Tractor turnovers

• ROPS selector

The only time I have come close to rolling my 8N over was when I was mowing a roadside bank at my sister-in-laws place. The bank started out at a slight, manageable slope. However, the angle of the slope increased gradually.

I knew I was on dangerous ground when the rear wheel facing up hill started to spin. I knew then the slope was too steep.

It would have been a terrible thing if I had killed myself mowing my sister-in-laws field for free.

You cannot be too careful on these old tractors; and, I would rather have a ROPS without a seatbelt than no ROPS at all.

Rick

This and ROPS

Dean

Now.. for those that like chain toplinks.. I guess they have a problem...

Besides.. I said UP and DOWn a hill. It's common knowledge that if you have a heavy rear load that you can BACK up a hill.. etc.

Soundguy

Going side ways on a hill was always the most worrisome. Dropping the downhill rear tire in a hole or hitting a rock with the uphill tire is a sure recipe for a side roll over. But we did lots of side hill operation too. As long as the equipment remains on the ground it tends to hold you to the hill side, but you have to be extra careful. If you are not sure of how steep a hill you can operate on then don't do it at all.

As far as sliding sideways down a hill?? Never had that happen or heard of that one.

Backing up a hill with a load on the back? If you can do that then the hill is not all that steep or you have one heck of a load back there. Normally you don't get much traction backing up a hill as most of the weight of the tractor is not on the rear wheels that way.

Regards
Gary

Of course it can be dangerous to drive up a steep hill too. That's true.

When I have the brush hog on my NAA, I BACK up the steep hills to mow. Works great. Very safe.

Only a fool would drive sidehill in my orchard, but backing up works great.

And If you would have read to the last line of my message.. I AGREED with you.. that if a load is heavy on the rear.. you can BACK up a slope..

As for the toplink stalling a backflip.. it was designed to do just that. Look at a plow.. when the plow snags.. the toplink actually puts compression on the toplink, forcing the front down.. that's fact as well.

I think advising people to drive on a side slope is a bit crazy myself. I have seen more side rolls than back rolls. things like tires falling into down side holes.

I'm not sure why you had to go into a tirade over a simple discussion. makes ya wonder the intent?

I'll bow out of this conversation now... This is a family site.. it doesn't need page long rants on it..

Soundguy

As for the top link lacking strength, given the decades of use and abuse these tractors have taken, how many have you actually seen broken? The top link is meant to take all the torque the tractor can dishout and force the front end down in a plowing situation, let alone the few pounds of torque it takes to keep the front end down climbing a hill.

Soundguy

As a fellow in the business world that deals with the Chinese in general, they always skimp on quality. Cheaper steel, imperfections, and their entire life over there is based on making it cheaper so they can sell it cheaper and take American money, not to mention American jobs by the bunches.

Working at a company where we have a Chinese partner ( that's a real laugh), I know what I say. Those partnerships are good only as long as you are being taken advantage of. Never trust a Chinese company to do the honorable thing.

I'm sure some of us can also go out and take a look at a Chinese 8N radiator. What a piece of junk.

I hear chinese production / assembly line products are not 100% interchangeable due to the amount of hand fitting some parts need.. etc.

Ditto on toplink quality. I've got a generic thin walle done with welde din eyes.. and then I've got a NH one that is almost twice as thick metal in the tube.. and eyes are forged.. heavy looking.. The cheap one holds my 150# seed spreader.. the HD one holds the brush mower / plow / disc/ scoop... etc.

Soundguy

You have my vote, based upon over 40 years of mowing steep hills (both ways) with Ns. I routinely carry the front wheels when cresting some slopes with both my 8N and 860. I also keep my hand near the lift lever and simply tap it down a tad to bring the front right back down.

Dean

This could also have been caused due to the fellow being a new land owner and never having cut that property before.

I'd use it before I rigged my own. In any case, a seat replacement will be needed.. so you can get seatbelts.. etc.

Still.. side mowing is not recomended.. you mow hills up and down.

Soundguy