Need advice on mowing a slope.

[Pete Judd]

Re: Need advice on mowing a slope

I mow a area behind the house that is in the 45 degree area. I have to be in 4wd for the breaking as the weight transfer is to the front wheels. I only mow facing straight down hill. Yes, I mow one row forward, then one in reverse, and it takes time. but I don't think that I would want the weight of the fel to take any more of the little traction off the rears on the hill. If I forget to put it in 4wd (only done this once), the tractor will slide all the way down, and that can get scary.

 

[RoyJackson]

Re: Need advice on mowing a slope

FEL's and slopes are a dangerous combination, suggest removing the FEL before mowing. It will cause less traction and stability problems.

With vegetation 4' high, I'd strongly suggest having the FEL on the tractor. As long as the bucket is low (10" off the ground, raise or lower as required), there won't be any stability problems going up and down slope (side slopes are quite a different story, however). Plus, the bucket can act as a "bumper" for anything hidden by the brush.
However, I suggest edrobyn leave the bucket empty. There's no advantage to adding weight...the bucket is heavy enough.

BTW, as others have written, do a walk through first for hidden dangers...also, check to see if the brush is wet down low (wet slopes and tractors definitely aren't a good combination!)

 

[zlock24]

Does the tractor have ag tires or turf tires, ag tires should work just fine, if you have turf tires I would deffinetly chain up before attempting the slope

 

[Jerry/MT]

How does a loader make a tractor top heavy if it is down near the ground? Just curious. I do have hills to mow also, but not that bad or that long.

The bucket is just one part of the loader. The main frame and mounts are heavier than the empty bucket and they remain pretty high even with the bucket on the ground thus the cg of the tractor + the loader is higher above the ground than the tractor alone. Raising the cg is destabilizing about the roll (longitudinal) axis. Going straight down the slope at a slow ground speed is probably the safest way to do what you propose. Avoid any quick turns on the slope.

 

[boggen]

i am with whistlepig, mow in reverse and go up the hill backwards. atleast this is always what i have heard. what you are suppose to do.

never try to change gears while on a steep slope. pushing the clutch in, and loosing control of rear wheels with breaks are on could be a problem. if you need to shift to a lower gear, do so at the very top before going down. make a swipe. if it is ok, then if you fill comftroable go up to next gear, if you think it is to risky, then do not push yourself or let others do so. saftey first.

staying in a low gear range, and if you do end up mowing from top to bottom. allows the engine compression itself help keep you slowed down vs relying on just rear brakes to slow you down.

when you are mowing in reverse going from bottom to top. the gas peddle. can help you maintain your speed. vs relying on engine compression alone and brakes to slow you down. with loader on front low to ground as possible. say 1 to 2 inches off of ground. if the rear tire does hit a rock. you will not do a back flip. vs if you were mowing from bottom to top and mowing forwards. primary goal is keep from loosing control in how fast you are going. then at same time keep yourself from rolling over.

1st gear and if you have low/hi gear options place it in low. and it may take ages to get it done. but it would give you your best control. and allow you possibly more reaction time. if you do hit a rock, or go into a hole. to do something vs roling tractor over.

 

[Smallplot]

My first question is why mow this slope? It sounds like it will not be used for anything, am I right? Weeds and grass can be a great environment for wildlife especially small game and birds. If you don't know about any holes, rocks, or ditches guessing this property is new to you. My suggestion would be a controlled burn when conditions are favorable. This would allow you to get a look at any hidden obstacles that may be there. Then you can mow it more often before the weeds and grass get too tall or find out you cant mow it at all.

 

[North Country]

Re: Need advice on mowing a slope

If you think the brakes will lock up and not be useful, I wouldn't mow it at all. Period.

I drive up and down a 45% slope weekly and am able to stop and reverse at any time - and that's on short grass. The thick brush should give you even more traction. If you're worried about the brakes, it must be :shocked: steep!

If your brakes won't stop you, it's too steep. I don't understand how any rationalization can get around that fact.

 

[SandburRanch]

I have a 1920 with 4WD and a FEL and a 5ft. bushhog type mower. I have a slope(I am not good at judging how many degrees it is). It looks to be about as steep or steeper than jinmans signature picture except about 300 feet from top to bottom. It is about 1 acre to mow and it is about 4 feet tall grass(weeds) and I can't see the ground so I can't see if there are rocks or holes. It is flat at the bottom and at the top of the slope so I know I will mow from top to bottom. Once I am at the bottom I can drive around the slope back to the top and take one swipe at a time. I already know that I need to be in the slowest speed and in 4WD. My question is should I have weight in the loader to aid in traction or would that make it worse? If not, should I have loader bucket turned toward the ground so if I should start to slide I could lower the bucket to help in stopping? I already have figured that once I start down the hill there will be no stopping with the brakes as they will probably lock up which will cause it to slide.

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QUOTE: I have a slope(I am not good at judging how many degrees it is).

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Rather than keeping yourself and the forum members in suspense about the angle of the slope, consider a string level for obtaining some numbers of the steepest slope and then the math/angle whizzes on the forum will have a race as to who can come up with an answer first. If the answer is (beeeep) incorrect, that person will be notified very shortly.:laughing:

If you are not familiar with string levels and too embarrassed to ask how to use them there are videos on google.:thumbsup:

 

[jinman]

Edrobyn, I'm going to suggest you back up that hill as others have suggested. That is exactly how I'd approach a steep hill where I didn't know for sure what was there. I hope you have lots of shear pins or a slip clutch though. Mowing where you don't know what is "lurking" in the grass is sure to produce a few hits with your mower. Be slow, be careful, and be ready to shut 'er down.

How I would approach your hill is to definitely leave the loader on. Having a bucket you can lower to the ground for stability is a big plus. Also, it keeps weight on all your wheels to add traction balanced against the cutter on the 3PH.

I would back the mower from the bottom up the hill in 25' segments. Back up and mow the first 25' and then move left or right and do that 25' until you have a 25' row mowed across the face of the hill. Next, do another 25' and work across the face. Repeat this over and over until the whole hill is mowed. That's lots of back and forth, but it's only the first time and will keep you in control as you explore the ground for the first time. After you have mowed the hillside one time, then the next time you can back up all the way to the top, but always be VERY CAREFUL when applying brakes as you go down the hill. If your tractor slides sideways and your backside starts to come around you'll end up in a very dangerous situation in a hurry. It is imperative that you keep your tractor straight at all times. That's why backing up the hill is so important. If you stall or spin while backing, carefully drive straight back to the bottom and either figure out why you spun or give it up for another day. When your wheels start spinning, very bad things can happen on a hillside. You mentioned my avatar. When I was going down that hill, I dug channels to hold my tractor and keep it from going side-to-side. That way I could dig and push the loader while keeping the tractor straight. You won't have that luxury on your hillside and 300 ft is a long way to go when you are out of control.:shocked:

 

[Gary Fowler]

Re: Need advice on mowing a slope

Most everyone is talking of stupidly steep slopes. The OP never indicated the real slope, just that it is a slope that he hasnt mowed. All good advice here for really steep slopes but likely his slope is not nearly as steep as folks here have concluded. He did say it has been mowed before. The best advice given is to start out by backing up the slope to see how well the tractor handles it. I would leave the FEL bucket on for extra front wheel traction but keep it low as previously suggested but not so low that it digs into the ground at the bottom of the slope. If the OP can back up the slope in 2 WD then it is not too steep to mow safely as long as he keeps the tractor pointed straight up and down the slope. By backing up the steepest portion first to get a feel of the tractor/slope, then mowing back down if everything went well on the backup portion, he should be safe. I have safely mowed a portion of my pond levee (prior to rebuilding the levee) that was 45 degree or morer by backing up to the top in 4 WD and sliding back down with the brakes locked. With the FEL on front and BH on rear, there is no way the tractor is going to end over and keeping it straight up and down the slope, it wont flip either. A lot depends on your feel for the conditions. My friend eats a hole in the seat of his pants when he gets on a 5 degree slope and my wife thinks almost level ground is scary on the lawnmower (she claims-maybe that is just her way of not using the mower) but highway mowers safely mow some very steep slopes. Take a look at some of them to compare to your area and then use proper caution and the good advice here to get the job done.
As for mowing side slopes, I find that if you start to slip sideways in the seat, it is a good indication that you should be mowing up and down.

 

[RoyJackson]

Re: Need advice on mowing a slope

Most everyone is talking of stupidly steep slopes. The OP never indicated the real slope, just that it is a slope that he hasnt mowed. All good advice here for really steep slopes but likely his slope is not nearly as steep as folks here have concluded...

You're assuming it's not steep...but you don't know.
I'm not sure what you consider a "stupidly steep slope", but that can vary quite a bit from one person to another as well as the equipment they're using.
Even a 10 degree slope on wet grass can be slick. And, if slick, it can be dangerous...

 

[North Country]

Re: Need advice on mowing a slope

Most everyone is talking of stupidly steep slopes.

Well, of course! The OP said his brakes wouldn't hold on the slope.

I have safely mowed a portion of my pond levee (prior to rebuilding the levee) that was 45 degree or morer by backing up to the top in 4 WD and sliding back down with the brakes locked. With the FEL on front and BH on rear, there is no way the tractor is going to end over and keeping it straight up and down the slope, it wont flip either.

If your brakes are locked, you have no steering. How do you keep it from going sideways when you're sliding downhill with locked brakes and suddenly one front wheel catches on an unseen root/rock/hole/who knows what hiding in the tall grass? With all that high weight (FEL and BH mounted) you'll spin and flip faster than you can crap your pants.

I drive on slopes I consider "steep" but anything where I can't start, stop & reverse is too steep for me.

 

[TripleR]

Re: Need advice on mowing a slope

When deciding whether or not to mow a "steep slope", I also consider the soil/turf damage done. If I am going to slide and my tires slip tearing up the ground/turf, I don't do it. I have found this can be mitigated by mowing under power going down a slope as opposed to going up; sometimes possible, sometimes not.

 

[Carykong]

I like Smallplots opinion combined with Jimman. Mow the lower portion if possible. Just let the upper portion go wild. Great wildlife perserve and a whole lot safer for you and tractor. Pictures?

 

[edrobyn]

Re: Need advice on mowing a slope

Thanks for all the good advice! Below is a picture of the land before anything was done to it. I know it looks rough. The hill between the truck and the tree line is what still needs to be mowed. From the picture it looks like a gentle slope that could be mowed from left to right but it is steeper than it looks from this angle and this is the only picture I have right now. I will probably go this weekend and do the string distance excersize to get an idea of the exact angle. I just bought this piece of land and the tractor and my pucker factor is still very high. Besides that I don't much care for pain or a damaged tractor.

 

[jinman]

Re: Need advice on mowing a slope

Edrobyn, I don't think you'll have any problem with that hillside as long as you back up it the first time. If you back up, you know you have enough traction on everything below you. The problems with slipping often happen right after a rain when we remember how it mowed when dry and pop over an hill to discover that with muddy soil or wet grass our traction is a fraction of what it was before and we go slipping and sliding down the hill. Remember, as long as you are rolling, you can steer, but if you lock up your brakes or your wheels are spinning and losing traction, you have no control and gravity will likely take your tractor sideways.

I agree completely with North Country. If your brakes won't stop you or you can't get enough traction to back up the slope, by all means stay away. Do not try driving forward up the slope. If something goes wrong or your engine stalls, you'll suddenly have less traction because of the design of your tires' tread and be rolling backwards. When you are backing up the hill and something goes wrong, you are going downhill in the forward direction and with the maximum holding traction of your tire tread design.

 

[TripleR]

Re: Need advice on mowing a slope

It is hard to fully appreciate how steep something is by a picture, but after I assured myself there were no hidden washouts or stumps, I would not hesitate mowing that. My preference, until I get a sense of the slope in person is to back up or drive down. I have even backed up slopes with an M8540 and 10' pull type cutter until I got comfortable with it. Be sure to cinch yourself in as I have literally hung from my seat belt on some hills.

 

[Gary Fowler]

Re: Need advice on mowing a slope

I have not seen anywhere in this post where the OP said his brakes wouldnt hold on this slope in fact he hasnt even had his tractor on the slope. He just mentioned about using his FEL as a brake in case his wheels started slipping.
My definition of stupidly steep is a slope that is so step that one would be stupid to even attempt it and no advice needed to approach how to do it other than the "hold my beer and watch this".
With regards to being unable to steer if your wheels are sliding, who in the tractor world has brakes on the front wheels. I dont know about you, but I steer with the front wheels, not the rear. If the rear wheels are locked up, you can still steer your tractor with the steering wheel like you normally do. You may slide down a stupidly steep hill, but if you keep your front wheels pointed downhill you will eventually arrive at the bottom with a good lesson learned on what is stupidly steep and what is safely steep.
From the photo we finally got, I dont see anything there that couldnt be mowed sideslope if you wanted, unless the photo is deceiving. I would still mow up and down however just because it is more comfortable in the seat.

 

[billybobjimmyjoejack]

I volunteer for a group that manages large (8 acres) fenced off leash dog parks in Washington state one of the parks has about one acre that is extremely steep and there is a fence at the top of the slope with no flat area and the bottom has a slight slope. I will not mow this area when it is wet (little traction even using the engine and 4 wheel drive to slow me down).
I use a flail mower and start by backing up the hill in 4 wheel drive low range with the mower disengaged then with the tractor still in 4 wheel drive and low range I shift into 1st gear and mow on the way down.

I have never mowed this hill with the loader on and don't recommend it to anyone, with the quick attach loaders that we are using there is no reason to carry around the extra weight (about 500 lbs). It creates extra wear on tires and front wheel drive components and it raises your center of gravity and you use more fuel carrying the extra weight.

From what you have stated in your post that you have a flat area at the top and bottom of your slope you should be able to mow up the face of the hill then drive across the flat at the top then mow on you way back down then drive across the bottom on the flat and mow on the way back up.
I would suggest that you walk the whole area and check for any hazards before you mow it the first time.

I mow using a Ford/New Holland model 1715 with a 5' VRISIMO flail mower.

 

[jinman]

Re: Need advice on mowing a slope

If the rear wheels are locked up, you can still steer your tractor with the steering wheel like you normally do. You may slide down a stupidly steep hill, but if you keep your front wheels pointed downhill you will eventually arrive at the bottom with a good lesson learned on what is stupidly steep and what is safely steep.

Gary, if you have a 4WD tractor with 4WD engaged and the back wheels are locked, at least one of the front wheels will also be locked. You must have a 2WD tractor or you would not have made that comment. Both rears and one front wheel locked and the other rolling on a downhill slope is a recipe for disaster. I still say the best test is that if you can't back up the hill with 4WD and differential lock engaged, just drive away and leave the hill to grow naturally. It ain't worth killin' yourself to prove a point. However, like TripleR, I don't see a problem with the OP's hill in his photo, but would still recommend backing up the first time he mows it.