Re: Rolling a JDB - rollbar ideas?
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Posted by Gerald on October 08, 1998 at 02:27:28:
In Reply to: Rolling a JDB - rollbar ideas? posted by David Lewis on October 06, 1998 at 17:51:24:
: This weekend I came close to rolling my John Deere B - on my 50th birthday too. It happened suddenly - left wheel spun against a log on a hill and right wheel continued,swinging tractor to the left and suddenly way off balance. I was in 1st gear and able to get off fast. Tractor didn't quite go over, but I got a big scare and realize that a roolbar is essential on every sloping surface. I have a Ford 8N for years with a much lower center of gravity and wheels at each corner. I realize that handling a JDB tricycle is very different even at the lowest speeds. Any advice for staying alive? Do you know of a good after-market rollbar available - Deere doesn't make one for a B. Good ideas very welcome right now! Last spring I ran onto a set of web pages from U of Wisc extension listing makers an dprices (but a few years old) of ROPS (good search term). Use Alta Vista and in the mess you should find it. Most after market makers were 4 times the price of JD for the tractors I was interested in. Where you hitch (how high) and what gears you use are very important for tractor safety. You always want the hitched implement to drag as low as possible to minimize the tendency of the tractor front to rise. You often need front end ballast weights to keep the front from rising under load. NEVER EVER toss a chain around the axle for pulling. That's encouraging the tractor to flip. The JD RollGard for the 4020 came with a seat belt and a decal to remind the user to USE the seat belt. I consider 1st through 3rd gears on the 4020 to be slow motion gears, not work gears after getting the front 6 feet in the air while plowing in 3rd gear. I took one bottom off the plow, added front weights, and lowered the hitch on the plow front to keep the front under control. In the low gears I don't open the throttle full. 8Ns improperly hitched have tilted back and killed the driver instantly. Gerald
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