Tipping backwards: 25% slope

[pnw_steer]

I'm a skid steer newbie. I have a used Bobcat S740. (It's wheeled.) I have a gravel driveway with a 26% slope (23 degrees). It's smooth, but not perfect. I've read all the forum posts on slopes but would love a bit more insight. When I tried to drive up it forward, it felt tippy - like the front wheels risked coming up. I drove up it backwards and it was fine, but it's really hard to do - it's winding, narrow, and hard to see. So, a few questions: * Should my machine be able to drive up (facing forward) 26% safely and I'm just feeling newbie discomfort? Or is it really on the edge and I should go up backwards? * If it did tip back, would it stop on the bumper or go all the way? (There is no lateral slope - just front to back.) * If I wound up on the bumper, could I fix it myself? I don't have another machine. Thanks in advance! PS How do I add line breaks??

 

[foton]

if you have any counterweights mounted on rear of machine take them off . You might need to add weight to front of machine. I had to add 150 pounds of weight to a fence post puller so I could use my skid steer on slopes. Try a half bucket of dirt to see how it helps.

 

[pnw_steer]

Whoops - 26% slope, 15°.

 

[pnw_steer]

I'll answer my own question - it is too steep! I thought about the angle - only about 15 degrees - and I felt, "this has to be ok". So I tried to drive up it yesterday. The front end felt light but I figured it was newbie nerves. Nope - the front end came up and I started to tip backwards. Holy ****! Luckily I had thought about it and immediately started backing up. My front end came down. But once I stopped it started tipping again. I repeated that a couple of times until I just threw it in reverse and sped down the hill all the way backwards until it leveled out. Close one! So for any future readers - how your skid steer performs on a hill is probably highly dependent on the machine, but my Bobcat S740 will tip backwards at 26%.

 

[foton]

I'll answer my own question - it is too steep! I thought about the angle - only about 15 degrees - and I felt, "this has to be ok". So I tried to drive up it yesterday. The front end felt light but I figured it was newbie nerves. Nope - the front end came up and I started to tip backwards. Holy ****! Luckily I had thought about it and immediately started backing up. My front end came down. But once I stopped it started tipping again. I repeated that a couple of times until I just threw it in reverse and sped down the hill all the way backwards until it leveled out. Close one! So for any future readers - how your skid steer performs on a hill is probably highly dependent on the machine, but my Bobcat S740 will tip backwards at 26%.

A friend of mine has a 92 743b and he purchased weights that go around the front hub area at each front tire that helped some loading machine on trailer. you might want to see if they are available for your machine. But I guess you could buy a back up camera and go up the hill backwards. good luck.

 

[Tazza]

A friend of mine has a 92 743b and he purchased weights that go around the front hub area at each front tire that helped some loading machine on trailer. you might want to see if they are available for your machine. But I guess you could buy a back up camera and go up the hill backwards. good luck.

The bobcat manual says to always keep the heavier end up hill, so loaded, bucket up, unloaded rear up.
Adding weight, water filled tyres can help, counter weights can help too.