Mowing Ditch Banks

[bcp]

... At my age, it's FAR too much work to try to keep it cleaned out with a weed whacker so I just live with it.
....
Cost is a factor, I'd spend $500 or so for a good solution. Maybe more for something really elegant and PROVEN to work.
...

Find a lawn service already working in your area. Have them trim it once a month during the growing season. Spend your time on something you enjoy.

Bruce

 

[PHPaul]

Find a lawn service already working in your area. Have them trim it once a month during the growing season. Spend your time on something you enjoy.

Bruce

Where would be the fun in that? :laughing:

It would no doubt be the most cost effective, but I love to tinker with ideas like this.

 

[bcp]

A very basic ditch mower for the non-welder:

Another one:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Grxc5Foytos

Bruce

 

[flusher]

"It looks like crap because it's full of weeds, cattails, multiflora rose and baby alders. At my age, it's FAR too much work to try to keep it cleaned out with a weed whacker so I just live with it."

Don't know your age or physical condition, but I maintained a 1/4 mile of ditch like yours three times per year for 10 years using a $400 commercial grade string mower (0.155" string, 16" long pieces loaded into a clamp head). I'm 73 years old and in good physical condition. Got a good upper body workout doing this chore.

 

[Deere Dude]

What about a walk behind sickle mower. I had a relative buy one and it worked great for weeds on a road way ditch. It has two large rear tires and a 4' approx sickle bar.

 

[beckmurph]

I do that on the back 3/4ths of it that runs through the pastures. Lack of maneuvering room and tearing up the lawn prevents that on the front part tho.

Understood.

 

[Turbys_1700]

Probably not an acceptable alternative but I don't mow areas like that. I spray Roundup. Knees and hip do not allow me the opportunity to utilize a string trimmer.

 

[orangeandgreen]

Spray with 2-4 D, it will kill the weeds and brush but leave the grass.

 

[s219]

Pull an old push-mower on an offset hitch with your tractor of choice?

When I have some time, I plan to design up something to put the motor of my old Honda mower out on an arm hanging off the 3-pt hitch. The mower deck finally rusted to the point it wasn't usable, so I took it all apart with the though of replacing the deck or using the engine/parts for something else.

With a hydraulic side link, that should allow pretty good control to mow the ditches on each side of my driveway. But I want to figure out the complexity/cost of doing this and see if it's worth the trouble. A sickle mower would be the ultimate turnkey solution, but they cost $$$.

 

[Huskerfan]

You might consider the DR Power 3 point hitch trimmer mower.