Using my BX 24 on a slope

Kubota_Man

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Equipment
BX24, Rear blade, Front blade, Snowblower, 54" MMM, Box scraper, Landscape rake
Dec 25, 2010
953
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16
Kellogg, Idaho
I live in a hilly area. So my question is what is the max slope both side hill and going up in and down can I use my tractor? I have beat juice in the rear tires. I am looking at mowing and loader work on the hills. Also how would I know before I reach that point (I have a hard head :eek:, however I don't want to hurt the tractor :D ).
 

Eric McCarthy

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Kubota B6100E
Dec 21, 2009
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Richmond Va
Best thing I could tell you is use your own best judgement, If it looks like theres a good chance the tractor will roll over sideways it probably will. It's indeed better to do tractor work up and down a hill rather then sideways.
 

Kubota_Man

Member

Equipment
BX24, Rear blade, Front blade, Snowblower, 54" MMM, Box scraper, Landscape rake
Dec 25, 2010
953
2
16
Kellogg, Idaho
I was looking at another tractors website (not to worry my Orange feathered friends I have no intention of going another way ;) ) at Ventrac.com. It says their tractor can handle 30 degrees both sidehill as well as up and down. It says this is safe for tractor and operator. So I was wondering if that was the same for my BX24. I do understand that it would depend on what I was doing and what I was doing it with.
 

Eric McCarthy

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Kubota B6100E
Dec 21, 2009
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Your compairing apples to oranges here boss! The Ventrac is designed as a slop, hillside machene. If you look closely at the Ventrac it has dual tires all the way around which makes the wheel stance wider and safer to use on slopes and hills.
 

Kubota_Man

Member

Equipment
BX24, Rear blade, Front blade, Snowblower, 54" MMM, Box scraper, Landscape rake
Dec 25, 2010
953
2
16
Kellogg, Idaho
This is why I ask smart Orange Tractor guys ;) I would hate to mess up my tractor. My body on the other hand needs to be rebuilt :)

Thanks for your advise
 

murffrompcola

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Oct 26, 2010
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Pensacola FL USA
there is no set angle that is safe or unsafe especially using a FEL. You could be unloaded and drive across a hill a million times with no problem but one time have a full bucket raised up half way and turn over the tractor. Also depends on traction and how smooth the ground is, just say you are traversing a hill and everything seems fine then your tires drop in a pothole on the downhill side and on your lid you go! As previously stated use your best judgement and ALWAYS keep your bucket as low as possible, full or empty, to keep your center of gravity as low as possible. Hope this helps and Im not just telling you something you already know.
 

Eric McCarthy

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Kubota B6100E
Dec 21, 2009
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Spacing the rear tires out another 2 inches will not keep the tractor from rolling over sideways on a hill. You need to have the widest foot print on the rear axel possible. You'd need to have a wheel and tire with a spacer on the out side and then another wheel and tire bolted to that. Much like on the back of a dually pickup truck.
 

stuart

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B7001 with loader & tiller, 3 point hitch and 4' rear blade
Aug 9, 2009
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Aldergrove, BC, Canada
There is a thread on this topic from a few weeks (or perhaps months) ago - worth looking up.
So much depends on what you have in the tires, what attached weights or implements you have, etc. It's all about where the centre of gravity sits.
I have found that my B7001 is happy with side slopes mush steeper than I am comfortable with, so I let my comfort level guide me.
As stated, always go up or down the slope, never across. Having a loader set low and brush cutter will pretty much eliminate an end over end flip.