New to mowing hills... what are safest mowing patterns?

[SandburRanch]

We see tractors that rolled but to my knowledge we never get an investigative report of exactly what caused the roll over, only the steep hill must have been the culprit. It would be interesting to know how many under inflated tires on the low side rolled from the rim on hills that were borderline too steep to begin with. And let's not forget the torque to drive the bush hog.

 

[Slowpoke Slim]

Do you know what the degree of slope is on your steeper sections?

 

[Aquamoose]

Sideways or up-down, keep the roll bar up and safety belt fastened!

 

[Oaktree]

How long are the steep parts? Would it be practical to back uphill, shift over a row, come back down and repeat?
That's what I do on some steep parts of my property, but we're only talking about 150' or so.

 

[MountainMomma]

Do you have any flatter land to turn on the top?
It takes time to be comfortable with a new tractor on slopes, suppose you know your land so dangers as ditches, holes and bumps is accounted for?

Flatter land: sometimes yes, sometimes no. But the “yes” places are a new and helpful idea to me.

Good point. I know I will need a beater (someone to walk ahead of me) first time through. There ARE some large rocks still in our pastures that get lost in the tall grass. Fewer ditches, since we do not have cows. GOOD point, though, thanks!

 

[MountainMomma]

Do you know what the degree of slope is on your steeper sections?

No. How do I determine that?

 

[MountainMomma]

How long are the steep parts? Would it be practical to back uphill, shift over a row, come back down and repeat?
That's what I do on some steep parts of my property, but we're only talking about 150' or so.

I think I COULD do that AFTER I’ve learned to operate the tractor on more flat land first. Question: can one mow in reverse? And, will the bush hog stay in a straight line if I am backing up a steepish hill?

 

[cqaigy2]

Nice looking place.

Good idea about walking the area you are going to mow, before hand. Also, your tractor probably has some documentation about slope capability, that you might want to review.

 

[Agvg]

Mark any danger with a stick or pole and paint it so you see it, very cheap safety precautions.

 

[DarkHelmet]

Widen the track and you gain stability, those small tractors are quite low.

This video shows what can be done with low center of gravity and wide track.

AEBI TP 48 im S?enberg - YouTube

AEBI makes tractors that are specifically for steep hills. So while this shows what can be done and is incredible, it isn't comparable to the tractor he has.