Mowing around culverts

[farmer2009]

They are turf. You have a point, but irregardless of the tires, the culvert area is unmowable, and that's what I'm trying to remedy at this point.

Now tires may make a difference around my pond. I do have a larger pond I mow around, and this year it's been a full pool all year long. I've gotten stuck around it, trying to mow to close several times this year. Tire nearest pond starts to spin....and it's 50/50 if you can save it without it just sliding sideways.

Oh I agree that bank it too steep. After reading the thread I was thinking you had plenty of advise to add extensions and dirt. My recommendation was for the pond you said was leaving tracks on.

Sometimes ATV tires will get you out if you get too close to a wet spot but not always. ZTR are tricky and don't like mud at all. I have found that sometime you can turn into the wet spot and cross it with both wheels easier than pulling away. But that won't work on a pond.

 

[Gary Fowler]

I have one zero turn mower with turfs and one with bar lug tires. The turfs will sure get to sliding on even a slight incline and when they start you are stuck, no if's about it. The bar lugs most times will pull you up the hill and out of the slide sequence. I use that mower to mow the wet areas of pond run off. I can usually raise the deck up to 4" an mow thru standing water and mud without a problem. Sure beats 2 hours of weedeating. It has been exceptionally wet this year and lots of swampy areas with the usually spring time spring flows but the springs are still flowing now, so it is either weedeat or mow thru the water and mud.
It does take a bit of hosing when finished to get all the mud off the mower though but that is much easier than hefting a weed eater. I did it once this spring and it took me 3 tanks of gas to get it done.

 

[jcummins]

Hmmmm...I may have to look into that. This Kubota ZD326 has some really wide rear tires. Here's from the last mowing. The larger portion of that rut was from pulling it out, I didn't drive it in that far. I know, when it starts spinning....stop....cause it just gets worse.

 

[Western]

Get a boom mower and all that is solved. That's all I got that the other fellas haven't already said

Mowers -Boom,Rotary,Flail,Slope,Roadside.
US Mower - Tractor-mount boom mowers and cutting attachments built in the USA

 

[pmsmechanic]

How much water flows through that plastic culvert? if it isn't much or doesn't need to go through in a hurry I would just fill the whole area with 4-6 inch rock. The water will flow through the rock and you can drive over it to mow. I had a similar situation and it works very well. I used smaller rock (2-3 ") on top so that the mower blades wouldn't get damaged.

 

[jcummins]

Maybe...but on bigger rains, it would move the rock...I think. On the down side of the culvert, I have 3 patio blocks to keep from gouging a hole, and the farthest one out gets moved in heavy rains. BUT mowing the ditch isn't the issue, it does get a bit 'tacky' looking when wet, but mowing the sides of the culvert are.

 

[ovrszd]

I think just haul in dirt and dump it until you create the slope you are after. Let Mother Nature move the dirt away from the culvert exit. When it all settles down, you'll have a hole to straddle when mowing. Both ends of my driveway culvert are that way.

 

[jcummins]

I've come to the same conclusion.