Hilly Mowing - riding mower

[FlowRoll]

I have several hilly acres that I am maintaining at my house and am looking for recommendations on the best mower for it. The hardest part is a dam and the soggy areas near a drainage ditch downstream of the pond. I tried mowing it with my snapper ProZ front mounted mower but ended up sliding down the hill. I now mow it with an old Exmark Viking. The rest of my land is hilly but more manageable. The Snapper ProZ is pretty good but there doesn't seem to be enough weight on the drive wheels at times and loses traction pretty easily. I also don't like it when going across hills. The engine is behind the drive wheels and it feels like it wants to rotate with the back facing down. What is the best ride on mower for hills?

Thanks for any input you all may have!

 

[Teachu2]

I recently bought a Husqvarna GT48DLXS. It has a K66 transaxle with a locking differential that is engaged by the operator. Fantastic on steep hills with loose soil, even with my 280lb weight in the seat. Several threads on it in the Husqvarna thread.

If money is no object, the John Deere X540 would be comparable.

 

[FlowRoll]

Husqvarna GT48DLXS - looking it up now... thanks for the information.

 

[Teachu2]

They also make a 52" version. I have lots of obstacles, so I went with the 48".

 

[buickanddeere]

Make don't matter, tires do.

 

[Teachu2]

Make don't matter, tires do.

Make don't matter, components matter. My Deere L120, which had a strong Kohler Command engine paired with a K46 transaxle and ag-style rears, was weak on slopes. The Husky has a Kawasaki engine, a K66 with locking differential, and climbs every slope with authority - on factory turf tires, with my 280lbs in the seat. The wife mows across the hillsides with it. I am sure the Deere x540 with the upgraded Kawasaki, the K76, and the locking diff, would do the same. Mud might require ags on the rear.

 

[buickanddeere]

I swapped on ATV tires from the factory turfs on the old LX188. Would not know it was the same tractor. Climbs ditches and grades now that it used to either spin uphill or skid down hill.

 

[Teachu2]

That LX188 has a K61 transaxle and a water-cooled 17hp Kawasaki, doesn't it? Quality components, able to make use of the better traction provided by your more aggressive ATV tires. You took a great tractor and made it better for your environment. Put those same grippy tires on a lesser mower and you would not be as happy. I bet they would lead a K46 to an early death.

I do like the ATV tire idea, though. I wonder.....

 

[Coyote machine]

Husky 322T AWD articulating mower, with combi 103 deck. Cuts whatever I throw at it, up, down, sideways, no issues. Wet grass, dry grass, tall grass, it just cuts it without complaints and always in control.
Replaced my Scag Wildcat 60" deck ZT mower. Have lots of slippery slopes and hills. Scag was dangerous on many of them; either slide off cut line at random or lost control of front end- it just points to lowest point on hill and goes there on its own.

 

[9973720wb19]

I use a Toro Grandstand for my hills and trimming. it holds hills well side to side and pretty fast. plus you can bail if you get in trouble...which has not happen to me yet. You might want to demo one to see if it fits your needs. very small to store away as well.

 

[boggen]

everything below is about "pure traction" and getting more traction, some may or may not apply to all types of mowers/tractors.
--fill tires weight a fluid.
--add weight to oustide of tire rims
--add weight to rear of tractor.
--add weight to front of tractor
--swap out tires to R1 / AG / agriultural tires. or less small tires, then look at ATV / UTV tires.
--chains on tires.
--many times you can swap rims side for side (to keep same tread direction), but simply get a couple more inches of width of rear tires.
--pending on machine and tires. lower the air pressure in the tires. if need be toss some tubes in, and lower pressure more.

tires...
--there are wide fat tiers, R4 / industrial tires, and many times turf tires for tractors. these tires tend to set on top of the ground/grass and just spin out and get stuck.
--R1 tires, tend to be more pizza style tires in width. and end up sinking down through the ground and mud. and keeps on going. (more likely to make ruts on soft wet ground)
--some folks have went as far as adding "dully" to there mowing machine. (2 wheels side by side, on each side for rear tires)

AWD / 4x4 / MFWD more likely to keep you going.

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a tractor with FEL (front end loader), with a rotary mower on 3pt hitch, about only way a machine can back down the hills around lake. and then use the FEL. to help get backup the hill. more so when ya hit a wet spot, or a little rut, or rotary mower gets hung up on something.

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there are also "sickle mowers" were a bar flips out to the side.
there are some "pull behind mowers" for atv's/ utv's the mowers have there own engine on them. many of the have an "offset" abilty were you can adjust the tow bar, to swing the mower out to one side.
some folks have bought blades for rotary cutters to use them to cut grass, vs trying to cut larger taller weeds.

if hills are to steep, then you have self propelled brush cutters (larger meaner versions of a self propelled push mower for city folks lawns)

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sorry no direct help on any specific tractor. but maybe above some hints to look at, when looking at different machines.

 

[billymagg]

Husky 322T AWD articulating mower, with combi 103 deck. Cuts whatever I throw at it, up, down, sideways, no issues. Wet grass, dry grass, tall grass, it just cuts it without complaints and always in control.
Replaced my Scag Wildcat 60" deck ZT mower. Have lots of slippery slopes and hills. Scag was dangerous on many of them; either slide off cut line at random or lost control of front end- it just points to lowest point on hill and goes there on its own.

Yes, I'd have to agree about the SCAG, scary on hills, crosshills or up and down. Going up not to bad, angling up, not too bad,,, but once it started down hill there was NO stopping it short of full reverse on both levers, sometimes that didn't do it either. It was a 60 inch deck, with a 30 horse Kawi, light commercial, and boy did it love to slip and skid..

We had two John Deere F935s with 23 horse YanMar, and they were heavy but also had issues, my sons Exmark Lazer Z was a very pleasant surprise, plenty of power, and enough weight to maintain a contact patch, very handy, and with a 54 inch deck, it does not want to dig in and turn on those step ditchs, does have barred tires though.