Buying Advice Friend needs to replace a Kioti CK30 due to rotary cutter "bush hog" weight

[JRH02]

That is heavier and shorter than my 5' Bush Hog BH115 ... Mine's 518. Lb and 96" long, before I hang it off my Quick Hitch on my SCUT ... I prefer to put some rocks in the bucket so I can steer better in certain circumstances ...

View attachment 4215589

From EA's website, only 5' they make now ...
View attachment 4215590

It helps to know your land and where not to go. It has front assist and can make you over confident. It's not an ATV.

 

[Sid Post]

He is looking at a 'Skid Steer mower now.

 

[Sportsman762]

He is looking at a 'Skid Steer mower now.

I hate to sound like the safety police, but I am concerned about this idea. Wheeled skidsteers are not great on slopes. Their short wheelbase makes them tippy. Tracked skidsteers do good on hills, however their low ground pressure also makes them prone to sliding on wet (freshly cut) grass. A 45 degree hill is damn steep, If it has a nice flat area to run out on after sliding down then I would not see a problem in trying one. However sliding down into a pond is dangerous. A skidsteer only has two egress points, both are easily blocked if the machine is upside down sinking into the mud. I have spent lots of time mowing hills in lots of equipment. I have slid down lots of hills too in everything from a zeroturn to a skidsteer to a backhoe. Have you ever been in a 2wd tractor and seen one wheel turning backwards as you go down a hill? Steering brakes are ment to allow you to steer up hill since the front is no longer terra bound. I have lots of experience with hills, but hills with water at the bottom require additional respect.

I hate to sound like a worry wart, but a skidsteer is a great way to multiply your chances of underwater entrapment.

Also is this a true 45 degree slope? If its 35 degrees and smooth then the options really open up for equipment. Its amazing how much difference 10 degrees makes.

 

[jyoutz]

The back of his dam for 14 acres worth of pond is about 45 degrees in terms of the slope.

Way too steep for a wheeled vehicle. That’s a tracked vehicle slope.

 

[jyoutz]

He is looking at a 'Skid Steer mower now.

Hopefully a tracked skid steer.

 

[Sid Post]

I hate to sound like the safety police, but I am concerned about this idea. Wheeled skidsteers are not great on slopes. Their short wheelbase makes them tippy. Tracked skidsteers do good on hills, however their low ground pressure also makes them prone to sliding on wet (freshly cut) grass. A 45 degree hill is damn steep, If it has a nice flat area to run out on after sliding down then I would not see a problem in trying one. However sliding down into a pond is dangerous. A skidsteer only has two egress points, both are easily blocked if the machine is upside down sinking into the mud. I have spent lots of time mowing hills in lots of equipment. I have slid down lots of hills too in everything from a zeroturn to a skidsteer to a backhoe. Have you ever been in a 2wd tractor and seen one wheel turning backwards as you go down a hill? Steering brakes are ment to allow you to steer up hill since the front is no longer terra bound. I have lots of experience with hills, but hills with water at the bottom require additional respect.

I hate to sound like a worry wart, but a skidsteer is a great way to multiply your chances of underwater entrapment.

Also is this a true 45 degree slope? If its 35 degrees and smooth then the options really open up for equipment. Its amazing how much difference 10 degrees makes.

The skid steer in question is a tracked model. I don't have a protractor, so ~45 degrees is a guess, not a scientific measurement. Also, he isn't mowing into the water, only mowing the backside of the dam. And yes, the base is reasonably flat.

 

[Sid Post]

Hopefully a tracked skid steer.

Yes, tracked.

 

[Sportsman762]

Also, he isn't mowing into the water, only mowing the backside of the dam. And yes, the base is reasonably flat.

I was imagining them mowing the front of the dam. The backside with a flat spot behind it is much safer. Worst case you end up like my neighbor with two broken ribs after rolling a wheeled skidsteer, sure beats the heck out of drowning!
A tracked skidsteer might work. I would be inclined to a ventrac / Steiner / Power Trac, as the cost per hour will be less and they are more stable and do not tear up the sod on the turns. Let us know what he settles on!