Driving my 2650 up and down slopes

[troverman]

Here's one slope I mow...fairly steep, don't you think? Sometimes I drive up; sometimes I back up.

The manuals don't say you can't drive up; rather they say "don't drive up a slope you can't back up." This goes to my point about it being easier from a traction standpoint for a machine to be able to drive up rather than back up.

 

[JackJ]

Yikes! Most slopes in pictures look tame, much less tricky than they appear from the seat of a tractor.

This one looks terrifying!

 

[troverman]

It's pretty steep. The seatbelt is what holds you in place when you back up. And yes, the wheels will slip occasionally as you back up the hill, or drive up the hill.

The key is that no matter what happens, you can't let the tractor get sideways if it starts to slide. A roll on this hill, even with ROPs and a belt, could be fatal.

The loader needs to come off for backing up this hill, as well. I tried with it on and the rear wheels were starting to lift, even with a heavy flail mower on the back and loaded rears.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

All of these Kubotas are much more stable on a slope when you ditch the loader!

 

[Dae06]

So you do drive up this slope? Do you by chance know what degree of slope it is?

 

[troverman]

I’ve driven up it and backed up it. I do not know the angle in degrees, but it is very near the limit of the tractor I’d say. Extremely steep...you’d not be able to steer or press the HST pedal without the seatbelt holding you in place.

 

[hope to float]

I'm all for reversing up slopes too. I would rather have the steering wheels with weight on them if anything goes wrong. If you are driving up and the front end gets light you better hope both back wheels are pulling good enough to keep you straight til you get to the top because there is no stopping halfway

 

[RCW]

Trover - Yikes indeed!

My slopes are steep, but short. Yours almost looks like some dams I've seen.

I'm afraid of heights. Your picture gave me the heeby-jeebies.

 

[BAP]

Here's one slope I mow...fairly steep, don't you think? Sometimes I drive up; sometimes I back up.

The manuals don't say you can't drive up; rather they say "don't drive up a slope you can't back up." This goes to my point about it being easier from a traction standpoint for a machine to be able to drive up rather than back up.

Looks like some of the fields we used to hay. No Guts, No Glory!!

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

I’ve driven up it and backed up it. I do not know the angle in degrees, but it is very near the limit of the tractor I’d say. Extremely steep...you’d not be able to steer or press the HST pedal without the seatbelt holding you in place.

I say this with the kindest of regards, your nuts and pay your life insurance!

 

[BigG]

I think I would take the rear tires off and flip them backwards so that I could back up that hill easier. I do not know if it would work but I might try it once just to see.

 

[troverman]

Trover - Yikes indeed!

My slopes are steep, but short. Yours almost looks like some dams I've seen.

I'm afraid of heights. Your picture gave me the heeby-jeebies.

It is actually a dam. I mow three dams like this one, which is probably the steepest but not the largest.

I also do a capped landfill which actually has one sloped section steeper than this, but not as high. I know it's steeper because the tractor can't quite make it up all the way in some spots!

I've been mowing these for 5 years now. The first time through I was pretty terrified as well; now it doesn't bother me in the least. Just like the pilot of an aircraft, I run through a checklist of "what to do" if the tractor slides, a wheel lifts, etc. That way I can react instantly and prevent a major problem.

NIW - life insurance is paid! But I think with caution this type of mowing is safe. Ag tires are better than R4's, I will say that.

 

[JohnDB]

Troverman - I'm assuming that at some stage you'll be crossing slopes - but not the really steep ones - rather than going up or down. If in that situation, and if you get a sense that the uphill wheel getting light, do you prefer to turn uphill or down? (Theres conflicting advice on government safety websites and other places about which way to turn when you are slowly crossing a slope and you decide you'd rather not).

+1 on removing the FEL for steep work.

 

[troverman]

Troverman - I'm assuming that at some stage you'll be crossing slopes - but not the really steep ones - rather than going up or down. If in that situation, and if you get a sense that the uphill wheel getting light, do you prefer to turn uphill or down? (Theres conflicting advice on government safety websites and other places about which way to turn when you are slowly crossing a slope and you decide you'd rather not).

+1 on removing the FEL for steep work.

If you are on a sidehill parallel to the slope and feel a rollover is imminent, you need to turn *downhill* immediately. Turning uphill intuitively feels better, but it will result in expediting the rollover.

There are times I do turn uphill, but not when I feel a rollover is about to happen. The key to sidehill safety is to operate slowly, keep your mower down. If you need to lift your mower, only lift it a few inches, not fully like you might normally do. I actually prefer to keep the loader ON for sidehill operation. The bucket is wider than the front wheel track, and I keep it only a few inches off the ground. I can quickly put it on the ground to help stabilize the tractor if it were to start to tip. The loader weight also offsets the mower weight, making it less likely for the rear of the tractor to slide downhill.

I do have to mow about 30 acres, all on sidehills of varying steepness. Never had an incident yet, but a couple of times been close.

 

[JohnDB]

If you are on a sidehill parallel to the slope and feel a rollover is imminent, you need to turn *downhill* immediately. Turning uphill intuitively feels better, but it will result in expediting the rollover.

What you say lines up with what an experienced local told me too. When it starts feeling hairy he stamps on the downhill indepent brake and winds on the lock to turn downhill as quick as he can. With an oscillating front axle the greatest roll danger is usually when the tractor is pointing slightly downhill... this might be what you feel intuitively... gotta get through that danger zone as fast as possible before it topples. He agrees turning uphill is more dangerous, as you say "expediting the rollover".

.... I actually prefer to keep the loader ON for sidehill operation. The bucket is wider than the front wheel track, and I keep it only a few inches off the ground. I can quickly put it on the ground to help stabilize the tractor if it were to start to tip.

I hadn't thought of that aspect. On my machine the bucket is narrower and not much help for stabilising, so I take the FEL off because on steeper side slopes it's C of G is always downhill of the roll axis even when carried low.

I do have to mow about 30 acres, all on sidehills of varying steepness. Never had an incident yet, but a couple of times been close.

Great wisdom and experience on this forum -thanks for answering and sharing.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

If you are on a sidehill parallel to the slope and feel a rollover is imminent, you need to turn *downhill* immediately.

100% agree, it "steals or redirects" the force that was trying to roll it over in the first place.