reason being that you have to many variations....tire size,weight,tire weight,fel equipt.equipt used..off set mower ect.The best tiltmeter for a tractor should be the operator`s gut feeling.when your hemorids are squeezed time to cut down hill....Sid

 

[Phred]

Jack,

Agreed. What I meant was that they all have to pass this test.
I did not mean to imply that this allows one to operate at 20 degrees.

Also I understand that attachments are critical to the roll over limit, since they alter the center of mass.
For example the loader raises the center of mass and makes the tractor more unstable.
Loaded tires and probably most 3-point attachments actually improve the situaition since they lower the center of mass.

Now if one removes any loader, limits themselves to 15 degrees, and uses common sense would not the meter be a benifit?

Clearly the operator must gauge a reasonable speed and be aware of any dips, tree stumps, etc.. that could alter the angle of the machine.

Fred

 

[RayIN]

I depended on my seat-of-pants to tell me when a slope was dangerous.
I used to mow the dam of dad's pond with his MF 135 & 6' bush hog, it was steep( probably 30%) so I only mowed downhill, then drive around the dam to the top again. Unless it was very dry the drive wheels would begin to slip about ½ way down, from there on it would begin to slip faster; so I used low gear and ½ throttle.
Thankfully dad had put the required woven wire fence about 30' from the bottom of the slope. This was enough room for the tractor to regain traction and still have room to turn and miss the fence.
He also had a MF 165 and a Farmall super M, I would never have mowed the dam with either of them, but that low profile 135 was just right.

Now I'm 82 and don't have the bravado to mow the dam any more. Guess I've lost that set of pants_.

 

[RjCorazza]

@RBManufacturing hasn't posted here in like 14 years, but many moons ago I bought and installed his tilt meter on my tractor. Moved it over to the next machine also. It's an accurate and quality instrument.
I get the comments (some from 2002) about experience and common sense, but I still like the data to confirm my seat of the pants assessment of a slope. I generally don't go side to side on slopes greater than 10 degrees. YMMV

 

[etpm]

The more time you spend on slopes the more comfortable you get with it and the more you push the edge. So the meter allows you to establish a quantitative level that will get you in to trouble.

The statement above is important. People tend to become complacent. I know I do and have the scar as a witness. You get more and more comfortable with a certain situation, push the limit one time, and have an accident. Hooray for the people who have that excellent common sense that most folks don't have. Why denigrate something that actually helps develop that common sense? Also, there is no way that sitting on a low tractor feels the same way as a high one, but the high one may actually be more stable and less likely to tip.
Eric

 

[RayIN]

@RBManufacturing hasn't posted here in like 14 years, but many moons ago I bought and installed his tilt meter on my tractor. Moved it over to the next machine also. It's an accurate and quality instrument.
I get the comments (some from 2002) about experience and common sense, but I still like the data to confirm my seat of the pants assessment of a slope. I generally don't go side to side on slopes greater than 10 degrees. YMMV

The company is still in business: R&B MFG. Inc | Slope Meter | Inclinometers | Percent Models | R&B MFG. INC

 

[caver]

Same here. I bought an RB tilt unit back around 2007 and moved it to a bigger tractor a few years later. I find sometimes the pucker factor is not there... yet glance at the gauge and yikers. My only complaint is the florescent paint faded from being in the sun. Too much crap in my barn for the past couple years to park the tractor inside.

 

[steve tym]

My problem seems to be just the opposite. I get creeped out on a side slope, then get out to look at it and a marble would hardly roll down it. Gonna go look at tilt meters now.

 

[steve tym]

There's argument over buying a $40 gauge?

 

[Smokeydog]

Have tilt gauges on past and current tractors. Reference helps. Not a substitute for safe operation. FEL and rear attachments greatly influence tractor stability.