txkevin said:
I have ... well, no experience with tractors and just got a Kubota BX 24 last week. My lot has a pretty good hill up by the road. I was taking the tractor to put it in the garage for the first time which involves going up hill. It felt weird and did not feel right as I started going straight up. I flipped around and backed up and it went fine once in 4wd. Not sure if it was overly cautious but wrecking a new tractor the first week is just the sort of thing that would happen to me. So yes, some people, do back up a steep hill.
Be careful, some in the Safety Patrol have determined that even backing up a hill in 4WD could be potentially lethal as well, and soon they will be releasing a video showing how dangerous it is to back up a hill with the tractor in 4WD... and how easy it is to flip one over
forward! Production has begun on the video, but they're having difficulty finding a way to securely hook a chain to the hood ornament... they keep pulling it out and having to replace the hood. Because of this, the cost of producing this video has gotten prohibitative, but research is continuing, and as soon as the special effects issues are worked out, production will continue and the video will be distributed to all safety conscious tractor operators across the world. Stay tuned.
In the meantime, remember that the best thing to do is to never ever leave level ground, and never ever operate your tractor with the ROPS folded down, no matter how slowly you are operating, even just sitting on it with the engine off... because as you know, rollovers can happen in the blink on an eye. Should you inadvertently find yourself in a situation where you have strayed from level ground, no matter how slight the slope, immediately stop the tractor, set the parking brake, stop the engine, assess your situation, and if possible, dismount the tractor on the uphill side to avoid tipping over. Call for assistance if you have cell phone coverage... A Safety Patrol member here on TBN is always on the line, ready to help.
Remember that backing up a hill in 4WD could be potentially lethal as well if the conditions are just right, so until further research is done, be sure to have the tractor in 2WD if backing up a hill. If you are not confident that you can recover your tractor from this situation or are just not confident in your own judgement, it may be advisable to aquire the services of a tow truck to winch it back up the slope, or if you are in a very remote location, a helicopter extraction may be the only viable option in this case. Always remember to think about what you're doing and where you're going before you leave the relative safety of the shed.
Remember, a Safety Patrol member is always here on duty 24/7 to assist you. Don't heisitate to call.
Safety First!
