Difficult lot - mower suggestions?

[dstig1]

I need a mowing solution for our new place. It is pretty steep and built partly into a hill. The lot rise 60-100' from the street to the building pad area (unevenly, of course), and there are some very steep sections due to grading. Some parts are close to 40 deg, which is not area that I am planning to mow as that is pretty much impossible for anything I would consider getting. The steepest sections to mow are probably in the 20-30 deg slope range (guessing a bit here). Here are a few pics, but remember pics always make things look less steep than they are.


This area is going to need to be mowed. It rises ~10' in a 20'-25' or so run, I would say (the steeper bit is towards the house). This is one of my bigger concerns.


Looking down the driveway to the street. That right side will need some mowing


The really steep section. Gets worse the farther back you go. Maybe 1/3 of the way back the pucker factor on my L gets too high for me...


Close up of the steep section, where it starts to get silly.

So what am I looking for? Options. What is clearly not going to work, what is a good idea to try, and what is the bees knees. Most of this is too steep for the L to work on with a RFM or bushhog, and it is also a bit small for anything like that. it is a big lot, but it is 80% wooded, so not a lot to mow, but what there is, is challenging. So would a basic 2wd riding mower do it? How much power? Do I need something with a diff lock (looks like X500 or above?), or is 4wd the only way (and I ain't spending that kind of money, certainly not now...). I am pretty sure I do not want a huge deck - 42-48" max as it will be hard to maneuver with all the hills and cuts and stuff.

JD seems like the only game in town once you get beyond the simple stuff, so lets hear it!

Thanks!

 

[4570Man]

I'm not saying it can't be done, but I sure wouldn't do it without a 4wd. I also wouldn't do it with a zero turn. A front mount grasshopper might be an exception to the zero turn rule.

 

[JD420]

I would suggest a x7xx series with 4wd. Gas or diesel would be your preference. Or an older 4xx series mower. I have a 420,and 430 both ate very stable and sure footed on hills. Unfortunately the older 4xx series are not 4wd.

 

[RedNeckRacin]

I would try and get things graded to be mowable as a first option since it looks like everything is still fresh. After that, I'm not to sure. I have brush hogged with an 85 hp tractor on hills that I know it would roll on if I went across them sideways. This was with a fel for an emergency brake, loaded rears and wheel weights. I would never dream of touching the clutch going up or down on this stuff either. I would say that I'd be looking for bar tires on the mower or possibly a good set of chains to keep me on the hill if there is the chance of mowing with moisture in the grass.

I think steiner or ventrac makes a steep slope mowing machine with dual duals.

 

[Hill Farmer]

I think a zero turn would surprise you at how well it would do. Center of gravity is very low. It might slide to the bottom, but would be hard to roll.

 

[Tomtint]

I use a Walker 48" GHS on areas with more angle than that. It just needs to be dry.

 

[amaxwell]

I think a zero turn would surprise you at how well it would do. Center of gravity is very low. It might slide to the bottom, but would be hard to roll.

Kind of hard to tell from the pics,but I think I mow my roadside banks that are that steep with my zero turn . I only mow those when it is dry as I tend to slide if it is wet. As Hill Farmer said the center of gravity is low on a commercial zero turn.

 

[mddorange]

I have ran my L up and down hills like that. Never sideways. Has to be completely dry and has too be in 4WD and the loader has to be within a couple of inches of the ground.

 

[Gary Fowler]

A zero turn is the only way to go. That or the 4 WD mowers like the F series Kubotas or Ventrac/Steiner which are all high dollar items. I don't think you would have any problems with a good commercial grade mower. They are heavier and hold better on hills than box store ZTR. I can mow some slopes on my place that look steeper than most of your mowing and do it side slope without any problem.

 

[4570Man]

I agree that a zero turn has a wide wheel base and low center of gravity, but they have poor traction. If you ONLY mow when it is dry a zero turn might work, but I wouldn't recommend one. The cheapest way to see if a zero turn would work is to pay a lawn mowing company to mow it once because they almost all have a zero turn.