Need advice on mowing a slope.

[whistlepig]

Re: Need advice on mowing a slope

If you start sliding at the top of the hill most likely you are going to slide all the way down. Tractor picks up speed on the way down. If you lose traction backing up the hill you will only slide to the place you that you lost traction. This will only be a few feet. Is this a PITA? It certainly is.

 

[rekees4300]

Re: Need advice on mowing a slope

since I have never mowed it before I just don't want to take any chances.

Mowing 101 - Before mowing an unfamiliar area, examine it on foot.

I know walking in 4 foot overgrowth wont be fun but it's better than having your front tire(s) drop into a deep hole or hit a big rock. That could have serious consequences.

 

[Rustyiron]

Re: Need advice on mowing a slope

I have seen aerial pictures of the land before and it looks like it has been mowed. I am probably making it out to be worse than it is but since I have never mowed it before I just don't want to take any chances. And if I can use the equipment on the tractor (and the advise of this forum on the best way to do it) to my advantage I want to do that.

When I am looking at the slope should I be standing at the base of it looking at the slope? So if I am 6 ft. tall and I am looking straight ahead into the slope and my eye level at the slope is about 15 feet away then that should be okay?

It is very hard to estimate "looking level", it is VERY deceiving. For about $14 you can get a locke or sight level at HD/Lowes, about 7" long and by ways of a mirror inside you look thru it and a bubble for level is in your view. Not knowing your level of tractor/machinery experience, be very cautious! There are very subtle hints that your machine will communicate to you that you will only hear after hours and hours of ***** in the seat listening practice. When things start to go wrong on a hill. they do it real fast! Don't "tractor" beyond your abilities! If you are concerned, it's prolly for a good reason. Keep in mind the 15' deal is also dependant of ground conditions, available traction, vegatation cover, etc.

 

[edrobyn]

Re: Need advice on mowing a slope

Good advice to walk it first and to try going up backwards. I may decide to wait until it dies away so I can see a little better.

 

[Elkins45]

If it were my property I would mow it backing up the hill the first time. Then you'll be able to see the true terrain unobscured and be able to make a better informed decision about contour mowing it.

 

[Scooby074]

Re: Need advice on mowing a slope

Id get an angle finder and a 2x4. Try and lay it on the slope to get a ROUGH idea what were looking at.

I sidehill a ~20* slope with my BX. Take the bucket off as it raises the centre of gravity. At least until you mow it a few times. If you go straight up and down you can do a much steeper hill then sidehilling. Its safer too.

Even a photo would help.

 

[JoelT]

Re: Need advice on mowing a slope

The loader, empty, is good for finding obstructions but digging in to stop might backfire. That takes weight off the front tires traction and with some hydraulics things could actually jackknife lifting the front totally off the ground. Back up the middle of your area. If you have enough traction pulling up a grade you definitely have it going down. Move in and out of 4wd just to see your limits. You might end up mowing up and down. I had an area similar to yours and found I could mow down in 2wd, though I use 4wd. It's amazing what these tractors can do, although I don't do much of any grade when it's wet. My pucker factor limits are way less than my JD4310's.

 

[whistlepig]

Re: Need advice on mowing a slope

Any weight that is added to a tractor that is above its axles will make the center of gravity higher on the tractor. Or top heavy so to speak.

 

[barbqranch]

How does a loader make a tractor top heavy if it is down near the ground? Just curious. I do have hills to mow also, but not that bad or that long.

 

[JoeL4330]

Re: Need advice on mowing a slope

I don't believe the CG in the vertical plane is at the axles ...I would bet it is just about at the attachment/pivot point for the loader ...by design ...so, with the bucket pretty much level, the CG (in the vertical plane) is just about unchanged ...lower a loaded bucket and (I bet) the CG will be lowered, so advice to take the buck off is not necessarily on the mark. The bucket will, of course, change the fore/aft CG, as will a RAISED 3ph implement ...but if the mower is in contact with the ground, it has no effect (that's why, if your rears lose traction in 2wd mowing down a steep slope and the tractor wants to run away, raising the mower can help ...puts weight on the rears ...of course, it is always best to use 4wd coming down a steep slope so that engine breaking on the fronts helps control things.