Buying Advice Need Advice On How To & What To Mow This With

[pmsmechanic]

Pmsmechanic,

I think you're completely wrong. . . I think Metro does exactly what he wants to do and the wife is a convenient "reason". The tone of his posts is that he likes the look of that whole area cut. And if you look at his first pictures he showed us, one of them shows tracking tears in the lawn where the current mower digs in or wears on the lawn.

If I were to look into the crystal ball I'd guess Metro wants the slope areas to look nicer than they do right now but doesn't want to spend a big pile of money to accomplish it. Seems reasonable to be conservative after you build or buy a nice house like that.

You're seeing in his writing that he's the worker bee and his wife is the queen bee. I on the other hand think Metro has earned his money the hard way and wants to hold on to some off it lol. For far too many of us - the days of "easy come, easy go" may rapidly change when the markets start correcting as they will and the media starts actually reporting on all the business retailers and restaurants closing as they are.

I predict Metro will start looking back over the suggestions some more on this thread . . . maybe even do a little reading about cub cadet i1046 and i1050 mowers lol.

By the way, on our considerable slopes my neighbor has trouble with his 60 inch deck with scalping. Meanwhile my Massey mulching deck (54 inch) has no scalping issues at all because that deck has 4 wheels and 4 rollers along with its 6 blades.

Pmsmechanic, you're always a sharp poster. . . but this time I think you got fooled by Metro. . . I think he wants a mowing solution but he also wants other toys like an atv or a utv. Just my opinion. I think that youthful determination isn't such a bad thing - it doesn't always pay off - but neither does spending recklessly. We all have different sized wallets and incomes and comfort levels in spending.

jmho

You know you might be right. I was in a hurry yesterday morning and didn't get a chance to think about what I say the way I usually like too. Sometimes I post on instinct and this was one of those times.

I will say that I enjoy reading between the lines so to speak. It's a fun challenge to pick out what isn't said. Or to try and put myself into others shoes and figure out why they said what they said or why they did what they did.

Looking back maybe I was a bit harsh so thank you for softening what I said and not being nasty about it.

 

[Coyote machine]

I've read through this entire thread front to back and was going to suggest what I have over 100 hours on since July of 2015. The Husky 322T AWD with Combi 103 mulching deck.

It is a truly AWESOME ALL Terrain mower. Check out the thread on Mytractorforum.com about it. There are MANY people, including me, who have put this mower through it's paces, and quite frankly there is next to nothing else on the market that even comes close to what it can do, especially for the price point.

So you can't buy it in CA?! So what; get it elsewhere. It will do the exact job you need done for $5200 +/- and will keep you safe, not roll over or flip end over end down your hills. PLUS it will improve your hillside grass look because the mulching deck at 46" does a WAY better job than my $13,000 rear bagger, 61"Scag Wildcat can ever do, (and that's why it sits in my shed, waiting for me to run an ad to sell it, while I use the Husky. Trust me on this, you OWE it to yourself to go see one of these in action.

It will solve your issues all round. I'd hate to see you spend additional $ on yet another half-baked solution to your not unique situation of steep hillside mowing. JMHO, FWIW.

 

[mbu]

Maybe this was already mentioned - I didn't have time to read all the replies. When using a mower on slopes, make sure whatever you buy has positive oil delivery - in other words an oil pump! When I was looking for a lawn mower, I was surprised to find out how many did not. A lot of mini excavators, etc, can only travel on a slope in one direction as their oil sump is located on one side of the engine.

 

[Texasmark]

If slopes and width are your main concerns I offer this as my solution to 30 degree (⅓ sloped) mowing.

Current mowers besides shredders for tractors:
Ferris IS700Z 61" (new pony in the corral....general large area/field mowing)
DR Pro Z 52" (retired, 12 yr old, now relegated to general chores...pulling trailers but still mows just fine.)
Husqvarna 46" Hydro (2 blade) 20 hp BS v twin (currently $2k at Lowes). My pond queen and yard mower....it's quiet and at about half rpms it cuts good and doesn't bother my dog's ears when mowing around her 40x40' pen.
Hustler Fastrak 44" hydro 3 blade (dedicated to my DR lawn vac. Lots of trees, lots of leaves in the fall)
JD L110 42" hydro 2 blade. (Currently deck removed and used as my "Gator")

3 of these have gone through iterations of tires from OEM turfs to bar lugs to studded ATV snow tires to golf cart traction tires (700Z) to get reliable traction under wet and dry conditions on varying slopes which I have many.
-----------------
My pond dam mower is the Husqvarna conventional. I put studded snow tires front and rear. Front to ensure that I had adequate steering and no sliding on banks. It's light which helps it to hold on the banks and helps to prevent the start of the slide in the first place which, once started, on the heavy machines is almost impossible to stop.

It has 2 blades and a stamped deck with a high discharge chute. All 3 of these items ensures clean cuts and very little residue buildup when cutting wet or damp material.

I sit on the up hill side of the seat, upright with most of my weight over the uphill tire. No even close to having a sliding or flipping problem with this mower.

When I bought it and for the first few hundred hours it had a Kohler Courage 20 hp single. it finally shook itself to death, loosening several critical bolts and developing a crack in the crankcase of about 2.5" in length. I replaced it with a BS V twin and it's been happy sailing ever since. The Tough Torque tranny is tough, reliable and fast. I had a problem with my JD L110 once (my doings) and had to fix it. Was no problem as TT sold me the parts, recommended a heavier oil than what was in it, and I got a free gimmie cap to boot. Simple gearbox and easy to fix.

So this is where I am after 40 years of living here and starting out with a tractor mounted shredder trying to get the place mowed.

Edit: Side note on the Husq. 46. Neighbor shops Lowes and just bought a new 46 for the $2k price. Their machine came with a 22 hp BS v twin and is serving them well. My corral is a rainbow and I owe allegiance to no one. I buy what I think will work for me at the right price and reliability. I think the Husq. 46 is a super machine for the money and the function. Worth your consideration.....for the record my new chain saw and weed eater are Stihl (not Husq.).....works for me; right price, right reliability.

 

[rScotty]

I was just over at a buddy's house for dinner and to see his new lawn mower. His land slopes more than most does, so his choice was a Goat 22T from Evatech.
22T
Whole different concept in mowing. Now he mowes his lawn while sitting on the front porch.
rScotty

 

[DHD]

I've read through this entire thread front to back and was going to suggest what I have over 100 hours on since July of 2015. The Husky 322T AWD with Combi 103 mulching deck.

It is a truly AWESOME ALL Terrain mower. Check out the thread on Mytractorforum.com about it. There are MANY people, including me, who have put this mower through it's paces, and quite frankly there is next to nothing else on the market that even comes close to what it can do, especially for the price point.

So you can't buy it in CA?! So what; get it elsewhere. It will do the exact job you need done for $5200 +/- and will keep you safe, not roll over or flip end over end down your hills. PLUS it will improve your hillside grass look because the mulching deck at 46" does a WAY better job than my $13,000 rear bagger, 61"Scag Wildcat can ever do, (and that's why it sits in my shed, waiting for me to run an ad to sell it, while I use the Husky. Trust me on this, you OWE it to yourself to go see one of these in action.

It will solve your issues all round. I'd hate to see you spend additional $ on yet another half-baked solution to your not unique situation of steep hillside mowing. JMHO, FWIW.

I feel the Husqvarna R322T is much more stable than you average riding mower on steep slopes.
The Husqvarna R322T has been working out great for me on my 19 - 20 degree slopes.
I use to try and use Wheel Horse riding mowers on those 19 - 20 degree slopes and had 1 sideways role over and 2 tip backs. The tip back incidents were only partial tip backs because the frame of the Wheel Horse's cab was still installed, which prevented the Wheel Horse from a complete rear up and role over backward events. These tip overs occurred when the Wheel Horse started losing traction while going up hill then suddenly gaining traction again, the front end would fly up quickly.
There is no traction lose with the AWD Husqvarna R322T in these same steep slope areas, and the ride feels much more stable. We have a fairly large area to mow with some steep slopes, so I now have two Husqvarna R322T mowers that my wife and I both use.

 

[MossRoad]

What's the slope rating on the engine on the Husky 322T?

For example, the Kohler Command 25hp engine is limited to 25 degrees due to the lubrication system... that is, the oil pump can get starved of oil at angles above 25 degrees.

 

[Coyote machine]

Manual says 10 degrees, but who follows the book?!
Read the guy from Maine's post about his 2 Husky 322T's and his slope configuration....

 

[MossRoad]

I can't believe that a 22hp Briggs is only rated for a 10 degree angle of operation. I just can't find ANY documentation from Briggs or Husky on what it's rated for. It would have to be more than that. Its a pressure lubricated engine is about all I can find.

 

[MossRoad]

At least they're tough! :laughing:

 

[MossRoad]

Neat little mower and more, that's for sure...

 

[Coyote machine]

I can't believe that a 22hp Briggs is only rated for a 10 degree angle of operation. I just can't find ANY documentation from Briggs or Husky on what it's rated for. It would have to be more than that. Its a pressure lubricated engine is about all I can find.

Believe it. I'm not making it up. The owner's manual for the mower says max incline 10 degrees. It shows a pic too.

Note: I'm not saying it won't go on much steeper terrain, just that is what Husky says is what an operator is to limit the 322T Rider mower's use to....
You know, lawyers, guns and money clause....:confused3:

 

[MossRoad]

Believe it. I'm not making it up. The owner's manual for the mower says max incline 10 degrees. It shows a pic too.

Note: I'm not saying it won't go on much steeper terrain, just that is what Husky says is what an operator is to limit the 322T Rider mower's use to....
You know, lawyers, guns and money clause....:confused3:

Geeze, their own product demo shows it on what appears to be more than a 10 degree slope. Anyhow, that literature is for the entire machine, not the motor. Gotta keep searching.

 

[jrm21]

Mud ... I have considered this. I've considered it seriously. Plus, I want an ATV. Not shown in the pics, at the bottom of the property, we have a campsite. LED string lights. Big fire pit. Tent goes up in the beginning of summer and comes down a week or two too late in winter. We prefer the kids park up top and walk down. Even us though, we forget something then you're walking aaaaaalllllll the way back up the hill to get matches, or ... whatever. An ATV would be really nice to trek back and forth. Getting a tow behind would be a great solution. My concern with it is tight turns, mowing around trees and tight spots.

This solution is still in the hunt though. Really appreciate your input.

I just found this thread and was about to suggest the same thing - ATV with a tow-behind mower. My property has a few slopes similar to the photos shown in the first post.

I have both a SCUT with a brush hogger and a Polaris ATV with a "Swisher" tow-behind rough-cut mower. Planned on selling the Swisher when I bought the SCUT, but quickly changed my mind. The SCUT has many advantages, but slopes is NOT one of them.

Yes, the tow behind is more of an issue with tight turns/spots and getting around trees. I simply leave those things a wider berth and come back with a weed-whacker. For sloped areas, however the ATV setup easily wins.

Much also depends on other uses. We ride trails on our property with the ATV. Can't do that with the SCUT. On the other hand, the ATV doesn't have a FEL, so the SCUT wins in that department.

 

[crazyal]

I started reading all of this but skipped a couple of pages. DO you have a budget? If not I'm sure someone has suggested a gold plated 20 wheel drive mower that will massage your butt as you mow. All kidding aside, and if I missed it sorry, set a budget and then see what will fit in it. I have lots of steep parts I mow. I did it for years with a box store special that I inherited when my father passed away. It worked ok but was a little scary going down the slopes as the rear wheels liked to slide and the brakes really weren't much of anything. I would say it was a $1000 new type of tractor. This year I broke down and bought a used low hour Deere x500 for $4k. I never thought I would spend that kind of money just to mow but it's worlds better than the old Wheel Horse. It has a locking differential and will climb anything I throw at it. I have no idea what limitations there are on angle for the engine but I watch to see if the oil light comes on for lack of pressure, never has.

Somewhere I have a simple jpg that you can print out and turn into an easy grade measuring device. I'll try to find it. With it you can get real numbers to how steep your yard really is. Pictures don't work all that well. But it sounds like you were mowing it just fine, just the transaxle couldn't stand the stress. If so then any rider with a stronger one (the x500 has a K72) and a locking diff should work. I saved almost $2k by going for a 1 year old 50 hour used Deere. Unlike a SCUT or CUT high end mowers don't hold their value.

 

[MossRoad]

$4.99 at Harbor Freight and a 2 x 4 and you're all set to measure hill angles...

Angle Finder w/ Dial Gauge

 

[Coyote machine]

Geeze, their own product demo shows it on what appears to be more than a 10 degree slope. Anyhow, that literature is for the entire machine, not the motor. Gotta keep searching.

Again, I'm giving you what the manufacturer states in their owner's manual. And it's difficult to drive just the engine without the rest of the mower up your Everest like hypothetical slope. Just saying....

$4.99 at Harbor Freight and a 2 x 4 and you're all set to measure hill angles...

Angle Finder w/ Dial Gauge

Also available at Sears stores, if there is one in your area.

 

[Creamer]

If it was me I would find a Grasshopper front deck with At 101 tires. The front deck gives you more stability on hillsides. The mower is set up with a very low center of gravity. The AT101 tires give you great traction with very minimal lawn damage. If dollars is your worry you can find a good used one with less than 1000 hours for under $6k. You can get any size you want and there is good dealer support. This thing would mow your slopes all day with ease.

 

[Chris616]

MetroHick,

I started a thread on a similar topic to yours a few weeks ago:

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/...244-advice-mowing-sloped-rough-terrain-1.html

Based on our descriptions we have similar mowing needs. My criteria for selecting a solution are somewhat different than yours, but you might find the thread to be useful reading. I've skimmed through all of the responses in your thread and what seems like the best solution for me right now hasn't been mentioned, so I'll suggest that you investigate the European/Japanese ride-on slope and rough terrain mowers that I describe in my thread. Here's a video of what I consider the best of those available in North America currently. You won't hurt this machine mowing on slopes and it would be safer than many of the other solutions that have been proposed.

AS 94 Sherpa 4WD ride-on mower in action - YouTube

Unfortunately, you won't find a dealer/distributor for this machine on the west coast. As was mentioned in my thread, one of the other brands has been targeting rental shops for sales of their product. Google tells me that "All Star Rents" near you in Novato, CA rents the OREC Brush Rover.

Riding Brush Mower | The Brush Rover | Orec America

It's only 2WD (and I'll guess that it has the same ergonomic problem that I described about the Canycom machine in my thread) but its cost might be low enough for you (US$8400 when I checked last year). If I had the opportunity to do so I'd rent one of to see how it would perform on my property. It's typical only for much more expensive equipment to have the chance to test it on your own property before a purchase.

(BTW - if you've mentioned this already, I've missed it. Have you actually measured the angle of the steepest slope that you want/need to mow? That is useful data for anyone making a recommendation.)

Chris

 

[jenkinsph]

Reading through this thread it appears there are several choices that would work for mowing this lot. You should be able to handle this with a good two wheel drive mower when dry. I use a 4wd with 4 wheel steer diesel and really like it, turns and maneuvers very well and sticks to slopes. Just a guess but that would take less than 2 hours to mow with my x749 and would leave very little to trim.

That said it really is a matter of money and principles for the OP.