Watch out for those turkeys in the spring. I was going around a tree with the BH this spring and came within 1 ft of a nest, I didnt know it until I happened to look down by the rear tire, and saw the mother, she never moved. I quit working that area, she stuck to that nest, and a few weeks later they hatched.
Help! My front yard is kicking my butt! Bushhogging uphill
- Thread starter FTG-05
- Start date
- Views: 27145
Your slopes seem to be tooooo steep for any ordinary tractor, but there are tractors that are designed to handle your hilly situation.
I know Ventrac has already been mentioned, and maybe Steiner and Powertrac has been mentioned too.
Anyway, here are some links, if you wanna take a look...
Ventrac
Ventrac - Advantages: Slope Mowing
Steiner
Tractors, Attachments & Accessories | Steiner Tractors
Powertrac
http://www.power-trac.com/productclasses.htm
Try and get each of these dealers to allow a demo of their product on your hilly property.
I know Ventrac has already been mentioned, and maybe Steiner and Powertrac has been mentioned too.
Anyway, here are some links, if you wanna take a look...
Ventrac
Ventrac - Advantages: Slope Mowing
Steiner
Tractors, Attachments & Accessories | Steiner Tractors
Powertrac
http://www.power-trac.com/productclasses.htm
Try and get each of these dealers to allow a demo of their product on your hilly property.
OP
FTG-05
Elite Member
- Joined
- Jan 7, 2011
- Messages
- 2,574
- Location
- TN
- Tractor
- Kubota L4330 GST w/FEL, Kubota RTV-XG850, Kubota ZD326S
It looks like I forgot to update this thread, my bad.
I got it done by the end of August. To recap, I fluid-filled my fronts with 4 gallons each of WW fluid and RV antifreeze plus water for a total of 12 gallons each, just under 100 lbs each tire. I also added about 180 lbs of weights to my front end bumper (railroad fishplates). The combination of these two made the tractor far more stable when going up hill. As suggested here, I went down heavy and went up light (see pic below for an example of what "heavy" looks like).
Only stalled out once and that was when I got a little too greedy and tried to go over a stump while going up, won't do that again!
I started with this:
And this:
And ended up with this:
and this:
and this:
Now that I can see what I have - and more important - see where I'm going, it should be a whole lot easier keeping it up in the future.
Thanks for all the help, I appreciate it!
I got it done by the end of August. To recap, I fluid-filled my fronts with 4 gallons each of WW fluid and RV antifreeze plus water for a total of 12 gallons each, just under 100 lbs each tire. I also added about 180 lbs of weights to my front end bumper (railroad fishplates). The combination of these two made the tractor far more stable when going up hill. As suggested here, I went down heavy and went up light (see pic below for an example of what "heavy" looks like).
Only stalled out once and that was when I got a little too greedy and tried to go over a stump while going up, won't do that again!
I started with this:
And this:
And ended up with this:
and this:
and this:
Now that I can see what I have - and more important - see where I'm going, it should be a whole lot easier keeping it up in the future.
Thanks for all the help, I appreciate it!
Scooby074
Super Member
Huge improvement
k0ua
Epic Contributor
"Gotter done!" Looks good.
RaydaKub
Veteran Member
Patience and persistence pays off again. Wonderful property.
BAP
Gold Member
- Joined
- Aug 23, 2013
- Messages
- 360
- Location
- Walpole, NH
- Tractor
- Kubota B2920 Loader, BH65, 60"MMM, B2782B snowblower, Forks , Woods 48" bush hog
I would second the post from Tractorshopper about mowing going up the hill backwards. You would be surprised, but with the loader on, you will push the mower up the hill easier than going forwards. Make sure your mower is just barely above the ground so there is no dragging creating friction and leaving a little weight on the 3 point hitch. The other advantage backing up the hill is if you slip, you are going forward down the hill. I have worked many a steep hillside here in New Hampshire that would scare the pants off many flatlanders. As long as you go slow, keep the bucket low and don't panic you will be safe. As others have pointed out, this round of BH is probably the worst for you with so much debris to drive on. After this if you keep it mowed on a regular basis with less debris to drive on, I think you find it a lot easier. I would consider getting your rear wheels loaded as this will add traction and make the tractor more stable when using the front end loader.
wmonroe
Elite Member
Very nice piece of property! Now that you have it under control it should be much easier for you to maintain it.
boggen
Elite Member
- Joined
- Feb 22, 2011
- Messages
- 3,789
- Location
- Trivoli, IL
- Tractor
- SSTT (Sideways Snake Tain Tractor) and STB (sideways train box) tractor, dirt harvester
its one of those, ya just kinda set there, and awe moments, that it is finally done! and looks awesome!
i don't see any cuttings left, and i do see brown spots, and low spots were like the rotatory cutter dipped right to the ground possibly balding the ground, this late in the year, i would keep be un easy with washouts possibly happening. more so from sudden rains. and/or early spring snow melting.
if me, i might put down some straw, or like, to help deal with possible erosion control. once ya get a year or two of regular mowings, and allow the weeds/grass to grow out, to more of a yard around the house but a tad taller grass per say, vs large single clumps, erosion will most likely vanish, but until then...
i give it 2 years, with say 4 to 5 mowings a year. to help remove various weeds. and allow more of a grass to take over. i would be uneasy, trying to plant regular yard grass seed (tearing up first couple inches of dirt) due to erosion, and would more likely opt, for more frequent mowings, and long term doing. to bring things around, and keep erosion down as much as possible, if that is what you are wanting.
==============
EDIT:
for myself, the 30 or so acres of pasture, i just let it grow to weeds, 5 to 8 feet plus tall pending on location, with a couple paths through it, that are regularly mowed. lots of critters can be seen, deer, coyotes, mice, rabbits, squirrels, coons, hawks, owls, maybe some fish on a creek that runs through the pasture, lots of different smells (various plants) chives are a big one, in one area. various wild flowers throughout some hills, there are a few hills, actually i would say half of the pasture looks like your hills in some form, and of that i would say 1/4th can not be mowed (too steep), and 1/2 is running up hill along a path, and then driving down hill mowing. (to steep to drive up it (forward or reverse)),
looking at your pictures again. it is one of them *awe moments* yep yep! excellent job! i love it! alright i might have to mow down a spot on the one hill, going down from lake, (nice long hill) for sleding, now that i look at your pictures *arghs* haven't been sledding in a few years, and getting an itching!
i don't see any cuttings left, and i do see brown spots, and low spots were like the rotatory cutter dipped right to the ground possibly balding the ground, this late in the year, i would keep be un easy with washouts possibly happening. more so from sudden rains. and/or early spring snow melting.
if me, i might put down some straw, or like, to help deal with possible erosion control. once ya get a year or two of regular mowings, and allow the weeds/grass to grow out, to more of a yard around the house but a tad taller grass per say, vs large single clumps, erosion will most likely vanish, but until then...
i give it 2 years, with say 4 to 5 mowings a year. to help remove various weeds. and allow more of a grass to take over. i would be uneasy, trying to plant regular yard grass seed (tearing up first couple inches of dirt) due to erosion, and would more likely opt, for more frequent mowings, and long term doing. to bring things around, and keep erosion down as much as possible, if that is what you are wanting.
==============
EDIT:
for myself, the 30 or so acres of pasture, i just let it grow to weeds, 5 to 8 feet plus tall pending on location, with a couple paths through it, that are regularly mowed. lots of critters can be seen, deer, coyotes, mice, rabbits, squirrels, coons, hawks, owls, maybe some fish on a creek that runs through the pasture, lots of different smells (various plants) chives are a big one, in one area. various wild flowers throughout some hills, there are a few hills, actually i would say half of the pasture looks like your hills in some form, and of that i would say 1/4th can not be mowed (too steep), and 1/2 is running up hill along a path, and then driving down hill mowing. (to steep to drive up it (forward or reverse)),
looking at your pictures again. it is one of them *awe moments* yep yep! excellent job! i love it! alright i might have to mow down a spot on the one hill, going down from lake, (nice long hill) for sleding, now that i look at your pictures *arghs* haven't been sledding in a few years, and getting an itching!
Last edited:
