Mowing Pond Dams or the like.

[Texasmark]

I have spent a lot of time and money on the subject and have been after it for a lot of years. I finally got what I have been looking for and if I wasn't so lazy I'd go and take a picture of it but really that's not necessary.

I use a conventional Husqvarna 46" 2 blade hydrostatic rider (2wd) with a 20 hp BS Intek engine. The 20 hp is plenty for going straight up the bank when you want to do that. I took the hood off to reduce weight. I found that weight is your enemy in this situation. I spent $6500 for a riding mower for the purpose and the weight was it's detriment.

For tires, and this IS the key, I went to the ATV tire site and got some ATV snow stud tires which have the staggered individual rubber posts/studs (X shaped). The ATV tires are about 1" narrower mounting than the OEM tire, same dimensions otherwise, but they mount on the OEM wheel (with a little trouble for one person) and actually being narrower forces the tire to have a lot of lateral resistance once mounted. I run 10# of air in them.

I tried bar lugs (R1) on the rear but slid sideways. I had a hard time steering uphill with the OEM turf tire on the front, but the studs on the ATV tires bite into the terrain and steering is a dream. Plus steering is much easier otherwise and they ride much softer. Several quality online dealers with super products and service.

I just sit on whichever side of the seat is uphill and absolutely no sense of roll over on banks of up to 25 degrees. If you have been fighting this problem, and there was a lot of talk about it not too long ago, this is well worth your investment.

Mark

 

[bigbull338]

i hope the day never comes that you flipp the lawn mower in the pool.ive known 2 friends that was shredding their pool dams and flipped their tractors over in the pools and died.

 

[big bubba]

second bigbull. you've been creative in customizing your rider for slopes, but.....just the way they're made, their center of gravity is pretty high with a relatively short (& in your case, narrow) wheel base given the weight. w/3 pond dams to mow, i finally went with a hydro 36" walk behind zero turn. perfect. yes, it may be overkill, and there are many skilled rider operators out there mowing on the razor's edge of safety. all my best to them...
but the cost of my 36" ZT hydro walk behind is just an entry ramp in medical costs if you flip yours on a steep slope. all my best on that, you'll probably be okay. but don't mow if the ground's wet even if grass is not, riders/ZT don't like it at all!
& btw you might consider going foam fill in all tires, better traction and lower center of gravity which is what it's all about given slopes, not weight alone

Hydro Drive | Encore

 

[RaydaKub]

I found that weight is your enemy in this situation.

Plus steering is much easier otherwise and they ride much softer.

I just sit on whichever side of the seat is uphill and absolutely no sense of roll over on banks of up to 25 degrees.

btw you might consider going foam fill in all tires, better traction and lower center of gravity which is what it's all about given slopes, not weight alone

Weight is not your enemy. Where the weight is placed is critical, but weight itself is not a bad thing. As Bubba points out, foaming the tires will add weight, but in the right place. Now, doing that is gonna destroy that nice soft ride you like, but if you roll, you might not be around to enjoy the ride anyway.

I rode a JD 110 that way for many years when I grew up, sitting on the uphill fender, so I know first hand what you are doing and why. I didn't like it when I started, but got used to it. Maybe it wasn't as steep as I remember as a kid. At this point in my life though, I've come to appreciate the fact that if you are dependent on your own body weight to keep the rig dirty side down, you may want to at least add some wheel weights. And with those soft ATV tires that tend to bounce some, what happens if the lower wheel hits a new gopher hole?

Just a little experiment for you. I took my BX and parked it on my hillside, which is about 22-24 degrees. My rear tires are loaded, meaning about 100 lbs per side. I got off and pushed on the uphill side of the ROPS and found I could not lift the wheel pushing with one arm (putting a shoulder to it and a major grunt and I could get it off the ground but not hold it). If you park your Husky on your hillside, can you lift the uphill wheel by hand (I assume no ROPS)? If you can, I'd think about adding some weight way down low. You are closer to a roll than you think.

 

[Texasmark]

i hope the day never comes that you flipp the lawn mower in the pool.ive known 2 friends that was shredding their pool dams and flipped their tractors over in the pools and died.

Like in the Kenny Rogers song from the movie Gambler, "Gotta know when to hold and when to fold, when to walk and when to run." A little common sense and knowing your terrain goes a long way.

 

[Texasmark]

Weight is not your enemy. Where the weight is placed is critical, but weight itself is not a bad thing. As Bubba points out, foaming the tires will add weight, but in the right place. Now, doing that is gonna destroy that nice soft ride you like, but if you roll, you might not be around to enjoy the ride anyway.

I rode a JD 110 that way for many years when I grew up, sitting on the uphill fender, so I know first hand what you are doing and why. I didn't like it when I started, but got used to it. Maybe it wasn't as steep as I remember as a kid. At this point in my life though, I've come to appreciate the fact that if you are dependent on your own body weight to keep the rig dirty side down, you may want to at least add some wheel weights. And with those soft ATV tires that tend to bounce some, what happens if the lower wheel hits a new gopher hole?

Just a little experiment for you. I took my BX and parked it on my hillside, which is about 22-24 degrees. My rear tires are loaded, meaning about 100 lbs per side. I got off and pushed on the uphill side of the ROPS and found I could not lift the wheel pushing with one arm (putting a shoulder to it and a major grunt and I could get it off the ground but not hold it). If you park your Husky on your hillside, can you lift the uphill wheel by hand (I assume no ROPS)? If you can, I'd think about adding some weight way down low. You are closer to a roll than you think.

Actually by sitting on the side I am sitting upright. I have a big soft cushion I sit on that I can move around to where I am sitting. In the seat I am at a 25* angle and that is most uncomfortable. That's one reason I quit trying to use my ZTs including the $6500 DR ProZ. I assure you the machine is extremely stable and no I can't lift any of the tires off the ground. Weight worked against me mainly in trying to steer a 2wd mower and sliding down the backsides, which is what I mow, not the pond side, when the grass is wet, like in the mornings when it's cool and the dew helps to control the dust.

What you get to work for you is what works for you. This really works for me and I thought I'd share it. That's all there is to it.

 

[MESSMAKER]

Fluid filled dual rear tires would make a riding mower almost impossible to flip, I would think.

 

[Gem99ultra]

Fluid filled dual rear tires would make a riding mower almost impossible to flip, I would think.

I think you're dead-on right Messmaker! I have the same situation as Texasmark that I've been trying to deal with. I'm mowing with a Husqvarna 54" garden tractor mower with filled tires AND 50# weights on both back wheels. That doesn't even come close to keeping the mower from flipping if trying to mow sideways on my 25 degree bank ponds.

And to totally mow up and down is on the brink of a flip-over. On places where I can turn around and not quite as steep, I can lean over the hood to keep the front tires on the ground. But I have one area that is a weed-eater situation as far as I've seen.

I have seen the county using Kwik-Kut mowers with dual wheels all the way around mowing a wide open speeds - no matter if up and down or sideways. Those babies look like they're glued to the earth! The only drawback on having one of those mowers is the $50K admission ticket

The ATV snow tires Texasmark talks about sounds like a great idea as far as traction goes on the up and down mowing. I'd like to give that a try for sure. But for now, the weed-eater will have to do.

Thanks to you both for your observations.

 

[bigbull338]

but as the gambler says you gotta know when to walk away.i wont walk or ride anything accross a pool dam because i know what can happen.i truelly hope it never happens to you.but i ve known to meny people that have died or almost died doing stuff that like that.the kicker is theyve been doing things like that all their lives.

 

[Dr_Zinj]

If you're mowing on a slope by sitting on an outrigger on your tractor the same way you sit on an outrigger on a sailboat, you're not doing it safely. ;-)