Need advice on mowing slopes

[ning]

I have a small area which has a similar steepness. I do up/down, kind of zig-zagging as I go so I mow up, then turn the wheel just slightly as I back up and keep mowing overlaps as I go up and down. Areas near the steepest part I do both up/down and around until it's too steep then the steepest only up/down; this mowing is with a riding mower which isn't particularly low to the ground. Worst case the grasses there get a bad haircut but I won't roll over like this.

Make sure the grass is nice and dry when you're there to avoid slipping; occasionally my mower doesn't want to stop when heading downhill so I prefer to face uphill.

 

[terraformer]

I would definitely use your 4wd tractor. Does it flatten off at the top. I doubt if a ztr has all wheel drive probably just two. Mow one direction up or down no turning on the hill. My farm has a hill like that goes about that angle outside of the fence. I use a rear mower.

 

[newbury]

I'd seriously look into a robotic mower or a remote controlled HF solution.
If

my knees are not up to doing it all with a walk behind

is a problem it could be money well spent.

/edit - For instance
How to optimise an Automower® robotic lawn mower installation for steep slopes | Husqvarna UK

 

[Deepdrop]

I've done a lot of reading about riding mowers and the manuals all list an amount of slope that is considered safe, and none of them consider anything beyond 15 degrees to be safe.
The robotic options are interesting, but I want to be able to do my entire yard with one machine.
I'm going to figure out what to plant on the steeper slope so that it won't need mowing.
I'll bring in dirt and get that less steep slope to 15 degrees or less.

All that remains is whether to go with a mid mount mower on my tractor, which feels like it would be the less maneuverable choice. Or to go with a riding mower, which would probably be easier to use. I'm considering rolling the dice and trying an electric. It would have less power, probably struggle a bit on the hills, but even a 30" cut is better than my walk behind. If I get talked into a gas rider, then I'll have another engine to maintain. Maybe then I'll come full circle and get the mid mount.
The good news is that you guys helped me realize there probably isn't a bad choice, just some compromises, depending on how much money I want to spend.
The most affordable electrics that are available are:

30" 50 AH Electric Riding Lawn Mower - RYOBI Tools

30" 50 AH Electric Riding Lawn Mower

www.ryobitools.com

https://www.cubcadet.com/en_US/electric-riding-mowers/xt1-lt42e/33ABA7ES710.html

Electrics ain't cheap...

 

[wawajake]

Do you have a rear pto and three point hitch on back of your tractor.....if so a third option is a rear finish mower, like I use on my small tractor , and back up the hill if feasible, I have a hill just like your back yard steep one. Only qualifier for any equipment, don't try it on wet or even dew covered grass .

 

[2manyrocks]

Home Depot occasionally offers substantial discounts on their Ryobi electric rider mowers. If you want one, you might set up an alert to check their daily sale specials, but I couldn't guess when they might put them on sale the next time.

I agree that some kind of ground cover is the best option for the steepest part of your yard instead of spending a lot of money on a slope mower just to mow that size of area.

edit: The 30" Ryobi was on sale for $2,299 on May 18, 2023. You might see if they repeat a sale some time early this May.

 

[Deepdrop]

I will definitely keep an eye on HD for a sale. Thanks for that suggestion.
I would love it if I could use a rear finish mower. I do have a 3 point hitch and PTO, but the layout of the land would make it really challenging to do. I'm not the most experienced tractor user, so I'll have a more experienced friend swing by and see if they agree. But there is just very little room to maneuver.

 

[ernemats]

Ryobi on sale now $2,000. off most electric riders

 

[Duds13]

I have a section on my property that my Ferris ZTR would probably handle but in my opinion it's just not worth the risk, so I mow it with my Scag 36" walk behind. All the weight is in the back on a ztr (unless you have weights on the front) and the front casters provide zero traction. Pretty easy to get yourself in a bad situation. If you can't do it with a walk behind I like the suggestion of planting some ground cover.

 

[CliffordK]

Ok, based on one of the videos above, I found a inclinometer for my cell phone.

I've got a few different slopes around here. One hill is around 15° plus or minus a little. I can generally find flatter areas at the top and bottom for maneuvering.

I try to avoid mowing it, but it has been mowed some with a variety of machines. Parts of it has a bit of a compound slope (based on orientation), but I try to avoid driving cross slope.

My Ford 1715 tractor with AG tires will drive up and down just fine. I have all 4 tires set to their widest setting. I've also mowed with a smaller John Deer rider which was OK.

My Toro 455d 4x4 struggles a bit going up with both power and traction.

One gets ruts if driving on it wet.

Ok, so if I was @Deepdrop....

I'd probably start with a rear mount brush hog or a flail on the Kioti CX2510 (which one is another discussion). Make sure the tires are set as wide as they'll go. Sometimes they can be adjusted. Also, fluid fill the rear tires. that'll help with your weight distribution.

If it is flat at the top and bottom of the hill, you can go in a circle turning in the flat area then heading back in the opposite direction.

If you can't turn around, then at first either drive forward up the hill and back down, or back up and drive forward down.

Your tractor looks like it has a pretty low center of gravity so you're probably ok even cross slope. Perhaps you could get either a center of gravity spec sheet or a cross slope rating from the manufacturer/dealer (with or without fluid in tires).

If you wish to try a zero-turn, then ask for a demo to take home and try it out with normal mowing conditions. Make sure you can mow with power going up the hill, and feel comfortable turning around.