Hills

[T0adman]

Hello,
New Kubota owner. Just got my B2601 and I'm very excited. But ... our land is very hilly. I don't think there is a flat spot on our property. So, I know I know I need to be cautious about the hills and rollover. Does anyone have any tips on how I can figure out what is safe and where it becomes dangerous? A lot of people talk about learning with experience, but until I roll it, how am I supposed to know what is too far? Any advice on how to calibrate myself would be much appreciated. Thanks.

 

[JasonW]

There are no set angles to go by. You will learn with experience. “Pucker factor” is a real thing. If it feels dangerous don’t do it.
Do not side hill. Only travel up/down. Always wear your seatbelt with your ROPS up. Keep the loader (if equipped) as close to the ground as possible. Same goes for the 3pt implement. Set tires to the widest position and fill with water or wheel weights.
Use 4wd up and down hills for traction and braking ability.
I’m sure others will chime in also.

 

[rc51stierhoff]

As soon as I start to wrinkle the vinyl seat I stop and back up. I have hilly property…what do I call hilly? It will slip in 2WD. straight up and down the hills help…i simple don’t drive on steep parts when it is wet…I use 4WD in steep areas no exception….so for me that means plan your approach and departure line of travel. Thank if it doesn’t feel right, there is nothing wrong with stopping and re assessing. Keep the rops up / seat belt on. The thing that concerns me the most is the center pivot axel, to me seems less forgiving that a truck with straight axels IMO. Keep your loader bucket low. Don’t drive so fast as to bounce the machine…go as slow as possible and as fast as necessary. Good luck and keep the rubber side down.

 

[JimmyJazz]

Keep it in the low range and 4wd until you get accustomed to it. There are no brakes on the front wheels so the low range provide a means adding stability going down hill. I Have had my B2601 for almost 2 years and almost crapped my pants today after forgetting to engage the low range. Left 25ft of muddy skid marks down my front yard. Completely out of control. This is the second or third time I could not control the beast. If you are working on a loose or muddy surface be especially careful. People are seriously injured on tractors all the time. Google it. Good luck and take your time.

 

[ajschnitzelbank]

I had a B2301 hat with R4s. I found it unbearable in snow on any incline, and not great in wet conditions either. Chains helped a whole lot.

 

[GeoHorn]

WHERE IS….and WHAT IS…all this talk of MUD … and WET ??

 

[mikester]

Always keep your bucket low, avoid fast turns on hills, avoid sharp turns on hills. Use 4WD on steep hills, always use 4WD with a loaded bucket. Try to keep all 4 wheels on the ground. You don't have brakes on your front wheels hence USE 4WD.

 

[Biker1mike]

No posted angles for side hills. I found if I needed to reach over to the grab bar I was most likely too close for a roll over. Uphill is always 4WD. I keep the foot near the clutch and a hand on the throttle. Feel for wheel slip and watch the front tires. Be ready for a fast and complete stop and rethink how to back down.
It took me several passes on my hills to find the best way to mow each one.

 

[The Evil Twin]

The only people that know where that "fine line" is, are those that have crossed it. Lol
As others have said, if it feels bad then rethink it. That said, it will feel bad way before it actually is. You are the high point on the machine so it'll feel worse than it is. But don't let that make you too bold.
I was digging a burn pit for brush and my front tires sunk into a soft spot. I dropped the bucket of dirt as fast as I could. I thought I was going ass up! When I got off to assess how best to get out without tipping I realized that I was only sunk to the wheel. So, maybe 6"? I laughed inside because the tractor wasn't really off kilter. But it was a good lesson.
BTW, I'm not a super experienced operator but I would think that if you started sliding you would not want to jam the brakes. You lose directional control if the wheels aren't spinning. Fishtail the rear like an old car. Yes, no? I'm still educating myself.

 

[rc51stierhoff]

The only people that know where that "fine line" is, are those that have crossed it. Lol
As others have said, if it feels bad then rethink it. That said, it will feel bad way before it actually is. You are the high point on the machine so it'll feel worse than it is. But don't let that make you too bold.
I was digging a burn pit for brush and my front tires sunk into a soft spot. I dropped the bucket of dirt as fast as I could. I thought I was going ass up! When I got off to assess how best to get out without tipping I realized that I was only sunk to the wheel. So, maybe 6"? I laughed inside because the tractor wasn't really off kilter. But it was a good lesson.
BTW, I'm not a super experienced operator but I would think that if you started sliding you would not want to jam the brakes. You lose directional control if the wheels aren't spinning. Fishtail the rear like an old car. Yes, no? I'm still educating myself.

Really great points….maybe for the OP practice dropping the loader a couple times to understand what that feels like with the stick/control (you have to push it further/harder than normal…like if you are floating it). I think also to Evil’s point in softspots and or have holes / small stumps hiding in tall grass…just be aware of how the axle articulates and the loader amplifies that in a bad situation…and a full loader just a adds leverage.

 

[Biker1mike]

I should mention that I run R1 tires. On my hills if the rears start to spin they dig thru the grass and loose soil to a more firm soil and they suddenly get grip again. The sudden reconnect is where my problem lies as the front feels like it wants to come up. 4WD helps a lot.
Backing down a hill is my last option. 4WD, low range and no brakes.

Your results may differ.

 

[T0adman]

Thanks for the tips so far. I’ll definitely start slow and work my way up taking into acct your advice

 

[TheOldHokie]

Stay off hills when the ground is wet!!!

• Load the rear tires
• Widen the rear wheels
• Stay in 4WD
• Keep all implements as low as possible
• A mid mount mower decreases rollover risk.
• Rear mounted implements will pull a tractor sideways
• Rears will usually try to slide sideway just before you reach the roll over point - thats a bigtime red line warning.
• Watch for rocks, holes, bumps, stumps that can initiate a rollover

Stay off hills when the ground is wet!!!

 

[T0adman]

I had a B2301 hat with R4s. I found it unbearable in snow on any incline, and not great in wet conditions either. Chains helped a whole lot.

Uh oh, I’m planning to use it to plow my hilly driveway too. Got a nice snow pusher with it. Guess I might need to look into chains.

 

[T0adman]

Stay off hills when the ground is wet!!!

• Load the rear tires
• Widen the rear wheels
• Stay in 4WD
• Keep all implements as low as possible
• A mid mount mower decreases rollover risk.
• Rear mounted implements will pull a tractor sideways
• Rears will usually try to slide sideway just before you reach the roll over point - thats a bigtime red line warning.
• Watch for rocks, holes, bumps, stumps that can initiate a rollover

Stay off hills when the ground is wet!!!

 

[T0adman]

I have filled the tires, so that should help, but I don’t have a mid-mount mower.

The manual mentioned putting wheels at widest setting, but then seemed like it said the B2601 does not have a wide setting. Am I correct in thinking there is no width option for wheels in the B2601?
I also asked about spacers but my dealer said they void the warranty on the axle.

Does anyone find tilt meters useful or are they just another distraction? Might be helpful to learn my hills, but maybe looking at that instead of feeling them is worse?

I was thinking of putting one on my box scraper and using it to level my paths side to side at least.

 

[TheOldHokie]

I have filled the tires, so that should help, but I don’t have a mid-mount mower.

The manual mentioned putting wheels at widest setting, but then seemed like it said the B2601 does not have a wide setting. Am I correct in thinking there is no width option for wheels in the B2601?
I also asked about spacers but my dealer said they void the warranty on the axle.

Does anyone find tilt meters useful or are they just another distraction? Might be helpful to learn my hills, but maybe looking at that instead of feeling them is worse?

I was thinking of putting one on my box scraper and using it to level my paths side to side at least.

Tilt meter might be useful on an implement - not so much as a rollover warning.

If your R4s are not adjustable spacers are the other option. That is a hot button topic. Kubota sells spacers so.....

I forgot to mention that the only thing scarier than a 4WD slide down a hill is doing it backwards. A ground engaging implement makes a passable sea anchor.

Dan

 

[Rdrcr]

I’d definitely recommend some rear wheel spacers. I had 2” spacers on my B2601 and they helped with stability on my hilly property. Since you don’t have a MMM, you could go wider.

Mike

 

[DaveFromMi]

From my experience, if you drag a large stump uphill, strictly follow the rule of driving straight up the hill. Don't drive sideways.

 

[T0adman]

If it weren’t for the part about voiding the warranty, I’d already have spacers. Is it worth voiding the warranty, though? If I get chains and I going to need them anyway? Seems weird that kubota sells spacers but they void the warranty.