Buying Advice Need Advice On How To & What To Mow This With

[MetroHick]

Thanks! :thumbsup:

Moss .... what about your Power Trac? You think that would do the trick? How nimble is it?

 

[MossRoad]

Moss .... what about your Power Trac? You think that would do the trick? How nimble is it?

My PT425 is a 2001 model unit with a 25HP Kohler engine. It's limited to 25 degrees due to the engine's oiling limits. Anything past that for extended periods could starve the engine of oil.

The current model year PT425s use (I believe) Robin Subaru engines. I don't know their slope ratings. You'd have to call PowerTrac and ask. 1-800-THE-YARD.

Also, I believe the current PT425s use larger displacement wheel motors than my model year. So I believe they have better hill climbing ability than my model year.

Nimble? Oh yeah. It's nimble. I do things with it I probably shouldn't. One thing about an articulated machine, though, is that it's very easy to wrap yourself around a tree or post on a steep side hill. I noticed lots of posts in your pictures. Those aren't bad. But that tree behind the posts.... it goes like this.... you start out on the low hill side of a tree and decide to cut a tight circle around it. You get to the high side of the tree in a full-lock turn and the tractor slides downhill onto the uphill side of the tree. The tree is now between your two low-side tires, up against the articulation point. Many times you can simply drive around the tree to the low side, and using the FEL arms to push down the mower deck, you can crab walk yourself away from the tree with a few turns of the wheel. But if there's another tree nearby, or a fence, or a pond, etc blocking your downhill escape route.... you're either getting a winch, a truck, a tractor... or a chainsaw! No way around it. Gotta get used to articulation and its quirks.

As for your slopes, not knowing the exact degree angles, soil types, grass types, etc... I can't say for sure, but looking at the pictures, I don't think I'd have any problem going back and forth across that slope except it would be extremely uncomfortable to lean that far in the seat for long periods of time. Nor would I have any problems (looking from the bottom up towards the house) going up the left side or coming down the right side. I wouldn't have any problem going up the right side... except... here's the issue with the PT425 that I and others have sometimes....

Once the hydraulics are heated up, you can lose some power to the wheel motors. So mowing UP a hill, you can run into issues sometimes with getting enough power to the wheels (downhill is never a problem). And sometimes we run into traction problems going up steep hills while mowing. So, two issues... traction and power.

If it's traction, we just take the FEL arms out of float, pull back on the joystick so the mower wheels just come off the ground, maybe 1/4" at the most, and that transfers all of the FEL and mower weight to the front tires, you immediately gain huge traction and up the hill you go. That's the traction resolution. I use it frequently when brush hogging our slopes (the larger PowerTrac slope mowers do it automatically, and that's called draft control).

If you come to a power-to-the-wheels issue, where the wheels just won't rotate anymore, there's two things you can try. First, let OFF of the foot pedal a bit. The less you push, the better it'll go in that situation. Second, you can turn off the mower. That lightens the load on the engine significantly, and up the hill you go. If either of those don't work.... the hill's too steep!

Also, I have a 60" finish mower. That draws a lot of power from the hydraulics. They sell a 48" finish mower. That, I would guess, draws a lot less power from the hydraulics, leaving more engine power to drive the tram pump. It's all a trade-off. You have X HP power available from the engine that has to be divided between the three hydraulic pumps (tram, main PTO, steering/FEL/aux PTO) by the tasks that the pumps are performing at that instant in time.

Click on my little tractor signature. That'll take you to a page about my PT425. Click on the videos link and scroll down to the brushhog section. There's a movie that shows the brushhog on a steep hill, and how to use the FEL arms to gain traction. The videos are all pretty grainy 8mm stuff from 15 years ago. But it may help you see how the machine works.

Hope that helps.

 

[MetroHick]

Doesn't sound like it will work for me. Probably would, but kinda risky. Just looked at the dimensions. Pretty big unit.

There are spots on my property where, when side-hilling, I've got one cheek on the edge of the seat and the other cheek on the fender. That's how steep. Like i said though, never even a really close call. I don't think I've had it on two tires more than a couple of times, but I was expecting it and had a recovery plan.

There's got to be something out there for a reasonable amount of money that will work for me. I'm going to have to take a risk though. I can't even find a Cub Cadet commercial dealer near me so I can even try the thing out in a parking lot and get a feel.

 

[MossRoad]

Doesn't sound like it will work for me. Probably would, but kinda risky. Just looked at the dimensions. Pretty big unit.

There are spots on my property where, when side-hilling, I've got one cheek on the edge of the seat and the other cheek on the fender. That's how steep. Like i said though, never even a really close call. I don't think I've had it on two tires more than a couple of times, but I was expecting it and had a recovery plan.

There's got to be something out there for a reasonable amount of money that will work for me. I'm going to have to take a risk though. I can't even find a Cub Cadet commercial dealer near me so I can even try the thing out in a parking lot and get a feel.

My PT425 is only 45" wide outside tire edge to outside tire edge. I frequently drive it through a 48" gate. It fits between the wheel wells of a pickup truck bed. It's 7'6" from the front of the front tire to the rear of the rear hitch. I frequently backed it up ramps into the bed of our full sized pickup truck with the tailgate removed, and an implement on the FEL arms that rested on the rear bumper of the truck. It's shorter in length than any of the Kubota BX series tractors, for comparison.

The PowerTrac slope mowers have automatically tilting seats. But they are HUGE compared to a 425, and cost a bazillion dollars, too. :laughing:

For slopes, you're going to need some weight for traction, and, unfortunately, that means some size to the machine.

Not trying to talk you into a PowerTrac.... they have their quirks, no dealers, factory direct. It's all on you to maintain and repair if you don't have a good small engine shop and hydraulic shop that you trust. So those are other things to consider, as well.

I'd stay away from a zero turn just because of the horror stories I've read here on TBN. A couple people have put them into ponds or over steep banks. That area in your pictures down by those posts looks like prime accident potential if you hit it sideways.

Good luck in your search. Look for low center of gravity, some weight, all wheel drive, and especially the rating of the machine's lubrication systems.

 

[AxleHub]

Doesn't sound like it will work for me. Probably would, but kinda risky. Just looked at the dimensions. Pretty big unit.

There are spots on my property where, when side-hilling, I've got one cheek on the edge of the seat and the other cheek on the fender. That's how steep. Like i said though, never even a really close call. I don't think I've had it on two tires more than a couple of times, but I was expecting it and had a recovery plan.

There's got to be something out there for a reasonable amount of money that will work for me. I'm going to have to take a risk though. I can't even find a Cub Cadet commercial dealer near me so I can even try the thing out in a parking lot and get a feel.

Metro, finding cub cadet dealers (not big box store type) should be pretty much everywhere in the U.S.. Where are you located?

But the idea that there has got to be a low cost answer. . . is not logical. . . when it comes to slopes. I bought used in one case and SCUT priced in my other case. But you have to recognize that slope cutting in any form is a premium activity compared to flatland cutting. Flatland cutting is a less complex and less wear & tear activity and every vendor builds for flatland mowing. So prices for numerous options and vendors can be low and mass produced. But slope cutting is not a "for the masses" activity. And while some think a 10 degree slope is "a slope" . . . Those of us that have more significant slopes have at times in our youth. . . Been able to touch the ground because we were leaned over so far on an inexpensive mower doing more than it should have on slopes. But that type of activity only lasts so long and you find more life extending options.

In 2006 I couldn't afford a 4000.00 dollar lawn mower with everything being built on the house and in 2015 I worked hard to buy an almost new version for half that price. But you'll need to be willing to work hard and study long to find a solution you like.

My point: slopes are a premium activity. . . Unless you want to abandon safety.

 

[MetroHick]

Well, this is why I'm here doing research. I could go on mowing my place just the way I am now for some time. I'm 48 now. I won't be athletic enough to feel comfortable putting myself in the positions I put myself in now. Ya know .... you slow a bit with age. i can't see a 60 year old self mowing like I do now.

I'm a bit of an odd duck when it comes to money. I could go buy a loaded SCUT tomorrow. It's not a money thing. it's a principle thing with me. I shouldn't have to pay $12k to mow my less than 1 acre field (rest of property is flat enough). I look at my slopes and what I've mowed it with and ... I really don't see it as that big of a deal. Maybe it is.

The reason i decided to post here was because I was coming up with NOTHING on my own. I read through this forum and I saw solutions, but expensive solutions. Thought I would try to solve the issue a creative way. This is an incredible forum though. People are so helpful and knowledgeable.

Another solution to my problem is to let the weeds get 6' tall and pay someone $250 to mow it twice a year. Sure it would look like crap, but you guys know how much time I'd save. But then the wife would .... not be happy. And, as I'm sure many of you know, the wife not being happy is not an option regardless of cost.

 

[MetroHick]

Metro, finding cub cadet dealers (not big box store type) should be pretty much everywhere in the U.S.. Where are you located?

Lovely Petaluma California. I went to two dealers that are listed on Cub's site. one only sells their UTV. The other, just deals with lawn tractors. That guy didn't even know Cub made a commercial unit. Believe it or not, there's not much around here.

 

[AxleHub]

Metro, my point is that your search for a solution is likely not a lot different than some of the rest of us. . . but you may take awhile longer than you expect to find a happy choice that works well for you. TBN brings together allot of assorted personalities and financial situations. Some have money to spend anyway they like and some need to be conservative while others just want a fast solution.

I know in my case, that my learning curve won't stop anytime soon. But I sure appreciate the solutions I've found so far because I certainly remember the history of prior solutions I used too.

Having seen a couple of pictures of your place and your slopes. . . . the idea of letting that area grow wild and cutting once every 3 or 4 months wouldn't last but about 1 time because your wife has already seen it as it is and because you as yet have not seen the size of the bill for hiring someone to cut it and hay or rake it lol.

So instead - you'll want to find a solution that reduces the difficulty and also maybe makes that lawn area look even better than it does.

 

[radioman]

gee i dont know what best for you. All I know is if a mower deck is scalping and you blame it on the width -- this makes me think -- wait - what kind of tractor is it doing that?! there is a difference between a suspended deck and deck that rolls on the lawn. also - i think if you just want to mow - and its all hills - you may need a diesel zero turn to handle that kind of a load.

or maybe have you looked into a BX with a fine cutting deck that is 48 inches for the top and hook up a 60 inch rear grooming mower that has 4 wheels using a quick hitch just for the hills?

 

[bspeedy]

Well, this is why I'm here doing research. I could go on mowing my place just the way I am now for some time. I'm 48 now. I won't be athletic enough to feel comfortable putting myself in the positions I put myself in now. Ya know .... you slow a bit with age. i can't see a 60 year old self mowing like I do now.

I'm a bit of an odd duck when it comes to money. I could go buy a loaded SCUT tomorrow. It's not a money thing. it's a principle thing with me. I shouldn't have to pay $12k to mow my less than 1 acre field (rest of property is flat enough). I look at my slopes and what I've mowed it with and ... I really don't see it as that big of a deal. Maybe it is.
.

This is how I look at it:

Safety - the right tool will let you do the work safely.
Money - the money spent on a cheap solution is probably money down the drain. Quality equipment holds its value for years.
Quality of life - I spend money and time on things that will make my wife and family happy, safe, and content. I think this solution falls into one or more of these categories.

Call it rationalizing or whatever you like. I don't mind spending money on equipment. It's an investment that will pay back in enjoyment, safety and quality of life.