Wheel spacers or weights for slopes?

[TomSeller]

It varies with the weight you have on the 3PH and or in the loader bucket and how high the loads are. On a bare tractor it usually is under your feet and a few inches down from the top of the transmission housing.
The math just compares things with just the one or two variables. My Technicians training kicking in rather then an Engineers building a scale model.
N
Here is something on the subject.
http://agsafety.tamu.edu/files/2011/06/SAFE-TRACTOR-OPERATION-ROLLOVER1.pdf

Good article. Very well written. Everyone should read

 

[vtsnowedin]

And deprive us of the mental challenges and eventual arguing? And the popcorn after the name calling?

Yeah what he said!!! Especially the pop corn. :licking:

 

[dieselcrawler]

I like popcorn... but like I tell my kids... play nice... *grin*

Hope the changes to your tractor make you more comfortable on your hills... waiting for your feedback!

 

[SPYDERLK]

Here is something on the subject.
http://agsafety.tamu.edu/files/2011/06/SAFE-TRACTOR-OPERATION-ROLLOVER1.pdf

Good article. ... Couple of mistakes: CG moving wrt tractor, and

Preventing Rear Rollovers
Tractor design features are available that reduce
the risk of rear rollovers. Some features come
standard on new tractors, while others are optional
to be employed in specific circumstances to
maintain proper weight balance. These include:

Rear-wheel weights

Tire ballast

 

[SPYDERLK]

I picked the wheel weights up today. The spacers should be here soon I hope. Id really like to try the weights alone, then the addition width spacers alone and then both together to see the benefit each adds on their own, but that's a lot of extra work when I LAN to run both anyway. Still, I may do it because if not I'll always wonder which had the most added benefit. Either way, I'll post some pics and impressions along the way.

At the dealer today they had several tractors like mine with AG's set in from factory and DANG they looked narrow as heck.

...

Width will be more effective for sidehill stability. The weights are being added very close to CG height and will primarily help traction. Less sidehill "crabbing".

 

[number9L]

Called today and the spacers are still a week out. We got some real bad weather yesterday and my dang ditches filled up again (recent dozer work and it's not all covered in grass yet). So, I took off work today and been on the tractor from 8-8 cleaning them out and trying to get them draining right. It's getting late in the year.....I may very well be fighting this mud all **** winter

I put the weights on around noon and could tell a notable improvement. It came out to 192# per wheel. Tractor feels a lot more planted now. I had to take the box blade off a while to work the FEL close around the shop and it was a good bit better, not too light in the rear like before. I always use a counter weight on the 3PH but sometimes ya can't.

I'll mow grass tomorrow of it don't rain and will be able to get a feel of the difference the weights
make. I may put the bush hog on and drive around on the hill and see how the tractors gonna handle it.

...

 

[number9L]

Didn't get to mow, rained again. Spacers should be here Thursday.

I seen a couple tractors parked by the road yesterday with mowing decks, one a batwing and the other a single deck. Both were large New Holland tractors, way bigger than my L3800. Bothe were 4x4, cab, and had front suitcase weights. There were areas they had already mowed that were pretty steep and it was obvious they mowed it side slope. That got me thinking....and from memory it seems every roadside mowing tractor I've seen has front weights on it. Yet it seems a lot of discussions on working slopes (sideways) has consensus to not have weight on the front that would move CG away from the wide rear wheels.

Now it's easily understood that a FEL hanging out beyond the front axle pivot is bad, but do suitcase weights work to move CG more so lower than forward?

...

 

[number9L]

Didn't get to mow, rained again. Spacers should be here Thursday.

I seen a couple tractors parked by the road yesterday with mowing decks, one a batwing and the other a single deck. Both were large New Holland tractors, way bigger than my L3800. Bothe were 4x4, cab, and had front suitcase weights. There were areas they had already mowed that were pretty steep and it was obvious they mowed it side slope. That got me thinking....and from memory it seems every roadside mowing tractor I've seen has front weights on it. Yet it seems a lot of discussions on working slopes (sideways) has consensus to not have weight on the front that would move CG away from the wide rear wheels.

Now it's easily understood that a FEL hanging out beyond the front axle pivot is bad, but do suitcase weights work to move CG more so lower than forward?

...

 

[Gem99ultra]

Didn't get to mow, rained again. Spacers should be here Thursday.

I seen a couple tractors parked by the road yesterday with mowing decks, one a batwing and the other a single deck. Both were large New Holland tractors, way bigger than my L3800. Bothe were 4x4, cab, and had front suitcase weights. There were areas they had already mowed that were pretty steep and it was obvious they mowed it side slope. That got me thinking....and from memory it seems every roadside mowing tractor I've seen has front weights on it. Yet it seems a lot of discussions on working slopes (sideways) has consensus to not have weight on the front that would move CG away from the wide rear wheels.

Now it's easily understood that a FEL hanging out beyond the front axle pivot is bad, but do suitcase weights work to move CG more so lower than forward?

...

I have been told that tractors with low center of gravity can be ordered. In fact, I did price out a New Holland outfitted that way... I don't know if the highway mowers are low C-G outfitted, but I do know that their operators come with a much larger set of balls than I have! Those guys deserve a lot of respect.

 

[vtsnowedin]

I have been told that tractors with low center of gravity can be ordered. In fact, I did price out a New Holland outfitted that way... I don't know if the highway mowers are low C-G outfitted, but I do know that their operators come with a much larger set of balls than I have! Those guys deserve a lot of respect.

Unlike wild ground highway slopes are built with a uniform grade over a given area. The whole slope in front of you is a 4:1 or 3:1 or 2:1 with few if any holes dips or bumps to tip you over. An operator soon learns what slope he or she is looking at and knows from experience which ones they can mow set up as they are. The front weights help keep the front wheels engaged with the ground and allow tighter turns then a loader held low.