That uneasy feeling?

[jimh406]

I got my L2501 in early Feb. I’m finally starting to get used to the feel of the tractor on uneven or sloped ground. I have about 27 hrs on it. How long did it take you to lose the uneasy feeling?

Btw, this is my first tractor, and yes, the tires are loaded and I always run with rear ballast. I also have OEM 1 inch spacers and R4 tires.

 

[mcmxi]

I got my L2501 in early Feb. I’m finally starting to get used to the feel of the tractor on uneven or sloped ground. I have about 27 hrs on it. How long did it take you to lose the uneasy feeling?

Btw, this is my first tractor, and yes, the tires are loaded and I always run with rear ballast. I also have OEM 1 inch spacers and R4 tires.

I got used to it when I bought the MX. One of the reasons that I decided to sell the BX last week is that I finally accepted the fact that my property is just too hilly and bumpy for the BX, and every time I got off the MX and onto the BX I was reminded of the huge difference in stability and capability. So in short, I never really shook that uneasy feeling but I never had wheel spacers on the BX. A short wheelbase and narrow track width in combination with a "high" center of gravity requires extra care and sometimes a lot of courage.

 

[nbryan]

I got my L2501 in early Feb. I’m finally starting to get used to the feel of the tractor on uneven or sloped ground. I have about 27 hrs on it. How long did it take you to lose the uneasy feeling?

Btw, this is my first tractor, and yes, the tires are loaded and I always run with rear ballast. I also have OEM 1 inch spacers and R4 tires.

Mine's not the same model tractor, but it took me several years to to really "get" what my tractor was comfortable doing safely on uneven terrain. Winter vs summer here changes all that a lot too, so it's safe to say for me that 2 seasons each of summer and winter have trained me its comfortable limits. That knowledge only came with getting into "uncomfortable" situations on a slope not experienced before and hopefully as in most cases no spills occur to learn that.

Without actually measuring the actual tilt angle the tractor is at while driving along a ditch shoulder on my driveway, where my "uncomfortable" tilt angles have mostly occurred, it seems there was quite a bit more room to tilt safely than my gut initially told me for quite some time.

Wear the seat belt, with rops up. Wear no belt with rops down.

 

[bearbait]

You could always install a tilt meter. This is just the first one that came up but there are many more that a less expensive. A little uneasy felling isn't necessarily a bad thing, keeps you on your toes.

AUTOOL X95 Multifunctional GPS Slope Meter, 3.5" Car GPS Head Up Display HUD Digital Inclinometer Slope Meter with Multifunctional Function for All DC5-28V Car : Amazon.ca: Electronics

AUTOOL X95 Multifunctional GPS Slope Meter, 3.5" Car GPS Head Up Display HUD Digital Inclinometer Slope Meter with Multifunctional Function for All DC5-28V Car : Amazon.ca: Electronics

www.amazon.ca

 

[85Hokie]

the butt pucker should never go away!

A simple reminder that the body "feels" what the brain ignores.

 

[je1279]

Here is another option and as a bonus, it's orange! Like others have said though, that is your bodies way of telling you that you are nearing the limit and you should respect that.

Klein Tools 935DAG Digital Electronic Level and Angle Gauge, Measures 0 - 90 and 0 - 180 Degree Ranges, Measures and Sets Angles - - Amazon.com

Klein Tools 935DAG Digital Electronic Level and Angle Gauge, Measures 0 - 90 and 0 - 180 Degree Ranges, Measures and Sets Angles - - Amazon.com

www.amazon.com

 

[bmblank]

Keep your ballast low if you're at all in question.

 

[Henro]

I got my L2501 in early Feb. I’m finally starting to get used to the feel of the tractor on uneven or sloped ground. I have about 27 hrs on it. How long did it take you to lose the uneasy feeling?...

It took me forever, so I never got there yet!

Actually, after tipping my B2910 on its side once maybe 10 years ago, in a situation where I never thought it could happen, it only got worse!

 

[Henro]

I got used to it when I bought the MX. One of the reasons that I decided to sell the BX last week is that I finally accepted the fact that my property is just too hilly and bumpy for the BX, and every time I got off the MX and onto the BX I was reminded of the huge difference in stability and capability. So in short, I never really shook that uneasy feeling but I never had wheel spacers on the BX. A short wheelbase and narrow track width in combination with a "high" center of gravity requires extra care and sometimes a lot of courage.

Wow, as far as the BX goes, my experience is exactly the opposite. BUT I do have the weight of foam filled tires and the MMM hanging low.

Hilly here also. BX is rock solid on side slopes. Have no way to compare to a MX though...

For me on side slopes:

BX = comfortable and B2910 = Avoid them! (Scary)

Obviously, side slopes should always be treated with caution.

 

[mcmxi]

Wow, as far as the BX goes, my experience is exactly the opposite. BUT I do have the weight of foam filled tires and the MMM hanging low.

I had beet juice in the rear tires and have almost been thrown off the BX on more than one occasion mowing when one of the front wheels dropped into a gopher hole that I couldn't see. The MX just floats over them.

There's no "one size fits all" answer and if a BX works for someone that's great. The BX worked for me for 5 years in some ways, and wasn't ideal in others. 40 hours on the MX grading, mowing and digging out dirt has been revealing to say the least. We can get used to almost anything but through comparison we learn what aspects are less than ideal.

I opted to buy an MX with ROPs and last week was at a friend's house who has a new L4060 with a cab. He suggested that I take it for a spin but I politely declined for fear that I would regret not choosing the cab model. Sometimes ignorance is bliss!

 

[mcmxi]

Here is another option and as a bonus, it's orange! Like others have said though, that is your bodies way of telling you that you are nearing the limit and you should respect that.

Klein Tools 935DAG Digital Electronic Level and Angle Gauge, Measures 0 - 90 and 0 - 180 Degree Ranges, Measures and Sets Angles - - Amazon.com

Klein Tools 935DAG Digital Electronic Level and Angle Gauge, Measures 0 - 90 and 0 - 180 Degree Ranges, Measures and Sets Angles - - Amazon.com

www.amazon.com

That angle indicator is cool. I might have to buy one of those. I have two magnetic bubble levels, one on the ROPs and one on the quick hitch but only so that I know if the implement on the back is level.

 

[Henro]

I had beet juice in the rear tires and have almost been thrown off the BX on more than one occasion mowing when one of the front wheels dropped into a gopher hole that I couldn't see. The MX just floats over them....

That seems to be an indication that your BX was indeed very stable, if you felt like you were going to be thrown off, rather than feeling like the tractor was going to tip over.

My bet would be the BX with a shorter wheelbase and small tires just rode much rougher than the much larger MX.

Reality may be that the MX is smoother but actually less stable on side slopes than the BX.

Stay safe and don’t equate smoothness with stability. I personally know there is no comparison between my BX and the larger B2910 (liquid ballast in rear, foam in front). BX wins...by far.

 

[mcmxi]

That seems to be an indication that your BX was indeed very stable, if you felt like you were going to be thrown off, rather than feeling like the tractor was going to tip over.

My bet would be the BX with a shorter wheelbase and small tires just rode much rougher than the much larger MX.

Reality may be that the MX is smoother but actually less stable on side slopes than the BX.

Stay safe and don’t equate smoothness with stability. I personally know there is no comparison between my BX and the larger B2910 (liquid ballast in rear, foam in front). BX wins...by far.

My comment re being thrown off has nothing to do with stability on side slopes since I was heading downhill on those occasions and probably shouldn't have mentioned it since it's not germane to this conversation.

I have no data to make a statement about the actual slide slope stability of any tractor but the MX does "feel" significantly more stable moving in any direction. I'm not trying to put the BX down, just make the point that I never got to the stage where I felt comfortable on certain slopes on my property. The hard ride in combination with my perceived lack of stability on some parts of the property limited the area that I felt comfortable mowing and the MX is the reason that I've been able to mow a much larger area this year.

It would be interesting to see some tests of these tractors to show just how much it takes to make them roll over.

 

[JoeBabbs]

I've got an L3800 and only 50 hours more than you have. I often work on hills. Though I'm still anxious, that is a feature and not a bug. A colleague of mine died when his tractor rolled on him.

I keep as much weight as I can uphill, often backing up steep inclines if my loader is empty; I take everything slowly; and I avoid going across a slope. Rear ballast (which I have and keep heavy) and wheel spacers (which I don't have) help.

In my limited experience, keeping the front tires pointing downhill, even slightly, keeps things more stable.

 

[Mike9]

I have sloped ground to mow and I know I'm perfectly stable, but I'm glad to those "oh sh!t" handles on the fenders - LOL. I'm looking for a pair to put on my Cub 1440, but they are hard to find and everything new is plastic. In fact I'm noticing a whole lot of stuff on new tractors is plastic WTF!?!?!?!

 

[Henro]

My comment re being thrown off has nothing to do with stability on side slopes since I was heading downhill on those occasions and probably shouldn't have mentioned it since it's not germane to this conversation...

I guess since you did not mention you were going down hill I assumed, since stability was mentioned, you were referring to a side slope. Going downhill a tractor seems to be extremely stable as far as the possibility of a rollover goes. Up hill too, but a little bit less because there’s always a chance of a backflip I suppose, when you’re powering up hill.

After tipping my B2910 on its side once (after owning/using it for 10 years) I now seem to pucker up on a side slope with that tractor if it is only 5°, but I’m comfortable going down 25° slope on the B2910 if I need to, as long as I’m in four-wheel-drive and the ground is dry. That’s a very rare occurrence though.

 

[Freeheeler]

Most fancy phones have apps that will measure the tilt angles. It will give an accurate number, but that doesn't mean much unless you know what numbers are safe and which are dangerous for your particular set up. An accurate way to test that is to keep tilting steeper until you tip over, then subtract a few degrees. I would Not recommend that technique

 

[GeoHorn]

My friend Mr. Malendy who had rice-farmed for almost 50 years finally retired and moved all six of his tractors out to the front of his home so highway passers-by could read the “For Sale” signs.

He went out to start them up and let them recharge the batteries one morning while his wife LuAnn made lunch. When he didn’t return in a timely manner, she went out to find him underneath the largest tractor in a ditch.

Fifty years of experience did not make him immune to a tractor roll-over nor did it save LuAnn from the worst day of her life and time has not erased that horrible sight she cannot forget ten years later.

NEVER lose that “uneasy feeling”.

 

[jkrez]

Most fancy phones have apps that will measure the tilt angles. It will give an accurate number, but that doesn't mean much unless you know what numbers are safe and which are dangerous for your particular set up. An accurate way to test that is to keep tilting steeper until you tip over, then subtract a few degrees. I would Not recommend that technique

I can’t stop laughing.

 

[Rdrcr]

OP, you should feel privileged that you are beginning with a L2501 instead of a smaller tractor. Much more pucker factor in the small/sub-compact tractors. I learned real quick in my neighbors B3700 with AG tires...man, that is a tippy machine. There's even a pretty big difference between my B2601 and L2501. The L2501 is a much more stable machine.

As others have expressed, don't ever get comfortable or complacent, always be aware of tractor and conditions.

Mike