What's the risk factor of Cubs overturning backwards?

[mike758]

I know that a pretty big risk factor for the older tractors is overturning backwards, and I know that they make ROPS kits for the Ford 8N. However though, I haven't heard any stories of a Cub overturning and I see that there are no ROPS kits available for it. I know anything is possible, but I was assuming that since the Cub is a smaller tractor, maybe the weight is distributed more evenly between the front and back than bigger farm tractors. I'm not afraid to drive it, it's just something I wanted to keep in mind. The first time I ever drove it, I actually popped a wheeley because the clutch grabs a lot quicker than my pickup truck. The tractor didn't flip though

[Super A]

I know that a pretty big risk factor for the older tractors is overturning backwards, and I know that they make ROPS kits for the Ford 8N. However though, I haven't heard any stories of a Cub overturning and I see that there are no ROPS kits available for it. I know anything is possible, but I was assuming that since the Cub is a smaller tractor, maybe the weight is distributed more evenly between the front and back than bigger farm tractors. I'm not afraid to drive it, it's just something I wanted to keep in mind. The first time I ever drove it, I actually popped a wheeley because the clutch grabs a lot quicker than my pickup truck. The tractor didn't flip though

Yes it will roll over backwards if the hitch point is too high.

Al

[John *.?-!.* cub owner]

A cub will come over backwards, but not near as easily as the older rigs with steel wheels such as Fordsons, etc. Due to the lower horsepower and lighter weight it will mostly spin out or lose power before it reaches that point, but not always. There are exceptions, such as carrying a heavy implement on the rear, such as a weighted disk or a Howard Rotavator and going up a steep grade at the same time. Under those circumstances, the implement should be carried as low as possible so if the front starts up the implement will hit the ground removing the rear weight pulling it over.

I have a good example of getting a surprise though. One spring I still had the chains from plowing snow installed and was cleaning a ditch along the road to our farm. I was going up a moderate grade using the rear mount disk plow, which works great for this type of thing, since the disk normally just rolls over a root or embedded rock and goes on. I was running about 1/3 throttle in 1st when the disk plow blade caught a rock and for some reason hung rather than rolling around it. Before I had time to react the right front wheel was about 5 or so inches off the ground, I didn't have time to lean over to look at the left one. When doing that type of work I always ride with my left foot about a half inch above the clutch, and when the tractor stopped moving and started up that through my weight forward and my foot pushed the clutch in and the front came back down. I backed up enough to clear the rock and drove home, then called the wife to get a small prybar from the shed so I could get myself loose from the seat. Never drove that tractor without a seat cushion since.

[Mike in Louisiana]

To what was said above. Be sure to keep the lift side of tractor on the up side of any hill as it will turn over real easy. BTDT !!!!

[Eugene]

Was towing a trailer up the steep incline from the lower area on the acreage to the hill top. Front tire hit a rock or rough spot and the front of the Cub bounced up.

I have added about 40 lbs of weight to the tool bar bracket on the front of the Cub and now shift into low gear and idle up the incline.

My Cub does not have the toggle brakes. Braking is more of a problem then the potential for flipping the tractor over backwards.

[SONNY]

Back flip don't excite me, BUT side rollover does!! thanks; sonny

[gitractorman]

As others have said, the cub will definitely flip over backwards, but it's pretty hard to do. I saw someone run one straight up a giant oak tree in my grandfathers front yard one time. The kid was mowing and just didn't pay attention to where he was going. The tractor hit perfectly straight on to the tree (about 3-feet in diameter) and the tractor just turned straight up, then sat and wobbled on the rear tires until it choked out and died. It was pretty funny, threw the kid right off the back, but it didn't flip over on him. I'd say he was pretty lucky, because another inch or two and it would have flipped over, but I think because the tree was so wide at the bottom, the rear tires couldn't get forward enough to bring the front end on over.

As Al said, you can do it by hitching something to it too high, like trying to pull shrubs or tree stumps, but again, it will typically loose traction and just spin the rear tires before it brings the front end up. I've pulled some pretty heavy stuff with my Cubs, including my 3000-pound Sea Ray boat, but I always hitched right to the drawbar and never had a problem. One time I had about 3 tons of gravel on my 16-foot landscape trailer, and pulled it out back with my Cub, to move the gravel to my patio, and the Cub didn't have any trouble. There again, the trailer was hitched to the drawbar and I was on flat ground, but it gives you an idea of Cub can do without a problem.

[Dennis]

An example from one of our members a few years ago: viewtopic.php?f=33&t=31823

[Matt Kirsch]

Cubs came and went well before the ROPS regulations caught up. Did you know that in the last year of Cub production, 1979, a ROPS was not required on a tractor as large as ~75HP, weighing almost 5-tons (i.e. the 786)? Now you can barely get a lawn mower without a ROPS, and I'm sure that's coming.

Of course you're not going to see a commercially available, certified ROPS for a Cub. The requirements for certification and liability would make the ROPS cost more than most Cubs are worth, and demand would be limited.

Anyone who built a "non-certified" ROPS for commercial sale would be a fool; they may as well hand the first customer in line $1,000,000, and close the doors. They'd be money ahead.

[jljmonky]

Grand dad (whom I never knew due to an ealry health related death) rolled one on a hillside and bent the steering support to get out from under it... And since I learn things the hard way I was pulling a stump with mine and had the front end every bit of 2ft off the ground. I don't know that she would have pulled all the way over but by golly she tried.

[inairam]

There is also the stupid and beer factor.

viewtopic.php?f=1&t=92042