tiltmeters

[Rowski]

I believe that the meters should come on new tractors. Also good marketing could overcome the problem as mentioned before. Personally if manufacturer put on the meter I would not believe that the tractor is more likey to roll over. I think safety first. It's sad but the tractor companies (most other companies too)look at the bottom line ->profit. I agree with Gordon that they might have better luck in the begining selling them in an upgrade or package deal. I'm also wondering if the feds would or could step in to make the maufacturer install them like they did with the ROPS and seatbelts. Have you considered going to dealers and selling to them. Great stuff Rick. Keep up the good work!

Derek

 

[PaulB]

This is directed mostly at Rick, but anybody with a good idea please chime in. I like the 25 degree model, and I would have ordered one by now if I could think of a good place to put it. The size is the problem. My B1700 has a small dash, and there is nowhere I can affix a 6 1/2 inch long by 3 1/2 inch wide tiltmeter, unless I cover up my tach and fuel guage! The only one I can see that is substantilly smaller is the 10 degree model, and I really want to know where I am between 10 and 15 degrees. I have thought about mounting the larger model on the front grill guard, using a 90 degree bracket, but would that place it too far away to read easily? Rick, how about a 25 degree model in a 3 1/2 by 1 1/2 inch package?

<P ID="edit"><FONT SIZE=-1>Edited by PaulB on 8/20/00 10:04 AM.</FONT></P>

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Rowski, yes i already have a few dealers that sell them.
Some do very well, some do not. I do alot of advertising
and get alot of requests for info. Some buy some don't.
Not sure how to reach most without costing bundles. I had
one major o.e.m. (original equipment manufacturer that
asked me to contact every authorized dealer of theirs. Said
to tell them they needed indicators on EVERY one of a certain model. But don't tell them we said so. Even sent a
list of each dealer. Apparently some reason for request.
I sent info. to 200 of the 500 or so dealers. Did not sell
a single indicator. Sent to 20 more as test. Called 2 wks.
later and asked, "what if mfg. said to send info. Would you
buy then??? 9 said yes. Go figure. Called mfg. and told them.

STILL SAID DO NOT SAY WE REQUESTED INFO. BE SENT. RICK.

 

[PaulB]

Yes I feel they should be standard equipment, and in fact if I were tractor shopping and one manufacturer had a nice tiltmeter integrated into the dashboard I would lean toward (no pun intended) purchasing that brand over other brands BECAUSE of not DESPITE the meter.

 

[Rch]

To take the liability off the tractor manufacture and put it on the operater make a tiltmeter that records the tilt of the last 30 seconds or so and saves it if the tilt goes over 60 or 70 degrees (i.e. the tractor rolls over) thus verifying that the operator ignored the tiltmeter. It would have to be worked out on a time line with the tilt building up "slowly" compared to a final catastrophic roll over that would show alot of tilt fast above ,say, 25 degrees. In cardiology we have a portable outpatient device that constantly records on a EKG called a "King of Hearts". The device erases the EKG after 90 seconds unless the patient pushes an 'event' button that saves the last 90 seconds if palpitations or an abrupt change in the hearts rhythm is sensed by the patient. On a tractor I see an electronic device that records the tilt data on a chip much like on new answering machines and saves the last minutes of data if the tilt suddenly became extreme. Obviously this could be expanded to include RPMs,speed,what gear, PTO status, braking status-- a"flight recorder" for a tractor. I think getting too fancy would, however, would make it too expensive and complex and negatively affect reliability.

RCH

 

[Anonymous Poster]

PaulB, The model #23C is only other option at this time. It
reads 0 to 45 on small scale. not expanded scale as #7489C
so not as accurate and as easy to read. However some choose
it because of size. Yes it does go past scale you need, but
only option I have at this time. Will continue to invent
new models as finances allow. Please call me to discuss
further if you like. (816) 587-9814. Here from 7 to 7
7 days a week. Most days, especially weekends, you can
catch me here until 10 p.m. Welcome to call. Rick
P.S.to anyone interested, i have a conversion chart that
shows degrees vs. percent vs grade to 1. Will post if
requested.

 

[Keoke]

Rick, please post your "degrees to percent" conversion chart for us.
Thanks again for your help,
george, keoke

 

[PaulB]

Just sent in my order for the 23c. Hope I get my "code 57" special tractorbynet secret agent decoder ring $3 off /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Paul, your ring will ship tomorrow.Thank you!
Keoke. Chart follows.
%of slope.
1=0.5729 degrees.
2=1.1458
3=1.7184
4=2.2906
5=2.8624
6=3.4336
7=4.0042
8=4.5739
9=5.1428
10=5.7106
11=6.2773
12=6.8428
13=7.4069
14=7.9696
15=8.5307
16=9.0903
17=9.6480-------6 to 1 grade is 9.46 degrees
18=10.2039
19=10.7579
20=11.3099------5 to 1 grade is 11.31 degrees
21=11.8598
21=11.8598
22=12.4074
23=12.9527
24=13.4957
25=14.0362-------4 to 1 grade is 14.04 degrees
26=14.5742
27=15.1095
28=15.6422
29=16.1721
30=16.6992
31=17.2234
32=17.7446
33=18.2628-------3 to 1 grade is 18.43 degrees
34=18.7780
35=19.2900
36=19.7988
37=20.3044
38=20.8067
39=21.3057
40=21.8014
41=22.2936
42=22.7824
43=23.2677
44=23.7494
45=24.2277
46=24.7024
47=25.1735
48=25.6409
49=26.1048
50=26.5650-------2 to 1 grade is 26.57 degrees
100=45.00 degrees and is a 1 to 1 grade.
for the gentleman that called by phone. you did not leave
your name, but since you mentioned tractorbynet i will post
here. simply put, a 3 to 1 grade is; take a three ft. long
board, raise one end one ft. 4 to 1= four ft. board, raise one
end one ft. etc. most indicators are in degrees because as
you can see from chart, to use percent and still space
the numbers far enough apart would take about a 2 ft. wide
indicator. Talk about hard to mount!!!!! Hope all my
jibberish helps. or at least amuses. Rick

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Keoke, and all you guys. I WAS WRONG IN MY LAST POST.
All numbers are correct, however the explanation of grade
to one is incorrect. SORRY. I will try to explain it right
this time. The 3 foot board is laying flat.The one ft. board stands vertical at one end of the three ft. board.
Now the board you lay on top is 3.16 ft. long. This is a
3 to 1 grade. Sorry for the confusion. All conversion
numbers are correct. Explanation of how to arrive at 3 to 1
grade was not. Thanks to a very sharp friend, I have been
set straight. THANKS JACK !!!!!. RICK.
Hope i haven't confused anyone. If anyone can explain it
more clearly, Please do so. Similarly, a 1 to 1 is; one ft.
board laying horizontal with a 1 ft. board vertical at end.
Board laid on top is 1.4 ft. long. or 45 degrees.

 

[Mike H]

Received my pair of 7489C's yesterday. I've got a TD-33 - no canopy and no good places to mount on the hood/dash. I mounted them on the stationary vertical loader arm. (I've never removed my loader and don't have any plans to.) Visibility is not ideal but it works. Spent a half hour tonight just tooling around the property checking out slopes. Good news is my "gut feel nervous point" matched up pretty closely w/ 20 deg. Nice device.

 

[W5FL]

Wow!

Guess I will have to get a canopy so I will have a place to mount the tiltmeter. Seems like Rick has spruced up the dual 25 degree unit quite nicely. I like the color codes because you need a quick reference. I have had a rear tire sink in soft dirt in a ditch and just wondered whether the tractor was going to lay on it side or I could get it out. Turned out I got it out, but it was a 2WD tractor and it takes a lot more work than a 4WD tractor.

I never did get an answer from anyone on the largest numbers they had seen on a tilt meter while the tractor was still standing on all 4 tires and what kind of tractor it was.

Are little riding lawnmowers any good on slopes? At least you don't have very far to fall.

 

[Bird]

Wen, 18 degrees is the most I've seen on the tiltmeter on my B2710 (and I hope it's the most I ever see)./w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif As far as I'm concerned, a meter that shows a maximum of 25 degrees would be more than adequate (of course I didn't know that when I bought mine).

Bird

 

[W5FL]

Thanks Bird, that is kinda what I had come up with independently. Just the way some people talked, thought they might have got into larger angles without turning them over.

I have a photo of an M6800 with 24 inch tires (instead of 30 inch) just to get the cg a little closer to the ground for mowing. I seriously considered it, but you also lose a considerable amount of traction, too. Guess the cost to back up and do that now would be kinda high, but that is what they put on the low profile Orchard tractors. If you ever see the Orchards in California, they are all on south facing hillsides (there is no flat ground). The problem is that they offset the wheels to make a narrower tractor and they undo most of the good things they did with the smaller tires.

 

[MarkV]

Rick,

Thank you for the information and sharing your expertise with all of us in the forum. You will be getting my order soon. If you spent time mowing for the highway dept. I am surprised you have only rolled a tractor twice. Watching the mowing crews around here, I know they have to be exceeding the 20 degree side slope and 30 degree up/down slope max. They go places I would not think of going. You have to admire their skill.

Hopefully some of the tractor company people look at the forums now and then. Who knows, it might sink in that many of us see items, like your meters, as a plus when we are shopping for a tractor. One of the reasons I bought the Kubota B21 was the 4 point ROPS with a heavy metal canopy. Never crossed my mind to think "this tractor has 4 post, it must roll over more". To me it was,"may cost a bit extra but sure looks safer". Hell, I've considered training wheels for the outriggers on my backhoe./w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

Now there is a thought. Hydraulic arms with heavy gauge wheels that would lower when a sensor indicated you were exceeding 20 degees on a side slope. Lets see, we have engineers, mechanics, marketing people, web site desginers, manufactures and MarkC, we could start the Tractorbynet product line. Of course we would offer products in any color you want./w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[Anonymous Poster]

I received an email request about posting an updated picture on our website of the model 25's new look - well, I'm workin' on it! In the mean time, I thought I'd post the pic here as well for you all to look at if you are interested.

If the image doesn't load on the message boards, then you can click HERE to see it.

Rick

 

[Anonymous Poster]

MarkV,
Like the product line idea. can i be the janitor in the
warehouse ??? Don't want any more exec. jobs. Thinking that
hard gives me a headache. Well guys, what do you think of
the new look of the #25D ??? Size has changed also. Made it
a little smaller. Now measures 5in. long X 2 in. high.
I am currently looking into other ways to mount without drilling
Don't hold breath though. Lots of irons in fire.
Still like to see more opinions about adding someones,
not necessarily mine at factory. Might write a book and
someday send it to all mfgs. Would like to thank all you
guys for the comments, help. etc. Next time you go out for
a steak dinner, act like it's on me. Rick

 

[MarkV]

Rick,

That steak sounds like a good idea. Are you going to post that credit card number?/w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[Bird]

Now if it had been available, and if I'd known what I was doing, I'd have bought the model 25 instead of what I got; too many "ifs" huh? But I'm not unhappy with the one I have./w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

Bird

 

[Anonymous Poster]

MarkV,
Would post the c.c. number, however I think i should apply
for a new one at a NEW BANK first. Seems the teller at the
bank i use now is a little nuts. Every time i go to the bank
to use the card, she chases me with a pair of scissors !
I think they like me there though. They have my picture
hung in a couple places.
Rick