steepest slope

[Anonymous Poster]

I am wondering what is the steepest slope an L2600 4wd w/ag tires, can be driven across with a 5' brush-hog. I have been looking for some specs but can not find any.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Does anyone have any comment on this?

 

[rmcess]

han,
I have read quite a bit about this in the safety section of TBN.
I am using the advice I got there and on smooth land I do not exceed 15 degrees. On rough terrain I am even more conservative, If you hit a dip or a stump things can change quickly.
I also reccomend the use of a tilt meter. <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.tiltmeter.com/page2.html>R&B Mfg </A> is an excellent source for these.

 

[Harv]

Han -

I'm driving an L2500 4wd w/ag tires, and my property has plenty of slopes. Sounds like you're referring to side-to-side tilt, and the rule of thumb (conclusion from this board) is that 15 degrees is about the limit of reasonable safety.

Since we first had that discussion, about a year and a half ago, I have purchased a couple of tiltmeters from <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.tiltmeter.com>R&B Manufacturing</A>, and I can vouch for the fact that 15 degrees is pretty high on my pucker meter.

I've only had it a few degrees past that a couple of times, and both were unintentional incidents. /w3tcompact/icons/blush.gif

Keep in mind that there are other factors that must be taken into consideration besides just the slope. If you're carrying your cutter high, as when you're just transporting it, or if you have a FEL, especially with a load in it, your center of gravity is effectively raised, and you're just that much tippier. Likewise, soil conditions, wet grass, leaves 'n' such can cause you to lose your "footing" and start slipping downhill quite unexpectedly.

And no matter how safe the slope looks, keep that ROPS up and seatbelt fastened.

 

[Bird]

Han, I don't think you'll find any specs, and no one wants to tell you what the maximum is because if you try the maximum and then run over the smallest little rock, stick, or other bump on the high side, or a tiny dip or soft spot on the low side, things go downhill in a hurry. I think there is some kind of requirement that the bare tractor with no implements can stand 20 degrees. I've gotten mine to 18 degrees with no problem except to my nerves, but like the other guys, my personal limit is about 15 degrees and very slowly and carefully even then.

Call Rick at R&B Mfg., as has already been suggested. He's the best source of information on this topic that I know of. I have two tiltmeters on my tractor - side to side and front to rear.

 

[Harv]

Han -

I forgot to mention that I have my rear wheels set to maximum width on my L2500. I think there are 4 possible settings. The previous owner used it to pull an apple cart through orchards which were totally flat, so had the wheels set narrow. The broker I bought it through set them wide for me before I took delivery.

For stability, wider is better.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Harv,

How wide is the widest setting? outside of tire to outside of tire? How did they adjust?

 

[Harv]

Han -

There's about a hundred miles between me and my tractor right now, so I can't lay a tape measure on it. I'm pretty sure the outside measurement would be right around 5 feet. Here's a couple of <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.tractorbynet.com/forumfiles/37-82475-WheelWidth.jpg>pictures</A> showing how it looked on the lot before I bought it, and another which is kind of a "candid" as it looks today. Using the taillights as a reference, you can get an idea of difference.

As for the details, maybe this excerpt from my owner's manual will help:

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Thanks Harv.

Your pics really helped!

Unfortunatelly I found ou today that I will not be able to purchase the tractor. A large bid job did not come in so no tractor.

 

[Harv]

<font color=blue>A large bid job did not come in so no tractor</font color=blue>

Oh, man! That really bites, Han! /w3tcompact/icons/tongue.gif

Let's hope an even bigger bid job comes along soon and lands in your lap.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Greetings

What model tilt meter would you recommend for a BX ---and where/how would you fix it?

Thanks

Michael

 

[Harv]

Michael -

I'm using two of the #25c's on my L2500DT -- one for side tilt and one for front to back incline. I've had them for over a year and they're working out just great:

I'm sure some the BX folks here can give you mounting suggestions, or you might just go ahead and give Rick a call at <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.tiltmeter.com>R&B Manufacturing</A>. He's a great guy and will give you all the help you need.

 

[GlueGuy]

Yo Harv,

I'm surprised you used that meter for the front/back indicator. According to what I've read (and what I've done), you can go to at least 30 degrees front/back, especially if you're backing up hill. Lucy does this amount of slope pretty easily.

 

[Harv]

<font color=blue>you can go to at least 30 degrees front/back</font color=blue>

You may be right, GlueGuy, but my pucker factor kicks in before I even get to 25.

Interestingly, I tried to follow my neighbor one time, and he toodled down steep slopes and made hilly turns like they were nothing. Now, he's driving a B2150 and I'm on my L2500, and when he dropped down a short, steep drop and hung a 90-degree right turn at the bottom, he left me behind. Besides puckering up on the drop, my bucket bottomed out at the bottom where the path leveled out, so I had to raise the FEL just as I started the right turn. The slope was about 20 degrees, so even with the left front on the flat I was getting a good 15-degree side tilt. With the raised bucket, I could definitely feel the right-side tires getting very light on the ground. Enough for me -- I backed out and took a longer, flatter route. /w3tcompact/icons/blush.gif

My long-winded point here is that I was left with the impression that besides being shorter overall, the B-machine had a lower center of gravity than my 'L'. It wasn't just this one incident that led me to that conclusion, but it was the one that made me realize we had very tractors. I think I posed the question about C/G before on a different thread, but nobody came up with answers at that time.

At any rate, your point about the front/rear slope indicator is a good one, but the likelihood of me needing more range than the #25c offers is quite small.

 

[GlueGuy]

I hear ya Harv. Although I do go up/down relatively steep slopes, I surely don't turn on them. If I have to navigate, I take very slight turns, and sort of "zig/zag" my way across the slope. Had to do that a few weeks ago when pulling some fence posts for the next door neighbor. The fence runs across a fairly steep slope; not 30 degrees, but probably in the 20-25 zone. Certainly could not go sideways on that, but I could go down below the fence line, and back up to it fairly safely. I sure do understand the pucker factor though.