Making my YM1900 not so tippy

[slynnjr]

Does anyone have any suggestions about how to make my YM1900 a little less "tippy". I live on a mountain and some of the terrain is uneven and can get a little hairy.

 

[MJPetersen]

I will show my ignorance with the 1900 as I am not positive how they are constructed. Some Yanmars have an adjustment to widen the rear track, so have you tried adjusting the rear wheels out as far as they can go. Secondly, and probably more likely, you can switch the rear tires from side to side--this puts the valve stems on the inside of the tire, but increases the track a good few inches.

Mike

 

[LMTC]

Fabricate a plate to allow the use of dual rears. Add weight low on the tractor. Never go sideways across a hill. By all means add an OSHA approved ROPS w/seat belt (app. $600) in case you can't avoid "tippy". Few people survive the result of an actual "tippy".

 

[California]

Plus: right now today there is one thing you can do that will help: fill your rear tires with water. You will likely need to include antifreeze depending on your climate. Firestone Ag and Goodyear have online tables showing the gallons needed and the weight provided, for given tire sizes.

This really helps keep the uphill tire from lifting. But if it does lift, you are likely dead with or without this ballast. There's no way to climb up over that big rotating tire as the tractor goes over.

And get the ROPS. That is what will save your life.

 

[guyd]

I have a 1510 - with round shaped (iyswim) grass tyres - filling with water helped a LOT - and keeping a load of ballast in a low held link box on the back is quite nice too....

My water filling methood was crude, and slow - but free. Remove core. attach pipe to stem, fill with water. when no more water enters, release, let out air, re-attach water pipe, fill, release air.......


Guy

 

[California]

I just posted a picture of my garden hose to fill valve adapter, over in another thread. Free and it worked fine. (But also add antifreeze if you could get a hard freeze in your climate).

 

[kenmac]

I bought the 1 I have from tractor dealer. I'am sure tractor supply has them. It has an air bleed so you can let the air out....Don't remember the price. I'am sure it wasn't much

 

[zzvyb6]

You'll make the best use of liquid wheel weight for rollover protection if you only fill them 1/3 full. This lowers the center of gravity of the whole machine because the c of g of the wheel stays low becaus of liquid flow. Filling them completely does not actually gain you that much because the center of gravity is about at the rear axle centerline, just like the empty tire's. Adding a low front weight bar helps a lot, too, as does a belly mower if you are so inclined (so to speak). Most operators don't realized that keeping the tires at a higher than normal pressure will also help you stay upright because the tires don't have as much traction (grip) with higher pressure, and the tire sidewall lateral flexure will be less (also bad for rollover). This means lateral traction too (4 which high lateral traction is bad for rollover). You will then be more likely to slide down the side hill instead of rolling over, and this takes some guts to experience and even practice so that you know when this will be occuring. Its a simple math (algebra) problem if you want to explore this further.

 

[California]

You'll make the best use of liquid wheel weight for rollover protection if you only fill them 1/3 full.

I think you are talking about mathematically calculating the theoretical tipover point driving straight across a side slope, with the uphill tire nearly above the tractor and still rising.

But more ballast will help prevent the uphill tire from leaving the ground in the first place. That is where the situation crosses the line to critical, perhaps beyond the ability of the driver to save himself, if there is the usual descent or climbing along with the cross slope, and inertia from movement. And we can't exclude the driver being in a turn when that uphill wheel lifts. Will the driver still be operating the controls competently, the captain going down with the ship so to speak, by the time the tractor reaches your mathematical tipover point? Keep in mind this is a thread about a tractor without a ROPS.

More ballast is the answer to lifting the uphill tire.

Physics and geometry.



And for the Original Poster, again: Get the ROPS. That is what will save your life.