What Gear To Climb Hill In? Massey Ferguson 20

[lkell93]

Hi All,

Recently I widened a path going down to a campsite area in my "backyard 7 acres". The idea was to get my 1970 MF20 Industrial down there to haul log sections of felled trees to the burn pile nearby.

The tractor has the 3 cylinder Perkins gas with a 6 speed shuttle (3 speed hi/low).

Now safety is always my number one priority, so I was extra cautious of going down the hill for the first time today (obviously no rops). I put the tractor in low 1, and it made it down no problem, with no scares. Now I'm turning my attention to getting it back up the hill once my work down there is completed.

I've attached a picture of the hill. What range/gear would you recommend I climb the hill in? Part of me was thinking low 1, but maybe it helps to have a bit more momentum when climbing the hill?

For what it's worth, I'll be climbing it with a completely empty loader, as low to the ground as possible, and the rears are filled with beet juice. Tires, functionally are like new, and should have good grabbing power.

Before taking the tractor down the hill for the first time today, last night I began hand shoveling in some 3/4" road stone/lime mix on the top of the hill path.This hill has been unprotected bare soil for years before I owned it, and erosion has taken somewhat of a toll. So the though was I wanted to get some gravel on top of the bare soil to slow that erosion. I only shoveled probably 3 loader buckets worth of stone on the top 10% of the hill before stopping. Now, I'm a bit worried that when my tires hit that gravel going up, that they may spin since the gravel/lime isn't packed yet. It's for this reason I stopped adding gravel until I'm done with the work down there for the season.

The absolute last thing I want to happen is to make it 3/4 the way up to the lightly graveled section, and have my tires start to spin on me. Tractor has diff lock and new brakes, but I'm hoping I can just make it up in one shot, with no hiccups.

 

[old]

Hi All,

Recently I widened a path going down to a campsite area in my "backyard 7 acres". The idea was to get my 1970 MF20 Industrial down there to haul log sections of felled trees to the burn pile nearby.

The tractor has the 3 cylinder Perkins gas with a 6 speed shuttle (3 speed hi/low).

Now safety is always my number one priority, so I was extra cautious of going down the hill for the first time today (obviously no rops). I put the tractor in low 1, and it made it down no problem, with no scares. Now I'm turning my attention to getting it back up the hill once my work down there is completed.

I've attached a picture of the hill. What range/gear would you recommend I climb the hill in? Part of me was thinking low 1, but maybe it helps to have a bit more momentum when climbing the hill?

For what it's worth, I'll be climbing it with a completely empty loader, as low to the ground as possible, and the rears are filled with beet juice. Tires, functionally are like new, and should have good grabbing power.

Before taking the tractor down the hill for the first time today, last night I began hand shoveling in some 3/4" road stone/lime mix on the top of the hill path.This hill has been unprotected bare soil for years before I owned it, and erosion has taken somewhat of a toll. So the though was I wanted to get some gravel on top of the bare soil to slow that erosion. I only shoveled probably 3 loader buckets worth of stone on the top 10% of the hill before stopping. Now, I'm a bit worried that when my tires hit that gravel going up, that they may spin since the gravel/lime isn't packed yet. It's for this reason I stopped adding gravel until I'm done with the work down there for the season.

The absolute last thing I want to happen is to make it 3/4 the way up to the lightly graveled section, and have my tires start to spin on me. Tractor has diff lock and new brakes, but I'm hoping I can just make it up in one shot, with no hiccups.
View attachment 91208

Simple try 1st to start with if no problem try the next gear up. Today I was moving gravel with my IH584 and was going up the hill with a load of gravel in the bucket. First time no problems going up in 3 HI next load had to shift down to 3 low

 

[lkell93]

Simple try 1st to start with if no problem try the next gear up. Today I was moving gravel with my IH584 and was going up the hill with a load of gravel in the bucket. First time no problems going up in 3 HI next load had to shift down to 3 low

So this particular transmission would require coming to a stop and clutching to shift while on the hill, which is why it makes me a bit more paranoid about chosing the "correct gear" before starting the climb.

 

[ss55]

Reverse, back up the hill in reverse. That way there will be no chance of flipping over backwards. Worst case you start to spin out and can drive forward back down the hill.

 

[MF#1]

I have a hill much like yours but no gravel on the back of the farm. With my 245 diesel I routinely chug up it in 1st High at about 1200 RPM or so with no issues BUT I don't have a loader on mine. I would say 3rd Low at about 1500 RPM, at the first indication of a tire starting to slip hit the diff lock and "slightly" reduce RPM and let that Perkins do the rest. IF the gravel causes you to spin out then drop to 2nd Low and continue. You'll probably find the sweet spot(gear) after a few trips. And if it gets wet you may want to do something else until it dries out

 

[da.bees]

Sadly yours is the type question that has no "single" answer. Operating tractors is similar to ballroom dancing. Even switching from a tall, skinny partner to one shorter and wider takes some adjustment. If you are not a ballroom dancer , driving a tractor is similar to wrestling with your brothers growing up,you correct mistakes as they happen and the more you do it,the better you become.

This reminds me of finding my elderly neighbor basically trapped on a small tractor with 3 point mower. He had a life time of experience under his belt but age dulled his reaction time leaving him in a pickle. He had been mowing roadside when tractor began sliding sideways down an embankment. He stopped but 1 second later the tractor would have been out of his control and likely wound up capsizing. On the other hand reacting 1 second sooner would allowed him to recover and keep going. The tractor was balanced in such way a younger man could have leaped off and allowed tractor to go into ravine. As it was the old gent sat patiently and still waiting for help. I turned crosswise in road,attached chain from my bumper to high point on tractor to avoid tractor moving when he dismounted. Now we both waited until a car came from right direction to carry him to his house for a tractor large enough to manhandle the smaller tractor back up into road. Age dulled his reaction time but wisdom saved his life.

As someone already mentioned, don't push the envelope, take it slow and easy as you acquire a feel for the tractor and different situations.

 

[Jarrod32]

Are you in a hurry? Stick with low gear...shouldn't be a problem.
Don't clutch and try to shift on the hill...

 

[old]

So this particular transmission would require coming to a stop and clutching to shift while on the hill, which is why it makes me a bit more paranoid about chosing the "correct gear" before starting the climb.

I had to stop and shift today with the 584 but it does have 1 brake that holds well so no big deal plus it is set up to be able to shift pretty fast plus I've been working on driving etc. for 44 years plus

 

[lkell93]

Thank you to everybody who replied this evening. Your input is appreciated and valued. Life can change in an instant on these machines the minute one let's their guard down or becomes complacent. What is most important is coming home to our families at the end of each day...alive and uninjured.

Again, thank you all, and safe tractoring.

 

[MARK ROBKE]

Hi All,

Recently I widened a path going down to a campsite area in my "backyard 7 acres". The idea was to get my 1970 MF20 Industrial down there to haul log sections of felled trees to the burn pile nearby.

The tractor has the 3 cylinder Perkins gas with a 6 speed shuttle (3 speed hi/low).

Now safety is always my number one priority, so I was extra cautious of going down the hill for the first time today (obviously no rops). I put the tractor in low 1, and it made it down no problem, with no scares. Now I'm turning my attention to getting it back up the hill once my work down there is completed.

I've attached a picture of the hill. What range/gear would you recommend I climb the hill in? Part of me was thinking low 1, but maybe it helps to have a bit more momentum when climbing the hill?

For what it's worth, I'll be climbing it with a completely empty loader, as low to the ground as possible, and the rears are filled with beet juice. Tires, functionally are like new, and should have good grabbing power.

Before taking the tractor down the hill for the first time today, last night I began hand shoveling in some 3/4" road stone/lime mix on the top of the hill path.This hill has been unprotected bare soil for years before I owned it, and erosion has taken somewhat of a toll. So the though was I wanted to get some gravel on top of the bare soil to slow that erosion. I only shoveled probably 3 loader buckets worth of stone on the top 10% of the hill before stopping. Now, I'm a bit worried that when my tires hit that gravel going up, that they may spin since the gravel/lime isn't packed yet. It's for this reason I stopped adding gravel until I'm done with the work down there for the season.

The absolute last thing I want to happen is to make it 3/4 the way up to the lightly graveled section, and have my tires start to spin on me. Tractor has diff lock and new brakes, but I'm hoping I can just make it up in one shot, with no hiccups.
View attachment 91208

While I am in no way downplaying your hill climb, it looks pretty easy, especially compared to my farm. I agree with Old- go up in first gear, then if that's ok, try second, and so on. In time you'll find the sweet spot(speed) that you are comfortable with. Probably 2nd or 3rd. Speed does increase chances of accidents, and your caution is a very good thing. Going down, keep weight on the rear, going up, don't let the front be too light; that varies, of course, but keep using your caution instincts. The hills is too long for momentum to ever be a factor, and don't try to back up : you won't have traction. If I drove down that hill and felt the rear tires slipping, I would engage the diff lock. If the tires did not slip going down, they won't slip going up. Enjoy, Mark.

 

[lkell93]

While I am in no way downplaying your hill climb, it looks pretty easy, especially compared to my farm. I agree with Old- go up in first gear, then if that's ok, try second, and so on. In time you'll find the sweet spot(speed) that you are comfortable with. Probably 2nd or 3rd. Speed does increase chances of accidents, and your caution is a very good thing. Going down, keep weight on the rear, going up, don't let the front be too light; that varies, of course, but keep using your caution instincts. The hills is too long for momentum to ever be a factor, and don't try to back up : you won't have traction. If I drove down that hill and felt the rear tires slipping, I would engage the diff lock. If the tires did not slip going down, they won't slip going up. Enjoy, Mark.

Thanks Mark, and you're right, I've seen much steeper climbs, but off to the left of the picture is a steep cliff and deep ravine, probably about a 50' drop...which is what really up's the stakes...a rollover down that hill would almost certainly be fatal on an older tractor like this without ROPS and a lap belt.

 

[teddy52food]

That hill doesn't look that steep. Put it in low & keep the loader low & at 3/4 throttle it should walk up with no problem.

 

[Brown David]

That picture must not give a true perspective of the grade. Doesn't look worrisome to me at all.

As in many things, slow and steady is a good idea.

 

[GChief]

I do a lot of 4 wheeling all over the country. Pictures never give a hill the respect it deserves.

Just becasue it looks easy in a pic means nothing.

 

[Jimylee in VA]

You will figure out which gear to use after you go up and down the hill a few times. Pay attention to what others have told you about trying a low gear, then going up a gear if you feel comfortable with that. Do NOT try to back up the hill. That won't work well.

I have hills on my place and the best advice I can give you is to stay off the hill if it is wet and especially if it is frozen. I personnally witnessed an accident with an elderly gentleman trying to go down a frozen hill on land I now own. The old Case tractor wound up upside down in the creek with him pinned underneath. He survived, but was never the same after the accident.

 

[Brown David]

I do a lot of 4 wheeling all over the country. Pictures never give a hill the respect it deserves.

Just becasue it looks easy in a pic means nothing.

Exactly why I said the picture must not give a true perspective.

 

[495man]

Grades / hills never show up right in a photo. If you went down in H1 no issues, you should be able to climb in H1.

I've had no issue shifting up or down with an 8-speed MF 240 on hills, just a matter of timing and momentum and proper double clutch technique. I've had grades where I had to shift from H4, to H3, to H2. No stopping.

 

[4wdtom]

Hi All,

Recently I widened a path going down to a campsite area in my "backyard 7 acres". The idea was to get my 1970 MF20 Industrial down there to haul log sections of felled trees to the burn pile nearby.

The tractor has the 3 cylinder Perkins gas with a 6 speed shuttle (3 speed hi/low).

Now safety is always my number one priority, so I was extra cautious of going down the hill for the first time today (obviously no rops). I put the tractor in low 1, and it made it down no problem, with no scares. Now I'm turning my attention to getting it back up the hill once my work down there is completed.

I've attached a picture of the hill. What range/gear would you recommend I climb the hill in? Part of me was thinking low 1, but maybe it helps to have a bit more momentum when climbing the hill?

For what it's worth, I'll be climbing it with a completely empty loader, as low to the ground as possible, and the rears are filled with beet juice. Tires, functionally are like new, and should have good grabbing power.

Before taking the tractor down the hill for the first time today, last night I began hand shoveling in some 3/4" road stone/lime mix on the top of the hill path.This hill has been unprotected bare soil for years before I owned it, and erosion has taken somewhat of a toll. So the though was I wanted to get some gravel on top of the bare soil to slow that erosion. I only shoveled probably 3 loader buckets worth of stone on the top 10% of the hill before stopping. Now, I'm a bit worried that when my tires hit that gravel going up, that they may spin since the gravel/lime isn't packed yet. It's for this reason I stopped adding gravel until I'm done with the work down there for the season.

The absolute last thing I want to happen is to make it 3/4 the way up to the lightly graveled section, and have my tires start to spin on me. Tractor has diff lock and new brakes, but I'm hoping I can just make it up in one shot, with no hiccups.
View attachment 91208

I hope you are planning on letting us know how it works out.

 

[lkell93]

I hope you are planning on letting us know how it works out.

I brought it up safely not long ago with a family member at the top of the hill, just in case. I went up in L2 and ran about 3/4 throttle and it seemed to work just fine. I had depressed the differential lock when starting up. While I'm a bit more confident that I could do it again, I'm probably still not confident enough to do it solo without someone nearby monitoring...especially with the ravine being just over my left shoulder.

This tractor is awfully handy down in the timber and undoubtedly has saved my back and many...many saw chains. I think it'll work nicely to fell what needs to come down, and then bring the tractor down and take care of the work all at once, to minimize trips up and down.

Here's a few pics from the work. A big thank you to everybody on this thread who shared their input/advice!

 

[MF#1]

Glad to hear! Not sure about that model but on my 245 the diff lock won't engage until a wheel slips, your Operators Manual should give you the details. In the future you "may" consider shaving a bit off of the RIGHT side with your bucket to keep you away from the left side drop. Since you have a "track" cut out you shouldn't be worried about getting too close to the left side, that ridge you cut should keep you on the path. Keep up with caution and you'll be fine.