Driving my 2650 up and down slopes

[Dae06]

I have a 2650 with the 60” MMM and a cab. On the really steep part of my property I had alway mowed using 4 wheel drive and drove down the slope and then moved over and backed up the hill. I feel much more secure with the front of the tractor facing down the hill. Today I got a little more brave and decided to drive forward up and down the hills. I was a bit concerned and didn’t dare drive up the steepest part. What do you guys think is a safe slope to drive up with my tractor. I think tipping over backwards would be the worst!!

Thanks

 

[RCW]

A picture or two of the grade would help, although grade is tough to judge in a picture.
I have a smaller BX with MMM and no cab, so my advice may be immaterial.
I mow some steep places.
My humble opinion says if you can go down, you can go up without issue, within reason..

Your MMM is quite heavy and lowers the center of gravity of the machine. Conversely, your cab tends to raise it.
If you’re not trying to rock-climb very severe grades, I think you’re fine.
This was my box blade work other day. It’s quite steep, and I went in both directions without traction or tipping problems.

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[motionclone]

I mow a field that has a steep hill. (steep to me) This year I bought some simple angle gauges to mount so i can see what angle im at on that slope hoping it would make me more comfortable/confident. Ive had it to 17 degrees sideways transversing the hill which feels like the most dangerous to me.
This is a L345 DT with AG tires and a FEL with bucket way low (sometimes forks w grapple. loaded tires and a 72" mower on back

 

[MAD777]

Which direction is generally considered safer, rear wheels upslope or rear wheels downslope? I saw a video on this recently, but can't find it again. Maybe it was Tractor Mike.

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[beckmurph]

No cab or mmm on my b2650.

Mine will lose traction if the terrain is too steep.


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[SDT]

I have a 2650 with the 60” MMM and a cab. On the really steep part of my property I had alway mowed using 4 wheel drive and drove down the slope and then moved over and backed up the hill. I feel much more secure with the front of the tractor facing down the hill. Today I got a little more brave and decided to drive forward up and down the hills. I was a bit concerned and didn’t dare drive up the steepest part. What do you guys think is a safe slope to drive up with my tractor. I think tipping over backwards would be the worst!!

Thanks

Unless you have something on the three point hitch, your tractor will loose traction before lifting the front wheels.

Either way is OK.

SDT

 

[RCW]

Unless you have something on the three point hitch, your tractor will loose traction before lifting the front wheels.

Either way is OK.

SDT

Thank you, sir.
Your explanation is much more concise and responsive than mine.
My picture poorly depicts the slope my BX was on with the box blade. Had almost no issues, but front did get a little light due to the 3PH attachment.
As you say, he shouldn't be concerned unduly.

 

[GreensvilleJay]

do whatever way you feel most comfortable. I'll assume you DO have your sealbelt on and the ROPS up and secure?

 

[sheepfarmer]

I have a 2650 with the 60***8221; MMM and a cab. On the really steep part of my property I had alway mowed using 4 wheel drive and drove down the slope and then moved over and backed up the hill. I feel much more secure with the front of the tractor facing down the hill. Today I got a little more brave and decided to drive forward up and down the hills. I was a bit concerned and didn***8217;t dare drive up the steepest part. What do you guys think is a safe slope to drive up with my tractor. I think tipping over backwards would be the worst!!

Thanks

My Ingersoll owner's manuals says in several places ALWAYS drive forward going down hill, and back up hills and loading ramps when necessary. It is pretty easy to make it lurch with the type of hst transmission it has, and I can imagine it feeling light in the front end. I have mowed some banks with it for years going straight down hill, and then making a large circle to go back up in a flatter place to mow another section. I loaded the tires for winter a couple years ago, and a side benefit was it feels a lot more stable on those banks.

The B2650 with a cab feels way less safe mowing on the same bank, even going forward down hill. I think the power steering coupled to the pivot pin type front end make it feel like it would be easy to make a mistake and roll it.


The Ingersoll manual says it best "If you are in doubt about safety, STAY OFF THE SLOPE".

Everything else I have found reinforces what others have said, what is on the front or back end in terms of weight makes a big difference.

 

[Fordtech86]

My Ingersoll owner's manuals says in several places ALWAYS drive forward going down hill, and back up hills and loading ramps when necessary. It is pretty easy to make it lurch with the type of hst transmission it has, and I can imagine it feeling light in the front end. I have mowed some banks with it for years going straight down hill, and then making a large circle to go back up in a flatter place to mow another section. I loaded the tires for winter a couple years ago, and a side benefit was it feels a lot more stable on those banks.

The B2650 with a cab feels way less safe mowing on the same bank, even going forward down hill. I think the power steering coupled to the pivot pin type front end make it feel like it would be easy to make a mistake and roll it.


The Ingersoll manual says it best "If you are in doubt about safety, STAY OFF THE SLOPE".

Everything else I have found reinforces what others have said, what is on the front or back end in terms of weight makes a big difference.

Going off the topic but sheep what model ingersoll do you have? I spent a couple years at a Ford dealer in Winneconne where they were built. The dealer sold Ford vehicles, Ford then New Holland tractors, and ingersoll garden tractors. Never knew what we would be working on there lol. Can’t beat those old garden tractors

 

[sheepfarmer]

The Ingersoll is a 4018 with an RM48 inch deck. Still looks good and runs well. I have put a lot of repairs into the mower deck, but nothing much on the little tractor. Would really have no excuse for getting the B2650, but in my declining years decided a cab for snowblowing was a must.

FWIW I looked in the B2650 manual for safety on hills, and it recommends backing up steep slopes. And re commends against driving forward up slopes, out of ditches or mired conditions.

 

[Fordtech86]

The Ingersoll is a 4018 with an RM48 inch deck. Still looks good and runs well. I have put a lot of repairs into the mower deck, but nothing much on the little tractor.

Nice! Gotta love those Onan powered ones.

 

[JohnDB]

What do you guys think is a safe slope to drive up with my tractor. I think tipping over backwards would be the worst!!

All the advice above is good. Sounds like you already comfortably go up some slopes forwards and it's only the really steep stuff you go down forwards.

Obviously I haven't driven your tractor nor seen your terrain, but using wheelspin to limit how far you can go up forwards has my interest. Grip can vary a lot even on the same piece of ground depending on the season and recent weather. Tires might spin on dew-damp grass before you reach point of rearing up but at other times of better grip you might get to a steeper part and maybe then over-she-goes backwards? Also if the front end is getting light, and one rear wheel loses grip or wants to chase gophers, the tractor can suddenly spin to one side, and then you're sideways on the hill, or tumbling down it. If you have got to the stage of wheelspin going up a slope, steering can be tricky when backing down a slippery slope too, because the front end is light and doesn't always go where you'd like it to, regardless of 4wd.

If your tractor has them it could be a good idea to practice using the independent rear brakes - I'm not so good on them but people who do a lot of tractor work on steep country recommend it.

Keep that seat-belt done up

 

[Dae06]

Thanks everyone. The fact that most agree that I would lose traction before raising the front end makes me feel much better. I’ll continue only going down the steepest slope. Losing traction 3/4’s of the way up a steep slope is not appealing to me ;-). I only drive this area when it is completely dry, so I should be good to go.

 

[SDT]

Thanks everyone. The fact that most agree that I would lose traction before raising the front end makes me feel much better. I’ll continue only going down the steepest slope. Losing traction 3/4’s of the way up a steep slope is not appealing to me ;-). I only drive this area when it is completely dry, so I should be good to go.

FWIW, I mow some small, steep areas with my B1750HST and MMM that I cannot walk up without crawling. Engage low range, line up for pass, lock in differential lock, fully raise MMM for increased weight/traction, and drive up slope. Upon reaching limit of traction, lower mower and slowly back down slope. Works great and there is absolutely no danger of lifting the front wheels.

This can be done going upward only as the tractor would slip out of control going down hill, possibly damaging tractor or mower upon reaching the bottom where things level off abruptly.

SDT

 

[sheepfarmer]

There are so many important variables that it is difficult to generalize from one tractor to another. Loaded tires, wheel spacers, normal wheel spacing, wheel base, tires, all affect both traction and stability. Dae and I both have cabs. The Kubota 2650 manual mentions that 4wd can give the operator a false sense of security as to what the tractor can safely climb without flipping over backwards. It says safest strategy is to back up a steep slope. I think that is because of pivot pin front end. Turn too quickly going forward down hill, or drop one front wheel into a hole and over she goes. Safest for Ingersoll is forward down hill, it lacks (I believe) a pivot pin, and is way closer to the ground, and is 2 wd. The tractor SDT has, has a different center of gravity from the other examples, so what he can do safely is likely different from what we can do with the 2650s, or what someone else might do with another one.

 

[RCW]

Sheep - all very true.
Not only variables with equipment, but variability with operator experience and operating environment as well.
I’ve mowed the same yard for nearly 30 years. Some parts are quite steep.
I just know what to expect and where.... I don’t get surprised by anything anymore.
There are places where I will have a front wheel a foot off the ground, but it’s exiting a ditch, and I know its doable without risk of upset, if done slowly and carefully.


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[SDT]

Sheep - all very true.
Not only variables with equipment, but variability with operator experience and operating environment as well.
I’ve mowed the same yard for nearly 30 years. Some parts are quite steep.
I just know what to expect and where.... I don’t get surprised by anything anymore.
There are places where I will have a front wheel a foot off the ground, but it’s exiting a ditch, and I know its doable without risk of upset, if done slowly and carefully.


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Bingo.

There are areas where I routinely carried one or both front wheels momentarily when cresting a rise or other uneven terrain. Note, this is with a three point mounted mower and occurs when cresting the rise while lifting the mower at the same time. In years past, this was routine with my 51 Ford 8N and 5' rotary cutter. In such circumstances, I controlled direction with the steering brakes, not something that I would advise an inexperienced operator to do.

I have never seen any tractor with MMM (or without), FWA or otherwise, that will lift the front wheels going up hill before loosing traction, excepting truly extraordinary circumstances unless there is something mounted on the three point hitch.

I have not yet tried mowing the small very steep spots referenced above with my B3350 and MMM but will do so some day. That said, I do not expect that it will do as well because it has R4 tires rather than the ZZ bar rear and turf front tires that are on the 1750. R4s are designed to slip so I expect it will spin out much earlier than does the 1750. Again, there will be absolutely no danger of lifting the front wheels without something on the lift.

SDT

 

[troverman]

Backing up a slope is "harder" for the tractor to do then driving up the same slope. This is because of weight transfer to the downhill side. When you back up, most of the weight transfers down to the smaller front tires and they have less grip than the large rear tires. Having a lot of weight hanging off the back helps back up a slope. Having a lot of weight on the front helps "drive up" a slope.

I think in almost every case, when traveling up and down slopes, you will lose traction rather than somehow 'flipping over.'

Losing traction doesn't mean you're suddenly going for a long slide backwards, either. It just means the tractor spins it's wheels and you can't proceed. You'll usually hold in place. After that, gently back down the slope.

If you do begin to slide, pulse the brake pedal just like you used to do on cars without ABS. Don't hold the pedal.

I operate on slopes probably steeper than most here, and I've done it with a B series, two L-series, and an MX series Kubota. Safely.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

Every equipment and tractor manual will tell you to back up a slope and not drive forward up it.
It has more to do with the tractor slipping / spinning sideways then rolling, very very common.

End over end on a tractor is not that hard to do on a slope, and once you do it once you'll never want to do it again.

Conditions are different in every situation, and even the same slope can change all the time, so there is no set variables to follow.

Hills and slopes have claimed many a life!