Mowing across hills

[BlacknTan]

I try to mow up and down wherever possible, but there are places that I need to mow sideways along the slope. I've never had a problem with it.. My rears are loaded, there's almost 600 lbs. of bush hog on the back, and the loader bucket is always kept low, but, I still sometimes get the heebie-jeebies...

So, would the weight of the loader bucket loaded, if held low, just skimming the ground, add stability?

 

[Birdhunter1]

I've never heard of a loader adding stability, usually adds a higher center of gravity. But you also didn't say what tractor you have.

 

[whistlepig]

Anything mounted above your axles makes the tractor top heavy and more unstable on hills. No matter how low your loader is lowered to the ground while mowing if this mounting is above your axles the center of gravity is raised and it will make the tractor unstable on side hills. Basically having the loader on makes the tractor more top heavy and prone to flip on side hills.

 

[BlacknTan]

The loader will be on while mowing, the only question is if the tractor would be more stable with the bucket loaded or empty... if carried as low as possible.
Ultimately, all the weight of the loader and contents ends up on the subframe supporting it. Still, the higher the weight is, the more it contributes to instability.

But, there's no question that a full bucket adds weight on the front axle.

 

[TripleR]

Sit back and read this: http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/owning-operating/199464-slopes-tractor-tilt.html

 

[BlacknTan]

Sit back and read this: http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/owning-operating/199464-slopes-tractor-tilt.html

Thanks for the link!

Alopt of good reading there... Food for thought. There is obviously alot more to this question than there appears!

Thanks again...

 

[TripleR]

Thanks for the link!

A lot of good reading there... Food for thought. There is obviously a lot more to this question than there appears!

Thanks again...

There sure is, it explained a lot and I probably should read over it again. I just finished mowing on one of our farms with a lot of slopes and even though I have been doing it for years, it always makes me a little nervous.