Rear Finish Mower Side slope mowing tips wanted

[dickfoster]

If it wasn't 3500 for the top Model I'd get one.

I did have a robot vacuum for the house. Actually worked very well. Makes a random pattern but gets the whole area eventually.

The mower top Model uses bury wire and gps for accuracy. The video shows a sweet bury machine they just roll around the yard and obstacles.

The sad thing is you wouldn't take 2 hours a week to rest while it mows. You'd just end up doing some more work and being super tired.

With buried wire I wonder what the GPS is for, it ain't accuracy that's fer sure.

 

[joefromga]

GPS accuracy is available to below 6cm if you want to buy the proper antennas. May be better for larger fields.

 

[RoyJackson]

From experience out there,
Is it better to remove the FEL completely or fill it with rocks carried low to traverse this part of the yard?

Remove it completely...the loader frame raises the center of gravity.
Also, stay off wet grass! You may not roll your tractor, good chance it will slide down-slope though.

 

[Egon]

One of these may work.

 

[RjCorazza]

From experience out there,
Is it better to remove the FEL completely or fill it with rocks carried low to traverse this part of the yard?

My take on your specific question is that while loading the bucket with rocks MAY overcome the additional higher weight of the FEL, you also introduce several variables, like a varying center of gravity and reduced weight on the rears. With that in mind I would remove the FEL.
The answer to the question that you did not ask...
I would think long and hard before operating on even a 15-20 deg slope. I mow a 200' x 40' bank and I am glad that it is significantly to steep to take the tractor on. Even cutting it with my walk behind mower I managed to roll it over and down the bank. I cut it this way for years, then after a culvert was installed by the county, they put a nylon mesh down then some dirt / grass seed. Part of the nylon was exposed the following year, the mower slid about 3' sideways, caught in a small rut, and flipped right over. Bad things happen on slopes! JHMO.

 

[Utopia Texas]

I have a similiar piece of land on my property and decided years ago my health was more important than taking a chance rolling a tractor trying to mow so I bought a dedicated zero turn and mow that section going up and down the slope.

 

[lennyzx11]

I usually mow it with a Toro Self propelled push mower.

I Tryed a ZTR. That was a disaster for cross slope mowing.

I don't plan on doing something stupid. I think that with the right setup, it can be mowed with the L3301 dry and slow.

It doesn't bother me to put spacers in and I'm also open to hanging some permanent weight under the tractor to lower the COG.
It appears to be doable with the correct setup. I wanted to find out the most bang for the buck options from those who know how and work down that path. As I have learned here, wheel weights which I first thought are really not going to be a big help.

My other options will be to build the yard up there,maybe get an AWD push mower, or maybe a Ventrac or Steiner. But this is a small piece for that kinda money!

I too used to rock crawl and have ended up on my side a few times. My pucker factor may just need to be calibrated to the tractors capabilities.

 

[number9L]

The things I've experienced that make the biggest difference in stability on slopes

#1 FEL off - the whole thing, not just the bucket. No question.

#2 wide track. I started the 3" wheel spacers and then went to 5" (reminds me I still need to sell those things). The wider the rear is the better it will feel. These series tractors are light and narrow which is not a good combo.

#3 more weight. I've got 3 sets of the Kubota wheel weights and I added more weight under the tractor (but may remove it for clearnce reasons)

Think of it this way.....the rear wheels are the key. The wider you can make them the better. The more you can keep the CG closer to them the better.

...

 

[dieselcrawler]

I cover 20° to 30° slopes sidehill with my 3005. I have loaded tires all around, and 4.5" spacers on each side on the rear. 20° is no sweat, normal on my farm. 30° is slow, butt-pucker going... but possible for my set up, but it may change now that I added weight up high when I built the full cage ROPS over the winter.

This is about 20°



Some of these slopes hit 45°, which is my max going up and down.



I carry a 5' section of railroad track in my loader bucket for front ballast, with the 5' brush hog out back it is well balanced. I keep loader low as possible.

 

[lennyzx11]

Mowed it today. After taking FEL off and slowly traversing it, tractor never felt "tippy". At the worst part it seemed the tractor may want have a slight tendency to slide rather than tip.
I'm watching for some weights that I can add underneath the center eventually. Thanks for all the information. It's nice to actually know it can be done.

 

[DJ54]

"A rubber tired tractor can work on a 3:1 slope." Regardless of how many tractors you may have, this sounds like an overly general statement to me. For example, what does the tire material alone have to do with it? My guess is most of your tractors go nowhere and are sitting on level ground on display. Garage queens.

I mowed along State Highway's for 15 years on various tractors. IH 504,544, and a 340, Ford 4000 row crop tractors, with belly mowers. JD 301's with sickle bar mowers, a JD 400, and IH 606, with 15' bat wings. All had R-1 Ag. tires, except the IH 606, which had diamond tread.

Most right of way here is sloped at 3:1 for mowing purposes. some steeper. And yes, I have mowed the steeper slopes, you just run a lot slower.

No garage queens here, just 15 years actual experience.

 

[Xfaxman]

Mowed it today. After taking FEL off and slowly traversing it, tractor never felt "tippy". At the worst part it seemed the tractor may want have a slight tendency to slide rather than tip.
-------------------------

That is one thing I noticed after I sold my tractor that had ag tires, the R4 industrial tread tires would slip sideways on the same sidehills where the R1 ag tires kept going straight.

 

[number9L]

Mowed it today. After taking FEL off and slowly traversing it, tractor never felt "tippy". At the worst part it seemed the tractor may want have a slight tendency to slide rather than tip.
I'm watching for some weights that I can add underneath the center eventually. Thanks for all the information. It's nice to actually know it can be done.
View attachment 467767View attachment 467768

With stock width, on 30* parts, I'd make sure to have the ROPS up (I've actually never folded mine down) and seat belt on.....it can't be far from the tipping point, I would guess.

I'd forgo the weight and spend that money on wheel spacers.

...

 

[lennyzx11]

Number9l, I had sent you an earlier pm regarding buying your extra spacers. Did you get it?

 

[woodlandfarms]

My slope tractor vs another

Power Trac 185 vs. Kut Kwick Slopemaster - YouTube

 

[buckeyefarmer]

R4's are terrible on side slopes. Biggest mistake i make buying my L5030. They slide sideways easy, ags hold much better.

 

[Xfaxman]

R4's are terrible on side slopes. Biggest mistake i make buying my L5030. They slide sideways easy, ags hold much better.

Yep, guess what I put on my mower. :thumbsup: