Mowing a rolling hillside

PBinWA · Jul 1, 2004

What's the best way to mow a bumpy rolling hillside? My 5ft Rotary Cutter bottoms out on the 4-6ft diameter (1 ft high)mounds that I have to mow over. As I go up some mounds the mower gets lifted up too high and then it bottoms out on the way down. I'm getting pretty good at raising and lowering the cutter by sound but it is a little tiresome.

Eventually, I will get the whole property smoothed out but that will take a little time.

I was thinking of bolting (I'm not a welder) some form of anti-scalping wheels to outside of the cutter.

Suggestions and Wisdom appreciated!

/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

neilly2 · Jul 1, 2004

I don't have a surefire answer for you, but when a mound gets my mower I grab the rear blade and go get that mound.

The rear blade is probably my favorite implement to use so I grade off any high/low spots I find.

If you want to keep your mounds, I would agree with your idea of adding skid wheels around the permiter of the deck, but even then, if you have deep mower, you'll still get the top of smaller mounds.

What mowing height are you set at? A higher setting will help this.

greg_g · Jul 1, 2004

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( My 5ft Rotary Cutter bottoms out on the 4-6ft diameter (1 ft high)mounds that I have to mow over. )</font>
Adjust the mower's trailing wheel so it's firmly on the ground when deck is at desired cutting height. Adjust toplink for about 50% slack. Don't straddle rises with the tractor. Steer so that either the right or left tractor wheels drive over the CENTER of each rise.

//greg//

BB_TX · Jul 2, 2004

You didn't mention additional purchases, but we always like to spend others money here. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
You might consider one of the pull type (trailer type) rotary cutters. Some have 2 wheels at the rear, but some have 2 wheels on the side near the center of the blades. That would allow the cutter to ride up and down the uneven ground without scalping and/or leaving uncut areas as bad as a 3ph type would. I have never used one myself so I can't speak for the actual result, but they look practical for that kind of ground.

MicroPilot · Jul 2, 2004

Pull type RC's are a pain in the rear. Not nearly as maneuverable as a 3PT, especially in reverse. With a pull RC though it seems that you can go bigger with less PTO HP.

Birdhunter1 · Jul 2, 2004

You may also try a piece of chain for a to link instead of a solid adjustable (if no swinging link is in place). You could also put chain in place of the support straps that run form the top link rearward to the RC deck. I have done both to mine and it maked the RC float so to speak al ittle better than before. Or you could just keep mowing and eventaully enough scalping would flatten them out! I would knock those dern mounds down as soon as possible though if it were me.

PBinWA · Jul 2, 2004

Thanks for the good points everyone. I will flatten them eventually but its summer and I want to avoid having two acres of dust bowl in my front yard. It's not going to rain much around here for the next 2-3 months and I don't have the time to move sprinklers around.

I like the ideas on making the deck float a little better. That seems to be the biggest problem.

Other suggestions still welcome!