Tips on not

[Springer]

I own an 18 acre hill with about 3 acres of manageable slopes. My BX2680 is my first tractor and I love it. I only have 50 hours in the saddle but I've gotten quite a bit done over the past 2 years. I'm in the north Georgia mountains. My concerns are now tip-overs.

I've put down more than one Harley but at 69, I'm not ready to have a tractor on my back.

Just about all my time on my rig is on some degree of a slope. One thing I do hate is feeling my butt cheeks pull apart when moving diagonally on a hill. When I do, I immediately try to align the tractor with the hill, either turning to go down or up the slope. What I'm discovering are sinkholes.

It's seems my property is replete with subsurface stumps that are now rotting away. I have been driving and have had a wheel collapse into a stump hole and felt my heart skip a beat, especially seeing the opposing wheel rise up off the ground. Though I love my little BX, I now wish I had gotten a B or L due to the small wheels on the BX. A stump hole can swallow up the smaller wheel.
I mostly drive with the ROP up and seatbelt is always on.
I was thinking if some kind of outrigger could be made that would fall to the earth, triggered by an angle before the tractor tips. Maybe a mercury switch. LOL
I'm looking for realistic tips/instructions to keeping the seat on the high side.

 

[rc51stierhoff]

Good day.

Have you watched any of Tractor Mikes videos?
He has a couple on hills and safety…that might be a place to start.
I’d also recommend you look into ballast (fluid in wheel, weights, and weight on the 3 pt)…and wheel spacing. Be aware too much ballast can be just as bad as not enough.
Also be aware the of what the loader does in terms of acting like a big lever and if it’s loaded it’s worse.
keep the loader down as much as possible…practice dropping the loader…find out the difference of lowering fast vs dropping it with the stick…you may need to drop it some time…and it takes more effort or forward movement than you may be used to from regular use.

finally go as slow as possible and as fast as necessary.

good luck…keep the rubber side down.

 

[cthomas]

Second on having the tires filled for ballast(I used rimguard). Also, look into rear wheel spacers as I installed them on my old BX2370 and it improved the pucker factor when mowing on hills(I'm in WI and many hills). As for a B being more stable, I don't know as I went to a LX2610(the LX series replaced the old Bxx50 series) from a BX2370 both have 2 inch rear wheel spacers and the BX felt more stable, but, the the LX has a cab. What tires are you running? I also remove the loader when mowing to keep the weight lower to the ground(but I don't know what you are doing on hills). Use the search function for different options for rear wheel spacers. Also, are you using a MMM?

 

[GreensvilleJay]

rule number one. Do NOT travel SIDEWAYS on any hill.
rule number two. READ rule number one again
rule number three. Have your life insurance paid up in full BEFORE you disobey rule number one

 

[mcmxi]

I own an 18 acre hill with about 3 acres of manageable slopes. My BX2680 is my first tractor and I love it. I only have 50 hours in the saddle but I've gotten quite a bit done over the past 2 years. I'm in the north Georgia mountains. My concerns are now tip-overs.

I've put down more than one Harley but at 69, I'm not ready to have a tractor on my back.

Just about all my time on my rig is on some degree of a slope. One thing I do hate is feeling my butt cheeks pull apart when moving diagonally on a hill. When I do, I immediately try to align the tractor with the hill, either turning to go down or up the slope. What I'm discovering are sinkholes.

It's seems my property is replete with subsurface stumps that are now rotting away. I have been driving and have had a wheel collapse into a stump hole and felt my heart skip a beat, especially seeing the opposing wheel rise up off the ground. Though I love my little BX, I now wish I had gotten a B or L due to the small wheels on the BX. A stump hole can swallow up the smaller wheel.
I mostly drive with the ROP up and seatbelt is always on.
I was thinking if some kind of outrigger could be made that would fall to the earth, triggered by an angle before the tractor tips. Maybe a mercury switch. LOL
I'm looking for realistic tips/instructions to keeping the seat on the high side.

Anything that keeps your center of gravity as low as possible and the leverage about the CoG as large as possible (symmetric obviously) will help i.e. ballast, wheel weights, keeping loads low, wheel spacing etc.

I know what you mean re tire/wheel size. It's way more comfortable pulling the rotary cutter around my field with the M6060 than the MX6000. I used to run a MMM on the BX around the lower part of the field and it was brutal ... a real ball buster with the wheels dropping into every hole and depression.

 

[Biker1mike]

I have an older small 'B'. More than once I have had a wheel suddenly find a hole that was not there before. Over time I decided that there are certain areas that I just back-up while mowing or ride the ridge and come down the incline. These actions add time to my mowing but make for far less pucker time in the seat.
Every couple of years there is a tractor roll over death in the local paper. Some of them are newbies and some are older folks that most likely knew better. I keep that in mind and just take my time.
My only tip is to plan ahead. Saving a few hours now is not a fair trade off for eliminating years of life down the road.

 

[rc51stierhoff]

Second on having the tires filled for ballast(I used rimguard). Also, look into rear wheel spacers as I installed them on my old BX2370 and it improved the pucker factor when mowing on hills(I'm in WI and many hills). As for a B being more stable, I don't know as I went to a LX2610(the LX series replaced the old Bxx50 series) from a BX2370 both have 2 inch rear wheel spacers and the BX felt more stable, but, the the LX has a cab. What tires are you running? I also remove the loader when mowing to keep the weight lower to the ground(but I don't know what you are doing on hills). Use the search function for different options for rear wheel spacers. Also, are you using a MMM?

I’ve had a both a BX and a B(still have it)…in my opinion the BX has a little lower center of gravity. I did not gain much going to a B….it’ll lift a little more but also it’s a little more high center of gravity. If worried about the hills, don’t operate if wet grass or soft from a recent rain…it won’t steer well in a slide. Unless you plan to run a MMM, I am not sure why limit yourself to a B and BX on 18acres…there is nothing wrong with them…I live mine and don’t plan to sell it…I have size space limitation and I use a MMM. They all have their purpose. BX or a B will make your life easier…personally my BX was more stable. An L2501 would have been more tractor for the dollar and likely more stable than both…I needed a MMM and smaller footprint for my property…so I was not able to step up to an L. I should have kept my BX if I knew I would have the MX…but I could not see that far ahead…now I have two.

 

[ctfjr]

Good advice above ^

I have grades I'm concerned about also. I installed 3" wheel spacers and also loaded the tires with liquid ballast. Still I'm extra careful!

 

[Jchonline]

1 . Wheel spacers
2. Seat belt and ROPS up.
3. If these still make you uncomfortable look at a Ventrac. https://www.ventrac.com/.

 

[Smokeydog]

Added 2” rear wheel extensions and ballast to the B26. Significantly better stability on our hillside farm. Wife is good at going slow and using seat belt when mowing. 4 post ROPS and remove bucket when mowing. Low and slow carrying anything in the FEL. Good to be scared. Keeps you upright.

 

[Springer]

Good day.

Have you watched any of Tractor Mikes videos?
He has a couple on hills and safety…that might be a place to start.
I’d also recommend you look into ballast (fluid in wheel, weights, and weight on the 3 pt)…and wheel spacing. Be aware too much ballast can be just as bad as not enough.
Also be aware the of what the loader does in terms of acting like a big lever and if it’s loaded it’s worse.
keep the loader down as much as possible…practice dropping the loader…find out the difference of lowering fast vs dropping it with the stick…you may need to drop it some time…and it takes more effort or forward movement than you may be used to from regular use.

finally go as slow as possible and as fast as necessary.

good luck…keep the rubber side down.

All good advice. Will look for Tractor Mike. Been watch Dave lately.
I do go slow and keep the bucket low. My tires were pre-filled with glycerin.

 

[Springer]

I’ve had a both a BX and a B(still have it)…in my opinion the BX has a little lower center of gravity. I did not gain much going to a B….it’ll lift a little more but also it’s a little more high center of gravity. If worried about the hills, don’t operate if wet grass or soft from a recent rain…it won’t steer well in a slide. Unless you plan to run a MMM, I am not sure why limit yourself to a B and BX on 18acres…there is nothing wrong with them…I live mine and don’t plan to sell it…I have size space limitation and I use a MMM. They all have their purpose. BX or a B will make your life easier…personally my BX was more stable. An L2501 would have been more tractor for the dollar and likely more stable than both…I needed a MMM and smaller footprint for my property…so I was not able to step up to an L. I should have kept my BX if I knew I would have the MX…but I could not see that far ahead…now I have two.

Rain! Did you say rain!!! I live in Rabun County Ga. We are the wettest county east of the Washington state. Some years we qualify as a rain forest. We average 76" a year.
Though I have 18 acres, I only work 3 to 4 of them.

 

[Springer]

1 . Wheel spacers
2. Seat belt and ROPS up.
3. If these still make you uncomfortable look at a Ventrac. https://www.ventrac.com/.

I looked at the Ventrac. Wow!! That thing could crawl across my ceiling. LOL

Thanks

 

[nbryan]

I mostly drive with the ROP up and seatbelt is always on.

Do always wear the belt with rops up. But take it off rops down. Without the steel barrier above your head you'll be needing to jump off the seat before the tractor goes "tits up" and squishes you while you're trying frantically to undo the belt.

 

[rc51stierhoff]

Rain! Did you say rain!!! I live in Rabun County Ga. We are the wettest county east of the Washington state. Some years we qualify as a rain forest. We average 76" a year.
Though I have 18 acres, I only work 3 to 4 of them.

I have gone for a couple wild rides down my back hill…it’s steep…straight up and down the hill. F Up number 4 was 2WD instead of 4WD and not enough traction to stop it once the sod gave way…the brake was of no use…locking the wheels made it worse…not much I could do but ride it out and deform the vinyl seat… I was lucky. F UP number 3 was same thing on a morning with some dew…I was in 4WD but tractor slid anyway. Oops. Anyway that’s the friendly suggestion. Not worth it to me if it’s wet. F UP Number 2 I rolled an atv…I was using a pull behind mower that time and for F UP number one, drum roll please…I rolled a little rear engine toro rider (the red dragon) that was given to me. The drive chain came off when I was going up the hill…they don’t steer well in reverse…when we came to a stop I was in the seat and mower on top on top of me in seated position just we were upside down and spewing oil on me. I crawled up the hill to the house.

 

[Springer]

rule number one. Do NOT travel SIDEWAYS on any hill.
rule number two. READ rule number one again
rule number three. Have your life insurance paid up in full BEFORE you disobey rule number one

You know how to make a point.

Noted

 

[Springer]

I have gone for a couple wild rides down my back hill…it’s steep…straight up and down the hill. F Up number 4 was 2WD instead of 4WD and not enough traction to stop it once the sod gave way…the brake was of no use…locking the wheels made it worse…not much I could do but ride it out and deform the vinyl seat… I was lucky. F UP number 3 was same thing on a morning with some dew…I was in 4WD but tractor slid anyway. Oops. Anyway that’s the friendly suggestion. Not worth it to me if it’s wet. F UP Number 2 I rolled an atv…I was using a pull behind mower that time and for F UP number one, drum roll please…I rolled a little rear engine toro rider (the red dragon) that was given to me. The drive chain came off when I was going up the hill…they don’t steer well in reverse…when we came to a stop I was in the seat and mower on top on top of me in seated position just we were upside down and spewing oil on me. I crawled up the hill to the house.

I don't know if you are the luckiest or most cursed tractor driver I've met. Maybe both.
Glad you are alive.

 

[Smokeydog]

Working hillsides with the B26 grubbing out small trees and evasives. intimidator on front FEL, 6’ finish mower on back. Often have to lower front and rear attachments to the ground to lower center of gravity on side slopes and ditch banks. Rather leave a few skid marks than to become one.

 

[fried1765]

All good advice. Will look for Tractor Mike. Been watch Dave lately.
I do go slow and keep the bucket low. My tires were pre-filled with glycerin.

Wow....
Glycerin?
That stuff is $25 per gallon on Amazon.

 

[aaluck]

WEAR YOUR SEATBELT. If you do tip you will be fine...don't ask how I know.