Buying Advice Advice on mowing sloped, rough terrain ("ride on brushcutters")

[TedReese]

Check your area rental yards and see if they have one of these ride on brush mowers. I was surprised a few months ago when I went to my local rental yard for a trencher and they had one of the Orec mowers out front. It would be nice to get a test drive before committing.

This of course assumes there is a rental yard on your island or you have a way to bring one back and forth on a ferry.

 

[Creamer]

If you want to go low cost but really decrease your mowing time purchase a used heavy duty commercial walk behind 48-60". Equip it with an Ag tire and heavy blades.

it will charge through anything, is low to the ground so no danger of tipping and very manueverable.

I am not sure how much of your ground is steep but this will take care of it. When I used to live in Cincinnati I had a neighbor that had a 2.5 acre yard that was all very steep - most barely walkable up and down. He mowed it sideways with some type of cleats to keep from sliding down but the mower did not have an issue. He also put a 2 cycle motor on his mower because 4 cycles did not lubricate well always being tilted like this.

You could also purchase a mower for your UTV for the more level ground.

 

[prs]

Dualie Ventrac with tough cut.

prs

 

[Chris616]

Thanks for that info about the ride comfort, Eric. My wife wants to take over some of the mowing from me, so I was concerned about how rough it was.

Plowhog - AxleHub may be referring to the Dixie Chopper shown in the video link below. I had seen this some time back and thought it looked like an interesting possibility, but I've never seen it on the company website. The video is five years old, so perhaps sales were poor or there were some product issues and it was withdrawn from sale.
[url]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMUqowrKcko[/URL]

zmountaineer - Thanks for that confirmation. I have few doubts about the dual-wheel Ventrac. My only real issue is the cost. The Canadian dollar rises and falls with the price of oil. I should have bought a Ventrac 4 years ago when the two currencies were at par, instead of now when the Canadian dollar is worth US$0.76. It's a good time for US tourists to come to Canada, though.

Ted - That is very good advice for anyone in the USA considering the purchase of a ride-on brushcutter, but I can't find any rental shops in my province carrying them. OREC America has been targeting rental shops for sales, which is a good idea, IMHO. I've considered renting a OREC brushcutter in WA state (which is only ten miles away, as the crow flies), but stopped when I thought about convincing the border control officers in both countries that I wasn't exporting this unit from the USA just to import it again a day or two later.

Creamer - low cost isn't my primary concern. Safety and reducing mowing time are. A 48-60" cutting width implies a finish mower, but I'm cutting 10" high "grass". I already use a 26" cut walk-behind brushcutter, which cuts anything I try but won't handle the steep slopes. I know that in some places if my feet slip that the machine is going for a tumble. I wasn't too concerned about that for experimentation purposes because I wasn't going to be injured, but the machine wouldn't fare well, so that's not a viable long-term solution. Eventually I would slip and it would tumble down the hill.

 

[Creamer]

Any high capacity deck 48-60" should handle 10" high grass and weeds with no issue.

If you are worried about walking it you sure do not want to be riding a machine on it. I don't care what machine it is.

 

[RSKY]

You left out one thing. How much do you want to spend. Some people here are recommending machinery that cost $30000+ to tend just a few acres.

Personally, being a rabid cheapskate, I would get a CUT of the orange color. Either orange color though I am partial to the Korean variety. A small one with four wheel drive and a brush cutter should get you out for about $15000.Then take your time and mow downhill with the 4wd engaged. It might take you a little longer than the specialty machines but look at all the fun you will have and all the money you will save. Plus you can add other attachments as needed. And if your wife is like mine she will end up using it every couple of days to haul a bag of this or a large flower pot or whatever.

A CUT with a front end loader is one of the most useful tools invented by man.

RSKY

 

[SpringHollow]

I certainly mow areas with my setup where I would not be real comfortable walking behind something like a DR Brush Mower.

The thing to do is to put on your crystal ball and try to predict what you would like this to do. There is a huge difference in capabilities between a dedicated mower and something like the PT and the Ventrac. I use my PT more for non-mowing jobs than for mowing. I would have never predicted that it would be about 5% mowing and 95% other stuff. But it is amazing how handy forks, buckets, lifting booms, snow plows, stump mowers, box blade, rear blade, back hoe, grapple bucket etc become.

I have owned 4 different CUTs before owning the PT and they were not very usable off of my driveway due to the slopes and also how the front wheels dug into the wet ground. No way I personally would use any of those CUTs on 30 degree slopes. But then I am a wimp and prefer to live. But I also would not use a PT for traditional farming. A CUT makes much more sense there.

So, if all you will ever want is a fun slope mower, get a fun slope mower. If you do lots of maintenance and projects around the property, you might want to consider something more capable. There is one huge negative of something like a PT with attachments though - you become real popular with the neighbors.

I waited to buy used which was a long wait but a new 1430 is $17K plus attachments which is a very reasonable price for the capability but only if you want/need those capabilities.

Ken

 

[AxleHub]

Some thoughts on posts on this thread:

1. TRUE slopes of 25 and 30 degrees may be considered "climbable" but they are not walkable, and certainly walk behind self powered equipment needs assistance in working on such sloping TRUE 25 and 30 degree slopes (in other words you either have to help with traction in pushing or in considerable effort keeping the mower straight. And these opinions are made under normal grass/turf conditions and heights. 10 inch grass is not normal - nor does it allow for the same level of traction or footing as normal turf smoothness. "Can you walk behind" cut 25 and 30 degree slopes - depends on how far afield you want to define the word "safely".

2. For many years I've cut TRUE 20 and 30 degree slopes - both when the land was undeveloped - and when it was fully developed. Going downhill in a walk behind situation is as dangerous as going uphill but for different reasons. In my opinion it is not reasonable in any manner - to assume a walk behind is a safe, consistent, and convenient long term solution unless the length of that slope (up and down) is less than 25 feet or so - and that goes for 30 years old or 60 years old.

3. There are many slopes and sidehill slopes that are safer and easier to do with a quality mower or sub-compact tractor compared to a walk behind and when you are describing 10 inch grass and non-level ground - its even more true. But I wouldn't try the same slopes or sidehill slopes with a compact tractor - that I would with a sub compact - because a sub-compact is closer to the ground - as is the driver. Those 2 items being closer to the ground means a lower center of gravity and a resulting better traction (assuming proper turf oriented tires).

4. Besides products like the Dixie Chopper XCaliber 4 x 4 - there are also some unique ground care mowers like the Toro ride-behind zero turn "stand up" units, or the Cub Cadet I series I1050 zero turn tractor (that I also have). Each of these units is also low slung and low center of gravity and designed for slopes.

My point is - if you have TRUE 25 and 30 degree slopes you aren't near as cocky in cutting them - because each and every time you do it - you know you can't be careless or "casual" about it. Many friends have looked at my slopes and thought they were 40+ degree slopes - because recognizing actual steepness is something for slope levels - not visual for most people. And 60 to 80 foot long slopes is a much different story for regular mowing also than 250 foot lengths.

I'm not a know-it-all on slopes - but I've had my share of slips and "almost lost the mower or a foot" or watched 25 year olds struggle carrying a bucket of something on a steep slope, to know today's traction is always changing. My Massey sub compact with turfs and my Cub Cadet I1050 both cut very well and very safely on steep slopes and sidehill situations without hurting the turf - but its NEVER an "automatic" process or a "phone it in" performance. My goal is to live longer than my equipment and with all my implements properly attached LOL.







By the way in case you are wondering - no - I don't cut with the fel and bucket on

 

[plowhog]

A shop near me rents the Orec track mounted walk behind brush cutter. I intend to rent one to try on some small slopes. But the acreage size of my slope above the pond, slope near the yard, and the quantity of fruit trees to mow under kind of rules out a walk behind. Just too many square feet of mowing for a unit with a small cutting width.

I wish there was a way to try out a Ventrac, PowerTrac, or some of the other machines mentioned here. They all look shiny and capable in the brochures and video. But for the cost of each, you don't want to buy the wrong unit and regret it. Unless you can at least see one in person, or better yet try it, its an obstacle to making a purchase decision.

 

[zmountaineer]

I wish there was a way to try out a Ventrac, PowerTrac, or some of the other machines mentioned here. They all look shiny and capable in the brochures and video. But for the cost of each, you don't want to buy the wrong unit and regret it. Unless you can at least see one in person, or better yet try it, its an obstacle to making a purchase decision.

That's an easy one for ventrac....all the dealers do demos on site. Call them up, they'll bring one to you with any attachments you may be considering.

 

[Chris616]

Thank you for the insights, gentlemen. You have a wealth of knowledge.

When I decided that the DR walk-behind wasn't a mowing tool that I could use when my physical abilities declined and I started looking for something else that would handle the slopes and would also be easy/safe enough for my wife to use I found three slope mowing solutions that I had no previous knowledge of:
- The Ventrac, Steiner, Power Trac multi-tool tractors.
- Remote controlled single-use slope mowers.
- Ride-on single-use slope mowers like the Orec, Grillo, AS-Motor and Canycom.

The reasons that I started this thread were:
- Ask if there were any other slope mowing technologies that I hadn't unearthed in my Internet research, and;
- Ask if anyone has North American experience with the AS-Motor 940 Sherpa to get an idea about dealer/distributor support.

The thing about Internet forums is that someone might response to this thread some long time into the future, but right now nobody has suggested some other mowing solution that was unknown to me. I guess that shows that you really can find everything on the Internet (I'm starting to forget the days when we had to go to a bank, or travel agent or a library to get things done or find information). We haven't heard from anyone with direct North American knowledge of the available ride-on slope mowers, so probably users of those tools aren't participants in a tractor forum. I'll ask the distributor to put me in touch with some customers directly.

I can find no RC mowers that will cut at least a three foot wide swath at a price comparable to machines that need the operator on board, so for now they are not a viable solution.

If we did not have our UTV with front mounted bucket, pallet forks and snow blade accessories (and had the experience of such a tool), I'd buy one of the Ventrac, Steiner, Power Trac solutions. On a property like ours we really need something to move stuff around (tow the trailer full of firewood, use the pallet forks to bring the generator up from the "barn" when a storm takes the power out, use the bucket to move mulch, wood chips or gravel from the piles in our "utility area" to where they are needed). I would never have bought a snow blade, since we moved here to escape the snow, but it came with the machine and I have used it once to clear our dead-end road for all the neighbours from the "once-in-a-decade" snowfall.

Since we have the UTV I'm leaning towards the ride-on brushmower as the solution. I had thought that the Canycom CMX227 was the one to get, because it was available in Canada, but then I sat on it and discovered the awkward operating position. So until I can drive (or at least sit on) the AS-Motor Sherpa I'm not going to buy one.

Again, thank you everyone for your input.

Chris

 

[plowhog]

I'd also like to see or sit on an AS-Motor Sherpa. I contacted Ventrac and, as reported here, they are willing to bring a unit to my property for a demo!

 

[woodlandfarms]

Hey Chris

I am spending the summer in Vancouver working on this show. Lovely city, but is it changing fast. I also live down in Portland area. If you want to try out a PT, more htan happy to have you visit. Not sure if there is one north of me.

The one thing is that that may not be clear, the PT is not a mower. It is a multi tool machine. About the only thing it cannot do well is ground engagement (Basically plowing or major earth moving). I have buckets, post hole diggers, box blades, rakes, stump grinder, mower, tons of implements. the problem with what you are looking at in my opinion is that it will only do one thing. I personally don't have the coin to have specialized equipment for each job.

Also, Europe has some great inventive ideas for mowing. Not sure why the US does not (My instinct says that many of those EU companies are supported by the goverment in one fasion or another). But if you do find a distributor for the machines in question let us know. WOuld love to see one in person as well.

 

[RSKY]

Here is your solution. Even available with a brush cutter deck.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3aICIlu59A&feature=youtu.be

Did not look to see how much they cost.

RSKY

 

[SpringHollow]

Made in America, look pretty nice, their mowers start at $18,500. It looks like a lot more to go wrong but has some nice features.

Ken

 

[Creamer]

Here is your solution. Even available with a brush cutter deck.

Altoz TRX - Go Where Others Can't - YouTube

Did not look to see how much they cost.

RSKY

I know it shows them turning 180 degrees but those tracks have to tear up turf.

 

[Steppenwolfe]

Here is your solution. Even available with a brush cutter deck.

Altoz TRX - Go Where Others Can't - YouTube

Did not look to see how much they cost.

RSKY

OMG... I want one... Amazing machine.

 

[Chris616]

Hey Chris

I am spending the summer in Vancouver working on this show. Lovely city, but is it changing fast. I also live down in Portland area. If you want to try out a PT, more htan happy to have you visit. Not sure if there is one north of me.

The one thing is that that may not be clear, the PT is not a mower. It is a multi tool machine. About the only thing it cannot do well is ground engagement (Basically plowing or major earth moving). I have buckets, post hole diggers, box blades, rakes, stump grinder, mower, tons of implements. the problem with what you are looking at in my opinion is that it will only do one thing. I personally don't have the coin to have specialized equipment for each job.

Also, Europe has some great inventive ideas for mowing. Not sure why the US does not (My instinct says that many of those EU companies are supported by the goverment in one fasion or another). But if you do find a distributor for the machines in question let us know. WOuld love to see one in person as well.

That's very generous of you to offer to host a visit, Carl. Thank you. Your PT-1850 is too big and expensive for me to justify for my modest two acre mowing job, so taking a look at it might just make me envious

Yes, I understand that the Power Trac, Ventrac and Steiner tractors are multi-tool carriers. As I wrote in my last post, if I didn't have an attachment equipped UTV (bucket, blade, forks) I'd be leaning towards one of these machines.

The North American distributor for AS-Motor has told me that he intends to set up a demo in the Vancouver area this summer. If that pans out I'll add an update to this thread to let you know.

 

[Chris616]

Here is your solution. Even available with a brush cutter deck.

Altoz TRX - Go Where Others Can't - YouTube

Did not look to see how much they cost.

RSKY

Thanks for this RSKY. I've looked at videos and manufacturer info on the TRX before and I agree that it is an interesting option. It should have better side-slope stability than a traditional zero-turn. As you mention it is also one of the few zero-turns that the manufacturer sells with a deck not intended for lawns. The downsides from my point of view:
- Altoz doesn't have any dealers in Canada, although they told me last month that they're working on this.
- Although I intuitively think that it should be better than a normal ZT on slopes I haven't seen any proof of that. It would be nice if there was standardized testing for slope stability for products here in North America.
- This product is just being introduced, so I can find very few user reviews of it.
- With new technology like this I imagine that there will be a few problems that will need to be overcome, so I'd be reluctant to buy the first model year or two.

 

[plowhog]

That Altoz TRX looked very interesting!