Tipping a tractor

[pdxman]

Well, baptism by fire. Have only had my B6200 HST two days and ended up with it on its side last night. I stress the use of the seatbelt as it kept me inside the rollbar area. It did not keep me from instictively putting my arm out towards the ground. Anyway, lessons learned...keep load low as possible, even on level ground. Wear seatbelt. Beware of soft soil. My mistake last night was I got load too high on a very slight side incline. Ground was soft from recent rain and tractor flopped on its side so fast I didn't have time to soil my pants. Calling today to see about getting calcium in the tires as I do not think it does. Are there any special ways to check for this? Also, have heard about spacing rear tires farther apart but I think they are already spaced out as far as they will go. Currently, the innermost 'pin hole' on the axle is not used and it is set on I believe the outermost. Are there two settings on the axles for these or more? No visible damage occured to the tractor and was able to start it and park it without any problems. Dripping hydro oil seemed to stain the fender paint a little bit.

 

[MChalkley]

pdxman - I'm glad you weren't hurt. Your experience illustrates the power of reflex reactions. You know you're not going to be able to hold that tractor off the ground with one arm, but that doesn't stop you from trying. It's a good thing you didn't break your arm or wrist or get it pinned beneath the ROPS.

Most likely you'll find that you can't get calcium chloride, but an antifreeze/methanol & water mix instead. If you do find someone willing to put in calcium chloride, make sure you get tubes put into the tires, or the stuff will eat your wheels up. On that size tractor you should also seriously consider the use of wheel weights instead of or in addtion to liquid ballast. Try searching this board or the archives for the word 'ballast' and you'll see more advice than you can shake a stick at.

Oh yeah, one other thing: Keep them loader loads low to the ground! But you've already decided to do that, right? /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

Mark

 

[roysallis]

This calcium chloride thing is confusing me. In my green and yellow owner's manual it specifically states "A solution of water and calcium chloride provides safe, economical ballast. Used properly, it will not damage tires, tubes, or rims." This is January 1996 data. Questions: What does "used properly" mean? Is this manual out of date? I don't have anything but air in my tires right now.

 

[W5FL]

People who write manuals, sometime copy things out of tire manuals (which are out of date), then for the next manual they are given little time and just recopy the same bad data. /w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif

My Kubota manual says the same thing.

Calcium Chloride cannot be found in the North Texas area unless you do it yourself. Here, everyone uses Water/Antifreeze (non/toxic) as it has rust inhibitors in it and cause little problems. It is not as heavy as Calcium Chloride. I only got 1200 pounds per tire and could have got 1600 pounds per tire with Calcium! If you use Calcium, a tube is cheap insurance. Calcium Chloride is a strong Salt solution (more active than table salt - and more corrosive). If you have seen what a salt solution does to steel, you won't want to use it without a tube in the tire. You may already have a tube in the tire. Look at the valvestem.

Look at www.firestone.com . They have various sizes of tractor tires listed with weight of fill and a full how to do it section. Goodyear does also and the Goodyear manual is in pdf format and more legible. Both are good.

 

[W5FL]

p.s. I guess the operative word for "used properly" is it will not damage the tubes as all tractor tires used to have tubes, but not anymore. I would put calcium chloride in tires with tubes or use an anti-freeze solution suitable to your climate. Use non/toxic anti-freeze, though.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

You should get one of those stickers that advises carrying the load low and shows a drawing of a tractor tipping that most new tractors have, cut off the little tipping tractor and put it on the side of the hood. Keep adding them like WWII fighter planes with shoot down decals! (But I hope you never need another). I've not yet had the experience on my tractors.

Although I was using an rented excavator (24000lbs) next to a ditch I had earler dug with my backhoe. I was digging a bigger ditch to replace it 5 feet away from the 1st ditch. I was careful to stay away from the edge. Somehow I ended up sitting on a big old growth tree root that was running left and right under me. The root was just about level just on the surface. Somehow in slow motion the excavator (steel tracks) somehow slid sideways over to the ditch and fell in. /w3tcompact/icons/shocked.gifIt was extremely slow (it seemed) and my concern was not for my safety it was for all the stuff I had signed when I rented it..."Side Window $300 Side Panel $400 Exhaust Pipe $300 etc! Somehow the one track went down in the ditch and no damage happened, except to my pride.

I was smart enough to swallow my pride /w3tcompact/icons/blush.gif and ask a more experienced friend to come over and get it righted for me. I was afraid to raise the hoe as I thought it would tip all th way over, he just drug the hoe around on the ground then held the excavator up on one track and turned it around. Wish I could do that with the tractor!

Still don't know really how the excavator slid, it was like it was on ice...

It was one of my scariest moments, but my friend said it was nothing and related a few instances of what he's seen happen. Guess it was nothing. One thing he swears is true was during the repair of the biggest slide near Big Sur on Highway 101 in California. Supposedly a guy in a D9 Cat went over the edge and down 1000+ feet followed by a whole bunch of dirt and is still buried down there. Anybody know about this? (about 10-15 years ago)? True or "Tractor Legend?

Again, glad to hear you're around to tell us the tale!
[email]oldcarparts@mygarage.com [/email]

 

[pdxman]

Well, to add more to the story...My brother-in-law (and neighbor) and I are 50/50 partners on the tractor which we've had only two days. He wasn't home at the time to help or see the tractor on it's side. But, since my wife saw the whole thing happen and I had to get another neighbor to flop it over, I had to tell him before the expanded rumor version got around. Should have seen his eyes light up and jaw drop! An in-law of course is more concerned about his financial investment than the fact that I didn't get hurt. Immediately wanted to inspect the tractor for damage. After showing him the spot it flopped and the little slope, I think I made him a believer of safety first also...At least the wife didn't run up to me,laying sideways on the ground and ask "Is the tractor alright?"

 

[MChalkley]

roysallis - It's already been answered, but I'll add that the statement in your manual is literally correct. It won't damage tires, tubes, or rims when used properly, but that means that the tubes must be in there.

And, again, with the smaller tractors, it's often very practical to add sufficient weight via wheel weights, and they're a lot less messy and a lot more practical.

Mark

 

[JimBinMI]

Guys,

I'm going on year old memory here but I remember my dealer (NH) not recommending tubes for the TC18 if I loaded the tires since the wheels were so inexpensive to replace if/when the salt did corrode them. I did not fill my tires, didn't want the extra weight on the lawn and no loader.

JimBinMI

We boys and our toys!

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Mark and Guys (gals?)
In addition to an implement I was planning on adding wheel weights and/or a ballast block on the 3pt if I was going to use the laoder and simply removing them when I wanted to mow another piece of property that WILL require 4WD and a light machine.

Is there a way to get this crap out of the tires after it is put in? By pulling the valve stem will it ever come out? Is there an easy way to check for tubes? I've had some tube tires that seem like tubeless in the way the valve looks. I hate to have to pay to have this junk removed since I didn't want it in the first place.