Mowing Mowing Roadside Ditch?

[Rhinorider]

Most states declare 3:1 slope as the limit for wheeled equipment to mow.
2:1 is the preferred design slope for new installations that mowed.

if its a 2:1 or less, you may just need some time to get used to some side slope work. If it is closer to 3:1 you might want to find another way to maintain it....
perhaps a sickle bar mower, or other kind of offsetting mower... perhaps a string trimmer if its not 1000's of feet.

J, I think you got that backwards. 2:1 is steeper than 3:1..... I have run heavy equipment all my life (30+ yrs) on some very steep country here in WV. In fact when we get a job that is say 1/2: 1 guess who they call, because I have the most experience, or maybe it is I am old and expendable. LOL (haven't figured that one out yet). Anyway 2:1 sideways on a slope with rubber tires MAYBE ok if smooth and very dry. Again if the pucker factor kicks in then get off. Just go slow, things can get very interesting and down right educational in a heart beat.

 

[Dennisfly]

I have a friend that bought a new JD 2320 with filled tires, and was mowing in what looks like a similiar situation sideways across a slope. He made several passes and everything was OK until the front down hill wheel went into a "chuckhole". The tractor rolled on its side. Fortunately, it had ROPS and he had his seat belt fastened. He was lucky and only skinned and bruised his elbow and the tractor only suffered minor scratches. It looked like the tractor would have rolled all the way over had it not been for the ROPS with the flat side that prevented from rolling further.

The outcome probably would not have been as good on a tractor without ROPS and a seat belt!

 

[jake98]

It's not tractor blaspheme to use a walk behind for stuff like that.. I have a DR brush mower that's way better than the pto unit for lots of places. The thing will climb up slopes that are hard to walk up. :thumbsup:

 

[ovrszd]

There's a vendor on here that sells "Tilt Meters". I put one on my first Kubota for my wife's comfort. The Kubota was a B2910 with filled rears. It would mow on 15 degree slope with no hesitation. When you got over 20 degrees then it felt a little tippy.

 

[jdonovan]

J, I think you got that backwards.

I did, the finger went the wrong way on the keyboard. 3:1 is mow limit, 4:1 is preferred.

 

[blount2000]

I've done a lot of shredding on the 8n or NAA over the years and more often when cutting on a slope I've experienced a sensation of lateral, downhill slippage more than a concern about reaching a point at which the tractor might tip over.

That sensation of "lateral, downhill slippage" is exactly what I am feeling! I just didn't know how to describe it in my original post.

Does lateral downhill slippage easily turn into a tip over situation? I don't have a rollover bar or seat-belt, so my internal sensitivity is turned up all the way.

The tires on the tractor are set at 5' I believe, since the span of the bush hog is almost exactly the same width (i.e. I am able to mow right up against the other fences without the tractor tires hitting the fence).

I will see if I can do some measurements on the ditch like someone suggested to determine the actual amount of slope.

On letting the county take care of mowing the ditch, they only cut the side right by the road, and they will usually only make one pass with their mower. Maybe I can call them and see if they have one of those longer reaching "side mounted bush hogs" on one of their machines that they can cut the ditch with. So far, their mowing has been done with a regular bush hog behind a regular tractor.

Who knows, maybe they don't like the sensation of mowing the ditch any more than I do.

 

[tractorsanmore]

I mow sometimes with a similar tractor ( ford 2000 ) with loaded rear ag tires , the 5 ft mower is not quite as wide as the rear wheel spacing ( inch or 2 total ) It took me several years to get comfortable on slopes , when it's steep I almost always stay in first gear . But sometimes I will use the brake to keep the front tire from sliding down the hill , and never mow on side slopes when it's just the least bit wet .

 

[SandburRanch]

If the brake needs to be used to keep the front from sliding down the slope, that seems to me the same as asking the tractor to turn up hill which it doesn't want to do, so with the brake it is forced to turn. Depending on the direction of tractor travel the torque of the pto shaft might just go ahead and roll it if any small hole was encountered at that time or a tire suddenly lost pressure or both.

 

[hwks1]

Thanks for the response. Below is a pic of the ditch. The county cuts the left side of the ditch (by the road), and you can see where I made one pass on the right side of the ditch. You can also see where I need to make another pass or two up to the fence line.

Maybe it just feels steeper than it really is.

Picture is not like 'being there' but that slope does not look bad. You can always back up the slope. 8N are pretty stable. Go slow, follow your gut. If you feel like you are sliding in the seat that's a great indication that you are getting too much slope. I would walk that area to be sure there are no washed out spots or 'humps' that can quickly change things for you. I would mow by hand the first so you can see what's under there.

 

[blount2000]

Well, I succeeded in mowing up a little bit higher on the ditch. The county has not cut in a while, and the tall grass was blocking my view whenever turning out of the driveway so I went ahead and cut what I could. As described in my original post, it was still a bit spooky mowing on the incline.

I wasn't able to cut the entire length of the fence line, but at least I can see now when pulling out of the driveway. I still need to try to get a bit closer to the actual fence, but that will be a challenge for another day.

The first picture is from back in May when I was originally asking about mowing the ditch, the second picture is from when I cut the ditch this weekend (you can see the cut is a little closer to the fence), and the third picture is of the ol' girl who is doing the work!

It may not be the prettiest tractor, but it still works mighty fine!

 

[MMagis]

The more familiar you get with the tractor, the more you’ll be able to do. In the end, that hill won’t be any problem and you’ll have it cut clear to the fence.

 

[TripleR]

Congratulations, slopes are really hard to judge from a picture and always feel a lot steeper while you are actually on the tractor or at least it does to me.

 

[foreman Etexas]

Well, I succeeded in mowing up a little bit higher on the ditch. The county has not cut in a while, and the tall grass was blocking my view whenever turning out of the driveway so I went ahead and cut what I could. As described in my original post, it was still a bit spooky mowing on the incline.

I wasn't able to cut the entire length of the fence line, but at least I can see now when pulling out of the driveway. I still need to try to get a bit closer to the actual fence, but that will be a challenge for another day.

The first picture is from back in May when I was originally asking about mowing the ditch, the second picture is from when I cut the ditch this weekend (you can see the cut is a little closer to the fence), and the third picture is of the ol' girl who is doing the work!

It may not be the prettiest tractor, but it still works mighty fine!

Yeah,u can go way wider on the tires!!!Why do they not mow to the fence-line?

 

[teg]

Looks like the worst part is behind you... and the part by the fence is (a little more) level.

 

[ovrszd]

As said before pictures don't do slopes justice. Here's some shots of my old Kubota B2910 on a slope that I mow regularly. I took these shots in response to those who had told me you can't run on 15 degree slopes.

 

[TripleR]

As said before pictures don't do slopes justice. Here's some shots of my old Kubota B2910 on a slope that I mow regularly. I took these shots in response to those who had told me you can't run on 15 degree slopes.

Great pictures.:thumbsup:

 

[ametcalf]

I recently relocated out in the country to a 10 acre piece of property. About 7 acres is flat pasture/fields and the other 3 acres is woods. I'm a new tractor owner (I'm new, not the tractor!), and I mow the pastures using a Ford 8n with a 5' bush-hog. Since everything I mow is flat, I haven't had any instances where I felt real nervous or anything.

However, last week I made a partial pass to cut along the ditch at the road (between my fence-line & where the county mows the roadside) and I did not like the feeling of it at all. The ditch is relatively smooth and is not super steep or anything, but the sensation of mowing "unlevel" kinda spooked me, so I elected to not mow the rest of the ditch.

I'm wondering if I was just being too cautious (i.e. scared), or is the "unlevel" sensation normal and is just something that people get used to the more they use a tractor?

I think we are all assuming that you have an override clutch on the pto between the tractor and the bush hog. It keeps the momentum of the spinning bush hog blades from pushing the tractor when you depress the clutch. I found that without an override clutch an 8n is hard to mow with even on level ground. A friend of mine got pushed through a fence and almost over a river cliff before he got his stopped.

 

[ovrszd]

Great pictures.:thumbsup:

Thanks TripleR, living up to our motto, "Show Me State", pictures are a necessity!!! :laughing:

 

[hill]

Blount2000,

You might like to look into obtaining a sickle mower of this type: Ford 501 Mowing Machine/Sickle/Brush/Disc Mower | eBay

I'm not sure that any are made anymore (probably got deemed "unsafe" by Nannygovma) but there are many available in most any condition. The Ford versions are parts available items meaning that old ones can be kept cutting for years.

The implement seems perfect for your situation since they are hinged to be able to adjust to several angles of slope and would allow for cutting that bank while keeping the tractor on more level stable ground. They were used for Hay mostly in their day and by their nature would not make good brush and vine cutters. For your grassy slope it's what I'd be looking to buy, even though most seem like weird "Rube Goldberg contraptions".

I don't think you're wrong to play it safe on slopes as they can be all kinds of tricky. I've got areas I won't try to cut except by backing my cutter up and down in dozens (hundreds?) of tedious fuel burning movements rather than risk watching my high side front wheel rise slowly a foot off ground if the low side encounters even a slight dip. It's scary as all get out and no slope is worth having the tractor roll downhill with me in a back wrenching upside down ride, strapped poorly into the seat.

 

[MESSMAKER]

Remember to lookout for dips or holes on the low side. They can make things exciting quick. This can lead to trouble if you are close to the safe limit already.