crazy idea? mowing with a compact track loader?

   / crazy idea? mowing with a compact track loader? #1  

ratter

Silver Member
Joined
May 22, 2005
Messages
186
Location
Westmoreland CO, PA
Tractor
Massey Ferguson 1540
Hi TBN'ers. I'm mulling this situation over in my head. We live on 52 acres, about 2/3rds of which is a fairly steep hill behind our house (picture attached.) Parts of it aren't bad, but parts of it are, and I'm beyond a novice when it comes to tractor operation, so I basically refuse to take my small Kubota anywhere near that hill.

Thing is, my wife wants it all cut semi-regularly (a couple times a year). Enough so that she can hike on it occasionally. I'm not as gung ho about it, but I agree it would be nice.

Funds are very, VERY limited. I would love to buy a new (or used) slope-capable machine a la PowerTrac 1850 or something similar, but it's just not in the budget anytime soon.

But in my browsing, I've learned that there are rotary cutter attachments for bobcat mini track loaders (and probably others.) The local rental house has a T190. My limited understanding of these things tells me that track loaders are intended for stability on rough terrain, like slopes and bumpy areas. Would it traverse this hill safely, with a rotary cutter attachment? The rental house doesn't have the cutter, but I could swing that in my budget, and then just rent the vehicle a couple times a year for a few years until we can afford to buy one (I'd like to have one for tilling, box work, etc.)

So, does anybody mow with one of these things, or know someone who does? I'm just wondering if I'm nuts, or if this might actually be a good idea.

Thanks in advance,
-Mike
 
   / crazy idea? mowing with a compact track loader?
  • Thread Starter
#2  
Forgot to attach the pic, of course.
 

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   / crazy idea? mowing with a compact track loader? #3  
Most of that appears quite "mowable" with your Kubota, if you're careful. I'd put some front weights on it, and mow up and down the slope. The danger is in turning, or on sideslopes.

If I were you, I'd try that, and see what you're left with that really is too steep to mow, then decide accordingly. You might find that you've gotten it down to a point that there's other alternatives, such as a walk-behind for the steepest spots...
 
   / crazy idea? mowing with a compact track loader?
  • Thread Starter
#4  
</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Most of that appears quite "mowable" with your Kubota, if you're careful. I'd put some front weights on it, and mow up and down the slope. The danger is in turning, or on sideslopes.

If I were you, I'd try that, and see what you're left with that really is too steep to mow, then decide accordingly. You might find that you've gotten it down to a point that there's other alternatives, such as a walk-behind for the steepest spots... )</font>

Thanks for your thoughts. You might be right. Of course, that picture doesn't really do the hills justice (don't they all say that /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif). Thing is, I'm not sure I want to find out if it's mowable. Call me chicken, but it is what it is. One thing that I've discovered about my tractor is that even though it has a parking brake, it doesn't do a whole lot to stop the tractor once rolling. And it's got a manual, gear-driven transmission. If it popped into neutral while I'm pointed uphill, things could get ugly in a hurry, no? The bottom of the hill is a creek, naturally. Why can't they ever just be nice soft grassy bowls at the bottom? /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

I've thought about a walk-behind. Seems like it would be very time-consuming, though, even on just a part of the hill. But I don't have any experience with a big commercial walk-behind.
 
   / crazy idea? mowing with a compact track loader? #5  
ratter,

Not a crazy idea, but there are alternatives that might work just a bit better.

First, go to a hardware store like TrueValue and buy a magnetic angle finder. Put it on a one-foot square piece of wood and measure angles in all directions throughout your property. And note the difference between angle degree and percentage slope. People often overestimate slope degrees, but this info is essential. If you truly have slopes over x degrees (say 20 to 30 depending on your tolerance), only slope machines like the PT 1850 or Hustler Hillsider are advisable, but it if is under 20 degrees or so some CTLs might be OK, from what I have read.

I just bought a hydraulic Ammbusher brushcutter. I'm using it on my new 4-wheel-steering, axle-oscillating Bobcat Toolcat work machine. It is also usable on skid-steer loaders, all-wheel-steer loaders like Bobcat A300, and compact track loaders. Using a CTL or an oscillating AWS machine is much better on steeper slopes than a conventional CUT or SSL. Depending on the steepness, you may carefully plan to primariliy travel up and down hills rather than across side slopes.

You may want to find a Bobcat dealer or someone who rents the Toolcat, since it weighs a bit less than the T190 CTL and is gentler on turf and much more maeuverable with its all-wheel-steering, slopes permitting. Good luck.
 
   / crazy idea? mowing with a compact track loader?
  • Thread Starter
#6  
Brian, thanks for the thoughts. A large part of my reasoning behind the ctl is its availability at the local rental house. They don't have a Toolcat or any other similar machines. I'll branch out a bit, though, and see if I can find any.

An angle finder is on my "to buy" list, for sure. Just haven't had any luck finding one yet, so I'm left to guess for now. But there are plenty of areas on that hill that my jeep simply would not climb in 2wd on dry grass (who am I kidding...WEEDS) without spinning tires. I can only get up them (straight up) in 4wd. The kind of hills that you can't walk straight down without breaking into an involuntary run. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

I'm thinking that even with a CTL or slope-capable mower of some kind, I'm going to have to pass on some areas and just plant some low-growing ground cover or something. That, by the way, is an option that hasn't escaped me. It would solve the mowing problem. But, we would like to do other things on that hill (clear some trails in the wooded areas, maybe plant some fruit trees, fence it, etc., that would be facilitated by a machine that could maneuver on it.
 
   / crazy idea? mowing with a compact track loader?
  • Thread Starter
#7  
Another picture, for the heck of it. About 2/3rds of the way up the hill, looking down and across. The large building in the middle-right of the pic is my barn, I was standing near the barn when taking the picture facing uphill.
 

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   / crazy idea? mowing with a compact track loader?
  • Thread Starter
#8  
And another.
 

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   / crazy idea? mowing with a compact track loader? #9  
That hill looks semi-doable with a tractor. There might be some ways to make it a little safer to mow the tractor. If you are going to mow across the hill (instead of up and down) why not try rigging up a counterweight to hang off the uphill side of the tractor? Or maybe an outrigger that hangs off the downhill side? Either one might be enough to make the tractor more stable and increase your comfort level with mowing on the hill. A lot of tractors allow you to move the wheels out also to increase stability.
 
   / crazy idea? mowing with a compact track loader? #10  
An old Gravely 800/8000 series would mow that with no problem.
My old 812 riding Gravely )12 HP) will mow a 40 degree slope up and down ( a bit more with chains) and about a 30 deg slope sideways. Sort of hard to stay on the seat though going sideways. Up and down is not a problem as I have a bucket Bass Boat seat on it. Really comfey.

Of course with a 40-50 inch cut it will take a while....
Been thinking of putting duals on the back and some kind of swivel seat.....

Ben
 

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