Mowing on steep hill

15 years ago

I have a very steep hill (also long) as part of my front yard. It is too steep to mow across and my question is about mowing the hill up and down.

(1). Will it hurt an older Torro hydro to use the transmission as the primary breaking devise going down the hill? (When I use breaks it just locks up the back wheels and I slide down).

(2). Is there a particular mower that anyone might recommend for mowing up and down a steep hill. Problems to overcome include stopping before I run out in the street at the bottom of the hill and tire spinning while going up the steep incline. (And it goes without saying, I certainly don't won't to flip over backwards on the way up.)

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Comments (9)

rustyj14
15 years ago
Make it into a nice rock garden, before you chop off a foot!
Knowing of which i speak, altho i lost my foot in war, there are certain draw-backs to doing a lot of things!
for one--wading in the ocean is next to impossible-think about it--!
Two, if ya lose the right one, it means having to change the gas pedal on your vehicles from right to left side of the operators position!
Three--long hikes aren't recommended, without a backup driver to pick up yer bones and take ya home!
Four: Make sure you have a dependable vehicle when ya go out on a day-long fishing trip to yer favorite spot! Walking home is not an option! And, wading in bare feet is definitly a no-no!
And, rocks don't need mowed!
davidandkasie
15 years ago
how steep is steep? you will likely need weights and chains or ags whatever ride on machine you get. if it is steep enough that you sldie with teh rear wheels locked, it may be too steep for low end machines unless you get a gear driven tranny instead of a hydro.

if it is not too large, why not use a push mower on this one area?
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Hmmm, I see your quandary and feel your pain on this one. Let's see, subtracting 25% of .65 acres leaves .4875 or a half acre to be mowed. The "classic" wisdom used to be that you didn't need a rider until you were mowing over half to three quarters of an acre. a 30% grade will require a strong trans, and you've already discovered you're going to have to upgrade tires as the turf tires they come with are useless on grades. Another consideration is that the lower end units probably aren't going to have the best brakes and if a belt breaks going up or down..... It almost seems that you're going to be forced into buying a much stronger and bigger unit than you need. I've known folks who had similar situations who used a self propelled walk behind while wearing golf shoes (pegs) and it seemed to work OK, not that I paid a lot of attention. I have no personal experience with self propelled walk behinds as to their traction ability. Since they have solid tires you could easily add the screw in studs which are becoming more and more popular. Save a ton of money and get a good cardio workout every time you cut the grass!! Unfortunately one of those won't pull a garden cart or an aerator. I think if I were you, I'd be looking around for a used GT, personally I have a strong preference for the Craftsman 6 speeds, but there's a ton of folks who swear by the hydros on slopes as well. I like the manual trans as I'm comfortable taking it apart if need be, but that's just me. If you bit the bullet and drop $2500-3000, you'll probably get at least a 50" deck and have your mowing done in about ten minutes...:-). That leaves $3000 sitting in the shed 99% of the time. Not a wise allocation of resources. I think I'd be looking into a used machine, save more than half the up front cost, and if you're careful and test it out well before purchase it should hold up. Again, beating the "manual trans" drum, I'd be more comfortable buying a used manual than a hydro. Keep us informed, Good luck, Ev
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I recently bought one of each type so I will give you what i consider an unbiased report. In november I bought a craftsman GS6500 gear drive garden tractor.I bought this tractor because I needed to plow a very steep hill and haul heavy loads. The craftsman has a peerless 820 all steel 6speed that puts out more torque than any other hydro except a TT K92 and despite soccer dad's comment it is ground engaging.Money was an issue and mowing was a secondary concern for me. Although our snow came late this year it did a yeoman like job plowing up and down my hill. I have used it lately for hauling firewood. aerating,fertilizing grading a dirt road etc with no complaints. Shortly after I purchased the craftsman a newer cub cadet 2165 hydro with twin vanguard engine and snowblower fell into my lap at an extraordinary price. This was my first hydro trans. The cub cadet tranny is smooth as silk and will excel at mowing my modest lawn. As for the manual lurching that is a product of Ervie not knowing how to use one. I can take off in 6th gear smoothly or I can do a wheely if I want to. I have taken both of these tractors to the bottom of my hill and they both have no problem climbing it. The manual is much better at it than the hydro. As far as mowing hills and slopes. I have a couple of modest slopes that I mow and have no concern using either tractor. If I had to mow my steep driveway I would be more concerned about sliding backwards and would probably buy a couple of billy goats.
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steve_ky
Original Author
15 years ago
It is real steep and real long. I have a guy that cuts it now (just the hill, I cut the rest of the yard) with a wide cut zero turn mower. But I would like to cut it myself(one of those challange things, I guess.)

I can do pretty well on the old Torro hydro except in the center, which is the steepest part. That part is probably 60 to 80 feet long and maybe, like 60 degrees.

It's way too much for me to mow with a push and it would cost a small fortune to rock it, or something similar. It's a steep hill and looooong.
tom_p_pa
15 years ago
Sounds dangerous. Use a weed wacker, or just let it overgrow to tall weeds.
johnwright238
14 years ago
Southern RobotX has the SRX22T hybrid remote control lawn mower with slope mowing capabilities of up to 70 degrees. Lawn care professionals used to mow steep hills with 6 or 8 men equipped with weed eaters. Now, they are able to increase productivity, while reducing fuel consumption by 40%.

Here is a link that might be useful: Southern RobotX
metal
14 years ago
I would continue to hire it out unless you plan on shelling out a lot of money. That doesn't sound like a challenge, it sounds like a death wish. Live to mow another day.
andyma_gw
14 years ago
a goat?
metal
14 years ago
That sounds like a pretty large area, maybe two goats.
optsyeagle
14 years ago
I am not an expert and certainly not familiar with your engine, but wouldn't the oil flow out of the pan by cutting on that steep of angle?

Mowing on steep hill

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rustyj14

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Mowing on steep hill

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