Tractor Disasters and Owner Abuse

[fried1765]

You figured it out. The tractor was transversing a swale and the angle got to be too much and the tires lost traction. I have a tilt meter in the cab of my BX23S and when the tilt meter gets to 5% I stop and reposition the tractor. At 10% I get really scared of going over, and at 15%, well I have never made it to that degree. The common denominator in all of these accidents is operator error.
I purchased my meter at www.tiltmeter.com and it is well worth the small cost.

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I do not doubt the validity of your "tilt meter", but mine...... is in the right cheek of my ass!
If it even approaches being uncomfortable, I just don't do it!

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

You figured it out. The tractor was transversing a swale and the angle got to be too much and the tires lost traction. I have a tilt meter in the cab of my BX23S and when the tilt meter gets to 5% I stop and reposition the tractor. At 10% I get really scared of going over, and at 15%, well I have never made it to that degree. The common denominator in all of these accidents is operator error.
I purchased my meter at www.tiltmeter.com and it is well worth the small cost.

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If you need to reposition at 5% and 10% you'd do a lot of tractor parking at my place!

 

[DustyRusty]

If you need to reposition at 5% and 10% you'd do a lot of tractor parking at my place!

When I was your age, I took a lot of chances that today I won't even consider. Today my body is a lot more fragile than it once was. When I was 20 I had no fear of walking across a steel I beam 4 stories high. Today I don't even climb up high ladders. Last year I took a spill and I still haven't fully recovered from it. As you get older the more that you want to make it to the next birthday, and I know that I am running out of them. I just want to make as many as I can with good health.

 

[Lil Foot]

You figured it out. The tractor was transversing a swale and the angle got to be too much and the tires lost traction. I have a tilt meter in the cab of my BX23S and when the tilt meter gets to 5% I stop and reposition the tractor. At 10% I get really scared of going over, and at 15%, well I have never made it to that degree. The common denominator in all of these accidents is operator error.
I purchased my meter at www.tiltmeter.com and it is well worth the small cost.

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I think you will be pretty safe using your tilt meter that way.
Back in olden times when tilt meters first became popular for rock crawlers, we saw people tilt their rigs under controlled conditions (with flex ramps in a parking lot) and then use that tilt number as a hard & fast rule as the number they could safely tilt offroad.
Then when they got in the field, they promptly rolled over, usually at a higher rate than they did before they got tilt meters.
It became apparent that very minor differences in loading, tire pressure, fuel level, alcohol intake, and phases of the moon all had an effect on stability that often rendered that hard & fast number useless.
Most of us got rid of tilt meters, and went back to relying on the seat of the pants tilt meter.

 

[Trimley]

I know when my left cheek is hanging off the seat, my BX23s and I should not be there. I've mowed (straining the "oh shit" meter) at near 30° up-to 35° maybe steeper side hilling ditches. ONCE. It's not a comfortable time!!

I decided to try it, because I did it every year with my JDX739, which is almost identical in overall size.

 

[Runs With Scissors]

Since I have gotten so use to driving on flat land, I find that my "Ass-O-meter" goes off if I run over a piece of firewood....hahahahahh

I would need to wear "Depends" if I got to 10%.

 

[Trimley]

I know the feeling. It took a feat of will just facing the ditch, looking at where I was about to go!! If I decide to do it again, I'll try to take a video to show that I'm not BSing!

 

[NCL4701]

Since some are talking % grade and some degree angle (which sometimes is challenging to my limited quantity of still functioning brain cells to translate to reality) I found this slope/degree thing.

I’m a little jealous. Some of y’all got ground about as undulating as a pool table. Must be nice. I can’t mow the back yard of any of the three houses without getting over 35% (or 20 degrees depending on how you look at it). Head over the end of the plateau into the creek bottom to do any actual work… not sure if I want to know what the tilt meter would have to say about some of that. I do know it’s hard to keep your lines straight and overlap efficient when the tractor insists on crab walking while you’re bush hogging a slope sideways. I try to keep steep work up/down but that doesn’t always work out perfectly.

 

[chim]

The most slope I have here is a part of the yard that's about 16° / 29%. The tractor feels stable while mowing sidehill. If the grass is wet, I usually approach it in a more up & down pattern.

 

[North Idaho Wolfman]

The most slope I have here is a part of the yard that's about 16° / 29%. The tractor feels stable while mowing sidehill. If the grass is wet, I usually approach it in a more up & down pattern.

The most slope I have at my place would be 60°.. yea I don't mow it, and no I don't drive the tractor on it.

I do hit other parts of the yard that are 30° to 45° range and those places definitely require you to really pay attention to what your doing.

 

[ajschnitzelbank]

The most slope I have at my place would be 60°.. yea I don't mow it, and no I don't drive the tractor on it.

I do hit other parts of the yard that are 30° to 45° range and those places definitely require you to really pay attention to what your doing.

You said something once (I think) about being across the slope/sideways at 45 degrees. And having a wheel lift. Is that right? I think about it from time to time. (Shudder when I do!)

 

[Torinodan]

I cant imagine this one didnt get stuck. Posted on FB for tilling services.

 

[bbxlr8]

I do not doubt the validity of your "tilt meter", but mine...... is in the right cheek of my ass!
If it even approaches being uncomfortable, I just don't do it!

Was traveling and just catching up...

I have a similar one but mine is the pucker right in the center and never wanting to feel it again! fwiw - My entire property is sloped and on a ridge - a meter is not needed here.

 

[The Evil Twin]

I cant imagine this one didnt get stuck. Posted on FB for tilling services.
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Ya gotta mulch up all the weeds before tilling!

 

[GreensvilleJay]

mower deck levels out the lumps before tilling ??

 

[DustyRusty]

Another one is on its side. You have to wonder how it would up so far down in the weeds.

 

[hagrid]

Change the HST filter now before uprighting.

 

[GreensvilleJay]

Too bad the operator didn't mow the weeds down first, then he'd have SEEN the dropoff.
Can't tell is that a tiler or box blade on the rear ?
Should have chained loader down to frame too !

 

[fried1765]

Another one is on its side. You have to wonder how it would up so far down in the weeds.

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Wonder if the owner knows the proper before restart procedure?

 

[DustyRusty]

Most likely not, because if he were reading these forums he would have known not to have the loader in the air nor would we have the picture to prove that he hasn't learned what to do and how to do it. I have learned that just because you think you can do something, sometimes you are better off not taking the gamble.