Tipping a tractor

[Bird]

pdxman, obviously calcium chloride works for ballast, and it's heavier than the water and anti-freeze, but I sure don't want that corrosive stuff in my tires.

And there's nothing wrong with the homemade concrete 3-point weight for a counterweight when using the front end loader, but I don't want something else sitting around in my way when I'm not using it, so I just put the box blade on (and that's usually sufficient, although it's pretty easy to hang more weight on it when I want to - like a couple of pieces of railroad track that I have).

Bird

 

[W5FL]

Fill them with 50% Sierra Antifreeze and 50% water. Tubeless is ok. You will get 80# a tire and that will certainly help. Ask the dealer about the aftermarket weights also if you want more ballast. Ballast in the tires helps stability significantly. Keeping the bucket low is manditory as this can raise the cg and significantly decrease stability. Weight on the 3 point will help with the loader, but to be as effective as wheel weights the cg of the implement must be no higher than the rear axle (not hard to do).

You will definately get more stability with the calcium chloride. Most don't give trouble, and if they do you can buy another set of wheels. The cost of tubes must be considered in the cost.

Bird, I have a little over 1200 pounds of ballast in each rear tire. Just think I could have more than 1600 pounds with Calcium. /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif I suspect my wheels cost a little more too. I made the mistake of asking what a full set of tires and wheels cost. The retail was $2300.00. So I just have one set. /w3tcompact/icons/frown.gif

 

[ejb]

Where is the rollover point

I've been curious lately, with all of this talk about tipping tractors...at what angle does a rollover become likely? I know it depends on the tractor, where the loader is etc, but in general, say the loader is low to the ground and you are brush-hogging across a hill, at what angle should you start to get really concerned?

I have never rolled a tractor, and don't plan on starting now, but am curious about this. I have been assuming that they probably don't tip quite as easy as they feel like they are going to, but maybe that is just wishful thinking.

On my small tractor (a 2wd 27HP yanmar with turf tires, I can go just about anywhere and never worry), I guess I am not quite as comfortable on my big rig yet, cause even crossing little hills horizontally make me nervous...

Anyone?

 

[MChalkley]

Re: Where is the rollover point

ejb - Have you seen all the posts on the tiltmeter? The manufacturer's site is http://www.tiltmeter.com, and you can buy them directly from them, too. (But if you want the #7490 with the adjustable warning beeper, be prepared to wait a few weeks, because one state's highway department just ordered 1000 of them, so they're backordered.) If you don't have one of these (with or without the beeper), I'd highly recommend it. You can then have an accurate, reproducible indication of the exact angle of the tractor. Your behind is just not a very good indication of slope. At least mine isn't.

As you acknowledged, the rollover angle differs tremendously for various tractors. I've tested mine pretty extensively to get a feel for what it'll do under worst case circumstances (with the backhoe on the tractor, which raises the center of gravity, but lets me put out the stabilizers to catch it when the angle gets too steep), so I know what mine will do under those particular circumstances. I'm a little hesitant to give numbers, though, because I'm afraid someone would mistakenly assume that their tractor would behave similarly to mine, and that could likely cause them to have an accident.

I can tell you this: Once the angle of the tractor gets to 20 degrees, extreme caution is in order, even in the best of situations, with most tractors. If you've got a load in the bucket and it's not close to the ground, you'll not likely get near 20 degrees before it rolls over.

Depending on how interested you are, I could email you some numbers for very specific test situations, but I don't know how relevant they'd be, and I would have to strenuously emphasize the "don't try this at home, for comparison purposes only, your mileage may vary" caveats.

Mark

 

[ejb]

Re: Where is the rollover point

Mark, thanks for the info...I guess I don't need detailed stats..., 20 degress is lower than I thought...I'll take a look at the tiltmeter, but I don't suppose it can really tell you when you are going to tip, only when you reach a certain angle, but that may be worthwhile anyway...thanks.

EJB

 

[Bird]

Re: Where is the rollover point

I put one of the tiltmeters on my B2710; found it can stand 18 degrees (and I think it would survive 20 degrees), but my nerves have a hard time with 15 degrees./w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

Bird

 

[W5FL]

Re: Where is the rollover point

I'm not sure that I could survive having a horn go off while operating on a slope. What angle do they set the horns for?

I like the idea of having a tilt meter and will eventually get two of them (after I get a metal canopy). I have about two acres on a very flat rock mound and then it drops off about 12 feet and slopes down from there. I have never even considered taking a tractor down the transistion slope since it is pretty steep to walk down. I would guess it is between 20 and 30 degrees. I also don't know what the tank dam is, but have mowed it for years, although I really don't like to. It is probably 15 degrees or so. Mowing ditches is equally dangerous. Had a wheel drop off in some soft dirt with my old Massey 2WD. I was not really sure whether the tractor would slowly lay down or not. I finally managed to get it back out, but swore my next tractor would be a 4WD. The bigger wheels on the front go across small ditches rather than getting hung in them like the 2WD did.

 

[JimBinMI]

Re: Where is the rollover point

Mark,

I would have assumed that I was going past 20 degrees on small rolling slopes on my lawn, but now I don't know, I'll have to check them out.

You know with the super agritraction feature that NH will come out with in the near future you'll be able to hang upside down it you want to...just have to make sure your seatbelt is fastened! /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif /w3tcompact/icons/laugh.gif

JimBinMI

We boys and our toys!

 

[Bud]

Re: Where is the rollover point

Hi Bird
Since you put a tiltmeter on your tractor, I was wondering how you put it on? I have a B2400 so everything is the same on the top of the tractor, and would hate to drill holes in the plastic, especially when I'd like to trade it in on a B2900, which I don't need.
About no stones in Texas, my son lived in Georgetown, about 25 miles north of Austin, and had to buy dirt to make a garden.
Bud

 

[MChalkley]

Re: Where is the rollover point

ejb - I suspect 20 degrees would feel a lot steeper than you think if you were on it sideways. It sure feels steep enough to me!

Mark