Safest way to move downhill on a sleep slope with skid steer with a heavy load vs empty?

[flzm]

Complete newbie here with no practical experience. I don't want to take a tumble going down a super steep hill.

If I needed to move down a steep slope on a skid steer with a load, I would point my load/bucket towards the top of the hill and essentially travel backwards downhill, correct?

If I needed to move down a steep slope on a skid steer with OUT a load, I would point my but towards the top of the hill and point the bucket towards the bottom of the hill and go forward down to the bottom of the hill?

Compare this to a dozer.
If I'm not actively clearing something, If i wanted to just go up/down a hill, i would face the face towards the direction of the hill I am traveling towards?

or am i just overthinking it and just treat it like a car going up/down hill...

 

[bad Tom]

I don't worry about going downhill with a load. Just keep the boom fully lowered and tilt the bucket back and you will be good. Going up a steep hill is the problem. With no load, back up the hill with the loader. Allways keep the boom low when driving around and then raise the bucket when you are going to dump.

 

[PeterG]

Would like to add, that when lifting a heaped bucket or heavy load, the higher you lift it, and the softer the ground, the more chance you have of the rear wheels coming up off the ground, and the whole machine dumping forward. Keep your seatbelt on, lift to dump the minimal height when the load is heavy, and watch for the machine feeling light in the rear end. When loading a truck or trailer, I will approach with the bucket or load very low to the ground, and then get as close as I can and then raise the bucket slowly just enough to clear. When going downhill with the load, you can have the bucket scraping the ground a bit. I go backyards all the time with a heavy load, such as when I have pallet forks on the machine, and I have a load of retainer wall blocks.

 

[Deere500a]

For safety always wear your m1 helmet. Practice get familiar with how it handles on the slopes/wheel spin may go sideways be ready to counter others have said keep the engine pointing to the sky & enjoy the ride

 

[IceHole]

Depends how steep. Some would need skill and luck to go down and not making it back up very easy.

Keep the bucket downhill so you can use it for stability or for stopping or helping to go up the hill.
Backing downhill makes me super uncomfortable. I almost rolled mine once.

Had unhooked the attachment and backed too far off a ledge. Realized it and went forward in a split second, not thinking I had no front weight. Very rare I have no attachment and most are 1000+ lbs.
A rock jammed against the back door and kept it from going over.

 

[KSSS]

You don't spec the machine and how big your bucket is and what your hauling and how steep it really is. If its a large frame machine over say 2400 ROC and depending on how steep it is, it may not much matter. However if its a small frame machine then the suggestions on how to manage that would be good to consider.

 

[BC Placer gold]

You don't spec the machine and how big your bucket is and what your hauling and how steep it really is. If its a large frame machine over say 2400 ROC and depending on how steep it is, it may not much matter. However if its a small frame machine then the suggestions on how to manage that would be good to consider.

We briefly owned a Bobcat 743, I had to reverse going up our driveway or it would tip backwards! Good little machine, but…very Tippy. Any kind of steep slope and I would keep a load in the bucket.

Our current machine (Deere 270) traverses the same ground easily/safely with an empty bucket: longer wheelbase, higher capacity (2600 lb ROC)

Going down a steep hill with a load (your scenario) I would never reverse down! you can almost drag the heal of the bucket on the ground (or very close) and just proceed slowly….avoid side slope/off camber.

 

[CM1995]

Welcome to the Forums FLZ! Glad to have you.

Let's start with the basics. When you say you are a "newbie" how much of a newbie are you? Give us a little background on your operating skills, the terrain, machine, task and loads to be carried?

Any pics?

A lot of variables here.

 

[FTV]

We briefly owned a Bobcat 743, I had to reverse going up our driveway or it would tip backwards! Good little machine, but…very Tippy. Any kind of steep slope and I would keep a load in the bucket.

I own and operate one of those. Really short wheelbase, good for squeezing into tight places. But yeah, very tippy. Without an implement on i can grab the coupler and lift it by hand. Thats a great way to impress people, running around on the rear wheels without an implement. Just the weight of the empty bucket makes a big difference.

I dont like driving upwards on hills without a load, but i have done it on occasion. I feel safer if it's a short hill, so if i feel the front end starts getting light i can reverse back down, but i have yet to test if that theory works in practice. I'd rather just avoid the risk. But what i really hate is sideways slopes, because without enough weight on the wheels on both sides there is no steering.

And as mentioned, keep the bucket low to the ground. On the old bobcat the bucket lifts in an arc, so not only are you shifting the centre of gravity upwards, you're also moving it backwards. Newer skidsteers lift the bucket more linearly.

 

[BC Placer gold]

I own and operate one of those. Really short wheelbase, good for squeezing into tight places. But yeah, very tippy. Without an implement on i can grab the coupler and lift it by hand. Thats a great way to impress people, running around on the rear wheels without an implement. Just the weight of the empty bucket makes a big difference.

I dont like driving upwards on hills without a load, but i have done it on occasion. I feel safer if it's a short hill, so if i feel the front end starts getting light i can reverse back down, but i have yet to test if that theory works in practice. I'd rather just avoid the risk. But what i really hate is sideways slopes, because without enough weight on the wheels on both sides there is no steering.

And as mentioned, keep the bucket low to the ground. On the old bobcat the bucket lifts in an arc, so not only are you shifting the centre of gravity upwards, you're also moving it backwards. Newer skidsteers lift the bucket more linearly.

Really good info, well said!

I hear you about steering on side slopes! Something to avoid at all costs.

 

[PeterG]

I think learning the weight and balance of the machine is really important for safety and performance as well as for maximum traction. This can vary with the weight of each attachment on the machine and if there is a load on the attachment. An overlooked but significant concern is trailer loading and unloading on a non tilt trailer. At some point, and operator will load and unload a machine going forwards or backwards up ramps or a beavertail onto a flat deck tie down area. There is almost always a pivot point from the ramp to the deck. This is a fun and a bit scary when you inch forward or backwards and feel the machine drop down for the first time. To fast and the machine can loose some grip or control. It's one of the many skills and knowledge a safe operator must have.

 

[Welder Dave]

If it's a short wheelbase machine load on a trailer backwards. If you're a newbie stay away from slopes until you're fully familiar with the machine. I can't stress this enough. Most new operators will panic if the machine gets even a little tippy. You need to have your wits about you. Same thing with lifting heavy loads. I have tipped over into the side of a dump truck loading wet clay more than once. It happened when I was just about high enough to dump the load so the boom was pretty high. The seat bar held me in place and I was able to dump the bucket on the ground and get back on 4 wheels. I'm sure it would scare the ***** out of a newbie operator. I've also gone down a steep slope with an empty bucket but filling the bucket as I was smoothing the hill. Several people watching thought I was nuts. It was so steep I couldn't back up it, I'd just spin the tires. I talked to a couple people beforehand and we figured the hydrostatic transmission should stop the machine from free rolling. It did. I could stop but not back up. I had to have the seat belt cinched as tight as I could get it to keep from sliding forwards. The hill was on an MX track and I did have a hairy moment on the other side of the hill that was even steeper. I caught a root with a corner tooth on the bucket. The dirt was a little loose and next thing I know I'm almost sideways on the hill about half way down. The hill was about 100ft. high and slightly steeper than 45 deg's. Being stopped almost sideways, I was able to back up just enough to get off the root and instantly turned to face down the hill. Good thing my skid steer has a low center of gravity. After I got down the hill, I asked another guy helping me if he had an axe. He did so I chopped that root out before I went down the hill a few more times. I had quite a few hours on the machine and was very familiar with it. No way would I have even considered going down that hill if I hadn't racked up a lot of time on the skid steer. I could see a newbie easily rolling a skid steer in the same situation because the first thing they'd do is panic. Skid steers are great machines but also very dangerous if you aren't used to them. Most newbies try to show off how fast they can go instead of letting the machine work like it's supposed too.

 

[FTV]

Haha i had a close call like that to. I was clearing snow and pushing the snow off a small cliff, maybe 4 meters high. The last meter or so (or 3 feet if you like) towards the edge was sloping gradually down before the drop, and at one point i went a bit too close and my front tires went onto the sloped part. Since im an absolute moron and hadn't put on my chains yet, i did not have enough traction to pull away, but i stuck the bucket straight down in the ground in front of me and that kept me from sliding over the edge.

I didn't have any other macines that could pull me up at the moment, so i decided to try and gain some traction by sticking some grating under the rear wheels. Then i got into the machine and started reversing while i pushed myself backwards with the bucket, but only one of the rear wheels grabbed the grating and that just spun me around 90 degrees. So now im in even deeper ****, with my right wheels on the sloped part rather than my front ones. Any sudden moves now and im going over the edge. So i shut off the engine and jumped out, and called for my buddy to come over with his big tractor like i should have done the first time.

This story is not fully on the topic of this thread, but it highlights the importance of not freaking out when things go wrong. Had i not used the bucket to achor myself in place, that might very well have ended in a disaster. Or maybe not be lazy and just put on the chains like a good boy.

 

[Cliffy]

First time i ever worked on a dingo mini digger was a service in a customers workshop. Walked it into workshop and lifted boom in air. For some reason i jerked the travel lever and it over centred and tipped straight forward onto workshop floor with me still standing on it.
Cool calm and collected (on the outside) i pushed the boom lever forward and stood machine back up. With No-one saying a word I did the service.

 

[PeterG]

I've also gone down a steep slope with an empty bucket but filling the bucket as I was smoothing the hill.

Now that's way trick!

It was so steep I couldn't back up it

This is when you need to really know your machines capability before you go down! Years ago I invested in lots of long chains and heavy tow straps and a large winch. I also did a job that involved going down very steep ramps with the mini excavator. So steep, I used the winch to help come back up after we finished the work.

 

[PeterG]

tipped straight forward onto workshop floor with me still standing on it.

Yup, I did this too when I was young and dumb. I had a load of gravel in my mini skidsteer Toro Dingo TX425 and had the 4' wide bucket load way too high, maybe 4' above ground. I decided to go over the curb. And then the machine tipped all the way down, and I went flying down over the top and front of the machine. Customer was watching me too!

 

[Welder Dave]

Now that's way trick!



This is when you need to really know your machines capability tbefore you go down! Years ago I invested in lots of long chains and heavy tow straps and a large winch. I also did a job that involved going down very steep ramps with the mini excavator. So steep, I used the winch to help come back up after we finished the work.

I went down every hill on that MX track except one. There was a hill where the first 15-20' was almost straight down (not quite) and then was a less steep angle. Most everybody jumped past the top steep section and landed further down where it wasn't as steep. The track was an old coal mine and a favorite for riders from all over.

 

[Welder Dave]

Now that's way trick!



This is when you need to really know your machines capability before you go down! Years ago I invested in lots of long chains and heavy tow straps and a large winch. I also did a job that involved going down very steep ramps with the mini excavator. So steep, I used the winch to help come back up after we finished the work.

The bucket was on the ground and never really filled full because the material was mostly falling down the hill once it was scraped off. One time I was doing the last little bit of track prep while they were having a riders meeting at the top of the big hill. I drove past the riders meeting and then took a sudden 90 deg. turn and went down the hill. I looked back and a few people's jaws dropped. I wouldn't attempt to lift the bucket for fear I'd tip forward. I thought if someone were a real daredevil/stuntman they could make a round rollbar and roll a skid steer end over end down hills. I think I've seen something like that before too but on flat ground. It was made so the machine always rolled so the tires contacted the ground so the operator wasn't stuck upside down.

 

[Chevoldsmoyota]

Something to consider:

I was backfilling a walk-out basement once and was carrying topsoil up the slope by the walk-out doors. At the top of the slope I dumped the bucket and then proceeded to tip backwards because the weight of the dirt was no longer keeping the front of the little 1838 down. The bracket on the back for chaining the machine down was all that kept me from going over!

Lessen learned: think about what the addition or subtraction of the weight in the bucket will do.