[Live Oak]

In my book; NOTHING can take the place of my SOPSO (that's short for Seat Of Pants Sphinkter Operated) tiltmeter but these may be a good tool in assisting the inexperienced operator and probably all the rest of us as to giving a positive indication of "where the edge is" with respect to operation on a slope. It is always nice to have a "second opinion" to back up what the SOPSO meter is telling you. I used a slope or VSI (vertical situation indictator) countless times while flying helicopters and landing on slopes. They have their limits too and it ain't pretty when you exceeded them. Same principle applies here. Anyhow, thought I would pass this along for those who may not have seen of considered one of these.

click here

Who knows; maybe we can get them to come and support TF.com? :idea:

 

[leolav]

If you need one of those, chances are you shouldn't be operating the machine on a slope. It is a recipe for disaster to rely on just a titmeter. Experience is your best indicator. I always use the idea that if I feel like I gotta hang on, it is too steep and I should find another way to work on the slope.

Thankfully, I have a fairly flat yard except for one spot the I go up or down a steep spot.

 

[slipshod]

Come on Leo

Wheres your sense of adventure?From time to time it is good to live on the edge,lets you know you are alive.At least until you roll one over.

 

[Live Oak]

As I posted above, the SOPSO is the primary tiltmeter, however there may be some folks out there where this is there 1st tractor and have slopes as steep as mine to work on and cut.

Experience is not always the best indicator as an inexperienced operator may not even be aware of what the tractor's limits are as opposed to the operators limits. Failure to live through a negative experienc is not a desirable outcome. :thumbsup: As is the case in many instances with equipment; the equipment can readily exceed the limits of the operator, hence the indicators provided in many. If a 5 - 7 degree slope may considered a reasonable degree of slope to operate on for most; many of you may readily have a SOPSO that is already calibrated to sense that amount of slope. To the inexperiened operator this much slope may seem like an overwhelming amount yet it is safe to operate on. The tiltmeter gives such an operator a sense of where their limits are and where the tractor's are in graphic presentation and more importantly provide some sense of "fudge factor" or gradual indication of approaching a particular limit whether it be the operator's or the tractors. Or maybe the operator has chosen an arbitrary limit they wish not to exceed.

I can speak from my experience when the 1st time I had to land an 18,000 lb. helicopter full of grunts on a 12 - 14 degree slope. It scared the hell out of me and I thought the aircraft would roll over, but the mission required that it be done. Our training and limitations outlined in the operator's manual stated that 15 degrees was the allowable limit. The knowledge of this limit combined with the VSI indications allowed me to accomplish the slope landing safely even though my SOPSO was tweaking out over the limit and off the scale.

These slope indictors also provide a longitudinal orientation that can give the operator a sense of how much down hill is too much even when traversing the slope perpendicularly. If you have ever lost rear wheel traction on a down hill slope and had to ride it outto the bottom, you will understand what I mean. (ask me how I know??? :cowboy: :smiles: )

I don't have one of the tiltmeters on my tractor but I could see where a novice operator might benefit from one until their SOPSO is finely calbrated. :smiles: :clown: