Mowing pond banks

[bcp]

Make a gas version of this for the dam, lowered by a pto powered cable reel. Maybe use an old riding mower.

Lawn from Hell, Mower from Heaven, June 216 - YouTube

Bruce

 

[falfrenzy]

Creamer asked: "Why not mow with a sickle bar where it is steep? The sickle adapts. If you use a trailer type mower there is not the sideweight on your tractor either like on a 3 pt hitch mower."


Answer: Because the distance of the slope on the dam from level ground at the top of the dam to the water is probably close to 20'. If I kept the tractor on the level ground on the top of the dam, where the slope down to the water starts, and angled the sickle mower down the slope, the end of the sickle mower would be nowhere near the water. Conversely, if I ran the tractor low enough on the dam for the 7' sickle mower to reach the water or close to it, the entire tractor would be on the slope. I don't want to operate the tractor on such a steep slope, especially with the weight of the sickle mower on the downhill side. I do operate the sickle mower angled at various degrees in some situations. For example, I use the sickle mower straight up--i.e., at 90 degrees up--to mow the sides of trails. And I use the sickle mower to mow down some short banks with the tractor on level ground next to the downward slope. Just can't do it on the dam.

Guess you're up shitcreek and will have to spend the money on specialized mowing implements then.

 

[rbtjr]

Guess you're up shitcreek and will have to spend the money on specialized mowing implements then.

If that comment is to me, I mow our pond back with the 6' rotary mower (brush hog) on the tractor. I just back the tractor down the slope so the mower goes to the edge of the water, then back up the bank, move over, back down to the edge of the pond again. It works fine, just takes a while.

 

[Industrial Toys]

My problem with that would be with the pond area being wet, all that maneuvering would make a mess of the place. It's certainly a safe way to do it, providing you don't have to cut sides of a dam.

 

[falfrenzy]

My problem with that would be with the pond area being wet, all that maneuvering would make a mess of the place. It's certainly a safe way to do it, providing you don't have to cut sides of a dam.

Could hire a youngster wanting to make some money with a pushmower...

 

[Industrial Toys]

Such an entity still exists? And it wouldn't be against any laws or at the very least politically incorrect somehow?

Just making their sneakers green might be considered cruel and unusual!

 

[rbtjr]

My problem with that would be with the pond area being wet, all that maneuvering would make a mess of the place. It's certainly a safe way to do it, providing you don't have to cut sides of a dam.

In our case, the areas next to the water where I mow with the rotary mower and tractor are steep slopes. As a result the water drains down to the pond and the slopes don't stay wet.

 

[EddieWalker]

This showed up on Facebook and after watching the video, I thought it might be a good solution for mowing along the edge of the water.

Lane Shark USA – The Only FEL Mounted Brush Cutter Designed For The Midsize Tractor

 

[jcummins]

This showed up on Facebook and after watching the video, I thought it might be a good solution for mowing along the edge of the water.

Lane Shark USA The Only FEL Mounted Brush Cutter Designed For The Midsize Tractor

I strongly considered buying that. It would be very very handy with the mower out front, and placing the mower around things next to the pond....BUT. I got the measurements from the center line of the tractor as to the reach this had to the side. I then attached a 2x4 to the fel to simulate how far the mower would reach as I mowed the edges with want I had (sickle bar mower)....it would not reach far enough. I talked to them about a bigger version, but concerns of torquing the fel arms, saftey, etc they didn't want to consider it. I consider, even started, a build of my own version using a 5ft brushhog. Even bought a banged up one, but in getting the right hydraulic motor on it, discovered I need more hydraulics than my tractor had...an M7040. Would of had to get a pto driven pump etc. Got a feeling this Shark mower will work in brush stalky type stuff, but not work in heavier grasses. Won't spin fast enough.

I've got an 8 acre pond I mow around. I started with a sickle mower, kept breaking it...thick grass to crawdad muddy mounds. Went to a batwing...it worked but I could not fit it into many places, results I had a lot of weedwacker areas. I now have an offset frail ditch mower....it works, reaches a foot and half further than the batwing did and for the most part can get it into those tight places. Get on a slope with that mower hanging fully extended out to the side....I do it very carefully. But for the most part that's not the case, handles decently and can mowing pastures with it as well.

 

[Industrial Toys]

We have stones around our ponds. That lane shark would get devoured!

I have a Perfect, ditch mower, flail type with hammers, by Van Wamel. The stones play havoc with the hammers as well. It is extendable to the side but I still don't like driving the larger JD that close to the pond.