TRACTOR PARTS Allis Chalmers Case & David Brown Farmall & International Ferguson Ford & New Holland John Deere Massey Ferguson Massey Harris Minneapolis Moline Oliver & Cockshutt Kubota / Yanmar

TRACTOR MANUALS

Allis Chalmers	Case	Farmall IH	Ford 8N,9N,2N	Ford
Ferguson	John Deere	Massey Ferguson	Minn. Moline	Oliver

Tractor Talk Discussion Forum

Tractors on hills

Welcome Guest, Log in or Register

Author

CB in central N

08-07-2006 08:38:52

Report to Moderator

Greetings.

The other day I was baling hay on one of my hilly fields like we have here in CNY (anyone from the area probably knows what I mean). This lead me to ask if there is a practical way to determine how much of an incline a tractor can safely handle sideways (as opposed to straight up and down shots). I"ve seen highway crews mow some amazing hillsides and not tip the tractors over, but I also noticed that their rear wheels seemed to be set much further apart than normal.

I guess the answer would also depend on the type of tractor. I usually just go by what "feels" comfortable, but it would be nice to know if there is a more exact way to make that call. Thanks in advance to all who respond.

[Log in to Reply] [No Email]

Burnie

08-08-2006 03:54:13

Report to Moderator

Re: Tractors on hills in reply to CB in central NY, 08-07-2006 08:38:52

I teach tractor operations at an ag college. As a general rule of thumb, the average tractor will roll over on a cross slope of 60 degrees. Having said that, there is no way I would operate at anywhere near that kind of slope. If you hit the slightest bump or hole or made a turn, you're day will get spoiled rather rapidly. To improve stability, move the rear wheels out as far as possible and/or run duels, use a four wheeldrive if possible and use a tractor with a low centre of gravity. Keep your speed down and turn wide and slow. There is still a bit of debate about whether it is safer to turn up hill or down hill, in fact, if anybody has any opinions on this, I'd be interested to hear them.

[Log in to Reply] [No Email]

CharleyFarmall

08-07-2006 16:25:58

Report to Moderator

Re: Tractors on hills in reply to CB in central NY, 08-07-2006 08:38:52

Go to www.tractorbynet.com and look for the inclinometer. They are well made and won't stick. Check your tractors manual for maximum slope. I think most tractors are limited to 15-17 degree slopes. I saw a Massey mowing by the highway two days ago on a slope that I wouldn't even walk up. He was creeping pretty slowly but he finished...looked scary to me.

[Log in to Reply] [No Email]

MarkB_MI

08-07-2006 15:40:44

Report to Moderator

Re: Tractors on hills in reply to CB in central NY, 08-07-2006 08:38:52

Yes, most tractors can work on a much steeper sidehill than you would think is possible, BUT....

Many rollover accidents happen on fairly shallow grades where the ground is soft or slippery. If a tractor slides sideways, it will likely roll over when it comes to a stop. These rollovers tend to be very serious, since the tractor can pick up a lot of energy as it slides downhill.

You will note that the highways crews all have ROPS. They need it.

[Log in to Reply] [No Email]

37 chief

08-07-2006 15:05:56

Report to Moderator

Re: Tractors on hills in reply to CB in central NY, 08-07-2006 08:38:52

I wouldn't trust a dial of any kind, because of the chance it can stick. Someone else said it best if it don't feel right stop. I have a MF 203 industrial tractor which is very low and wide I use for mowing.It will stick on some very steep hills. As for my crawler I use for discing. when it starts sliding sideways it is time to head for lower ground. Stan

[Log in to Reply] [No Email]

Dave 2N

08-07-2006 13:33:31

Report to Moderator

Re: Tractors on hills in reply to CB in central NY, 08-07-2006 08:38:52

I'm from the hilly part of the Southern Tier. I've survived 63 years by reminding myself that if it doesn't look right or feel right, then don't do it. I guess it's the "gauge" in my gut that tells me.

[Log in to Reply] [No Email]

Nebraska Cowman

08-07-2006 09:49:55

Report to Moderator

Re: Tractors on hills in reply to CB in central NY, 08-07-2006 08:38:52

If a hill is to steep to back up you might be wise to stay off it.

[Log in to Reply] [No Email]

ChrisLSD

08-07-2006 09:43:33

Report to Moderator

Re: Tractors on hills in reply to CB in central NY, 08-07-2006 08:38:52

the wider u are the lesss likely to tip
the mowers around here even put duals on to help make the machine wider
also lower your center of gravity - hang all your weight real low

over on the tractorbynet discussoin they are always talking about tilt meters for their little tractors - never seen one though

[Log in to Reply] [No Email]

Jim K

08-07-2006 09:40:13

Report to Moderator

Re: Tractors on hills in reply to CB in central NY, 08-07-2006 08:38:52

Do what the four wheelers do, get a forklift and or a tractor with a loader on it and put a sling around the vehicle to be tested and lift one side until it starts to go over, but you want to sling it so that it can't go completely over, extreme caution should be used here, keep other people well away when doing this test. once you get it to its balancing point you can use an angle finder to get your tipping angle. Once you know that number you can mount an inclinometer on your tractor, then when opperating the tractor try to stay about 10-20% away from the tipping angle.
be careful Jim K

[Log in to Reply] [No Email]

noncompos

08-07-2006 09:23:07

Report to Moderator

Re: Tractors on hills in reply to CB in central NY, 08-07-2006 08:38:52

This's probably not much help, but FWIW I dimly remember a guy who had a small tractor in NM in the late 50s, early 60s, who had a gauge he'd mounted, with a nedle that always pointed straight up. As I recall, he said the factory, or the local dealer, had specs on just where all their models would tip over sideways (on hard, even surfaces, of course) and he could tell by his qauge how close he was, allowing for dips and bumps on his hillside. Whether it was store-bought or handmade I can't recall; seems like he said he'd gotten it after tipping over once.

[Log in to Reply] [No Email]

[Options] [Printer Friendly] [Posting Help] [Return to Forum] [Log in to Reply]

TRACTOR PARTS	TRACTOR MANUALS

We sell tractor parts! We have the parts you need to repair your tractor - the right parts. Our low prices and years of research make us your best choice when you need parts. Shop Online Today. [ About Us ]

Home | Forums

Copyright © 1997-2023 Yesterday's Tractor Co.
All Rights Reserved. Reproduction of any part of this website, including design and content, without written permission is strictly prohibited. Trade Marks and Trade Names contained and used in this Website are those of others, and are used in this Website in a descriptive sense to refer to the products of others. Use of this Web site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy

TRADEMARK DISCLAIMER: Tradenames and Trademarks referred to within Yesterday's Tractor Co. products and within the Yesterday's Tractor Co. websites are the property of their respective trademark holders. None of these trademark holders are affiliated with Yesterday's Tractor Co., our products, or our website nor are we sponsored by them. John Deere and its logos are the registered trademarks of the John Deere Corporation. Agco, Agco Allis, White, Massey Ferguson and their logos are the registered trademarks of AGCO Corporation. Case, Case-IH, Farmall, International Harvester, New Holland and their logos are registered trademarks of CNH Global N.V.

Yesterday's Tractors - Antique Tractor Headquarters

Website Accessibility Policy