hill climbing?

[Back40_dude]

In the Pittsburgh area, everything is hills.

Question is, what is ~steepest/safest incline I could go up with a B-series in 4WD low. The problem, rather than drive on the street and come in from behind on the neighbors lawn I could go up the hill ~30ft and then work my
"back 40".

I don't won't to set any Guiness records or be a daredevil, just trying get a feel for puttering up a hill.

Mike
PS: Anyone use a winch on their tractor?

[skeets]

Gee Mike where are you inthe Burgh?? If you up around East Liberty of up on Mt Washington trying to go up them hills is nutzzzz. Im down her in Washinton Pa so I know about the hills, low range 4wd my little BX crawls up most anything, though Im not trying to climb any highwalls. The way I do it is try slow and easy, if the front end seems to get a little light I back out real quick and always run with the deck down ya want as much weight as close to the ground as you can. Also you might think about filling the tires with some kind of juice Anti freeze or beet juice or salt water, and a se of wheel weights help too,more weight onthe ground remember down low. Im sure there are others that will pipe in on it, just remember slow and easy

[Back40_dude]

East Side in da houze!

Actually more toward Churchhill area. It looks like about a 35-40degree hill it's covered with ivy and various vines. Good thing it's only about 25-30ft. The tractor itself is about half the distance. It has a FEL and the owner has a box scraper to go with it. Hopefully gets shipped soon! I got ALOT of work ahead me.

Cheers
Mike

[stuart]

I have a B7001 (obviously) and it seems to be able go almost anywhere. I can easily load it up a 7 foot ramp that climbs almost 4 feet - I don't know what angle that would be, have to get out the calculator.
With a few pounds in the FEL you should be able to go up 45 degrees easily.
I have a 4' blade on the back, which takes away from the front load, and does not offer much stability because the 3 point is gravity down, so it would just rise up if the Kubota was light on the front. Even with that disadvantage, I have not experienced the front end rising on the uphill run.
Going up, I think you would lose traction long before you reached the tip angle front to back.
Going down forward, the power down on the FEL will prevent the rear end from rising to a dangerous level. Also provides some serious braking. Again have the weight uphill - perhaps fill the box scraper with the rocks you used on the way up. Or you can go down in reverse, but I don't like that choice if there is any steering to do.

As the others have stated, keep the load as low as possible.

I have seen lots of tractors tip over sideways, but have never heard of one tumbling end over end. With attachments, the physics just don't support that concept. Correction - a friend rolled his end over end from pulling out a tree stump with a chain attached too high. That was plain stupidity.

[skeets]

Like he says put something inthe FEL that always helps, and maybe even backin up the hill that way all the weight is on the up hill side..just a thought

[Mingy]

When I had a Case 580c loader back hoe, if a hill scared me, I'd back up it. I saw a guy do the same on a hill I wouldn't climb on foot.

[Blackburn]

Going up a steep hill is much easier with a FEL on than coming back down, something to think about. That being said I'm from Indiana County PA and I Brush hog the hill to my spring house and back down on my L3400 with a FEL and 5' rotary mower. The hill easily exceeds a 45 degree angle in several places and it's about 500' long, turning around anywhere between the top and bottom would be asking to roll over but I mow it biweekly without issue.

[Back40_dude]

Hey thanks for the replies.

Blackburn,
You otta make a video of that and post it on the "Tube". So you make a U'ie at the top of the hill or pivot around?

I can see backing up the hill, alot of people suggested that. How coming back down? I think backing down the hill would be interesting.

I will let you know how it works out, maybe I will make a video.?

Mike

[B7100]

The way I mow on banks is to reverse up then skew diagonally over and mow the next row coming down.I took these pics today of my B7100 and this is only a slope of 20 degrees which I would never,ever drive up forward so could not imagine anyone in a work situation climbing 45 degees or more..
One other thing to considerand Vic may have the answer to this,Oil starvation!!where is the pickup?
Dave
http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z15/mygrifter82/15092010872.jpg

http://i194.photobucket.com/albums/z15/mygrifter82/15092010874.jpg

[Back40_dude]

I think the word is "oil starvation" but of the other type. Some where(tractorbynet?) someone pointed out that the HST has a odd pickup and that going forward up the hill is the problem.

That looks similiar to what I have so maybe I am at ~30-35 degree incline. The more I look at it the more I think with a balanced setup(loader/BS) I should get right up there. Its only 25-30ft(10m) so I am not worried.

Thanks for the pics.

Mike

PS: One day when my tractor gets repaired I will test out the actual. Seems my parts are on double secret backorder.

[Sam427]

I've backed down and drove up steeper with my L3410 GST. I had one spot that was really grown up bad, had to back the bush hog over it as I backed down the hill, then drove up and backed down again, over an hours worth in one area.;)