Another slope application question

[MossRoad]

 

[MossRoad]

 

[MossRoad]

The Power Trac slope mowers have automatic, hydraulically operated tilt seats that keep the operator level.

 

[woodlandfarms]

4570. I have done a lot of reading on the Grasshopper and it is quite an impressive machine. 30 degree side slopes are nothing to sneeze at. But that said, you are right, there are a few things missing to assume 45 degrees is possible. As you noted, lubrication of the engine is the first failing point. The 1850, which is not a slope mower but a slope tractor, has deep engine oil tanks and specially designed hydraulic tanks to compensate for side slope work. Also, you are missing a 200lb meat puppet wich will change your COG significantly. Third is turning. While you might be able to go on a side slope, can you turn up hill or downhill and stay safe. Fourth, traction. I just don't see the grasshopper as being capable of sustaining traction on grass on a steep slope. I have a 4wd tractor, 8 wheels at 4PSI and I will tell you traction at 45 degrees is a struggle.

Again, I am not knocking your machine, i am quite impressed from all I have read, and even more so as it is a ztr, but you have maybe a 30 degree machine at best. Will it be a compact, dunno. It seems like it might but I would not want to be the one trying to find out.

 

[4570Man]

I never claimed it would do 45 degrees because it won’t. You’re right that 30 degrees is about the limit. Which is still steeper than is possible with a stock tractor. Everyone that makes a blanket statement that a zero turn sucks on hills is wrong.

 

[woodlandfarms]

I definitely learned something this week. Might be a machine for the wife...

 

[AxleHub]

I decided to test what it would really take to flip my grasshopper. The answer was a heck of a hill. The strap is not holding anything and was only there to prevent it from rolling over. My phone angle gauge said 48 degrees and it held down even pushing on the ROPS. I壇 like to see even a dedicated slope mower actually mow a hill side that steep. Just staying in the seat would be a real problem. Next I壇 worry about the engine lubrication at that angle. View attachment 561680

4570,

I'm trying to grasp the logic of your post and picture but I fail to find that logic.

1st, your fork lift is holding the side up from underneath and the other side is pinched on the edge of the tire. Since when do you drive any vehicle on the edge of the tire (not the body of the tire) ?

2nd you have no driver so again your dog is not realistic.

3rd, by having it held as it is by the forks underneath in a horizontal position instead of at an incline of the forks the unit is merely pinched in place, not sidehill gravity held. You could do this same process with any number of units. You aren't measuring sidehill incline or the units ability to hold itself in a straight running direction on a sidehill incline by its tires and traction and moving it forward.

There is no logical interpretation of sidehill stability with this photo. . . just none. Not tire traction maintained, not steerability, not passenger portability, not engine operation.

 

[4570Man]

I failed to account for traction which is the weak link. That’s why I can’t mow 48 degree slopes. The seat is mounted low with the bottom at about the tops of the tires. It might raise the COG but not by a lot. The tire isn’t pinched. It’s free to roll over. The wheel has to lift up to roll over which it’s free to do. Lift another machine to 48 degrees and see how it goes. I never claimed the engine could operate on a 48 degree side hill, but it’s a 3 cylinder Kubota diesel. Once it gives up so has every other machine that’s not designed for the task. And a splash lubricated gas motor already failed. Remember I didn’t claim to be able to mow a 48 degree side hill. I did claim to be able to be able to mow a hill that’ll roll an unmodified compact and especially sub compact tractor.

 

[4570Man]

I guess I don’t have any proof for my statement because I’ve never rolled a tractor and then mowed the same hill with my grasshopper. I have mowed a bank that’s rolled a garden tractor, a hill that I won’t mow with any of my tractors and a hill at a buddy’s shop that he said there’s no way he’d take his JD garden tractor across. And I’m not trying to convince anyone to buy a grasshopper. I don’t own any grasshopper stock and I don’t work for grasshopper and I realize they’re too expensive for most to justify. I trying to disprove the blanket statement that zero turns suck on hills.