Tipping over question

[Bob_Young]

Back when I spent most of my day on 2WD Ag tractors (without FELs or ROPs) the word when working a dangerous sidehill was to go slow enough to allow some warning when the tractor was getting ready to roll. Then when you felt it starting, quickly turn the tractor downhill.

I think it saved me a couple of times. Had to fight a reflex that wanted to turn the tractor back uphill. After turning downhill, the heavy engine block would be below the tractor's CG (on the grade) and things seemed to settle down...at least that's why I thought it worked.
FWIW
Bob

 

[Bob_Young]

Back when I spent most of my day on 2WD Ag tractors (without FELs or ROPs) the word when working a dangerous sidehill was to go slow enough to allow some warning when the tractor was getting ready to roll. Then when you felt it starting, quickly turn the tractor downhill.

I think it saved me a couple of times. Had to fight a reflex that wanted to turn the tractor back uphill. After turning downhill, the heavy engine block would be below the tractor's CG (on the grade) and things seemed to settle down...at least that's why I thought it worked.
FWIW
Bob

 

[proudestmonkey]

I'd add:

Watch your front tires as much as you can when moving with a loaded FEL bucket. I have lots of hills, rolls, bumps, and divets on my property. There are MANY places I'd be fine, unless I hit a divet, and then I'd tip it over if I wasn't watching. Also, if you go very slow where you know your property has some problem areas, you won't tip even when you might if you were going faster.

Finally, I guess I should say that one of the things I did this spring when I got my FEL is to look for holes and divets all over my property (5 acres) and fill in the scariest ones. In fact, there were two areas (each is about 25 feet across) on my "second" lawn (the mostly weed area on a second tier of our hill) where I was afraid of tipping the tractor if I ever went over them sideways. They were essentiall runnoff depressions. I don't want to fill them all the way because I'll get standing water if I do, but I wanted to fill them enough to avoid tipping when mowing. I go to the woods and look for areas I know I won't be going with my tractor, get a few bucketfulls, and fill holes. I will resume this job in the fall when I put the FEL back on for pre-winter grading work.

 

[proudestmonkey]

I'd add:

Watch your front tires as much as you can when moving with a loaded FEL bucket. I have lots of hills, rolls, bumps, and divets on my property. There are MANY places I'd be fine, unless I hit a divet, and then I'd tip it over if I wasn't watching. Also, if you go very slow where you know your property has some problem areas, you won't tip even when you might if you were going faster.

Finally, I guess I should say that one of the things I did this spring when I got my FEL is to look for holes and divets all over my property (5 acres) and fill in the scariest ones. In fact, there were two areas (each is about 25 feet across) on my "second" lawn (the mostly weed area on a second tier of our hill) where I was afraid of tipping the tractor if I ever went over them sideways. They were essentiall runnoff depressions. I don't want to fill them all the way because I'll get standing water if I do, but I wanted to fill them enough to avoid tipping when mowing. I go to the woods and look for areas I know I won't be going with my tractor, get a few bucketfulls, and fill holes. I will resume this job in the fall when I put the FEL back on for pre-winter grading work.

 

[dholly]

I would highly recommend trying rear tire ballast for your B7610. When I bot mine, I declined the rear tire ballast for fear of compacting the lawn when mowing. I did hang the recommended max of 500lbs in the ballast box when doing FEL work, kept my bucket low, hand on joystick etc. Still lifted my fair share of rear wheels, nothing unexpected or not easily corrected, but I quickly concluded when working on even small slopes you really should have more than 500lbs on the back of a B7610 if you want to move thru your FEL jobs quickly and safely. So I filled my rear R4s with 18gal ea. of RV Antifreeze, maybe an additional 125lbs each side, and it makes all the difference in the world. No more tipsy, 'walking-on-eggshells' pucker with a side-hill full load, and I was pleasantly surprised to find it made the ride while mowing more comfortable without lawn damage. I am certain it helped with my snow plowing this past winter as well. Cost was $0.99/gal + less than $10 for the valve adapter and a drill pump. With the proper fluid, it's easily reversible if you don't like it...

 

[dholly]

I would highly recommend trying rear tire ballast for your B7610. When I bot mine, I declined the rear tire ballast for fear of compacting the lawn when mowing. I did hang the recommended max of 500lbs in the ballast box when doing FEL work, kept my bucket low, hand on joystick etc. Still lifted my fair share of rear wheels, nothing unexpected or not easily corrected, but I quickly concluded when working on even small slopes you really should have more than 500lbs on the back of a B7610 if you want to move thru your FEL jobs quickly and safely. So I filled my rear R4s with 18gal ea. of RV Antifreeze, maybe an additional 125lbs each side, and it makes all the difference in the world. No more tipsy, 'walking-on-eggshells' pucker with a side-hill full load, and I was pleasantly surprised to find it made the ride while mowing more comfortable without lawn damage. I am certain it helped with my snow plowing this past winter as well. Cost was $0.99/gal + less than $10 for the valve adapter and a drill pump. With the proper fluid, it's easily reversible if you don't like it...

 

[N80]

</font><font color="blueclass=small">( I think it saved me a couple of times. Had to fight a reflex that wanted to turn the tractor back uphill. After turning downhill, the heavy engine block would be below the tractor's CG (on the grade) and things seemed to settle down...at least that's why I thought it worked.
FWIW
Bob)</font>

If you watch the movies (linked to above) of the tractors rolling over, there seem to be several key elements including speed, the height and angle of the hill, maybe even a divet that the front left tire drops into, but it seems to me that the final event is the rapid turning of the front tires in the uphill direction. On a number of the roll overs in those clips I'm almost certain that the tractor would have remained upright had the wheels been turned downhill or even if they hadn't been turned at all.

 

[N80]

</font><font color="blueclass=small">( I think it saved me a couple of times. Had to fight a reflex that wanted to turn the tractor back uphill. After turning downhill, the heavy engine block would be below the tractor's CG (on the grade) and things seemed to settle down...at least that's why I thought it worked.
FWIW
Bob)</font>

If you watch the movies (linked to above) of the tractors rolling over, there seem to be several key elements including speed, the height and angle of the hill, maybe even a divet that the front left tire drops into, but it seems to me that the final event is the rapid turning of the front tires in the uphill direction. On a number of the roll overs in those clips I'm almost certain that the tractor would have remained upright had the wheels been turned downhill or even if they hadn't been turned at all.

 

[DiezNutz]

George, I was thinking the SAME thing /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[DiezNutz]

George, I was thinking the SAME thing /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif