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 | nahacky
Join Date: Jun 2004 Posts: 1 Hawaii 
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2004-06-29 89638
Aloha,
I was all set to buy my first tractor that being a new JD2210 or a used Cub Cadet 7205 [55hours and 1 year waranty]. The CC is the same price as the JD. The CC is heavier by 500# which I am not sure is good or bad but,I was leaning towards the new JD. This was until I read on the small tractor FAQ web site that one can not operate a tractor safely on hillsides. That they are inherently unstable and meant for flat ground and many people are hurt or killed annually trying to use them on steep ground. I live in Hawaii in coffee country and the area is full of volcanic rocks and 15 to 20 degree grades on average with some areas that are worse that I wanted to "tame". I have a "cold" asphalt road to maintain, bush grass to cut on either side of that road comprising one acre then two acres of tree and rough rock country and wanted to make pads for planting coffee with a rake and blade. Plus other odd jobs as moving rock for walls and mulch for growing. So is a tractor really only for tilling on flat land with soil? Thanks for any help or suggestions anyone might be able to offer. Cheers, Tony
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 | DRankin
Join Date: Jan 2000 Posts: 5116 Northern Nevada 
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2004-06-29 89646
The 2210, with it's smaller wheels is closer to the ground and therefore more stable. if you land isn't too lumpy,you could get along ok with smaller wheels.
The issue is not so much how steep the slope is but how can you work the slope without driving across it. With a bit of common sense it can be safe to work slopes but you may have to back up (go up in reverse) the slope and do the work coming back down.
When I use a box scraper on my steep driveway, I have to do all the heavy work going downhill. Not a big deal, just adds time to the job.
I have watched D-9 and larger Cats building roads in Alaska where the terrain was so steep that the Cats had to use a winch to pull up the slope in reverse so they could work coming back down.
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