Bush hogging backwards?

[hopson0352]

I have a hill (approx. 2 acres) that but up to a wood line on the down hill side. I can drive along the woodline but seems very risky and unstable. After making several passes I figured it wasn't worth the stress it was causing me. I then began driving up the hill, shift over, then back down the next cut. it was a pain in the neck, literally, but seemed much safer, especially for my experience level. Yea I'm a noobie. I am worried that by driving the wood line repeatedly I will sink in the downhill side of my tractor, thus making it lean even more, and creating a dirt path over time. I am using a L4400hst w/ loader, loaded tires,keep the bucket real low, low gear, etc. And I'm using a 6ft bush hog. It's my neighbor's and i haven't a clue of what brand it is or its weight or other specs. I guess my quetion is does anyone else do this, and is it okay for the bush hog? Any advice? Thanks

 

[BlacknTan]

I do that on the steeper areas of my place. Doesn't hurt the equipment al all. If you feel safer, no problem uising that technique.

 

[teg]

That's how I do a bunch of my cutting.... back under or into stuff. I don't think there is a problem doing that. :thumbsup:

 

[TripleR]

I have some ares that I have to back down and some I back up. You won't hurt anything.

You may find with time and experience that you can safely and easily mow along the slope. When you begin using a tractor, even gentle slopes seem steep. I routinely mow pond levies and hill sides that use to scare the heck out of me.

There are several old threads on mowing on slopes.

 

[Thomas]

Either or,most of all what makes you feel comfortable.

 

[rekees4300]

Any advice? Thanks

My advice is to remove the FEL (slopes and FEL are a bad combo), mow up the slope in reverse (wont hurt your brush hog as long as you don't push it into the ground) and mow down the slope in forward, always keep the front of your tractor pointed downhill.

 

[whistlepig]

If you feel that the hill is unsafe then it is unsafe. A lot of folks don't have that kind of wisdom going for them. I brush hog backwards sometimes. I figure that the extra few minutes may save me being laid up all summer. Removing the FEL for mowing is an excellent suggestion. Even with the bucket lowered a FEL makes the tractor top heavy.

 

[Code54]

Yep here on the hills in WV I do it all the time. Never hurt a thing.

 

[Steave]

I've been mowing uphill backwards for many years and it hasn't hurt any thing yet (except my neck). Now I do as "rekees4300" has already said, I back up the hill then come down forward, I don't like backing down the hill.

 

[vtsnowedin]

If you feel that the hill is unsafe then it is unsafe. A lot of folks don't have that kind of wisdom going for them. I brush hog backwards sometimes. I figure that the extra few minutes may save me being laid up all summer. Removing the FEL for mowing is an excellent suggestion. Even with the bucket lowered a FEL makes the tractor top heavy.

I'm puzzling on the math on that one. You could always mess with the equations by scoping up a load in the bucket. Might be easier then dismounting the loader?

 

[whistlepig]

The loader mounts are above the axles. Any weight higher than the axles will make stuff top heavy.

 

[SPYDERLK]

I'm puzzling on the math on that one. You could always mess with the equations by scoping up a load in the bucket. Might be easier then dismounting the loader?

Not good. weight forward of the front axle unweights the rears. Best easy thing you can do beyond rear tire loading and counterweight is to remove the bucket.
larry

 

[vtsnowedin]

The loader mounts are above the axles. Any weight higher than the axles will make stuff top heavy.

I see your point.

 

[vtsnowedin]

Not good. weight forward of the front axle unweights the rears. Best easy thing you can do beyond rear tire loading and counterweight is to remove the bucket.
larry

Would not the weight of the bucket balance the weight of the rotary cutter?

 

[whistlepig]

Would not the weight of the bucket balance the weight of the rotary cutter?

On level ground yes. On side hills the FEL works against the tractor.

 

[SPYDERLK]

Would not the weight of the bucket balance the weight of the rotary cutter?

Anything unweighting the rears makes it easier to tip. Front back balance might improve steering on side hill, but all anti tip stability comes from the solid rear axle so you dont want to take weight off rears by overhung weight on the front.
larry

 

[DKCDKC]

I try to cut forward so I can see what the heck I'm about to cut, but do back up to get into areas where I could not pull into, or over ditches, etc. I leave my loader on all the time because I can hold it right off the ground to screen for logs, and for a greater sense of stability. The bucket is a not inconsiderable weight and keeping it at ground level almost seems to lower my center of gravity.

 

[Hollow]

A picture is worth a thousand words. You could be over analyzing the situation and have nothing to worry about. It's easy to get uneasy about operating equipment on slopes and not knowing its limits. Find out what kind of bushhog it is and the specs. A heavy bushhog with its low center gravity can lower the tractors center of gravity if it weights enough. What is the slope of the hillside? And how wide are the rear wheels set on your tractor?

As for backing up a hillside, be carefull!!! Especially in 4x4!!! If enough weight is shifted from the rear axle to the front the tractor can tilt over to one side or the other. I had one do this with me one time and believe me, it ain't fun! I was operating a John Deere 5500 on a steep slope, I was gong down hill and had it in 4x4 because it would have just slid the rear wheels if I hadn't. I was going down hill when the right rear tire went over a 4" stump that was 4" to 5" tall. The momentum and most of the weight being on the front axle was enough to tip it over to the left side and it almost made it all the way to the articulation stops on the axle before I dropped the FEL to the ground the leveled it out with the bucket. Most people look at me like I'm crazy when I tell them I'd rather drive cross ways than up and down, but for an experienced operated its easier to since the stability of the tractor that way. If you get in trouble driving cross ways its usually gradual and you can stop and get out of the situation. When driving up and down trouble is usually sudden with little to no reaction time... That's my experience anyway.

 

[the6shooter]

After reading this thread, I have to weigh in on it from experiance.
I have a steep pond that I used to and still do mow.
I had a little massey 1528, and I used to mow this going nose down hill, with the loader on.
I did this 3 times in one season. and the last time I did it I did it going down hill. Never Again!!! there was so much weight on the front of the tractor, I broke the front axle mount right off, and it cost me $2400 bucks for mowing down hill. the service depart. told me to alway mow going up hill. because all of the weight was on the front axle carring all of the load. and It should be on the rear.

So after the costly repair the rear axle carries the weight.

The max. load on the front was 1900 lbs the weight of the tractor loader and brush cutter far exceeded the front axle, causing the failure. so to make a long story short, I only mow going up whenever I can. or I just won't mow anything that steep.
Hope this may help.
david

 

[vtsnowedin]

After reading this thread, I have to weigh in on it from experiance.
I have a steep pond that I used to and still do mow.
I had a little massey 1528, and I used to mow this going nose down hill, with the loader on.
I did this 3 times in one season. and the last time I did it I did it going down hill. Never Again!!! there was so much weight on the front of the tractor, I broke the front axle mount right off, and it cost me $2400 bucks for mowing down hill. the service depart. told me to alway mow going up hill. because all of the weight was on the front axle carring all of the load. and It should be on the rear.

So after the costly repair the rear axle carries the weight.

The max. load on the front was 1900 lbs the weight of the tractor loader and brush cutter far exceeded the front axle, causing the failure. so to make a long story short, I only mow going up whenever I can. or I just won't mow anything that steep.
Hope this may help.
david

When you mow up to the top of the hill how do you get back down to the bottom?