The Hill

[JCA]

Hi folks,

A dumb question, but I've got to know the answer, and I've got to be sure. Will a 20 HP tractor, 4WD, about 2000 lbs, plus loaded R4s, FEL, and a Woods 5000 Chipper/Shredder on the 3PH, make it down this hill ... and back up again?

As many of you know, I'm sorta planning to buy a tractor, partly to get a chipper down into my woods. I think it won't be a problem, but since the last time I drove a tractor was when I was a kid and my grandpa was watching (and the tractor was almost as old as he was) I can't be sure. And I want to be sure before I write a check.

Thanks,
Jim

 

[KiotiJohn]

I don't think this 2 dimensional recreation of the hill is good enough to tell how much grade there is. From what I can see in the pic, I'd do it in a heartbeat. I would not go across it though and if using a loader, would certainly keep it close to the ground and GO SLOW. John

 

[BigAl]

It looks to me as though a 4x4 tractor should do fine . Do you know the grade of percent by any chance ?
I would just move over a little bit coming back up the hill as to not make muddy ruts .
I won't even show you a picture of the hill I go up and down on my 4x4 tractor ,but my nieghbor thinks I'm nuts !
Big Al

 

[Henro]

Well first off, pictures often don't do justice to the hill they are showing. So perhaps that hill is steeper than it looks.

What kind of tires will be on the tractor? I don't have R1s but sometimes wish I did.

Dry or wet conditions? Makes a HUGE difference!

My gut feeling looking at the photo was that you would have no problem. How steep is it? You can take a level and tape measure and get run and rise, and calculate the angle. That would help.

I have a 20 degree slope and I don't think my BX2200 Kubota would have any problem on it most or all of the time. When the ground is saturated with water I stay off it with both my tractors. It is not really that steep, but uncontrolled slides are no fun.

My guess is you would be OK, but for some reason photos always seem to make steep slopes look less steep, so I really don't know.

You might ask you tractor dealer to come over and take a look if you get serious about buyine. Maybe you could even get a demo right on your property and see for yourself.

 

[JCA]

Hi folks,

I took the picture with the camera level, and chose the angle so that the part of the hill you see at the top is the part with the least grade. Measuring from the image, I'd say it's about 1:4 (1 foot vertical for every 4 feet horizontal)...maybe a little more a the steepest part. Not that steep.

My sense is it could do twice that slope without breaking a sweat. But like I said, I've got to be sure.

Thanks,
Jim

 

[Poppa]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( My sense is it could do twice that slope without breaking a sweat. But like I said, I've got to be sure.
)</font>.

Your probably right but I bet you drive up a 2:1 slope and someone is going to be sweating. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif I rode with a guy in a JD TLB up a 2:1 slope once and after that I've always been a lot more comfortable walking. The only thing scarier was watching him go down a 1:1. It's basically a controlled slide using the bucket as a brake. Which of course you weren't supposed to do on the newly graded slope /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

As for the slope in your picture, looks fine but as has been said a few times already pictures of slopes never tell the full story.

Mike

 

[KiotiJohn]

JCA, here is a great article on driving up a steep hill. You mentioned that you would have a BH on the tractor, and with much slope at all, it should go up first making the rear lighter and front heavier. Check this out.
Driving tractor uphill

 

[frank_f15]

as stated before, pictures don't tell the whole story. but i would think it would be no problem. just rememer to go straight up and down, keep the fel low and go slow, if in doubt try backing up the hill.

 

[RoyJackson]

I drive down a slope like that everytime I cut my grass. I also drive down with a 600# cutter behind me to get to a lot I clear. Going up with the cutter, I normally let the tail wheel down enough to add some stability.
I don't have a chipper yet, but as long as I have the FEL on, I'd probably drive uphill too.....slowly!
That Woods chipper goes around 450 lbs., I believe. No heavier then my 60" RFM which I have transported up the slope in a raised position. Nope, at a low speed, I don't see much of a problem even in 2WD. I do this with bar-turfs which aren't as aggressive as R4's.

As long as you're in a lower gear and don't let much speed build up, I see no problems going down or up. Now if it's wet, I'd probably put that work off until a drier day.

 

[GregJ]

Jim,
I have taken pictures of my family skiing on some really serious steep slopes and then gotten them developed and it looks like we were skiing the bunny slope /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif. It is really hard to tell looking at pictures. Having said that, I have attached a photo of a hill that I go up and down to our beach. I have a 21hp Kubota B7500 and have done this with both my BH and my Bearcat 70554 (same as a Woods 5000). I have loaded R4's and have only had problems when it was extremely wet when towing a boat and trailer up the hill. I go down forward and back up the hill. I believe your hill would be no problem at all, but pictures can be deceiving.

Hope this helps,
Greg

 

[ronjhall]

Jim

The picture looks like the area is being cut as part of a lawn. What is being used to cut it? If it's a lawn tractor does it have problems when the grass is wet?

The very top of the hill looks steep.

As other have said, pictures are very deceiving when looking at a hill.

It looks like something I would climb without problems on my B2910 with the BH and FEL and keeping the loader low.

 

[JCA]

Ron,

To mow this I'm currently using a push mower. Like I said that's the least-steep angle that I've shown...the route I'd take with the tractor, but there are some spots much worse; I haven't yet found anything I could afford that I'd want to ride on to mow this property. Not too much of it, anyway...maybe 1/3 acre in grass. And this being Maine, it doesn't need to be done but a few times a year, anyway.

There's a little lip at the top where for maybe 5-6 feet the slope reaches 1:3 or a little less.

My answer, which all of you seem to be agreeing with (except for those who, appropriately, are cautious about interpreting a photo) is that it would work just fine except when it's wet.
That's reassuring. Thanks.

Jim

 

[dos_perros]

KiotiJohn. Great article. Well written, and clear. If you have been on a steep slope, you can appreciate the descripton and advice. Recommend reading it.

 

[normde2001]

It should not be a problem, at least in dry weather. Keep in mind that a 1:1 slope is 45*, 1:2 = 22.5*, 1:4=11.25*. anything under 20* is not usually considered a problem.

 

[GerardC]

This is a paragraph taken from the link that KiotiJohn gave to us:

So what does all this boil down to? When you are faced with going up a steep hill—particularly one you are unfamiliar with, or if you have an unfamiliar tractor—don't just take a chance that driving up it will be safe. Try to back up it first. If you don't make it, don't try to drive up it. Find a less steep place to drive up or get another tractor to pull yours up backward.

 

[Boondox]

Hard to tell in a pic, but that hill doesn't look too bad. Still, when in doubt, it's always safer to back up the hill. If you lose traction or the tractor can't handle the slope, it's easy to get out of trouble by simply driving forward.

Pete

 

[zuiko]

Might want to consider getting R1s if traction is an issue. They are a lot more aggressive than R4s. I don't have a problem with them leaving marks on the lawn unless the ground is wet.

 

[gone]

you say 4:1, no problem it"ll go and you can take a sip of soada on the way. 3:1 ok up and down dry wet put the drink down. I do a small 2:1 moeing but can't be looking at the girlys. if you could drive a 4 wheel pick up the slop and not spin a wheel then the tractor should go