Hills

[Henro]

The only people that know where that "fine line" is, are those that have crossed it. Lol

I noted the LOL, but can tell you as someone who did once put his tractor on its side, that I still don't know where the fine line is.

BUT I do know where MY fine line is, which is a much less steeper angle that the danger point likely is...NO LOL on this point! LOL...

 

[TheOldHokie]

I noted the LOL, but can tell you as someone who did once put his tractor on its side, that I still don't know where the fine line is.

BUT I do know where MY fine line is, which is a much less steeper angle that the danger point likely is...NO LOL on this point! LOL...

I crossed the line at age 16 trying to mow too close to the edge of a drainage ditch with a Ford 871. Right rear wheel slid sideways on wet grass (I may have mentioned wet grass earlier ) and tractor went in. Definitly taught me a lesson and really pissed my boss off. It was not my last oops moment.....

Dan

 

[The Evil Twin]

I noted the LOL, but can tell you as someone who did once put his tractor on its side, that I still don't know where the fine line is.

BUT I do know where MY fine line is, which is a much less steeper angle that the danger point likely is...NO LOL on this point! LOL...

It came from my race life, not really the heavy equipment life. I've crossed the fine line a few times on asphalt.

 

[rc51stierhoff]

It came from my race life, not really the heavy equipment life. I've crossed the fine line a few times on asphalt.
View attachment 88844

Glad it worked out…several us been there…Did they read you the riot act at the ER about MCs…they did when I rolled in. Takes some real talent to pick that as the teachable moment time.

 

[The Evil Twin]

Glad it worked out…several us been there…Did they read you the riot act at the ER about MCs…they did when I rolled in. Takes some real talent to pick that as the teachable moment time.

No riot act. That was at the Daytona Speedway field hospital. 2017 or 2018 Daytona 200. They kinda expect some of us to crash. I had no idea they had a trauma center on site. Makes sense though. Rubbin is racin'
I quit riding on the street a while back. Racing is safer.

 

[torch]

Backing down a hill is my last option. 4WD, low range and no brakes.

I read an interesting analysis of the back up vs back down debate. Basically, if the center of gravity shifts to a point behind the downhill axle, the tractor may flip. So the heaviest end should be uphill.

Take the case of a tractor with loader and counterweight on the rear. And let us suppose that the counterweight is such that the tractor is front end heavy with bucket loaded and rear end heavy with bucket empty.

In that case, the tractor may flip backwards if driven up a hill with an empty bucket but could flip forwards if driven down a hill with the bucket full.

In a 4wd tractor that is weight balanced front to rear, I favour driving up and backing down. In that scenario I believe the front axle pivot makes it the least stable and would prefer to have the weight transfer to the rear axle, which is fixed.

In the case of a balanced 2wd tractor, there is a good argument that the drive axle should always be uphill (ie: pulling the tractor up) to prevent the unpowered axle from sliding sideways and pivoting around the driving axle.

Just my 2¢. Take it for what it's worth.

 

[johnjk]

I put spacers on the front and rear of my B3200. Like a new machine for ride and stability. My only “hills” are the drainage ditches along the road. I picked up a B1700 with a MMM and it is like a mountain goat when on an angle. Keep that bucket low and let your senses be your guide. If it doesn’t feel right, then back off

 

[GreensvilleJay]

If ( IF ) you decide to try to drive sideways on hills ( BTW, they don't have to be too steep ) please have your life insurance paid up. Not trying to be 'mean' but have gone to too many farmer funerals as a result of 'it's not that steep, I've done it lots of times'.....

 

[T0adman]

These are the comments that worry me. Our property isn’t as simple as up and down or not. There are contours in more than one direction, im not sure how much incline is a ‘hill’ and needs to be avoided.

 

[GreensvilleJay]

In every 'riding mower' manual ,they have a chart of 'good vs bad'. You could use that as a reference.
Remember that tractor only will NOT be the same as tractor+mower combination. Same goes for wheel weights ?, ballast box ?, loader ? empty or full ?
There are LOTS of combinations and variables to factor in.
One thing for sure....ground conditions ,especially damp/wet grass, is REAL important.

if you have neighbours with similar 'hills' , talk to them, see how they drive.

 

[T0adman]

Thanks,
Yeah, I've gotten a lot of good advice from this thread. And will definitely take it slowly and carefully. I also didn't realize that wet conditions were so important, so I'm glad you all hammered that point home.

If I am planning to do some tilling, mowing, etc. that does not use a loader, would it be more stable to take the loader off? Or is the counter balance of the loader weight a good thing?

I'm still considering spacers and/or wheel weights in addition to my filled tires. It's so frustrating that a product they sell voids the warranty. I might need to look into the details of that a bit more.

 

[trueg50]

Wheel spacers are a must with the 2601, it made a major difference in stability for mine. See my post history for pictures.

 

[Trapper Bob]

This is enough tilt for me. It makes me lean uphill & increases my “pucker factor”. I’m sure the tractor could handle more, but that is my safety margin. It does not look like much. I’m sure the comfortable amount of tilt is different for each operator. You have to find yours.

 

[T0adman]

Wheel spacers are a must with the 2601, it made a major difference in stability for mine. See my post history for pictures.

What spacers did you get? Did you put them on the front and back, or just the back? Do you have filled tires as well?

 

[T0adman]

This is enough tilt for me. It makes me lean uphill & increases my “pucker factor”. I’m sure the tractor could handle more, but that is my safety margin. It does not look like much. I’m sure the comfortable amount of tilt is different for each operator. You have to find yours.
View attachment 88928

Thanks for the visual. It is amazing how much 'flat' ground suddenly reveals its slope when I drive on it with my tractor. I guess I didn't realize how big a problem my hilly property was going to be. It'll just have to be careful and take my time while figuring it out.

 

[Sporto]

I have had 2 inch wheel spacer on my tractor since just after getting it and this year I put rim guard in the tires (best thing ever). Doing both of these have lowered the pucker factor tremendously. As for your dealer saying that the spacers would void warranty, it seems odd then that Kubota also sells wheel spacers as an option

 

[Biker1mike]

I have a machine barn that is on the steepest hill I attempt with the tractor. The front is ground level and the rear is 20 feet away and is 7 foot above ground. Slope as rise over run is 0.35. I do not dare try to turn across this hill. When wet it is difficult to walk down, in snow it is great sledding. It takes 100% concentration going up or down but the little B crawls. The plow adds about 300 pounds to the front.

 

[trueg50]

What spacers did you get? Did you put them on the front and back, or just the back? Do you have filled tires as well?

I got 2" Steel Bora wheel spacers; rear only (I've heard nothing but "don't do it" for the fronts). Tires are R14 filled with Rimguard. 2" was kind of the sweet spot of being a nice step up without the tires exceeding my ~60" bucket/angled back blade width (when snow plowing).

I have a 100yard drive way with a slight up hill incline, and 60ish acres of woods with lots of hills. Overall the tractor handles it fine; I might just get chains though for the winter so I can extend how long I'm able to get into the woods with the steep grades. Like others have said, when on the tractor YOU are the highest point, so molehills can feel like tipping hazards! More than once I've felt significant "pucker factor" only to hop off and see the tractor was only on a slight grade. Am I a wimp? Sure, but my jobs are never more important than my safety and I just take some time to make the area safe (level the trail better etc.) and then get back to work.

That bit about "voiding the warranty" doesn't sound right at all, Kubota sells spacer kits for these as well. Dealers hate warranty work, so I wouldn't be surprised if he was just BS'ing it.

Pictures of the wheel spacer installs for you. First one is 2" spacers on both sides, the second is the spacer just on the right:

 

[T0adman]

Is there a way to contact Kubota directly to ask about spacers? Can you order direct, or do you have to order through the dealer? Might be nice to get an answer about the warranty directly from them. And probably more likely to be acceptable if genuine kubota products are used.

It sounds like I’m probably going to want chains, which will also require spacers from what I’ve read.

I feel kinda dumb that I got the 50” tiller now. If I put spacers on, the wheelbase will be wider than the tiller. This will always leave some compacted ground, right? I haven’t used it yet; wonder if the dealer will let me exchange for the larger one.

With all the discussion of hills and rollover, I definitely get nervous with any little tip. I don’t know if I’m paranoid or appropriately cautious. I figure better safe than sorry, though.

 

[Biker1mike]

Here is nice video about the ROPS but it gives a good idea of how much side angle it takes to start a roll