Grass Growth and Pucker Factor

   / Grass Growth and Pucker Factor #1  

Dr. Bob

Silver Member
Joined
May 29, 2008
Messages
113
Location
Sergentsville, NJ (Western NJ, the good part!)
Tractor
2003 B7800
Has anyone ever noticed that the grass grows fastest on the hillsides with the greatest "pucker factor?"

While mowing today, I was thinking "do I have to mow that hillside again?" Then it dawned on me: the slopes that I wish would not grow at all since I hate mowing them actually grows the fastest.

I would love to be able to mow these hillsides the "safe way": up and down. However, the fencing in these areas requires me to mow across the hillside and they do have a significant pucker factor, the greatest on the property.

I think that this is a variation on Murphy's Law: whatever can possibly go wrong, will go wrong.
 
   / Grass Growth and Pucker Factor #2  
Yea, my entire property is a hill. My BX24 does a little slip'n'slinding all the time. And Yes the steepest parts have the thickest and wettest grass.

I have often thought about building a weight arm to handg off the 3pt and the one bracket for the FEL to act a counter balance. Stiffer sidewall tires in the back would help things too.

I got the idea from an old John Deere that had willie bars welded to the back of the frame.
 
   / Grass Growth and Pucker Factor #3  
I make a couple of passes near the house (fence in your case) that is at the top of the hill. That gives me enough room to go up and down and steer onto the fresh track on the already cut area. I hate pucker moments and avoid them at any cost. Even if I have to use the push mower or weed whacker.
 
   / Grass Growth and Pucker Factor
  • Thread Starter
#4  
Megaboz: I see your location in WV and can imagine that there is not one level spot on your property. I grew up in Ironton, OH, across the river from Huntington and I worked for Union Carbide and frequently made trips to Charleston, so I know what the landscape is like is WV. Keep all four wheels on the ground!
 
   / Grass Growth and Pucker Factor #5  
This is part of the reason I mow with a small John Deere lawn tractor. When I'm going sideways on a slope, I can just lean to counterbalance the thing. I need to lose a few pounds, but even with my extra weight, I sure wouldn't be able to do that with the BX!

The JD probably weighs only 2.5x as much as I do. It's nice when I get it stuck in some mud or have the drive wheel up in the air, and I can just lean my weight to get traction. Can't do that with the BX either, although I can pull myself out of jams with the backhoe. :D
 
   / Grass Growth and Pucker Factor #6  
RayCo said:
This is part of the reason I mow with a small John Deere lawn tractor. When I'm going sideways on a slope, I can just lean to counterbalance the thing. I need to lose a few pounds, but even with my extra weight, I sure wouldn't be able to do that with the BX!

The JD probably weighs only 2.5x as much as I do. It's nice when I get it stuck in some mud or have the drive wheel up in the air, and I can just lean my weight to get traction. Can't do that with the BX either, although I can pull myself out of jams with the backhoe. :D

I had a small tractor and tried that, after a few front tires popping the beed and some un-controlled descents down the hills and not enough power to go up the hills, I gave it up.

I'm working on filling in a lot of the property, hopefully one day it will be semi-flat.

I do live in WV, and there are few natural flat spots.
 
 
Top