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 | mark fleming
Join Date: May 2004 Posts: 4 Seattle 
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2005-01-13 104168
I borrow my neighbor's little Kubota sometimes and, not having much experience, I constantly feel like I'm tipping over. I just found an inclinometer in some old sailing stuff and wondered about putting it on the tractor. Question is, what angle is dangerous?
I'm sure that the tractor model makes a difference. I'm not positive of the model number, but I think it's something like an L7000 with maybe 15 hp and 4WD. No water in the tires. FEL (which I keep as low as possible).
If I stick the inclinometer on the tractor, what's a safe angle to start with? 15 degrees? 20? On my day sailor, I just went till it flipped over and I got wet. Don't want to use the same test with the tractor.
Mark Fleming
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 | funchy
Join Date: May 2004 Posts: 128 north eastern corner of Maryland
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2005-01-13 104174
Tip meter might not hurt, but the angle may vary depending on your center of gravity and your speed. When in doubt go slow. Learn to feel that moment when the tractor wheels start to lift. And as you probably know, keep any loads as low to the ground as possible. ....
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| lbrown59
Join Date: Posts: 1
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2005-01-13 104176
Something to keep an eye on is high and low spots on the level or at an angle.
Some examples of high spots.
tree stumps
rocks
dirt clods
anything else that a wheel could run up on.
Some examples of low spots.
Sink holes.
depressions
cave ins
unstable or soft soil.
anything else that a wheel could drop into.
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| jjfinn
Join Date: Mar 2004 Posts: 46 Northern Virginia
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2005-01-13 104178
Also, wear your seat belt. While avoiding a rollover is the best action, in case it does happen, a seat belt and the ROPS can be a life saver. You might want to check out prior threads, I believe that they are in the safety forum.
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 | grinder
Join Date: Oct 2003 Posts: 677 central Maine 
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2005-01-14 104191
If you feel like your coming out of your seat, you are getting close. ....
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| mark fleming
Join Date: May 2004 Posts: 4 Seattle
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2005-01-14 104204
Yes, I always use the seat belt and ROPS. Problem with the "feel" test is that I always feel like it's really tippy. Even with the seatbelt and ROPS, I think my motorcycle helmet would be a good idea. Maybe I heard too many tractor tip stories as a kid. I'm surprised I don't open the shed and find it lying on its side.
After reading some of the other posts, I guess my question is difficult. A bucket of dirt moves the center of gravity forward on to the narrower front axle. That makes it tippier. Whether the rear blade, the backhoe, or nothing is on makes a difference.
So if I put the inclinometer on, and go to 15 degrees without incident, then at least I can not worry in the future at 15 degrees, all things being equal. "All things being equal" is the problem.
Stayed at a vinyard in Portugal last year and the owner had a little Italian tractor for the steep slopes. It looked more like the Toro UV than our tractors. He was more concerned about losing traction and tearing up the soil than rollovers. To bad it costs about $50,000.
Mark Fleming ....
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 | lucerne
Join Date: Sep 2003 Posts: 192 Lucerne Maine
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2005-01-14 104206
Mark, was it an Antonio Carro? They are an Italian machine,made for very steep grades. They might be small but some have 85 hp. What a beautiful machine. ....
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| BillBass
Join Date: Feb 2002 Posts: 190 North Texas
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2005-01-14 104210
I bought a tilt meter made for tractors. The guage shows green from 0 to 15 degrees, yellow 15 to 20, and red above 20. Those are, of course, just relative numbers. But those numbers pretty much correspond to my pucker factor numbers. I try never to go above 20 and only creep along when I do. ....
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| denwood
Join Date: Jul 2004 Posts: 542 Quarryville PA
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2005-01-14 104245
Lucerne, I have looked into the italian tractors quite a bit. Many things European make me feel like the american companies are giving us the same old stuff just because Americans don't know any better. The ocean is a good divider and hides a lot. I spent seven weeks there last winter. I have spent a good deal of time with Bobcat reps trying to talk them into building a similar unit. I recently tried Kubota. Bobcat bought Earth Force, a Cech company. they had the base for bobcats newer TLB's which flopped because Bobcat left them too crude, but the axles were Carraro and had 4 wheel steer and hydro. the italians have a model with 4 wheel steer, hydrostatic tranny, reversible operator station, 4 equal size wheels. Almost what I want. Their week spot is the loader and the country where they are built. Italy builds some really cool stuff but its reptation for reliability is doubtful. New Holland makes a similar unit in huge 103 HP size, something they aquired from Versatile of Canada, but it articulates, not as good an option for stability. It makes perfect sense. Three point hitch and pto on both ends. You can spin the operators station to face either end. Loader goes opposite the engine giving good visibility and engine is a counterweight not a hinderance. 4 equal wheels so loader doesn't squish tiny front pizza cutters into the ground. 4 wheel steer tracks at both ends, no tearing up even in 4x4. Differential lock for both axles. Imagine how nice it would be to have you bush hog or finish mower right in front of you, and visible. ....
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| lucerne
Join Date: Sep 2003 Posts: 192 Lucerne Maine
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2005-01-14 104249
I have been dreaming of one of these Carraro's for a long time. With the right model you could mow where no mower has gone before and the same with twiching logs. In my area, Lucerne-in-Maine, it is real steep hilly county named after Lucerne Sweden. I'm 400 feet from the lake nad 150 feet above it. Love the bidirectional set up and all the hydraulic connections at both ends for anything. Kinda like the Unimog truck, does it all. Here is a link if anyone wants to check em out. They aren't that expensive here in the states. ....
Link: Antonio Carraro
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| Longhair
Join Date: Jun 2004 Posts: 24 KY
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2005-01-15 104287
Ventrac with the right setup can do 25 to 30 degree slope.I saw an Antonio at a dealer in Ohio and it was one of the coolest tractors I've seen ....
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| bnrhuffman
Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 107 Falling Waters WV
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2005-01-16 104296
Always have a "rollover plan". That is, think about the situation and the possibilities just before you enter a rollover situation. That way if it does happen, you wont be caught offguard. You will have mentally rehearsed what you need to do to either avoid it or keep yourself safe. Its almost like preplanning the rollover in your head. This technique will keep you from doing instinctive things like sticking body parts out to catch yourself or trying to climb out of the safe zone in the event of a rollover. It will also help avoid a rollover by keeping you alert to the danger which will speed up your reaction time and help you make the right decisions. Ive only been tractoring for a short time (about 2 years but mostly on the side of a hill) but Ive been off-roading and rockcrawling with my Jeep for several years and this is what I do to keep myself upright and safe while in the Jeep. ....
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| jrestill
Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 28 Page County Virginia
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2005-01-16 104302
Mark,
Everything that has been said so far is right on the money. Here's an additional thought, although I'm sure it's not something my lawyer would want me "recommending." So I'm not recommending it. That said, I found it useful a few months ago when I first got my tractor that I would very carefully and slowly -- and UNINTENTIONALLY -- lift a wheel off the ground in a controlled situation such as trying to lift a log in a hillside situation. In a few instances when I would feel a wheel begin to lift up (and see my life pass before me) I would quickly let off on the load and the wheel would settle back down without any harm. Again, I don't recommend that trial and error method, but it did give me much better feel of what it REALLY feels like when one begins to tip. A couple of times I actually purposely did some things under load on the FEL that I throught probably would make me start to tilt, but VERY slowly and carefully so I could release the pressure before anything bad happened. By the time I got around to doing serious work, I pretty much knew what my rig would and wouldn't do on a hillside. I'm no longer too worried about it tipping over in the shed, but continue to be worry abound running over that unseen rock or stump that can quickly and unexpectedly turn a marginal situation into a full-blown tilt. I try to keep a close eye out, but still have run over some surprises that gave me a scare. I don't think you can ever be too careful about that.
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