Contents
Preparing
Operating
Accessorizing
Going Further
Frequently Asked Questions
"How can I operate my tractor safely on hillsides??"
The
simple answer is that you can't. Tractors are fundamentally top-heavy and
unstable on anything but flat, even ground. Unfortunately, almost no one
has flat, even ground to take care of, so a certain amount of careful hillside
negotiation is usually required of any tractor operator.
What you can do is learn how to operate your tractor less unsafely when hillside use is unavoidable. Here are some tips, accessories and warnings for preparing tractors for and operating them on uneven ground.
Tip #1. If it feels dangerous, it probably is.
Tip #2. It doesn't need to feel dangerous to be dangerous.
Preparing
Make sure your tractor has a roll bar or ROPS (Roll Over Protective Structure) and seat belts. In this case, wear your seat belt.
Don't use seat belts if your tractor has no rollbar or ROPS.
Use wheel weights or calcium solition in tires for better traction and stability.
If wheel width is adjustable, use the widest possible setting.
If hillside is muddy, wait until it dries out.
Where possible, clear the hillside of any loose rocks or debris.
Make sure all tires are inflated to recommended pressures.
Before you proceed down a hill with your loader bucket full of gravel or other heavy material, STOP. This is extremely unwise. Back up and think hard about moving the material a different way. Can you go around the hill on a less steep path? Can you move the material in a truck or small trailer?
Operating
Proceed slowly and carefully at all times.
Stay away from ditches, gullies and steep embankments.
Be aware that a towed trailer or heavy implement can easily upset a tractor's balance.
Accelerate gradually against gravity's resistance. Tractors tend to flip over backwards while going uphill, especially with a rear implement or when towing.
Watch out for small rocks, holes and bumps. They can quickly and dramatically alter a tractor's equilibrium.
If possible, always travel directly up or down a hill, never across the slope.
If cross slope operation is necessary, always turn down the hill with the slope, never uphill into the slope.
When towing a load uphill, attach the load to the front of the tractor and back up the hill.
When towing a load downhill, use a low gear and let the tractor's engine act as a brake.
Accessorizing
Your tractor can be equipped with dual wheels on the rear for improved stability. See your local equipment or industrial tire dealer, or the tire section of the Gemplers catalog.
Not sure of the angle? You can equip you tractor with an inclinometer, such as one from R&B Manufacturing.
If your tractor has no rollbar
or ROPS, investigate
adding one.
Options for Hillside Mowing
A frequently-encountered problem is mowing grass on hillsides. Many people are injured or killed performing this task each year. Here are a few options for mowing hillsides:
Don't Cut
- Hire someone else to do it. Professionals and large land owners often have safer, commercial equipment designed for hillside mowing which small land owners wouldn't purchase. Monthly mowing of your hillside might make this option affordable.
- Plant the hillside in ground cover, such as crown vetch, which does not have to be mowed.
- If your situation permits, use livestock, such as sheep or goats, to keep the hillside trimmed. Very few animals can keep a sizeable hillside trimmed nicely.
- Boom mowers - A boom mower is usually the safest way to groom ditch banks, gullies and berms, but require a tractor with hdraulics. Micro-Mower is a good example.
- Trailing mowers - Towable mowers, such as Swisher's Trailmower, pulled at an offset behind a tractor or ATV, are an excellent way to cut narrow berms or ditches or around ponds and streams. Other manufacturers include Bush Hog, Cycle Country, Kunz and Swisher.
- Purpose-Built Equipment
- DewEze All-Terrain Mowers are specially designed for safely mowing across hillsides.
-
An
idea from Kubota's web site is a remote-operated
(radio controlled) mower, shown at right. Such a conversion is highly
recommended where hillside mowing is necessary.
Going Further
The National Agricultural Safety Database has several articles on safe tractor operation on slopes.
