Turning a tractor over

[Magicman]

No, actually it was a very smooth and controlled motion. There were no pictures of the actual rigging because we were sorta busy at the time.

Maybe I am a bit curious as to how you would have up-righted it?

 

[Oliver]

I just wouldn't pull from the top of the quick hitch.

 

[Henro]

A 2601 with a loader can be tipped pretty quick with a full bucket held even a few feet off the ground. I know.
I get mine on a 45 deg angle with a mid mower without any trouble. No loader mounted. The mower kinda acts like an outrigger at times...although I wouldn’t recommend anybody do what I do in that regard.

Wow! Was that 45 degree angle a typo? I can not imagine what you stated and would love to see a picture.

I know with four foam filled tires and a MMM on my BX that 30 degrees with pucker factor at max is probably possible, but 45 degrees? Hard to believe...

 

[Magicman]

I just wouldn't pull from the top of the quick hitch.

I understand your concern but at the time that was the only center attaching point that we had. (There was no drawbar on the JD.) He lowered the lift arms and as stated, we were using snatch blocks which halved the pulling load and the up-righting went smooth and easy. Actually we were amazed at how simple it was.

 

[swpflipper]

for what its worth, Our bobcat went shinny side down once. After flipping it back over we should have let it sit and inspected the air intake. Why? because oil from the breather flowed into the air box and when started it created a run away engine.
Turning the key off does nothing. We loaded the hydraulics by pressing the bucket to the ground and stalled it. Cleaned out the intake and it has run fine ever since.
Messick's did a turn over topic and letting it set before starting was a major point.

 

[Magicman]

Thankfully my only casualty was the battery. Well that plus a sore neck.

 

[Ruxin]

Am I the only one who when they have a load in the FEL drives in Low and keeps the bucket as low to the ground as possible until needing to use it?

 

[Oliver]

I understand your concern but at the time that was the only center attaching point that we had. ..... He lowered the lift arms and as stated, we were using snatch blocks....

I see and I noticed the JD didn't have a draw bar. You exercised due caution and it worked easily enough for you.

 

[Magicman]

Ruxin, to not do so is asking for trouble.

My turnover incident (Reply #22 above) was due to several contributing circumstances; load in one side of the bucket, slope, and the raised bucket. Neither of the first two would have caused the rollover without the bucket being raised. I offer no excuse whatsoever regarding the bucket other than the fact that I was inexperienced. That was the very first time that I had ever used the FEL and I unknowlingly raised the bucket. I was moving logs (wrong tool for wrong job) and had inadvertently scooped the dirt up which caused an unbalanced load but it would not have caused a problem had not the bucket been raised.

I now have pallet forks with a Thumb to move logs. I moved 32 logs a couple of weeks ago with no problem whatsoever, but I also kept the load within inches of the ground when I was moving.

My only reason for sharing this here on OTT is to be an example of what not to do.

 

[Ruxin]

Ruxin, to not do so is asking for trouble.

My turnover incident (Reply #22 above) was due to several contributing circumstances; load in one side of the bucket, slope, and the raised bucket. Neither of the first two would have caused the rollover without the bucket being raised. I offer no excuse whatsoever regarding the bucket other than the fact that I was inexperienced. That was the very first time that I had ever used the FEL and I unknowlingly raised the bucket. I was moving logs (wrong tool for wrong job) and had inadvertently scooped the dirt up which caused an unbalanced load but it would not have caused a problem had not the bucket been raised.

I now have pallet forks with a Thumb to move logs. I moved 32 logs a couple of weeks ago with no problem whatsoever, but I also kept the load within inches of the ground when I was moving.

My only reason for sharing this here on OTT is to be an example of what not to do.

Sorry my reply came off a bit snarky. It was just said in general to the first page of advice replies in more of a “don’t we all do this”

 

[Magicman]

Not snarky at all, matter of fact, "dead" on, and I thank you for your Reply #47 above.

I laid my incident out simply as an example of what not to do. It was an inexperienced mistake, but mistakes can kill and inexperience is no excuse. I was lucky so if I can help someone else by example then mission accomplished.

 

[Henro]

for what its worth, Our bobcat went shinny side down once. After flipping it back over we should have let it sit and inspected the air intake. Why? because oil from the breather flowed into the air box and when started it created a run away engine.
Turning the key off does nothing. We loaded the hydraulics by pressing the bucket to the ground and stalled it. Cleaned out the intake and it has run fine ever since.
Messick's did a turn over topic and letting it set before starting was a major point.

You got very lucky. Often the oil finds its way into a cylinder through an open intake valve and when you try to start the engine it becomes hydrolocked, and a bent connecting rod is the result. Big $$$.

I learned here at OTT that the PVC system is often the route the oil follows when a tractor is tipped.

When I tipped mine, I did not realize this and after righting it (after maybe 45 minutes or less) I figured there was no time for oil to leak past the rings, so I should be home free. NOW I understand how fortunate I was. Correct procedure after righting the tractor is to pull the glow plugs or injectors and verify the cylinders are clear of oil before proceeding.

 

[swpflipper]

Am I the only one who when they have a load in the FEL drives in Low and keeps the bucket as low to the ground as possible until needing to use it?

Our rolled bobcat was not a lifted loader. It was working construction and cutting a road on a slope. When it started to slide, the operator tried to quickly spin and drive it down the slope. There was too much sand in the material and that let the wheel dig causing the tip. Had it gotten turned, it would have just driven down. The operator was constantly ready for a tip and had the plan to turn downhill. The soil just wasn't having it.
Sometimes your the one building the thing everyone else needs to stay away from.

 

[random]

Am I the only one who when they have a load in the FEL drives in Low and keeps the bucket as low to the ground as possible until needing to use it?

Medium or low, depending on what I'm doing, but always take it slow, and yes, keep it low until I need to do otherwise.

 

[GeoHorn]

But now for the hard part. It would not go as it was so we cranked it up long enough to lower the bucket and shoveled the dirt out of the bucket.
View attachment 52552
John Deere, two blocks, and the cable attached to the chain that went through the tire and around the axle. It rolled back over very gently.

Don’t mean to be overly-critical... but there appears to be TWO things questionable in this thread.

The earlier post by the OP was “unless the ROPs are down do NOT put on a seat belt”...which I read to be stated exactly Wrong. For protection, IF the ROPs are down do not put on a seat belt. If the ROPs are UP ...WEAR that seatbelt.

The SECOND suggestion I’d make is NOT to pull anything heavy as the picture shows because:
1-It is being pulled via the 3-pt hitch from a point higher than the rear axle... which can pull the green tractor OVER on top of the operator.
2-A cable is being used which, should it snap, can act as a WHIP and come back and CUT the operator...perhaps even FATALLY. A cable should be weighted with a heavy tarp or carpet etc to prevent that.
3- (And THIS suggestion pretty well addresses the first two): The green tractor should have the cable run BENEATH the green tractor and it should be pulling the load with the green tractor in REVERSE. This will place the front of the green tractor between the operator and the load, and a broken/snapped cable will be less likely to strike the operator, and the green tractor can not be overturned onto the operator because the cable would be BENEATH the tractor.

 

[Magicman]

There is no argument from me on any of the above safety points.

 

[Henro]

Don’t mean to be overly-critical... but there appears to be TWO things questionable in this thread.

The earlier post by the OP was “unless the ROPs are down do NOT put on a seat belt”...which I read to be stated exactly Wrong. For protection, IF the ROPs are down do not put on a seat belt. If the ROPs are UP ...WEAR that seatbelt.

[snip]

I read it that way too and responded to it the same way. Actually said something like that is the worst advice I ever read here or elsewhere...

Then on re-read I came to the conclusion the poster forgot the word "then". IE, that he meant "if the ROPS is down THEN do not put the seat belt on..." Not trying to put words in that poster's mouth though...maybe he can respond himself...

 

[Bulldog]

If you haven't done it load the rear tires. It's night and day difference on a small tractor for traction and stability.

 

[aaluck]

My only reason for sharing this here on OTT is to be an example of what not to do.

Magic... What was the process of starting it for the first time after righted? I have often wondered if there is a special procedure you go through, or just crank it back up.

 

[sheepfarmer]

Magic... What was the process of starting it for the first time after righted? I have often wondered if there is a special procedure you go through, or just crank it back up.

There is, and the thing to do is NOT crank it up. You have to make sure oil is not in the combustion chambers, and getting it out will depend on the particular tractor model. At the least it needs to sit for a day to allow oil to make its way back to where it belongs. Some you can pull glow plugs and turn over by hand.