Am I Crazy???

[jas67]

A ZTR riding mower is a better and safer choice for that hill.

ZTR's suck on hills. I know, I have a ZTR, and a sloping property. Due to obstacles, and the layout of my property, I need to mow across in several areas, and the ZTR just wants to turn downhill, since the design of a ZTR is castering front wheels and differential speed of the rears. If there is a the slightest moister on the turf, it will turn downhill, and you end up ripping the turf with the rear wheels trying to compensate. This was a factor in my decision to replace my 1 year old ZTR with a 10+ year old G1800S. The G1800S has 4-wheel steering, so I can get around all the small/tight areas almost as good as the ZTR.

You'd be better off just following the many pieces of advice to mow up and down, instead of across. There areas where you can't avoid going across might be better done with a garden tractor, or a walk-behind.

 

[txkevin]

I think a little apprehension can be a good thing. Certainly better than the alternative. Everyone should really check out the following if they plan on driving on a slope....

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/safety/116448-tractor-rollover-demo-pictures-videos.html

It will give you a really good look the peril of cross slope driving.

I have a whole 10 hrs on a BX 24. I was .... er am ... still very tentative when dealing with my slopes. I go very slow and try to stay up and down. I even backed up one the first time instead of driving straight up the slope.

I do not plan on tackling a lot of really rough terrain. I plan on using my tractor primarly on my 1 acre for landscaping, lifting stuff, as a really nice wheel barrell, planting trees, raking /clearing rocks, digging ditches, moving dirt and lots of mowing. So far it seems to be able to tackle each of these requirements very well and still fit nicely into the garage. If I had more acres, rougher terrain or planned on more serious field work such as plowing, I would have considered the larger clearance of the B series. In my case it was not worth the extra expense.

 

[slewisma]

Finally checked the angle of my worst slope. A little more than 20 degrees mostly with some less and a few spots that could be much worse if you hit them just right. I'll add to the volume of up and down recommendations here. Pretty much all up and down for me from now on. I went across it once or twice sideways before I measured and felt more stable than on my old riding mower but that's not saying much. Just not worth the risk.

On the BX24 with MMM on and FEL + BH off I don't have any issues going up. Down calls for 4WD so you get more wheels braking through HST. I don't use a bagger so no extra weight on the back to worry about.

 

[TPS]

Wow,
Great thread to give us a heads up and safety reminder. I have a small Kubota BX 1500 and got it because I can use and FEL instead of a wheelbarrow on my hills. Plus it has a lower center of gravity than the larger ones. Still I do have to mow side to side on some of my slopes and have been able to do so with no incidents to date. The property that I mow has some slopes that fall about 2-2.5ft every 10 ft and that is steep on a tractor. What I have found is it is better to mow in low 4wd and slowly. Avoid abrupt turns on a slope, be very careful when going downhill at an angle, the less angle the better. Even when doing all this when you can back up or drive up slowly. This works for me with the MMM. When using the FEL it is as much up and down as can be. If I must go down at an angle I am very cautious and carry the bucket low and have had to set it down a time or two. I usually get my loads as close as possible and transfer with a wheelbarrow rather than traverse a hill at an angle with the FEL. Hopefully I can get some pictures of the hill I mow and the slopes I am talking about.
Anyway good thread and reminders-TPS

 

[RayCo]

I got up on two wheels today and it was really quite frightening! I was pulling out of an area that I dug out for a walkway, and there was a drainage trench along next to it that I put in. I was a bit too close to the trench, and the ground gave way and I slid in and tipped enough just to come up a little bit and then settle back down. In reality, I probably wasn't as close to tipping as it felt, but it was still quite unsettling. I immediately went and filled the trench back in since I was in the process of making it no longer necessary anyway.
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[jcaledon]

I was looking for an inclinometer, and saw some very nice units here on TBN, but didn't want to spend the $80.00 it would have cost me to order here in Canada. This was especially true since I could get something very similar at my local Canadian Tire. I posted some pics of the RV levelers that I bought in a two pack for under $15. I didn't use the double sided tape that they came with and instead used some 3M tape - so if I ever want to remove them, its no problem.

As you can see, one is on my dash, and the other is on the ROPS, so both forward and side to side levels can be monitored. I can feel when I'm approaching 15-20 degrees. I try never to exceed 20 degrees on a side slope. I know that the tractor can handle 20 degrees quite easily if I'm careful. I use the inclinometers to confirm what I'm feeling, and they work great in this regard.

 

[Timber]

Well you can always add another set of tires to the rear. It certainly is a very cool look and would take away your stability problems, give you better float over your lawns & better traction without loading your tires. Every option solves 1 problem but creates another. Loaded tires are a real problem in the spring thaw, Duel rears are a garage problem, smaller tractor will cost you lift ht. & wt. capacity. Lots of options hear but keep the tractor you have, you will regret trading it later

 

[LBrown59]

Never go down in tractor size, or you will be sorry.

I didn't go down in size .
I just added smaller to what I already had.
Is that OK?
Must be as I'm quite happy with it !