Learned a lesson the hard way!

[Larry59]

Since I got my tractor not to long ago. I have been told by several to be careful. You could flip one over on you! Watch on hills etc,etc!
Well yesterday I wanted to move about 44 2x6's 16 ft long to another place here. So there is this little drop off say about 3ft is all to the next level where this stuff set. So I with my double fork on 3 pt. Back down of the edge to the 2x6's and loaded it on the dual hay forks on back.
With a smile that I had it all loaded and was ready to go. I started tractor and dropped it in low and started up over this little edge I thought. ... Well about that time the tractor came up on the front off the ground. My heart started pounding real quick as I rose to jump off the tractor. But I got fuel shut down quick and the tractor in front hit the ground with a bang. lol lol laughing now! But was not then and wife was watching and she was screaming and said I almost gave her a heart attack. lol
She did tell me that if I ever did that again! There might not be no tractor around this place. lol lol Scared her so bad she got ticked at me!
Good thing I did not need to go to restroom at that time. Would have been ugly for me when the tractor went way up in air. lol
This is the truth.. lol Lesson learned.. don't load the tractor down so much. Make more trips and not one. lol lol

 

[RobMD]

Actually, it's simply a case of not having enough front end weights. If you're still within carrying capacity on the rear of the tractor, time to add more front weights.

 

[Michael Price]

Tractors need weight, I worked for a guy with a loader tracto and he took the fluid out of tires. I had some crap in the bucket to dump in a pond that doesnt hold water. I hit a little bump and the tractor went sideways and into the hole.

I like tractors with fluid filled tires, they are alot more stable.

 

[RodinNS]

You're lucky you wern't killed. Next time, sit in the seat and drop the forks.....
There are not too many mounted impliments that will allow a tractor to go over backwards. Some, but not many, and I doubt that forks will.
Learning to remain calm and knowing what the machine will do greatly increase your chances of surviving a sticky situation. Don't panic, just react by lowering the forks...

I actually had a tractor start to spin out today with a wagon train. The pavement was wet and the tractor started to spin a bit. I just let of for a second and snapped the FWD in. No problem. If I waited until I was going backwards with 11 tonne dragging me down the hill I wouldn't be sitting here now....
It wouldn't hurt you to play around a bit and learn what you can get away with; know the tractor's limits. Then you'll likely be a lot more comfortable in those situations.... and not so likely to head to the exit, and under a wheel.

Rod

 

[Jim H SW-PA]

WOW you sure was lucky, I don't know your circumstance but,if you were more than overloaded, I would have tried backwards and kept the load uphill.

 

[Anonymous-0]

If you do much with that tractor you are going to have to put some weights on the front end. I have a little 310 round nose with case weights on the front wheels , 2 bumper weights and an extra rear wheel weight bolted on to the front of it. I can carry a half cord of green wood on a 3 point carrier and the front has never left the ground yet. A tractor flipping over backwards is a very dangerous thing.

 

[Doug in Illinois]

Not trying to make a comment that could be taken as smart alec, but learned as a child to back up a hill with too heavy a load on the three point. Learned from my great uncle how to use too small a tractor for too big a job. 1958 Ford 861 Powermaster, only his second tractor from horse farming days, still have that tractor back in Nebraska. Anyhow, he started out with that tractor with 2 row 38 inch rows, pulling 2-14 mounted plow. Went to 3-16 mounted plow, 4 row 38 lister. Still had enough power to handle both, but had 4 chunks of railroad rail about 3 ft long mounted to the front of the tractor to handle the lister full of seed on the back. He made it QUITE clear when time to cross a terrace, to be in reverse. The worst that could happen then is it would spin. But, even going forward with a heavy load, as I tried as a youngster, is that the front would lift. With the lister, ended up with the lister planted in the terrace. In 1974, he went to 6 row 30 inch, had to finally give in and get a bigger tractor, Ford 5000 diesel row crop. Back up the heavy loads, take a smaller load, or add more front weight. DOUG

 

[Anonymous-0]

The linkage assemblies that connect rear mounted equipment bend into pretzels and pop like twigs when the weight of a flipping tractor is thrown against them. The only mounted equipment I know of that might keep a tractor from going over backwards is the correct Roll-Over Protective Structure (ROPS).

 

[Anonymous-0]

ok ,, and just how will a ROPS keep you from going over?? granted it will help protect you in case of a rollover to not get crushed,, providing you are wearing the seat belt,, but it will not prevent a rollover,,

and how many N's have you seen with a ROPS???

 

[Anonymous-0]

Sounds like one of those "Snake" situations.. It startled you enough to make you do something that could hurt you.. Jumping off is the worst thing to do.
As a rule, I try to keep the heavy end uphill..

 

[RodinNS]

You apperantly haven't spent much time operating tractors that dance on two wheels. I've done a lot of it. Some by necessity and some for the sake of it. I mostly learned to drive by hauling 1000-1200# round bales on a spike hitched to a Ford 860. Many a trip was made in reverse up a hill and many more were headed down hill with the front wheels in the air, steering on the brakes. The worst thing that was going to happen is that the bale would hit the ground, bounce and the tractor would settle down... or if it was a real heavy one I'd have to let the bale down, back up and spin around again. I did hundreds of hours of that.
There are very few situations where the tractor will pass it's balance point on the rear axle before a three point load touches the ground, so I don't expect that the linkage would need to support the weight of the tractor. You are no doubt correct that some would fold up quite easily under that kind of weight if they were placed in a situation where the weight of the tractor was placed upon them. Most that I deal with would not. That would depend entirely on the tractor.

ROPS will not prevent a tractor from flipping over. They will probably prevent someone from being killed if they do flip it over provided that they're wearing a seat belt.

Tractors are only lumps of iron. They can be controlled. There's more value in learning about what they can do rather than worrying about every stupid little thing that could happen. Popping a wheelie on an old tractor is not something to stain your pants over. It's pretty normal, really.

Rod

 

[thanksguys!]

As a tractor newbie I really appreciate the safety threads.

 

[Fergienewbee]

I've learned to make more trips with smaller loads when hauling green wood. I must say, I sure like hauling wood and other stuff with the tractor. It's easier to maneuver in the woods and doesn't get stuck like a truck. And the TO-30 is just fun to drive--even my wife likes to drive it. Maybe I should take another look at the Fergie for sale that I passed a couple days ago.

Larry in Michigan

 

[jlmtractor]

I have never really rolled a tractor just had the front end come off the ground but the worst i have ever came off the ground would have to be digging and pulling trees with a mini excavator. I would have the stump loose the only problem would be i didnt have enough length to reach down and pull it i had to just get a bite and back up which would cause me to almost fall out of the cab. at one point when i was pulling a tree out the wife came down and told me i should probably be wearing a seat belt because i was standing up on end and my feet were mashed against the bottom of the EROPs to keep me in. but i told her that being in the air is the most fun. that was a mistake.

 

[jose bagge]

Tractor weight is your friend!
I've got a lil' Yanmar with more loader than a$$-
if I get a full scoop of stone dust on her and lift it hood high, she tries to toss you over the nose with the back wheels coming off the ground.
Not to bad on level ground- probably deadly on uneven terrain.
home-made wheel weights solved the problem

 

[Anonymous-0]

Hi Larry ,, The hard way is the BEST WAY TO LEARN A LESSON ,,, Been doing that with a lot of stuff since I was a kid ,,,And GOD willing , I am still here ,,One goof comes to mind ,, 30 years back , Had a full wagon hayride ,little DEXTA diesel tractor was the power horse ,,And it done very well Til we came to a ,LONG STEEP GRAVEL HILL , at the top Jody Shifted her down to low gear ,, good thing we were not a load of corn ,My wife to be, and about 15 more jumped off the side when I could tell DEXTA didnt have the a$$ to hold us back . The wheels were slipping forward in the freshly graded gravel road . No injuries ,, LOTS of Laughter. Had the road not been newly graded , All would had been fine ,LIFE is a Journey , Enjoy , Jim

 

[Mike M]

Both the Rods are right. Weight the front end more and next time be ready on the lever for the 3 point ( or loader ) and drop it down ! when it comes up on you. Driving slow like you did is also very wise.

 

[paul]

Thanks for sharing your experience.

The weight on the rear, the angle of the tractor up the bank, and the power of the wheels trying to rotate the tractor backwards all combined on you into a bad situation.

My dumb move - unloading my brother in laws little 15hp Kubota and 3pt snow blower off his single axle trailer. I started backing up, and something nagged at a corner of my brain..... Oh, shouldn't I have this hooked to something???? Started seeing more sky..... Brain said, ok, snow blower on the back, I shouldn't go over backwards, everything will hit dirt eventually. Just be calm, clutch in, brake on.

Saw a whole lot of sky when everything stopped.

Wife & her friend were watching, they had some expresions on their faces.....

--->Paul

 

[Anonymous-0]

WHAT? Finding out the hard way can definetaly teach you a lesson. That is if you're still alive to learn it! Always exercise caution when using anything, especially something that can and will kill you if given the chance. Dave