Mowing ?? regarding mowing on sidehills...

[FN in MT]

I've got a new Kubota B2620 with a WOODS 5' rotary mower and a FEL for wt in frt. I mow in 4x4 and as I'm fairly new to the tractor thing...I'm VERY careful.....probably over cautious...hence the question.

I've got several mildly hilly area where the buckbrush (2' tall easy to chop up bushes) has grown down onto the flat areas. I've walked the area removing any rocks and looking for any obstacles or potential danger spots.

This evening I went up and easily mowed the flat or mild sidehills in LOW range, 4x4 being cautious of any gopher holes, etc.

I found that by backing the mower up into the brush on the hills I could easily mow without any concern or drama. The angle would be FAR too severe to mow any other way other than maybe heading UP, then backing down.

Is backing into these bushes OK?? Or should I take these hills head on...then back down?? Traction doesn't seem to be an issue...dry ground right now. And the qualiity of the cut seems to be fine as well.

Sorry for such a basic question .....but I'm new to all this and screwing up isn't an option.

FN in MT

 

[Ken45101]

I have some pastures that I have to back down when mowing. The first year I did it, I ended up with a stiff neck that lasted several days

In one area, I've filled in the bottom with dirt to make a trail and a flat place to turn around. That makes it easier.

Ken

 

[fire72]

Any chance of having room to turn around at the top and bottom? That would allow you to mow straight downhill, then turn across the sidehill at a spot flat enough to turn comfortably, mow uphill, turn, and repeat. You spend a lot of time turning rather than cutting, but it's a safer alternative. Anytime you can safely go forward instead of backward helps with safety and reducing neck pain. I have been using this method for quite a while when doing work for my side tractor business on unfamiliar slopes.

I used this on a property with blackberry and rose thickets taller than my ROPS and so thick I couldn't see my front tires. There was some severe pucker factor involved, but everything got done safely.

 

[WH401]

Backing up the hill won't be a problem. Traction would be your biggest issue and stability shouldn't be a problem. I back up to mow a lot of stuff, but on my one large hill I'm able to go up one side and down the other. I can also mow the lower part of that hill by going across from side to side.

 

[Diamondpilot]

No problem, just keep the FEL as low as possible to keep the center of gravity low. I see a guy down the road from me mowing road ditches all the time on a Kubota with the FEL strait up. He is just waiting to roll the thing over.

Chris

 

[FN in MT]

Appreciate the replies. I went out today and cleaned up my access trail to this part of the property. Between the FEL and some good old shovel work I've now got a LEVEL access road. Meaning level side to side, it's still a gentle incline but no more "seat pucker" from leaning off to one side.

I also mowed both up and down the hill...... which worked out OK. Probably took 1/2 a ton of rocks out as well. It was a fun day.

And...I do keep the FEL LOW.

FN in MT

 

[tugboat-2]

FN in MT: ...Frank,.."basic" perhaps but certainly "ALL" questions are "valid", ..."IF you want to know the answer"!!!! Better to ask the question than later ask for help to fix the damage. No matter how experienced we eventually become,...we all started with the "basic" questions,......or else we learned the answer the hard way. Not always the best way. (Good advice from the others above)

Welcome in and good luck to you,
. . tug