Mowing bx mowing on hills

[Anonymous Poster]

I've got a question for all of the bx owners out there. How is the bx when mowing uphill? While reading the book it was mentioned that the possibility exists of rolling the tractor over backwards going up a steep hill (never had the power to try that trick before!!) I've got a 45 degree slope that I always mowed uphill and down using a Snapper rider or Dixson ZTR mower (more often slid down as tires/ clutch broke loose on downhills). I would set forward on the seat to shift weight to the front on the uphills and never had a problem.
Any body ever get the front end up on one of these machines? Is it worth investing in front weights??
DaveL
BTW: It runs GREAT /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif!!! Itching for dry weather, high grass and puttin' in the veggies.

 

[nitronut1]

I have a 45 degree slope in the front of my property. The BX does just fine as long as the grass is reasonably dry and you use a low speed. Four wheel drive is not needed - just common sense and a 'no rush' attitude. I don't know how you could flip it unless you were going really fast and hit something or stopped abruptly. I have the 60" deck so theres also about 300 pounds of steel 2.5" off the ground asting as ballast.

The first time I tried it I was amazed at how well the machine tackles the slope; much better than a garden tractor.

Oh - one other thing. If you have any trees growing on the slope, be careful when going around them. The rops will hit the tree on the uphill side if you circle them (oops - surprise!). I don't circle them anymore to save on trimming.

Gregg

 

[kyoders]

Dave,

I think they are cautioning you about having the center-of-gravity skewed that way. If you were to hang up the front-end in any way, there may be enough torque to the rear wheels to pull the front-end up (and over) /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif. I suppose it might be possible to "goose" the pedal suddenly and do the same thing. Going up backwards, the torque would not be working in a dangerous direction. Weight up front would help, as long as it's low enough to shift the CG forward. Weight behind you on the 3pt hitch, or pulling a trailer, would work against you.

It is even possible to flip a tractor over backwards on level ground, like pulling a trailer with the hitch point above the rear axle. There was a story not too long ago about somebody hanging their ROPS up on a swing set. The tractor happily pushed the rear tires forward, while the swing set held the top of the ROPS in place. Net result was a wheelie (he was able to stop before going over).

I had a 25hp garden tractor for about a week. I tried pulling a trailer of mulch up the back drive (steep, but not 45degrees). The tractor stopped moving forward, the rear wheels started turning in the gravel, and the front-end started coming up. Fortunately I backed off the hydro pedal before anything really bad happened. Everything was within the specs for the tractor; tongue weight, towing weight, attached to factory hitch point, etc. That tractor went back the next day.

Kevin

 

[Will_C]

I have never noticed the BX getting light in the front end. Remember, you are talking about 400-500 pounds more weight than a large garden tractor. Be careful, but I can't imagine having problems with the same type terrain that you were able to handle with your other equipment.
Will

 

[kyoders]

Will,

I find it hard to imagine doing it too. My new BX22 with nothing in the FEL and the BH on goes up that same driveway without any problem at all. But there's always something new to learn. I just hope nobody ever has to learn if it can happen by doing it. As an example, the consensus seems to be that you will lose traction with a BX before you run out of HP, but I found enough traction in my lower yard one day to lug the engine pulling a middle buster. I think it was a combination of just the right ground conditions plus the MB wedged just under a healthy root.

Kevin

 

[chrisjbell]

<font color="blue"> Four wheel drive is not needed - just common sense and a 'no rush' attitude. </font>

You might be able to get away without using 4WD, but I'd suggest that you do even if it isn't required. I have lots of hills (one that is as steep as yours) and one thing I've found in experimenting is that there are times that being in 4WD is nice, not because you need the forward traction but because your front wheels act as brakes or a kind of speed control working in conjunction with the back wheels.

Every now and then I'll be out mowing and wonder why the tractor is acting kind of squirelly and most of the time it is because I'm in two wheel drive. I don't think that it would cause much extra wear - the thing is designed to be 4WD and on grass you'll get plenty of wheel slip so it shouldn't be like driving on concrete. I believe that the hardware in the front axle is still turning - just unhooked at the transfer case (like a 4WD truck with the hubs always locked).

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Thanks all for your replies. It made me set back when I read the book & saw the caution. WHAT A TRACTOR /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif!
DaveL

 

[Anonymous Poster]

DaveL and nitronut1,

You're mowing 45 degree hills? Really?

Or are they hills that FEEL like they are 45 degrees?

Did you measure these hills somehow to be sure they are that steep?

I would really like to know, because I can't imagine being able to do that on a tractor. I will admit to being a tractor newbie, not having a year of tractor use under my belt yet.

A true 45 degree is steep. When I think of mowing up and down something like that all my mind can say is:

REALLY? WOW! Not something I want to do!

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Henro,
I'm not sure if its an exact 45. But its STEEEEEEP. My property is terraced on three levels (bought it off a crane operator who had two machines: a 45 ton Bay City cable trencher and a 40(??) ton Lima crane w/ clamshell bucket that he used on the property to sculpt it). The terracing is great in that it provides more usable land but the transition points between terraces are very steep. There are some spots I won't attempt to mow but one in particular is flat at top and bottom and only 20' high at its tallest point. I never tried to mow it with a lawn or garden tractor because I figured I'd end up wearing the thing. A low cg machine like a Snapper or Dixson rear engine rider will do it but the drivelines aren't stout enough and break loose or the tires slide. It can be fun /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif!!

Once it dries out I'm going to try it carefully and see what happens. I agree that 4wd may be best as I could never keep the wheels under the other machines. With the weight pitched forward on a downhill and the front axle engaged it should provide a lot of traction to hold the machine.
Maybe wheelie bars on the back for the uphill /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif???
Nitronut1: thanks for the info and the tree advice. I would have done the same thing and then said " oh xxxx, how am I gonna get his thing off this tree /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif?????
DaveL

 

[Bird]

Bill, I guess everyone is aware of the difference between a 45 degree slope and a 45 percent slope. Like you said, 45 degrees is steep. And I know a lot of folks can look at a slope and estimate how steep it is a lot better than I can. I've mowed (downhill only) one slope at my brother's place that I would have guessed to be about 45 degrees, only to find, when I got the tiltmeter that it wasn't half that steep. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif