This Bank is KILLING Me….

[Mountaineer67]

This hill is killing me. A little steeper than it looks. I have a JD 1023 - not enough juice for a boom mower or a flail. You can see I have easy access from the top. Been weedeating this mess for five years.

What if I took tow behind mower like you use with an ATV - hitched it to the back of the 1023 - and just backed up to the edge letting the mower drop down over the bank? Put a bit longer extension on it if I needed to. Then work my way across up and down. Is this a really smart idea or a really stupid one? I’ve been known to have both kinds.

 

[ljjhouser]

Might work, but more likely to be a bigger headache. And it does look steep in the distance. Might try to take the road crew (highway maintenance) some refreshments and ask them to cut that. Looks like a state highway. Seems like they cut places I wouldn't even attempt.

Oh, by the way, when I clicked on this, I expected to see a "Bank Building." I thought - Oh no, someone is being cheated by the bank. Made me smile.

 

[cqaigy2]

No solution, but you did a good job on capturing how steep that is and it looks pretty steep. What's it look like if you leave it alone?

 

[Mountaineer67]

No solution, but you did a good job on capturing how steep that is and it looks pretty steep. What's it look like if you leave it alone?

Pretty horrible.

 

[ljjhouser]

In the long run, it may be cheaper to have a dozer remove the crest and contour a more gentle slope. Might even give you a couple loads of dirt to also use.

Oh forgot, Welcome to TBN.

 

[bmaverick]

View attachment 753705

This hill is killing me. A little steeper than it looks. I have a JD 1023 - not enough juice for a boom mower or a flail. You can see I have easy access from the top. Been weedeating this mess for five years.

What if I took tow behind mower like you use with an ATV - hitched it to the back of the 1023 - and just backed up to the edge letting the mower drop down over the bank? Put a bit longer extension on it if I needed to. Then work my way across up and down. Is this a really smart idea or a really stupid one? I’ve been known to have both kinds.

My YM2610 is similar in size to your JD1023, with the exception to having larger rear wheels. Basically my machine is a JD850/950.

I had a bank at my old place so much like yours. With a JD261 rear finish mower, I never went up nor down the bank and never horizonal because the incline was pitched more than the safety angle to do so at 12-degrees. I was not going to attempt to test out the ROPS.

So, how did I mow a bank like this? Simple angled strip nearly like horizontal. Personally, I didn't come up with mowing method. The county mowers banks like this with JD and Kubota machines. I've watched their techniques with machines the same size as mine before even attempting the feat.

Start at the base and mow upwards at a slant. Then in slow reverse back down, align for the next pass and mow again at the mating slant. Make sure to have the proper weight up front. It makes the work so much better. Do not rely on a loader on the front because for a slope like this, it changes the center of gravity on your machine to the unsafe approach.

 

[Citydude]

Do you have a rotary cutter? I used to back up grades like that with a 6' cutter behind an L3400 when I contract mowed. Looking at the picture though that would put you in traffic at the bottom. You would need a chain for the top link and R1 tires.

 

[bmaverick]

In the long run, it may be cheaper to have a dozer remove the crest and contour a more gentle slope. Might even give you a couple loads of dirt to also use.

Oh forgot, Welcome to TBN.

I really like that idea so much better.

 

[Diggin It]

How much linear distance?

There are robot mowers similar to robot vacuums, but they're not cheap.

Dozing it back might be an option if there aren't any utilities to deal with.

 

[bmaverick]

How much linear distance?

There are robot mowers similar to robot vacuums, but they're not cheap.

Dozing it back might be an option if there aren't any utilities to deal with.

I like the robot mowers too, but they are not all that good if the grass got way taller on that slope.

It would need to be a robot mower with good gription wheels too. Looking at the grass stubble, the robot would have issues.

 

[Eagle1]

Depending on how deep the ditch at the bottom is, I could mow it up and down with my BX and belly mower. Just have to quick on the lever to raise it as you crest. Low 4x4 it is amazing what it can do. I can't do the water side of my dam (Big rocks and 20+ foot of water there) and tried the tow behind mower over the edge but it not worth the trouble IMHO. I do mow the backside up and down. 30+ slope most of time but some top sections are near vertical. Just drop off and catch it on the slope. No safety police needed been doing it for 15 years, easy now - scary until all overgrowth was cleared and run off area leveled and cleared.
NOTE -- No loader on the tractor while mowing.

If were close to me in MO I'd let you borrow it to try. Just got an LS Tractor and might modify the mower to hang from the Backhoe to see if that works any better. It's a ATV tow behind finish mower, I got a deal on.

 

[Midniteoyl]

Have a bank like that but steeper on one end. I end up using a self-propelled push mower and go at a semi angle up and down. Gives me some exercise at least

 

[Mountaineer67]

My YM2610 is similar in size to your JD1023, with the exception to having larger rear wheels. Basically my machine is a JD850/950.

I had a bank at my old place so much like yours. With a JD261 rear finish mower, I never went up nor down the bank and never horizonal because the incline was pitched more than the safety angle to do so at 12-degrees. I was not going to attempt to test out the ROPS.

So, how did I mow a bank like this? Simple angled strip nearly like horizontal. Personally, I didn't come up with mowing method. The county mowers banks like this with JD and Kubota machines. I've watched their techniques with machines the same size as mine before even attempting the feat.

Start at the base and mow upwards at a slant. Then in slow reverse back down, align for the next pass and mow again at the mating slant. Make sure to have the proper weight up front. It makes the work so much better. Do not rely on a loader on the front because for a slope like this, it changes the center of gravity on your machine to the unsafe approach.

View attachment 753712

I love this but jeez the thought of doing this makes my nuts crawl. I was doing a slope with a JD 125 mower with a souped up tranny one time and did a complete somersault. Not my best moment. And hills have made me nervous ever since.

 

[thclimer]

Have a bank like that but steeper on one end. I end up using a self-propelled push mower and go at a semi angle up and down. Gives me some exercise at least

This was my first thought as well, unless the bank is 1,000 feet long I'd bet what is pictured could be mowed with self-propelled 22" wide walk behind mower in about 20 minutes or less.

The next best solution is 10 gallons of Roundup once a year...... LOL.

 

[RjCorazza]

After 20 years of cutting a 28-30 degree bank, I have finally decided to let the steepest section go semi wild. I'm planting cone flowers over about 60' of a 60x40' section. The rest has been cut with a 36" hydro walk behind, which worked well with moderate effort over the years.
I have recently modified my backup diesel zero turn with loaded ag tires and rear wheel spacers. I now cut the bank with this machine.

Re: dragging a mower up and down... I've seen videos of people doing this with push mowers, and other than taking a lot of time it seems to work.

 

[MossRoad]

I’d plant some ground cover or day lilies and never mow it again.

 

[bcp]

Ideas:

Boom type bank mower

Just finished my winter project. I have used it for a total of 5 hours and it works better than I had expected. Looking forward to using it again this weekend. It is powered by a 4 horse two cycle engine. The deck has a 21" cut. My wife calls it a weed wacker with a seat.

www.mytractorforum.com

Bruce

 

[Mountaineer67]

This is freaking AWESOME.

 

[Torvy]

I’d plant some ground cover or day lilies and never mow it again.

View attachment 753728

This is a great idea.

“The green reed which bends in the wind is stronger than the mighty oak which breaks in a storm.” ― Confucius​

 

[MossRoad]

This is a great idea.

“The green reed which bends in the wind is stronger than the mighty oak which breaks in a storm.” ― Confucius​

Better to press shirt than press luck - Porky Pig