Last weekend I was setting 4x8 posts. I put 5 bags of 90lb concrete in the fel to go to a post.. my slope was MAYBE 8’ in 30’... the bucket was about 24” off the ground and the tractor took off totally un controllable.. breaks locked riding on 3 wheels. thought I was gonna die. The bags were evenly dispersed. Tractor was in 4wd high range. What did I do wrong??
Runaway bx1880
- Thread starter jaargh
- Start date
BigG
Well-known member
Equipment
l2501, FEL, BB, Rotary cutter, rake,spreader, roller, etc. New Holland TL80 A
You did not put it in 4 x 4 low. With the heavy load in the bucket the rear wheels were light and unable to brake the tractor. Also the bucket was too high. You should have been able to drop the bucket to the ground to slow you down. Did you have anything on the 3 point hitch? Are your tires loaded?
The lift capacity for your tractor is 739 pounds at the pins so 450 pounds of mix plus the weight of the bucket you were pretty much maxed out weight wise.
So lighten the load, weight the tires, add rear ballast and use low range when you are heavy.
The lift capacity for your tractor is 739 pounds at the pins so 450 pounds of mix plus the weight of the bucket you were pretty much maxed out weight wise.
So lighten the load, weight the tires, add rear ballast and use low range when you are heavy.
leveraddict
Well-known member
Equipment
2017 BX23S 60" LP BoxBlade 54" mower 60" BackBlade EA 12" 1 bottom plow & Forks
85Hokie
Moderator
Staff member
Lifetime Member
Equipment
BX-25D ,PTB. Under Armor, '90&'92-B7100HST's, '06 BX1850 FEL
BigG said it well
Glad you are ok - the good news is, you will look at how you do similar things differently in the future.
Glad you are ok - the good news is, you will look at how you do similar things differently in the future.
Keep that bucket 6"-8" off the ground in those conditions. When/if you have a similar situation, just drop the bucket. (Be in anticipation of dropping the bucket at any moment. Keep or hand on the joystick!)
Most importantly, Anytime you’re lifting heavy and moving, keep the bucket as low to the ground as you can. And by that I don’t mean raise it to the minimum that is sufficient to clear your whole trip.
When terrain is uneven and your bucket may scrape the ground, you have to stop your travel, raise/lower the bucket to maintain a close ground clearance. It can be slow going but allows you to quickly drop the load in a situation where the tractor becomes unstable.
When terrain is uneven and your bucket may scrape the ground, you have to stop your travel, raise/lower the bucket to maintain a close ground clearance. It can be slow going but allows you to quickly drop the load in a situation where the tractor becomes unstable.
shelkol
Active member
Equipment
bx-2200, Woods BH6000 backhoe, Tach-N-Go quick attach bucket, snow blower
Another reason to keep your bucket low is to keep your center of gravity low so you don't tip it over sideways. Keep it low and be ready to drop it to the ground!
First off, are you SURE you were in four-wheel-drive? What you describe sure sounds like what happens when the tractors in 2 Wheel drive, and has a fair amount of weight in the loader, which takes weight off the rear wheels. And in 2 Wheel drive ONLY the rear wheels have breaking.
IF the brakes were locked in 4WD, you were sliding. (OR the brake pedal was pushed hard, but the brake was not functioning, and the wheels were turning and not locked. )
I know the feeling as I have both accidentally knocked my tractor out of 4WD and started down a slope with a load in my loader, and took a ride like you. I have also slipped on wet grass when going down a slope in 4WD. Another ride, not fun!
So it seems to me:
* You thought you were in 4WD but were actually in 2WD, OR
* You were sliding and thought you were rolling, OR
* You have an intermittent problem with brakes not working sometimes (probably unlikely)
Perhaps there are other possibilities...
As mentioned above, low range is best going down slopes. But it will not help during a slide or if you lose rear wheel traction in 2WD.
leveraddict
Well-known member
Equipment
2017 BX23S 60" LP BoxBlade 54" mower 60" BackBlade EA 12" 1 bottom plow & Forks
My neighbor had 5 bails of hay he wanted to get rid of. I had no ballast on the back of the BX and diddnt think I really needed it. I had all 5 bails on the FEL with no problems untill I strted down my steep grade to my back yard. I forgot to put it in 4wd coming off the pavement! WELL the rear end lifted and slammed back down several times before I dropped the bucket to the ground and recovered. What an experience, I thought I was going to crash! I think about that everytime I start down that grade!
The only suggestion I have that has not already been covered is back down hills when loader is full. I slid like described in post#1 but I was in 2 wheel drive and applied the brakes.
I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about this in the past week... and you guys pretty much confirmed most of the mistakes I came up with... what seemed most odd to me was there was no issue going in down the hill until I left the blacktop, the grade was the same but as soon as I hit the dirt.. it took off. The skid marks are half way down the hill (talking about the tractors not mine) while I am absolutely certain I yelled “whoa” in a deep commanding voice my nephew swears he heard me screaming like a little girl... he’s such a kidder. Thanks for the input guys
Your tires had a better grip on the pavement, apparently just barely enough. Also, as you hit the little bumps off pavement, the tractor tries to bounce a little. As soon as your rear tire lifted a bit it was all over but the shoutin' manly admonition. I'm glad everybody is ok.