Loading a riding mower

[mjncad]

Yep...that video shows exactly what I expect would happen loading a mower in nose first.

 

[sawdust_maker]

Well I did it today. Bought some arched aluminum ramps. Unloading I just put in in neutral and stood behind it and let it down one rung at a time. Wasn't too difficult. Putting it in I tried to drive it up in reverse first. When the back tires got about halfway up, they just sat there and spun. No good. On level ground, I felt uneasy driving it up. So I moved the mower on top of one my little mound and backed the pickup up, attached the ramps and drove it in no problem. But loading it at the city house might pose a problem since there are no mounds, no hills, etc.. Probably enlist the neighbor's help.

Why not build a pair of wooden ramps for the city house that will effectively reduce that slope by effectively lengthening the ramps? Make the wooden ramps so that the aluminum ramps hook onto the ends. Build these wooden extensions so they will not tip over of course.

John

 

[LBrown59]

Why not build a pair of wooden ramps for the city house that will effectively reduce that slope by effectively lengthening the ramps? Make the wooden ramps so that the aluminum ramps hook onto the ends. Build these wooden extensions so they will not tip over of course.

John

When I bought my 1966 Bolens 41 years ago I had a sawmill cut me 2 Oak Planks 12'' wide 2'' thick and 8 foot long for ramps to load it on a full size pick up.

 

[Iplayfarmer]

But loading it at the city house might pose a problem since there are no mounds, no hills, etc.. Probably enlist the neighbor's help.

Usually there's a curb. Put your back wheels in the gutter right against the curb. This should give you a bit of an advantage. Your nose will be hanging out in the street for a minute, but unless you're on a really busy street, those who have to wait for you will get over it.

 

[RobJ]

Those curved ramps are made just for riding mowers and deck clearance these days. There were 2 problems I see in the video, no chains securing the ramp to the truck, and 2) the guy put the clutch in half way up then popped it. It's really no different than my ATV on some 7' ramps, low gear, steady power, steady speed. If I have to stop...coast all the way down and start again. When I unload my ATV's, just put it in lo-low range and let it walk itself down the ramp while I'm off and holding the handlebar. My low-low range it just crawls and uses engine breaking.

Good Luck,
Rob

 

[Iplayfarmer]

Why not build a pair of wooden ramps for the city house that will effectively reduce that slope by effectively lengthening the ramps? Make the wooden ramps so that the aluminum ramps hook onto the ends. Build these wooden extensions so they will not tip over of course.

John

I must have been typing while you posted. I like the wooden ramps idea.

Something like this?...

1/2" plywood along the bottom, an 8" 4X4 at the front, and a 2X8 as the actual ramp portion. Stick it all together with appropriatly sized wood screws.

Cheap, easy, and it beats backing against the curb any day.

 

[sawdust_maker]

I must have been typing while you posted. I like the wooden ramps idea.

Something like this?...

(snipped)

Cheap, easy, and it beats backing against the curb any day.

Exactly. Choose an appropriate height to make your own hill on demand.

John

 

[Chuck52]

I like the come-along idea at least for loading. I'd use the hitch on the back of the mower to load it backwards and then either drive it off or roll it off and use the come-along to control it.

Chuck

 

[bontai_Joe]

Loading it in backwards presents one risk, if air gets under your hood while transporting it in the truck, the hood will fly open at high speed and most of the time be torn right off the tractor. I haven't done this personally, but have seen it done. So if you back it into the truck or trailer, think about securing the hood so it can't open.

 

[VABlue]

All of these ideas will work. But it seems to me like you'll put much effort and money into constructing them and that they'll be difficult to transport. I would return the aluminum ramps and get the brackets Eddie mentioned and mate them to a couple of long 2x12s. Cheap, easy to use, easy enough to transport, and available anywhere. Couldn't take more than 30 minutes and $60 to put the whole thing together...