Kubota b 3030 with woods backhoe and cab TOPHEAVY

[Grouse Feathers]

The steep part of your hill is 11.8 degrees or a 21% grade. The average slope is 8.8 degrees or a 15.6% grade.

My driveway goes up the side of a hill and the driveway has a slope of 7 degrees or a slope of 9%.

Based on my experience I would be careful, but would feel safe operating straight up and down your hill. I would not go across the slope of the step part. I might with great care occasionally move cross grade on the average slope with my tractor. I would not operate on a regular basis across grade on any of your hill.

My tractor is a BX2370 with loaded rear tires, 2" wheel spacers and my own wooden cab. I am probably a little more stable than you with the spacers and a lighter cab. I also have beet juice for more weight, but smaller tires so less weight.

I hope others with more experience on hills will also weigh in with advice.

 

[Diydave]

I think the steepest I have operated my L2202 with steel wheel weights off of a 140 farmall, is somewhere around 30 degrees, IIRR. I think I posted it on here, in another thread, last summer. This was taken with the HF angle gauge, FWIW. A lot is going to depend on your comfort factor in operating, on a steep slope. I would weight the wheels, and set them to max width, and carry the loads low. As you gain in experience, you will gain in confidence, too.

 

[newbiewankubotie]

WOW interesting info. Thanks Larry and all that have added. I guess what im left with is this. Clear a flat space at the top of the hill with the backhoe. keep flattening the top---whilst moving dirt to where I want it--which is around the front side of my home (unfortunately over my septic filter bed) since I do not want to go down the back grade then turn right with a load and backhoe---another option, build up the bottom turn with fill---so that it lessens the angle. Third option, do everything else I bought the backhoe for and sell the sucker. I bought used and was told by the Kubota dealer I can actually gain several thousand selling it---I bought it from a private owner--and got a spectacular deal. Only 220 hrs. I have drove forklifts, quads, motorcycles, trucks, dump trucks my whole life---when my senses tell me its tippy I believe them---it just does not feel comfortable in the least. Gonna have my work cut out to actually do the leveling I want, I tried to post a pic of the hill on here---but it will not allow me for some reason. Once again thanks guys..... I shall only be in that hill up and down---NEVER goin sideways of course----just makes it about 3 times as difficult as I will have to haul each bucket of dirt about 70 yds extra to dump it.....

 

[Grouse Feathers]

I have never carried dirt down a hill with the bucket, and not sure the best way to do it. Going down forward you have a lot of weight on the front axle pivot. At minimum you would keep the load low and your hand on the control to drop the bucket if needed. The best way may be to back down the hill. Maybe someone with more experience will offer some advice. You can also do some searches on hills in OTT, I know this has been discussed before.

 

[Grouse Feathers]

Switching my thinking from operating cross hill to downhill:

If you transport the loads downhill forward the more weight on the rear the better, either the back hoe or a weight box near the the limit of the 3 point hitch.

There are no brakes on the wheels, the only brake is in the transmission. The front wheels will provide no stopping traction unless you are in 4wd. There have been several posts of near misses trying to stop going downhill and not in 4wd.

 

[newbiewankubotie]

Well guys made some progress today.... This evening I dug about 25 yds of the 50 I have to go to the woods behind my house---making the hillside level, amazing what the little b 3030 and a woods backhoe will do----leveling at a rate of about 5 feet per "move... feels nice n safe on "level" once I get it big enuff to turn around I will start on the top of the hill and "level it. THEN I can simply take a load str8 down, onto the level, then once level turn and fill in what I want to do....... Feeling more comfortable each day----Thanks again Larry and everyone else.......

 

[Grandad4]

Glad to hear you're making progress. One suggestion not yet mentioned is to check the tire pressures, particularly in the rears. The backhoe is a good load on the back of the B3030; if the rears are underinflated it will add considerably to the tippyness (is that a word?). Ordinarily if the tires are ballasted, there's only a small air pocket to hold pressure, but you want to make darn sure it's got enough air so the downhill tire doesn't squat or tend to wallow on any sideslope you're dealing with.

Please be careful with your B3030 rig on slopes!

 

[Grouse Feathers]

Glad I could help, glad it's going well, and really glad it's going safe for both you and your tractor.

Now to get ready for some tractor time here, with 10" of wet heavy snow on the way tonight and tomorrow.

 

[Tooljunkie]

I recall from my skidsteer operating days when loading onto a trailer was to back it on and drive it off. So with a load in bucket it would be heavy end uphill. And of course in 4wd.

Glad you are getting the feel of it, just dont push your limit. Better safe than sorry.