Aldeer.com Forums Alabama Deer Talk Aldeer General Forum Compact Tractor vs SXS (Hill Climbing)

So I would like to get a tractor with a FEL someday, something like a JD 2025 4WD. My concern is their ability to climb a fairly steep hill on a dirt trail. I would be going straight up and not on a side or angle of a hill. I'm guesstimating the steepest part is at a 30-maybe 35 degree angle. The Honda Pioneer has no problem, but I know nothing about the tractors. I would think the FEL would help keep it from rearing up. I would assume not be in a hurry as well. Experiences?

i have a kubota 4x4 without fel (34hp) with water filled ag tires, i’ve climbed some powerline hills that were sketchy on a sxs. just be ready to hit the clutch and go backwards if the front end gets loose or starts to come up and don’t forget the brakes suck in reverse

also keep the implements close to the ground like a wheelie bar

That’s pretty dang steep!

I don’t know that a tractor is any more top heavy than a sxs. Keep the loader low and the implement low.

unless it is rutted out or the trail is uneven, a fairly smooth 30-35 degree incline, straight up and down, should not an issue. Side hilling (like bushogging on a 30-35 degree pond dam or hillside) is an entirely different issue and do not attempt it.

No, wouldn’t be no side hilling. Heck no! Lol

Back up the hill.

Most people would have nightmares if they’d followed me to some places I’ve been with a tractor. I’ve leaned one over so hard that I could pick rocks off the ground from the seat and never turned it over. So if you have any kind of sense, you’ll be ok.

Yup...back up the hill with the FEL in a "just above the ground" position.

Get you a bucket full of dirt or gravel and go for it.
That little 4WD tractor will go anywhere you want to go.

Yeah, I want to do manx on the trail and that would be a good way to go.

This^^^^^^ I have some steep hills I've traversed with a JD MX7 bush hog on back . I get a bucket full of dirt , stomp the diff lock and go out the top. I wouldn't back up a hill , tractor tires are made to go forward. Go forward , with a bucket full of dirt, keep the loader low , go straight up and down.

I watched my wife’s cousin drive a tractor up a steep trail, that the rain had rutted out some, coming up out of a food plot. The front end was up in the air nearly the whole time and he steered with brakes as well as the tires just following the ruts. Scared the crap out of me watching that.

I’ve got a Kubota L3301 4wd with FEL and filled tires. I generally prefer going forward up steep hills (which the tractor does well). In the old days before I had an FEL and 4wd I would go up steep hills in reverse but generally not anymore with the FEL and 4wd.

I think you will be fine as long as you have 4wd and an FEL will help.

Kubota l3400 hst with FEL I’ve taken up and down power lines and gas lines I shouldn’t have and it did fine. We have a m6800 shuttle shift with FEL I wouldn’t feel as safe going up or down mainly because of it being a gear driven tractor.

I went with sub compact on my extreme bush hogging because i felt it would be less scary. It still never failed to make me sick to my stomach for the first 15 min. There's times when the 4 ft bush hog felt like it was the only thing keeping the tractor from flipping backwards. yeah tire fluid, new ag tires and heavy front end weights. People do die from tractors. I like the hydrostatic but one time I got in yellow jackets and switched from turtle to rabbit speed but on a steep hill it won't let you do that and I went full speed down the mountain until my bush hog jacknifed some way at the edge of a cliff. I sure wouldn't want gear drive for that reason.