Safe mowing on slopes

[Gary Fowler]

Looks like some tracks in the photos from sliding or spinning wheels, and looks pretty steep. I would back up the hill if I mowed it at all with a tractor.

 

[Gary Fowler]

Not much you can do when the turf breaks loose due to ground saturation. Best thing is stay off sandy soil when saturated with water regardless of what you are riding on or even walking on it can cause you some slip and fall.

 

[Jesse masterson]

Maybe for those areas you should invest in a low profile tav and a pull behind mower a lot less tippy Honda is proBley the best for low profile that's what I do leaver tractor for easier stuff to late to do something after the fact

 

[leonz]

I searched this but didn't find a good thread, though I'm sure it's here. I'd appreciate some advice. I have 18 acres to mow with a 2000 pound IH compact tractor, 25hp, Land Pride 1260 mower on the three point.

I have mowed my friend's property with a Gravely garden tractor and had no stability problems whatsoever. Then I mowed it with a zero turn and it got pretty dicey at the tops of hills when trying to turn. I've got a bunch of places where the tree line stops and the grassy part drops off from there, one is like an amphitheater, a big bowl, kinda. My tractor has a ROPS and I will sure use the seat belt, but I'm trying to avoid the OH NO feeling when the thing starts to tip at the top of the hill when I'm making a 90 degree turn.

Grew up on a farm driving a JD B that was tippy as heck. And 25 years ago, while an active volunteer fireman locally, I was second on the scene with the rescue squad on a well known and respected local farmer's property, where his sixteen year old son had rolled their tractor, I think an older Farmall, on top of himself on a hill. When I got there his Dad was holding him in his arms while the son died. Talk about leaving a lifetime impression.

So, not wanting to repeat that awful memory, could you pros give some tips on what to do and what not do do? I've got common sense but I'm still a little nervous about running a tractor and rear mower on slopes. Since I haven't done it before, I don't have the "seat feel" on this.

Seriously oversize R1 tires on the rear and new turf tires on the front, which really should be tri-rib or something else with better lateral grip. I am also installing a 300 pound weight box in front shortly.

So what's the safest way to do this? Thank you. Drew

Hello Drew,


The issues are the angle of attack and the center of gravity that youre tractor has on slopes up to 15 degrees.

There are hill side mowers specifically designed for mowing high angle lawns such as those located on college campuses and cementaries-(blame the form before function archtechts for this %^&*(*&^%$%^&*&^%$ idiocy.

You need and must have the following:

1. balance for and of the machine maintaining at all times the lowest posssible center of gravity below the maximum allowable angle of 15 degrees when traveling along slopes.

(this is eliminated when a prime mover travels backwards up a slope and then back down facing forward.


2. Adhesion to the slope to travel along said slope while mowing. this is affected by moisture level in the grass turf and the conditionof the sod and its moisture level.

Aids in traction to create adhesion include:

1.Loaded rear and front tires which increase the tractive effort.
a. high traction lug chains if fender clearance allows pewag - Weltweit führender Kettenhersteller
b. suitcase weights to aid in front wheel traction while backing up the slope.

2. dual rear tires loaded with ballast if possible.

3. mounting smaller front and rear tires on the tractor/prime mover to lower the center of gravity of the tractor/prime mover.

As you have a rear mounted finish mower the simplest methodology is to load the rear tires then add snow chains with the V cross chains and simply back up the slopes and drive down them as this permits the maximum amount of safety with your mowing needs.

 

[djohns3]

I am using a farmall 140 which is pretty tipsy on the hills I have. They are very steep, and I have not rolled it but came close. I agree with everyone who said that just a hole the size of a post hole will make you jerk around in your seat. I use the weed eater on a lot of places and a few of the places are rough for even a weed eater when the operator has a bad knee like I do.
So I just let the weeds grow on those hillsides
PS: I moved the wheels as far apart as they will go also, mine are adjustable

 

[MarkV]

do you have your rear tires loaded with liquid ballast

No, it's still pretty new to me and I was a little concerned about potentially adding 30-50% more weight to a 25hp 2000 pound tractor. I realize the weight isn't really "on" the tractor, but I'm thinking of mowing up gradual slopes and I'm already seriously pushing the limit with a 60 mower on a 21hp pto tractor.

I don't want to beat it to death but you would be amazed what difference it makes to load the tires. Like you said the weight is on the ground not the tractor and I don't think you would see much in the way of power loss. On my 21hp Kubota I never notice any power lose but sure noticed more stability and traction.

MarkV

 

[danceswithdirt]

Anyone certainly is justified in having concerns about the dangers of roll over. And dont put all your faith in a rops. Just went by kubota dealer to pick up an old sign he gave me when I bought the 7040. They had a cab off a new tractor in the shop. They had pulled out on the road with it and a car ran a stop sign, hitting the tractor at the rear and spinning it around and flipping it on its side. In the end rops did its job and the driver was ok but the rops was really messed up and crushed way over. Dealer said he really couldnt believe how much the cab gave.
Part of being safe in risky spots is experience. I work on slopes for a living and have to push equipment to their limits. But as I tell some of my customers its not nearly as dangerous for me as it would seem. You have to know your equipment and never hesitate or panic. I wont go on the more dangerous slopes with equipment Im not familiar with. If in a moment when you slide, lose traction etc, you have to think about the controls, its probably to late. Good Luck and stay safe.

 

[DABSGT]

Drew,
If your "gut" tells you it isn't safe don't cut with your tractor.
Stay safe

 

[Scooby074]

Load the tires. Go vertical.Stay in 4wd.

I mow 20*+- across the slope, but that's the max... And im very alert when i do it.

Something to consider, if you are really scared of the slope is a used Steiner or Ventrac machine. They are pretty amazing on slopes. There are videos on youtube to illustrate. I believe that one of the videos was done by a TBN member too.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_K52ljoWFj0&feature=list_related&playnext=1&list=SP449E140CC0000705]Slope Mowing with Ventrac - YouTube[/ame]

 

[NHmitch]

I have a very good solution for you, In Pennsylvania, they have ROPS Rebate Program. They pay for almost the entire cost of a certified ROPS. I live in New Hampshire, and it is the same program, and that is how I recently got mine. Anyone is eligible for them regardless of how big or small your tractor is, and what you use it for. You should seriously look into it!

Mitch

ROPS Retrofit Program for Pennsylvania Farmers

 

[daugen]

I really appreciate all the good advice. Always good to stay within one's personal comfort level and the capabilities of the equipment, assuming one really knows the latter. And yes, I will seriously consider loading the tires.
This is a 2wd light tractor with a ROPS, it is what it is. Perhaps if I add a fabric sunshade to the top it will help protect me? Just kidding...

I spent most of my life in different parts of the insurance business, including owning a small agency in my home town for many years, the only one in a once semi-rural area. And for a good bit of that time I was a first out responder with the volunteer fire company, which was a block from our office. My partner would drive one day and I would be on the back step (when it was allowed back then) and the next time I'd drive. And we would see the results of people getting in some pretty bad situations, like what I mentioned in the beginning of this post about this wonderful boy who died with a Farmall steering wheel in his chest.
This stuff can happen so fast....

Yes, I am nervous on slopes, but I hope safely nervous. When I was a going through fire training, I had to climb a three story building ladder with full gear on, swing over on to the roof, and keep climbing up. I hate heights, don't like to fly, etc, etc. You could have heard my knees knock a mile away that day, and every part of me was off the pucker chart. Yet it never bothered me entering a burning house, with flaming stuff falling on my head, pitch black, looking for the tell tale glow of the fire origin while crawling on one's knees. Didn't bother me a bit. But get me up high on a ladder, or in this case, heeled way over on a slope, well, this is just not my comfort area. So I work around it, and will use my other mower.

And I will try NOT to turn at the top of the hill, good advice here.
Think twice, mow once. And once I "learn" the hill, this will be just a memory. Thanks guys.

 

[flusher]

Measure the width W of the rear wheels (to the outside of the tire) and the height H of the axle centerline. The squat ratio W/H should be greater than 3.5 for stability on slopes. My 1964 MF135 diesel is a field tractor modified to squat low for use in an olive orchard and has a squat ratio of 4.15.



The normal rear wheels (28-36" dia) have been replaced by 16" dia rims carrying Goodrich 18.4-16A rubber (18" wide, 16" rim, 40" high overall) and the front axle spindles have been shortened to keep the tractor level. The front and rears are filled with water (no need for antifreeze around here since winter temps rarely fall below 32F).

My place is 10 acres of flat pasture so I haven't bothered to add a ROPS to the 135 (they're available aftermarket). If I had your situation, I'd consider a full roll cage like those on pulling tractors (unlimited category).

ROLL CAGE KITS

Cheaper than a trip to the ER. Better safe than sorry.

Good luck and be careful out there.

 

[woodlandfarms]

This is my ride. The machine is way stronger and more flexible than a ventrac.


[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QfmRuCLvg18&feature=youtube_gdata_player]Power Trac PT1850 Slope Mower - YouTube[/ame]

 

[rekees4300]

8 WHEEL DRIVE! :thumbsup:

 

[JimWells]

I am an engineer and am reviewing the design of a flod control levee where there is minimum room forothe levee. The proposed slope is 2:1 and I am not sure if a slope that steep can be mowed safely. I would appreciate your thoughs particularly if you have ever tried to mow a slope that steep.

 

[Mace Canute]

It's not the slope so much as the unit being used to do the mowing. There are companies that market mowers specifically for steep slopes such as Kut Kwick and Power Trac. woodlandfarms' Power Trac PT1850 Slope Mower will work on a slope up to 45 degrees...a 1:1 slope! (Nice unit btw, woodlandfarms.) There's also European mowers out there that are pretty neat too, like this remote control unit. Quatrak met klepelmaaier - YouTube

 

[NC tractor driver]

At the plant where I used to work we had one of these. SuperSlopeMaster: Commercial Steep Slope Mowers

It was not cheap, but it was reliable and truly amazing to watch it go cross slope.

 

[MarkV]

If I remember my math from many years ago a slope of 2:1 is 26.5 degrees. The smaller tractors we are generally talking about here are tested on a static tilt table to 20 degrees. I often see right of way mowers doing more than that. I think your on the edge for a normal tractor and mower. I know some of the highway mowing tractors are modified to have a wider stance and weighted for better stability. You might check with your DOT mowing department and see what they say. There is defiantly specialty equipment that could do it.

MarkV