Mowing What is more tippy?

[kentuckydiesel]

If you have an attached FEL, make sure your bucket stays up high enough that it doesn't catch the ground when mowing parallel on a hill. It will put a real scare into you if it catches and brings your back uphill wheel off the ground.

Another reason to spread the wheels out and add weight to the rear.

At this point in my tractor's setup, I can finally stop worrying about small things throwing the tractor over. If the tractor is set up right, it should be nearly impossible to turn yourself over with the FEL unless you load the bucket and raise it way up on a nasty sidehill.

I never had any issue with the tractor I grew up operating...it was a 1970 JD 4020 (100hp or so) with a 148 loader. Had tires set to max width and was heavy enough to handle whatever. Newer tractors tend to be lighter and have a shorter wheelbase, so it takes more effort to make things safe.

-Phillip

 

[meburdick]

Yeah, run your bucket real high on a slope:confused2: NOT

That isn't really what CARTOD said... He said keep it "high enough" to not catch the ground. Obviously, raising the bucket "high up" raises the center of gravity even more and makes things worse.

The comment here is IF you have the loader on, be careful not to run the bucket too close to the ground or it will catch on you. The resulting effect on the tractor will be quite scary (if not downright dangerous).

 

[ruffdog]

I thought it would be common sense to keep your bucket off the ground when mowing.

 

[flusher]

Have bought a new Deere 3320 with 60" MMD but still have not taken delivery yet. This machine is to replace a Kubota BX2100. We do a lot of mowing on the farm including some rather steep ditch banks. It would appear that the 3320 will have a higher center of gravity than the 2100. The 2100 had turf tires and they would easily load up and sometime the tractor would slide sideways when running parallel to the ditch bottom and it has on occasion been on its side in the ditch bottom. The 3320 will have R4 industrial tires - so I am hoping it will be less apt to slide sideways on inclines.

Anyone have experience with these two machines willing to speculate which will be more tippy?

Anyone ever heard of half loading the tires to keep the weight down low and hopefully make it more stable on slopes.

Likely should look for other means of mowing these slopes - but it is hard to teach an old dog new tricks!!

Thanks

A setup like my 1964 MF135 diesel would be my choice. It's a field tractor that's been modified to squat low for work in the previous owner's olive orchard (discing, flail mowing).



The rears have been replaced by 16" dia wheels carrying BF Goodrich 6-ply 18.4-16A rubber (18" wide, 16" dia rims, 40" tall overall). You can get this size tire at tire stores that serve the agricultural market. You see them generally on combines and other large self-propelled ag equipment.

The front axle spindles have been replaced with shorter ones to keep the tractor level. The front and rear tires are loaded with water (don't need antifreeze around here in the North Sacramento Valley).

It would take a pretty good effort to roll this low-slung tractor on slopes you'd be likely to mow.

Good luck and be careful out there:thumbsup:

 

[RoyJackson]

I thought it would be common sense to keep your bucket off the ground when mowing.

Sometimes common sense ain't so common...but ruffdog had a point...a newbie reading a post may misinterpret the post.

 

[RoyJackson]

A setup like my 1964 MF135 diesel would be my choice. It's a field tractor that's been modified to squat low for work in the previous owner's olive orchard (discing, flail mowing).

I've seen Fords modified like that...I think they were modified. Might be a specialty built tractor.
Anyway, the PA Dept of Transportation has a bunch of them for mowing along the PA Turnpike.

 

[cartod]

Keeping your bucket off the ground is much different than raising your bucket as high as you can. Many tractors buckets Need constantly adjusted to keep it tilted up as they lose pressure.

If the bucket is left to tilt too low and it catches the ground while you are traversing Down a hill............hold on. I live in WV. There isn't a level patch anywhere unless it's water.

 

[swick1]

I agree as a wv boy I've caught the bucket a few times. It's more annoying than scary to me. I keep it about 2 ft off the ground and curled fully.

 

[ruffdog]

My dad was driving his 80hp IH narrow front tractor with the loader full of dirt on a hill. He had his bucket too high and rolled it. He kept jumping out of its way until a oak tree finally stopped it. The tractor was banged up but it could have been much worse.

 

[KennK]

I use a JD 3320 with a JD belly mower and personally I don't like mowing on much of a slope. It feels uncomfortable to me, so I just use a small JD lawn mower for that.

If I HAD to mow the slope I'd probably rather point the tractor uphill and go up and back (back & forth), rather than mowing along the length of the slope.

Also, I almost never mow with the FEL bucket on because it tends to bounce. I take just the bucket off (VERY easy to do - leaving the FEL arms on) and that makes all the difference. BUT I still need to be careful not to catch a FEL arm on the fence posts ... the posts always lose that battle.