My 955K Rattletrap Adventure

[CavinJim]

Tippiness?

It's been awhile since I was able to spend much time with the ol' Rattletrap.... scratched my cornea, deeply, right in the center which meant I spent most of the summer seeing double! That's fixed, so back to some time with the old girl....
Turns out the generator had been upgraded to an alternator sometime in the past and it's not working. Time to pull it off and check the diodes.... I did loosen the tracks so they have the appropriate sag and aren't banjo tight! Checked all the fluids (good to go), topped off the hydraulic tank (regular task owing to the leaking gland seals (to be fixed) and managed to get about an hour of seat time in cleaning up an old clearing project--which leads to a question.

How tippy (side-to-side) is a 955? I always have this fear of running a track off into an unseen root hole. And sometimes I have to deal with relatively steep hills. This being my third track loader, I know they aren't nearly as stable as a dozer, but my JD 350 is a billy goat and will let you know when you're pushing it. But I can work the 955 so much faster--and things can happen in an instant. Any suggestions from more experienced operators? If you're clearing brush in an unfamiliar area, how do you deal with unknown and unseen washouts? Just how stable, or unstable, is a 955 anyway? Assume multipurpose bucket down close to the ground. And it has all the counterweights in the back, around the hitch, too.

Had the camera with me today, but forgot to take photos! Next time.....

 

[ih100]

Well first off, it's a lot more stable than you think, but at least you're erring on the side of caution. The quick answer, walk the area before you start clearing, and when you start pushing, low speed and bucket down going forward, so you fill washouts as you go. Try to work uphill or diagonals rather than along the slope if you aren't comfortable.

 

[DMiller]

Won't be any worse then my Allis which will hang on a 3.5/1 slope pretty well easily but the fear factor is the telling part, if it feels tippy it is probably there. 4/1 and counterweight do help a lot but also adds side pressure to lower rollers and rails, if the rails are at near life end they may decide that is the best place to roll off. Been there side loaded rolled the uphill rail off, managed to get it back on with minimal effort but still took some work and time sitting on a slope.

 

[CavinJim]

Hey guys, thanks for the responses! They were much along the line of what I anticipated. I have to thank my dad for me erring on the side of caution, especially regarding tractors and slopes! He was always warning us about hillsides and the tractors... Funny thing, though, Dad was cautious about most things but was always the one who ended up bleeding! He retired in '68 from the St. Louis Fire Department when he was the Captain of Engine Co. #2 and the assistant battalion chief. He would literally run into burning buildings wearing just a rubber coat over his uniform! And an aluminum fireman's hat (which I still have). Maybe that's why he was more cautious later in life....

I find the "pucker" factor to vary considerably from machine to machine. My JD 5075E tractor really does not like slopes--it gets to feeling really light on the uphill side on what seems like it should be nothing! The Cat 12 grader I had felt very solid on the same slopes--and even steeper ones. I picture slopes in terms of roof pitches--so a 3.5/1 is about half way between a 3:12 and 4:12 roof. Sounds about right. Regarding the rails--they're in very good shape, not too many worries there.

 

[DMiller]

My 180 Allis does not care for slopes, tall tractor but does have 50 gal.+ ballast in the rears even at that even a wide front can nose tip. The 7G does well on 3.5 to 4/1 slopes just gets a bit unnerving. Used a wide track D7 with almost slick shoes just over 35 years ago side slip dressing slopes on a large levee project, when it would get to break point and slide on the hillside was almost more than I could take at times. They slip pretty fast when sitting in the seat.