ZTR on hills, are they pretty safe?

[Steve_S]

I just ordered a JD EZtrak Z445 w/54" deck. I have about 2.3 acres I'll be mowing, mostly flat. But there is one spot in my yard that is relatively steep right along our driveway. I'm not good at guessing the degree of slope, but if I had to I'd say a 25 degree slope maybe. I would like to hear about some experienced ZTR owners and how their mowers act on slopes and what strategy they use when mowing them so I can prepare myself and not end up squashed.

I had a 3ph finish mower on my BX2200, but I didn't like the quality of cut so I sold it.

Any thoughts appreciated.

 

[J_J]

First question I would ask, does it have ROPS? There are some hills you could cut at that angle, and probably steeper, but it is dictated by the machine in use, and the ability of the operator to exercise good judgment. If you read back in my post about my Dixie Chopper accident, you will get an idea of what can happen. I had extra 40 lb on the front to keep me from flipping backward when cutting a steep hill. I was not using ROPS. at that time. A roll over on a non ROPS machine can kill you real quick, or hurt you real bad. It is also about how long the grade is, 6 ft, or 50 ft. At the top of a 50 long grade at 25 degrees in wet grass, it might just give you a downhill ride that you will not forget. Bar tires might help some to cling to the hill. Usually the fear factor will tell you whether it is OK to cut, but as you cut more, then your experience will help decide. You should get more proficient as time goes by. On some hills, I cut up at a 45 degree angle, and came down at a 45 degree angle, and just repeated this scheme until the hill was cut. Cutting river banks is really scary, just do not wear seat belts cutting around lakes, ponds, etc. It is stressful enough to have to leave the seat, thinking you might drown, and then have to release the seat belts, under water.

 

[Steve_S]

Thanks JJ. yeah, I'm well aware of the pucker factor and all that. Been there done that many times. No, this particular machine does not have a ROPS. But I believe if I just go up and down the hill instead of side to side I'll be OK. Rather be safe than sorry I think.

 

[LBrown59]

I just ordered a JD EZtrak Z445 w/54" deck. I have about 2.3 acres I'll be mowing, mostly flat. But there is one spot in my yard that is relatively steep right along our driveway. I'm not good at guessing the degree of slope, but if I had to
1* I'd say a 25 degree slope maybe. I would like to hear about some experienced ZTR owners and how their mowers act on slopes and what strategy they use when mowing them so I can prepare myself and not end up squashed.

2*I had a 3ph finish mower on my BX2200, but I didn't like the quality of cut so I sold it.

Any thoughts appreciated.

1&2* A 25 degree slope is to much for a BX 2200 in 4 wheel drive .
No way would I want to get on there with a ZTR 2 wheel drive.

 

[Dargo]

When I had a mowing business two of my mid mount mowers got flipped. Both of them were over backwards. After that I made it a pretty stern rule that only the front mount Grasshoppers would be used on steep inclines. You can literally mow inclines with those that you can't stand on. You basically have a 500 pound weight (the deck) hanging 4' out the front of the machine. In reverse the deck acts like a wheelie bar and you can go up even steeper hills due to their design.

Maybe it sounds dumb, but I would probably by one of the incline meters sold by a sponsor here and put it on the inside of the ROPS. Then go out and sort of practice on hills and see what is a safe range and what is not, and go by that. Both of the rollovers with my machines resulted from the machine spinning, sliding backwards just a tiny bit, and then biting again. I wasn't on either machine and fortunately the operators did have their seat belt on. They told me that as soon as they felt the front gauge wheels lift they yanked back on the sticks (trying to drop the front) but they apparently went over pretty fast. The 'good' thing was that nobody got hurt and, surprisingly, neither machine suffered any damage.

Good luck and be safe!

 

[Foton404]

I have a Grasshopper 718 front and a John Deere Z 737 mid-mount, and have several jobs that have steep inclines. The front mount mower is more stable. I have 2 jobs with a hills so steep with either mower I have to angle and drift down the slope, allowing for the drift. Desperate times call for drastic measures. No way I could do that with a traditional rider mower.

Zero turn is more stable than a garden tractor, mostly due to the heavier weight. If you have a mid-mount mower, remember that wheel stands are a threat. Believe me, I've been through it, and it's no fun having the front end coming back over you.

One comment on the ROP (roll over protection). If you are to rely on your ROP, I strongly recommend using the seat belt.

Common sense is always the driver.

 

[radman1]

I have a Grasshopper 718 front and a John Deere Z 737 mid-mount, and have several jobs that have steep inclines. The front mount mower is more stable. I have 2 jobs with a hills so steep with either mower I have to angle and drift down the slope, allowing for the drift. Desperate times call for drastic measures. No way I could do that with a traditional rider mower.

Zero turn is more stable than a garden tractor, mostly due to the heavier weight. If you have a mid-mount mower, remember that wheel stands are a threat. Believe me, I've been through it, and it's no fun having the front end coming back over you.

One comment on the ROP (roll over protection). If you are to rely on your ROP, I strongly recommend using the seat belt.

Common sense is always the driver.

I never considered my mid mount mower could go over backwards up a steep hill. I assumed it would just loose traction.

On a steep hill, ZTR's cant mow well going on the side of the hill. Then I need to mow going up or down. They can easily slide down a hill if the grass is damp and you could have little control until until you get to the bottom. I only have one moderately steep hill in my yard and have no issues. My friend was having fits sliding down his hill on his new ZTR. His hill was about the same angle as mine but 3x's longer. He would slide down the hill out of control. He wanted to take it back to the dealer. The dealer came out and could drive it up and down easily. My friend can now do it too. The driver makes a difference. Going down hill don't just try to stop, it can result in a slide. Keep the wheels turning to get better traction.

I do not have a ROPs on mine. Borrowed one once with a rops and it was a pain around trees, even with the rops folded down. My yard is mostly flat and ROPS not a big issue for me. A year after I bought my mower, the manufacturer offered a free fixed ROPS but I declined.

 

[J_J]

Here are some pictures of some of the hills I used to mow. The second picture is the hill I slid down and fell off the ledge and the Dixie Chopper fell on top of my leg and spit the muscle. I dove off at the edge, and my head just missed an AC unit by inches. Without thinking, I went to full reverse, but after the slide started, I was down and crushed within 8 sec.

 

[dfeck]

JJ, those PICs don't look that bad for a ZTR to mow. I have a Ferris 3000is with a 61" deck and ROPs. I mow pretty much level ground but once had to mow my brothers lawn that has a 30deg+ hill that is not that long. My ZTR weights about 1350lbs and is much wider than lawn mowers. I went up/down and did that pretty easy. The only pucker factor was he had a tree half way down that you needed to turn to miss. Well I tried to slow down and turn and it started to slide towards the tree at a good clip. At the last minute I hit the left handle forward while slightly hitting the right handle forward. I was able to pull around it by going with my momentum rather than against it. I learned a big lesson. NEVER try to STOP on a hill with a ZTR. Go with the flow and take it easy. I had standard turf tires and I'm sure bar tires would have helped a lot. I now would never approach that tree head on while mowing. I always start to the right or left so I don't run into that situation again.

Doug

 

[2manyrocks]

[. A year after I bought my mower, the manufacturer offered a free fixed ROPS but I declined.[/quote]

Would have been good to get the free ROPS, even if you didn't want it now, for resale later.