hills

[Bill from MA]

I have a hilly field to brush hog with a JD 2040. The property ends 1/2 way down the slope on one side so I have to go across it.

I know it has been hayed before but is a little scary on the slope. It feels a lot worse on the tractor than on foot. How do I know how steep a slope I can drive across (rear tires are loaded, but no loader) and is there a simple way to measure how steep the slope is?

Thanks,
Bill

 

[JMS MN]

No scientific answer. (Don"t buy the gauge- it will be the second last thing you see. Last is the sky and the angel that greets you). When the a-al pucker factor kicks in, you buy fencing and goats.

 

[JMS MN]

I don"t care who I am- that"s funny!!! But the potty filter kicked in because of the "n" letter.

 

[ebbsspeed]

If it's scary, then don't do it. Butt-pucker factor is what I use to judge. And mine happens to pucker a lot more nowdays than it did when I was young and more prone to take a chance. I'm sure I was within an inch of flipping a machine more than once back then.

Mowing on your particular hill might be safe one day, but the next you may run over a dead coon or something with your uphill wheel, and that little extra bump could put you over.

 

[swms301]

Take a 4' level. place on uphill slope, hold it level and measure distance down to ground from the opposite end of the level on downhill side. If you measure 2' down with a 4' level you have a 2H:1V slope or about 26.5 degree slope (fairly steep) usually anything over 3H:1V is considered steep slope. Or if you have access to eye level and a grade rod you can do it over a greater distance.

 

[swms301]

Take a 4' level. place on uphill slope, hold it level and measure distance down to ground from the opposite end of the level on downhill side. If you measure 2' down with a 4' level you have a 2H:1V slope or about 26.5 degree slope (fairly steep) usually anything over 3H:1V is considered steep slope. Or if you have access to eye level and a grade rod you can do it over a greater distance.

 

[Anonymous-0]

That is one of those judgement calls, that can be difficult to make an accurate assessment, what kind of tractor is the jd 2040, is it similar to the other row crops, anything like a 2010 or is it more like a utility type? (can't visualize what kind that model is)

I know the feeling well having been on a 2010 narrow front in a few places I'd like to forget about, that feeling is unique.

First thing is, no hill is worth mowing that will potentially turn over a tractor with you on it, even more so if it does not have a roll over protective structure and seat with seatbelt, designed and manufactured to keep you in place and not fail under load (crush, bend, break etc.) you stay in the seat and are not crushed by the tractor. Without that, it's russian roulette, goes over you lose.

Another thing I hate about hills, is the potential to free wheel, anyting prone to pop out of gear etc., can also be a factor, nice to have good brakes. Always remember fresh cut grass, weeds whatever is slippery, and that dew when the sun goes down is also just as slippery.

Best thing for hills is a low center of gravity utility sized tractor properly ballasted and or weighted down, or any similar piece of equipment designed for the purpose, vs a row crop or other higher center of gravity type of tractor.

Also not to lecture, but these hills can really get under your skin so to speak and test your nerve, I often look at areas I'd like to mow and just talk myself out of it, + all the unknowns, that new chuck hole on the down side wheels, who knows what, if it's unfamiliar turf, heavily over grown, anything is possible.

We have an abundance of hills here, actually not too far from the MA border about 25 miles, (I can see the berkshires from my house) and it's amazed me that in some of the fields I've been in, particularly a few from last year I noticed that some of the slopes certainly were not friendly to the larger higher center of gravity tractors commonly used. I loaded out hay, large sqaures and rounds out of those fields, and knowing that the big ford NH 8970 made it through there, still did not have me convinced, I skidded many bales to safer ground before picking and loading.

Was loading with this one:

 

[Walt Davies]

I have some pretty steep slopes on my place i found that a heavy low tractor like my Case LA will hold pretty good even on the steepest slopes. On mu Kubota it was real bad until I set the wheels out to max then it settled right down. If you can set your wheels out then try that and see what happens. Soft low pressure tires will give you a scare also set them up till they seem just hard enough to hold the tractor weight, maybe 14 or 16 lbs.
Walt

 

[johndeereman]

heres an idea back down the hill brush hogging then drive back up while still brush hogging never seen one flip end over end i almost flipped my j d b a couple years back was on a hill i always plowed it up and down because of it steepness then the land owner decided he wanted me to go cross ways in case we got a big wash out never bothered before well i run over a rock on the up side and tractor tipped so far i lost oil pressure kinda scary

 

[Anonymous-0]

I always go by the beer can rollover gauge, its cheap, reliable, and readily available. If the hill will dump over a half empty beer can when you go across it, I aint going to do it, or I am goin to charge 50% more!

 

[John S-B]

Any woodchuck hole or rock can make a safe slope a dangerous one. A commercial mower with ROPS might be a better option.

 

[Alex.C]

First walk the hill for holes then mow the hill in a u, Go down at one end and come up the other and repeat.

 

[John M]

I just hope you didnt empty that beer can by consuming BEFORE you got on the tractor

 

[Mark - IN.]

That's good. I got nothing against St. Pete, but in no hurry to meet the guy.

I always figured 45.00000000000001 degrees under the most perfect conditions (no holes, bumps, cutting the wheel, loader, etc) was the point of no return, but really don't want to test my theory. Sounds good to me, I'm sticking to less.

 

[Anonymous-0]

These hilly fields were cleared and mowed with horses.They make good pasture.I passed on buying a farm in Vermont years ago because the hay land was steep side hill.

 

[Bill from MA]

>> what kind of tractor is the jd 2040, is it similar to the other row crops, anything like a 2010 or is it more like a utility type? (can't visualize what kind that model is)
>>

1980's full size (weight) utility model. Nothing like a compact.

I did the field once a couple of years ago on a small Kubota. Did the U shaped passes but there was a spot that puckered me up and I skipped it.

I may just do the same and then go back with a regular lawn tractor to get that one spot.

I like the 4' level idea and will try it as I have no idea what the slope really is. On the little K I was holding the ROPS to keep from sliding off and the JD 2040 doesn't have one.

 

[Leland]

first spread wheels out as far as possible ,you would be surprised at the angles you can mow by doing this and lower center of gravity as much possible by putting shorter tires on machine .This is what we done to 1020 JD's to mow the side of a dam cross ways .