That was really bad

[TheOldHokie]

It was a beatiful day today and I decided it was time to give the "front yard" its first mowing of tje year. Set out with the L3901 and within seconds of leaving the pavement found myself in a full tilt downhill runaway.. WTF!!! I figured it was rollover time for sure but managed to ride it out before dropping the bucket and doing a three wheel donut just before running out of real estate. Turns out I did not get it back in 4WD before leaving the shop like I thought.

Heres a picture of the bobsled run I took once my nerves settled down.

Be careful out there!!!!

Dan

 

[rc51stierhoff]

It was a beatiful day today and I decided it was time to give the "front yard" its first mowing of tje year. Set out with the L3901 and within seconds of leaving the pavement found myself in a full tilt downhill runaway.. WTF!!! I figured it was rollover time for sure but managed to ride it out before dropping the bucket and doing a three wheel donut just before running out of real estate. Turns out I did not get it back in 4WD before leaving the shop like I thought.

Heres a picture of the bobsled run I took once my nerves settled down.

Be careful out there!!!!

Dan

View attachment 126501

Oh my…I’ve done similar and wrinkled the vinyl seat a time or two myself on our back hill. I’m glad it ended with the rubber side down and you are ok. I hope you did not do any permanent damage to the vinyl seat.

 

[NCL4701]

Good thing you had the loader on it. Gauge wheels make it kind of hard to drop anchor with a mower.

 

[Moose7060]

Skid marks!


Glad you are unscathed!

 

[TheOldHokie]

Oh my…I’ve done similar and wrinkled the vinyl seat a time or two myself on our back hill. I’m glad it ended with the rubber side down and you are ok. I hope you did not do any permanent damage to the vinyl seat.

Nothing was damaged or soiled. Its definitly made me a little skittish realizing how close to the edge I have been when mowing in rhe past. I decided to give the steepest area a little more time to dry out before venturing up there....

Dan

 

[TheOldHokie]

Good thing you had the loader on it. Gauge wheels make it kind of hard to drop anchor with a mower.

Thats precisely why it stays on.

Dan

 

[hagrid]

Heres a picture of the bobsled run I took once my nerves settled down.

Be careful out there!!!!

Dan

A helicoil or timecert might be warranted.

You could stud the tires with them!

 

[The Evil Twin]

Hope you were wearing brown pants!

 

[GeoHorn]

When I’ve done stupid stuff like that I always am left amazed at the number of friends who didn’t survive the same foolish things I got away-with. Glad you’re still with us in Good Shape.

 

[85Hokie]

It was a beatiful day today and I decided it was time to give the "front yard" its first mowing of tje year. Set out with the L3901 and within seconds of leaving the pavement found myself in a full tilt downhill runaway.. WTF!!! I figured it was rollover time for sure but managed to ride it out before dropping the bucket and doing a three wheel donut just before running out of real estate. Turns out I did not get it back in 4WD before leaving the shop like I thought.

Heres a picture of the bobsled run I took once my nerves settled down.

Be careful out there!!!!

Dan

View attachment 126501

Glad you are OK - how is the seat of your pants?

 

[bbxlr8]

Wow - I''m not sure I am getting the full picture. The weight of the rear deck swung you around...?
Deceivingly, it doesn't look that steep there.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

And people ask... Do I really Need 4wd!

 

[mcmxi]

It was a beatiful day today and I decided it was time to give the "front yard" its first mowing of tje year. Set out with the L3901 and within seconds of leaving the pavement found myself in a full tilt downhill runaway.. WTF!!! I figured it was rollover time for sure but managed to ride it out before dropping the bucket and doing a three wheel donut just before running out of real estate. Turns out I did not get it back in 4WD before leaving the shop like I thought.

Heres a picture of the bobsled run I took once my nerves settled down.

Be careful out there!!!!

Dan

View attachment 126501

A few years ago I made a post here about my experience using the MX6000 open station to move a very large boulder down my asphalt driveway. I should have dumped the bucket and the rock as I went into a full slide and starting fishtailing. Like you, I was in 2WD and hung on for dear life. Scary moment for sure.

 

[TheOldHokie]

Wow - I''m not sure I am getting the full picture. The weight of the rear deck swung you around...?
Deceivingly, it doesn't look that steep there.

I have no idea what the physics of the final spin out were other than it got wheels off the ground. Pretty sure the 750# deck helped keep the one rear
from coming all the.way over.

I have mowed that area for 40 years and know well what happens once you break traction - you dont get it back until the bottom.

I am acutely aware of that and try to plan for the possibility. In this case I turned off the pavement at a really steep spot at the very top which is nothing new but mistakenly in 2WD. Without the fronts to help the rears started to slide on the juicy grass and away we went. Nothing you can do at that pount but keep it pointed straight ahead and upright.....

Dan

 

[torch]

Heres a picture of the bobsled run I took once my nerves settled down.

View attachment 126501

The picture is facing back the way you came?

I can find it hard to judge slopes from pictures, but that doesn't look especially steep to me. What sort of grade are we talking here?

 

[TheOldHokie]

The picture is facing back the way you came?

I can find it hard to judge slopes from pictures, but that doesn't look especially steep to me. What sort of grade are we talking here?

In places its so steep the tractor cant pull it. Thats the danger. Once you lose traction and start to slide you cant get it back. Rubber tired tractors on grass are pretty much sleds. I have mowed that slope for 40 years and know the rules if the road and the spots that are off limits. This was a miscalculation caused by mistakenly being in 2WD instead of 4WD that escalated quickly.

BTW - a major safety flaw in the L01 is the placement and design of the HST range lever. In 4 years of ownership I have accidentallly bumped it into neutral more than once and that gets very exciting when it happens on a hillside .....

Dan

 

[torch]

BTW - a major safety flaw in the L01 is the placement and design of the HST range lever. In 4 years of ownership I have accidentallly bumped it into neutral more than once and that gets very exciting when it happens on a hillside .....

Well that's certainly steeper than it appeared to me! Lack of depth perception i guess. I would have figured 10' or maybe 15' rise over 100' or 150' from the photo.

Anyway to rig a gate (or even a bungee cord) to that lever to ensure it stays in 4wd?

 

[TheOldHokie]

Well that's certainly steeper than it appeared to me! Lack of depth perception i guess. I would have figured 10' or maybe 15' rise over 100' or 150' from the photo.

Anyway to rig a gate (or even a bungee cord) to that lever to ensure it stays in 4wd?

The problem with judging the slope is you dont have a level horizon for reference. The official number from the county engineers is 16% grade but thats the elevation change over 1000'. There are sections that are a lot steeper.

Since this last adventure I have been contemplating fabricating some sort of locking tab for the HST range lever.

 

[Yotekiller]

Glad you're okay, Dan! Did the back wheels come off the ground to make you break away, or was it just so slick that you actually slid down the hill. When I read that you forgot to have it in 4x4, it instantly made me think the back wheels musta came up allowing it to run away,..

 

[torch]

The official number from the county engineers is 16% grade but thats the elevation change over 1000'. There are sections that are a lot steeper.

True, can't really see the dips that deviate from the average. And once it starts sliding due to a dip it's going to keep sliding even after the slope eases a bit.

Anyway, glad to hear you managed to make it out unscathed. Someone with less experience may not have, so it's good that you shared your experience with everyone.