NEWBEE QUESTION

[PapaG]

what do i need to look for in a tractor? main reason is for bush hogging my 3 acre pasture. it is on a slope averageing 30-45 degrees.

i do not need a big one, but i am' concerned about roll overs. i appreciate any info you can give me.

 

[Bob_Skurka]

Most tractors will tip over in the 20 to 30 degree range unless they have very specialized counterweights (and starting at just over 15 degrees your rear end will begin to pucker up to the point that your tractor seat may be squished into something that looks like floss between your cheeks). And for the size of property you are talking about, I don't think there is a counterweight set up for tractors that are small enough to be suitable on your property.

There are some very specialized slope mowers you might want to consider?

Or, there are some articulated tractors that have specialized weight transfers systems and dual wheel set up that are probably very suitable for your needs.

Take a look at Steiner tractors and Ventrac tractors. I have a small Ventrac tractor that can do "figure 8s" and "u turns" on slopes that would have caused a heavily weighted and chain tired Cub Cadet to roll over if it ever attempted a cross slope turn. There are people on TBN who are engineers who are better able to talk about the physics of the weight transfer systems that help these brands of tractors stick like glue to the sides of hills. JackIL is a former John Deere engineer (?) and mows steeper property than I do and knows a lot more about these things than I do. He uses a Ventrac 4200 with dual wheels. You might want to do a site search for Ventrac 4200 or for slope mowers, etc.

Ventrac Tractor Home Page

Steiner Tractor Home Page

There are some other brands out there, but these two are the most common, and probably more versitile than the others I have seen. Please understand, no conventional tractor is going to mow a 45 degree slope. These two brands are somewhat unconventional, but very capable of dealing with slopes that no conventional tractor should even be near. In addition to my Ventrac, I also use a New Holland, a Kubota and a small Cub Cadet. There is NO WAY I would even consider taking the NH or Kubtota on my slopes. The Cub has foam filled wheels, plus 75# wheel weights, plus tire chains and that thing slips and slides and scares the bejeezus out of me on some of my slopes . . . while the Ventrac provides a feeling of almost total confidence on all but the most extreme conditions.

 

[Soundguy]

3 acers, and 45 degree slope.. sounds like you own a mountain side!

Um.. I'd recommend goats.. they are pretty shure footed!

Good luck

Soundguy

 

[PapaG]

thanks fella's. i have a total of 7 acres on a hillside. the house and barn are on terraces and aren't too bad. i am part owner of a Labondo(sp) 4FWD. the other guy does the bush hogging for me after much carrying on and threats from me. he sightes the pucker factor to not do it.

would an old Farmall Cadet or Ford 6N be stable enough? i am not looking for heavey duty nor new. just need a light one.

 

[timb]

Most 'Farmalls' (other than the Lowboy model) actually sit pretty high for their size (crop clearance). The old Fords start off pretty low - but you've got a heck of a slope. There are the occasional old Fords running around here with dual rear wheel set ups - that would help a lot but I'm not sure if it would be enough to overcome your hills. You've also got to worry about side-slip - which means you probably need R1 (ag tires) or a very carefully chosen R4 tread that doesn't allow side slip on the back - and new (or at least good tread) ribbed tires on the front. Still - even with all of that I think you're in the realm of critter mowing (goats, llamas, something).

 

[Bob_Skurka]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( thanks fella's. i have a total of 7 acres on a hillside. the house and barn are on terraces and aren't too bad. i am part owner of a Labondo(sp) 4FWD. the other guy does the bush hogging for me after much carrying on and threats from me. he sightes the pucker factor to not do it.

would an old Farmall Cadet or Ford 6N be stable enough? i am not looking for heavey duty nor new. just need a light one. )</font>

I would look for a used Steiner. Finding a used Ventrac will be difficult because the brand has only been around for a short while (maybe 10 years???) but there are plenty of used Steiner's on the market. Look for something like a model 415 or 425, then if you decide to get it, contact Steiner and add the dual wheel option, you should be able to retrofit most of the older models with dual wheels.

As for using an old Cub or Ford, absolutely NOT. . . unless you want to kill your friend in a roll over.

Please re-read my earlier post. My slopes are in the 25 to 30 degree range and my Cub was highly modified and it slipped, skidded and slid all over my slopes, plus it was very tippy. Something like a Ford "N" series tractor would be suicide. I occasionally restore old iron and of all the choices of tractors to use on a hill, an antique would simply be my very last choice, and then only after my will was made out, my insurance paid up, and I had nothing left to live for. Mowing slopes is truely dangerous. Don't compound the danger. If you need to save a few bucks, buy a used Steiner or Ventrac.

 

[cowboydoc]

I've got a John Deere 4600 compact that works just fine for mowing slopes like that. You just need to widen your tires out all the way. If you can find a tractor to get the wheels widened out you should be fine.

 

[Bob_Skurka]

Cowboydoc . . . don't you think a 43hp large frame CUT is a little bit large (understatement of the year) to mow a 3 acre pasture? I'm pretty skeptical that a tractor with as high a center of gravity as the 4600 has is capable of dealing with a 45 degree slope; mind you it might climb the slope, but how are you going to turn it around?

 

[Bob_Skurka]

Here is a picture of a Ventrac 4200 owned by fellow TBN member JackIL with a dual wheel set up mowing his slopes. This is actually a picture of Jack on his tractor. Steiner and Ventrac units are very similar (as they were designed by the same people) and the C.O.G. of these units is going to be way lower than any traditional tractor. Used Steiners can be had at very modest prices.

By the way, Jack is using a rough cut mower attachment on the front of that Ventrac rather than a finish mower. Jack is a former JD employee and I rather hoped he would have jumped in on this discussion because his background makes him far more qualified to discuss slopes and the physics of how tractors deals with slopes than I could ever hope to be. I can tell you that I think the weight transfer system works like magic, Jack can tell you how it actually brings the weight of the implements over the axels and explain why that helps with traction in cross slope conditions, etc.

 

[timb]

It will work fine as long as you keep your speed up coming off the straight and don't get too much push... whoops, wrong sport.

Sorry, I see construction equipment on some pretty hair-raising slopes but I don't think my pucker factor would let me put anything on a 45 degree tilt that didn't have a keel or an outrigger.

Bob - that looks to be about 30 degrees, maybe a little more. That's steep - but make it half again as steep and I'll pick goats.