Tip-over control

[crazyal]

I use to feel the same way in my full sized backhoe. I would lean over in the seat (like my 200lbs is going to make any difference to a 12,000 lb machine). I think it's the seat height that makes the difference. The higher the seat the more it feels like you'll tip. Maybe we are built with an internal center or gravity meter?

 

[megaboz]

For those of you think you are tipping, that might be a good thing because you are not taking for granted that you are on an expensive piece of equipment. But more importantly, your life that is priceless can not be fixed!

We all have done things on our tractors that have caused us to ruin a few britches and seats.

Being higher in the seat does account for some of the feelings that it is going to tip.

I can't suggest a solution other than it is better to be safe then sorry, and yes there are times when maybe you should go faster rather than slower. Ever see a motorcycle go slow up a hill climb and make it?

Just because you have went the same path a 100 times doesn't mean that you will have the same experience on the 101th time. I've experienced that the hard way a few times and got might lucky.

 

[Toolguy]

I have just one steep spot along the road. I mow it with my B3030 that has the rears filled with Rimguard. I never felt like I was going to tip over, but just to reassure myself I stopped the tractor on the steepest part, got off and stood on the high side and pushed on the tractor to see if I could get the high side wheel to lift off the ground. No matter how hard I pushed or rocked the tractor side to side the high side wheel never even came close to lifting. That satisfied me that I had nothing to worry about. I still slow down when I mow that area, though, just to be safe. You are smart to trust your feelings when it comes to safety issues. Better safe than sorry.

 

[jcaron2]

Came across this picture today. There's a new highway near me where they cut down probably 80 feet of hillside at about this same angle. I saw a guy mowing it the other day right up near the top. It was a big tractor with dual rear wheels, and I realize that it's all the same to the tractor whether he's near the top of the hill or the bottom, but I still can't imagine how scary that would be looking down eight stories at that kind of angle.

 

[Gem99ultra]

I also notice that he has ag tires paired up with agressive turf tires. Bet that is a good combo for what he's doing. Still... I'll bet his as***** is biting donuts. Mine would be.

That machine is quite different though than riding a L-series on that kind of grade. I've seen Kut-King's with the tandem wheels on grades like that too. They just fly along; I'm not sure you could turn one over

I really appreciate the great tips you guys have posted on here regarding my whimpy concerns. What I 've learned is - continue to be very careful, especially on downhill turns. One other thing is, give it time. Another 200 hours of seat time will certainly ease the fear somewhat. I'll get used to it as I did with my Ole Blue, Fordson Dexta pogo-stick seat.

I'm loving my L3400. It's not a dozer, nor a 100 hp bull, but it does what I ask as long as I ask for an appropriate task. It's one heck of a machine.

 

[ruready1]

Just a wild guess, but I'd almost bet money that your dealer set your rear width to 5' to match your bucket. Mine did and I had several close calls with more than one instance where the wife could see daylight under one side!!!!

Having talked with some of the guys at the fire barn that run all sorts of equipment for their regular jobs, the decision was made that I needed to move the tires further out. Took 20min and what a difference!!! If you are set to 5', unbolt the rims from the centers and move them to the opposite sides (leaving the centers on the tractor. You'll be using the tabs that are farthest out now, they'll be furthest in when you swap everything. Hope this makes sense!

Take Care,
Mike

 

[Baby Grand]

To the OP:

Hint - Find out if your R4 rims/tires are reversible before you try the side-swap. If so, you may have a quick/free stability improvement available.

-Jim

 

[LBrown59]

you might get an incline gauge, as discussed often here (R&B). Tractors have a high center of gravity and no suspension, and just don't like being sideways on a slope. 15 degrees is considered max. 10 degrees is as far as I'll go on the little one, the big tractors wider stance and more weight seem to take a lot more.

I've found It just the other way around.
The bigger The tractor the bigger the pucker factor.

 

[LBrown59]

Probably not as much as rolling down a hillside...

I mow some pretty steep stuff with my Case and have for years and it still makes me pucker up even though I "know" it didn't tip over the last time.

Better still stay off such hill sides.

 

[LBrown59]

I find the Ls much more stable than the Bs

I'v discovered
Large tippy
Small stable.

 

[LBrown59]

1* If I were to push the back tires out 3-4 inches, then they would largely be off the ramps (if the ramps were positioned for the front tires).
3*It also means that the tires will not follow themselves through the fields, which could be a consideration with crop row spacing and such.
5*I know I have one ditch alongside a narrow road that I take to my gravel pit area. If I had to allow 6 more inches, then the ditch side tire would probably be in-the-ditch.

1*3*and 5*
Good points before you blunder into making changes on the tractor.

 

[firefighter jim]

Maybe it's just me - I don't know. But it seems like my new L3400 doesn't feel secure at all on mild slopes. I have a FEL and BB on it, with R4 tires (filled rear tires), but to me, it just doesn't feel solid.

Is there anything else I need to do, other than just used to it, to make if feel more secure?


Thanks.

ps yeah - I know... think training wheels

That's good that you're concerned about the tip factor on slopes. Almost tipped mine over twice on the same day (L3400) while planting some trees. I had the loader way to high for the slope that I was navigating (should have known better). Had I not shoved the joystick forward quickly to drop the loader arms, I would have gone over. Key here, as I believe someone else had mentioned, is to keep loader as low to ground as possible if you must drive across a slope. You're right, they are definitely tipsy. My dealer also filled rears and mounted wheels to maximum width when I purchased.

 

[Ken45101]

I've found It just the other way around.
The bigger The tractor the bigger the pucker factor.

I've spent years mowing a couple of hillsides by backing down them, I was afraid to go crosswise. (Kubota M4700 and M5040). Slow process First time I did it, I had a stiff neck for two weeks.

I recently bought a newer, bigger tractor (M9540). It feels so much more stable that I've been able to cut those hillsides crosswise and feel safe and stable. Of course it may help that the M9540 has 1) wider wheel base 2) wider tires 3) I have the wheels set for max width. It also probably helps that it came with 28" tires instead of 30's.

I'm not sure what good a tilt meter would do until you calibrate it with a roll over

Ken

 

[edwagofwv]

I posted this is the section with the dummyed up rollover pics. Just thought I'd move it over here too both to make it more available to Kubota owners/engineers and to let others know that slow puckers are possible, but not recommended.

Where I live, if it weren't for hills there would be no here... MF35 with tires out does great up to a point on hillsides, but not pulling a square bailer, I have mowed some steep hillsides but turning at the end of the windrows requires disengaging the bailer to not get driven down the hill by the inertia of the plunger. One thing very important is to go SLOW.
I purchased a Kubota BX24 couple years ago and have laid it over once left and once right. I love the tractor, but is more for a flatlander, or straight up and down hillside which causes come problems here. I've written to Kubota several times and requested a suggested POR (Point of Roll) degree, but have heard nothing from them. It rolls slowly and only on the side giving plenty of time to exit, but the engine didn't shut off right away on the roll to the left and I had to take out the glow plugs and blow the extra fuel out of the cylinders to get it to start again.
My wife has a riding lawn mower with a warning of 18Degrees in the book, I'd wish that the Kubota folks would follow suit. That way at least I'd have an idea instead of just trying to feel my way along sometimes.

 

[megaboz]

I posted this is the section with the dummyed up rollover pics. Just thought I'd move it over here too both to make it more available to Kubota owners/engineers and to let others know that slow puckers are possible, but not recommended.

Where I live, if it weren't for hills there would be no here... MF35 with tires out does great up to a point on hillsides, but not pulling a square bailer, I have mowed some steep hillsides but turning at the end of the windrows requires disengaging the bailer to not get driven down the hill by the inertia of the plunger. One thing very important is to go SLOW.
I purchased a Kubota BX24 couple years ago and have laid it over once left and once right. I love the tractor, but is more for a flatlander, or straight up and down hillside which causes come problems here. I've written to Kubota several times and requested a suggested POR (Point of Roll) degree, but have heard nothing from them. It rolls slowly and only on the side giving plenty of time to exit, but the engine didn't shut off right away on the roll to the left and I had to take out the glow plugs and blow the extra fuel out of the cylinders to get it to start again.
My wife has a riding lawn mower with a warning of 18Degrees in the book, I'd wish that the Kubota folks would follow suit. That way at least I'd have an idea instead of just trying to feel my way along sometimes.

I haven't rolled my BX24, but Ihave come very close. While an indicator would help in most cases, all it takes is to get comfortable and an accident is goign to happen.

While cutting through a field I always cut, a spring had crept up from under ground and the the lower front tire sank and almost took me over. Fortunately (thank god for power steering), I was able to turn down the hill and kept it from rolling.

Tilt meters have been mention before, but there is no real safe angle in the case of a tire sinking or hitting a hole. It actually opens the manufacture up to liability problems. But at least Kubota should answer a question when sent to them. I have found that most of the big companies don't really care about one person.

 

[JOHNTHOMAS]

I can see why a company would not tell someone at what degrees a tractor is safe. If they go to high/low the other tractor companies could say theirs is safer at higher/lower degrees. If they give a higher/lower degree and someone, as you did, hit a hole and it rolls, then the company will have to pay and pay and pay. There are also so many variables (weights, weighted tires, boxblade, fel, tiller, canopies, etc, etc, etc.) that I don't think there is an answer. You may not be an idiot but there are idiots out there among us and they can buy tractors just like they have bought cars.

 

[Deano]

I can see why a company would not tell someone at what degrees a tractor is safe. If they go to high/low the other tractor companies could say theirs is safer at higher/lower degrees. If they give a higher/lower degree and someone, as you did, hit a hole and it rolls, then the company will have to pay and pay and pay. There are also so many variables (weights, weighted tires, boxblade, fel, tiller, canopies, etc, etc, etc.) that I don't think there is an answer. You may not be an idiot but there are idiots out there among us and they can buy tractors just like they have bought cars.

Thank you, that saved me from typing all that!!!!

I agree 100%

Deano