self propelled for hillside mowing?

rogdan · May 11, 2006

Between myself and my parents next door I have about an acre of hilly terrain to mow. It is either too steep for a rider and tractor or too broken up by trees, flower beds ect..
I have blown up cheaper Briggs set ups operating on inclines due to the lack of oil circulation. (so says the dealer)
So are the only engines on mowers that actually have oil pressure and safe for this type of operation the ones with oil filters /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif
I know the rider ZTR are not recommended for hilly ground but what about the walk behind models?

MrJimi · May 11, 2006

A friend of mine had the same problem, He bought a 2 cycle mower and it works fine /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
Get one the size you need

rogdan · May 12, 2006

At the risk of sounding dumb, I thought 2 cycle mowers were off the market due to pollution. /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif
I would love to have one, I mowed many yards with one as a kid.
Self propelled should = hill side mowing, why would flat landers need them?

bontai_Joe · May 13, 2006

Flatlanders would use them to reduce the effort required to mow the lawn. Especially helpful for folks with bad knees, or a bad back that actually pushing a mower would agravate. The 2 cycle mower suggestion is an excellent one I hadn't thought of, and used Lawnboys are out there in the thousands. There are good self propelled models from several manufacturers, ranging in width from 20" to 60". MTD makes one under the Troy_Bilt name that's around 30" wide. I'd give the specs here, but there web site seems to be down right now (or I'm having 'puter problems).

rbeitz · May 13, 2006

( I know the rider ZTR are not recommended for hilly ground but what about the walk behind models? )

A good commercial walk behind would be ideal for your application. With pressure lubed engines and hydro drives, they are perfect for hillsides and very maneuverable. I believe they make them as small 32". I am partial to Scag myself but there are plenty of good brands out there including Exmark, Toro, Hustler and a relatively new manufacturer called betterquick.

LBrown59 · May 13, 2006

( At the risk of sounding dumb, I thought 2 cycle mowers were off the market due to pollution. /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif
I would love to have one, I mowed many yards with one as a kid.
quote] Whywould 2 cycle mowers be any different than string trimmers chain saws Etc ?

BlueRidge · May 14, 2006

Whywould 2 cycle mowers be any different than string trimmers chain saws Etc ? 

My guess? 2 reasons:

1. Quantity. THere are a lot more lawnmowers than any of those other things.

2. A suitable replacement is readily available. A 4 stroke engine works fine on a lawnmower, but doesn't have a high enough power to weight ratio to be practical for hand-held tools like string trimmers, chainsaws, and blowers.

rogdan · May 24, 2006

Been away for a while, aren't boat two cycle boat motors being phased out from first high then the lower HP? (if not already done)
Nothing personal toward flat landers /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif When it comes to push mowing I wish I was one. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif
I'll be traveling again soon and checking out whats the mower shops have.

rogdan · May 24, 2006

Been away for a while, aren't boat two cycle boat motors being phased out from first high then the lower HP? (if not already done)
Nothing personal toward flat landers /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif When it comes to push mowing I wish I was one. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif
I'll be traveling again soon and checking out whats the mower shops have.