Tips For Brush Hogging a Steep Hill

[avc8130]

I have one steep hill on my property that I need to brush hog. I haven't mowed it in the past as this is the first year on the property.

The hill is about a 25' climb across about 200'. The base is open and it necks down at the top to a part I don't think I can clear without high-centering.

My plan: back up in 4wd to as far as I feel comfortable and then mow forward down the hill. Whatever I don't feel comfortable mowing I will hit with the ninja star on the string trimmer.

Any tips/advice?
ac

 

[brin]

I also bush hog some steep hills..here is how I do it...go up and down in semi circles ...So start at the bottom of your hill and bush hog up to the top and turn left or right and bush hog to the bottom and follow this same method until the whole hill is mowed..that way you are never sideways on the hill - it has always worked for me without any pucker factor.

 

[TripleR]

I have mowed steep hills going up and down both. I keep the FEL on for ballast, but you can use weights. I recently mowed a VERY steep hill by backing up as you describe and the only thing keeping me in the seat was the seat belt.

"Steep" often means different things to different people and different tractors are more or less stable than others, so it is hard to make a blanket recommendation.

I have no doubt brin's method works well for him, but turning sideways on a hill pretty well always makes me nervous on a really steep incline.

I will mow stuff with our M8540 that I wouldn't touch with the L5030; think I could mow the ceiling with the BX2660.

 

[hawkeye08]

Yep, just as already said, up and down, turning at the top where it is flat and some of the steeper parts are backup only, with the loader low. I start out on the side of the hill that is not quite as steep to build my comfort factor, then work across to the steeper part, ending with the backup only part. I really need to fill in some of the coyote dens to make it smoother...

 

[avc8130]

I don't think I can get up to the flat at the top of the hill. The last 4' of rise is VERY steep. I think the tractor will high center on it. I am too cautious to turn across the hill on this steep part.

ac

 

[brin]

I don't think I can get up to the flat at the top of the hill. The last 4' of rise is VERY steep. I think the tractor will high center on it. I am too cautious to turn across the hill on this steep part.

ac

Then don't do the semi circle up and down I suggested...I have a flat part at the top that I turn on ..If you are unable to make it up that far then I suppose you have to back up...The trick is gonna be shifting from reverse to a low forward gear..if you have manual shift be careful not to let your foot off the clutch when you go back down or put the clutch in or you will free wheel and that is really dangerous...If you have the auto type transmission that may be different ..I do not nor have I ever had one so I don't know...Just be careful

 

[avc8130]

I have a Kubota GST. It is definitely going to be interesting to go from reverse with the mower up and disengaged to forward w/ mower down and engaged.

I am going to attempt tonight. I will try to take some pics.
ac

 

[dodge man]

25' in 200' is what is called a 4 to 1 slope. If you are pretty accurate on your slope guess, that can be mowed. The company I work for, when we design slopes, we figure a 4 to 1 can be mowed, but any steeper and it can't.

 

[Mechanos]

25' in 200' is what is called a 4 to 1 slope. If you are pretty accurate on your slope guess, that can be mowed. The company I work for, when we design slopes, we figure a 4 to 1 can be mowed, but any steeper and it can't.

Unless some sort of new math is involved.... that would be an 8:1 slope. That would be a 12.5% grade which is ~ 7 degrees. Seems like that would be easily mowable.

 

[TripleR]

I have a Kubota GST. It is definitely going to be interesting to go from reverse with the mower up and disengaged to forward w/ mower down and engaged.

I am going to attempt tonight. I will try to take some pics.
ac

Maybe I am misunderstanding something, are you not going to mow while backing up the hill?

I have mowed slopes like this with a non synchro gear model, synchro shuttle shift, hydraulic shuttle shift and HST. It can be done with all, but it is harder when you have to shift gears. Just keep it in 4WD and brakes on when you stop to change directions. You might want to practice on something not so steep. There is nothing wrong with waiting for another time or just not doing it.

 

[avc8130]

Maybe I am misunderstanding something, are you not going to mow while backing up the hill?

I have mowed slopes like this with a non synchro gear model, synchro shuttle shift, hydraulic shuttle shift and HST. It can be done with all, but it is harder when you have to shift gears. Just keep it in 4WD and brakes on when you stop to change directions. You might want to practice on something not so steep. There is nothing wrong with waiting for another time or just not doing it.

My original plan was to only mow forward...but that went out the window quickly. I used 4wd and 1st gear. I did the base of the hill and what I felt comfortable turning on in a typical "zamboni" method. Then I backed up the hill mowing and was planning on stopping when I got scared. I wound up not getting scared too badly and just went all the way up. The machine didn't high center. I moved over and made a pass down. Repeated this about 3 times and I was done with what I think the tractor could do.

The full overhead protection system on my L39 really makes me feel safe. I strapped myself in and covered the brakes and clutch or shuttle lever at all times. Overall it was a puckering, but good experience. I will mow it this way again in the future as necessary.

I will try to snap a few pics tomorrow since it got dark on me. I hope the pics do it justice as this hill is no joke.
ac

 

[whistlepig]

I would back up the hill and try it in short runs until you are comfortable with the traction of the tractor on this hill. The danger is in the tractor sliding down the hill. Sometimes a tractor will slide down a hill front first. And sometimes it doesn't.

 

[avc8130]

I would back up the hill and try it in short runs until you are comfortable with the traction of the tractor on this hill. The danger is in the tractor sliding down the hill. Sometimes a tractor will slide down a hill front first. And sometimes it doesn't.

I did exceed the traction in 4wd in reverse...so I quickly shifted forward and just headed back down the hill. I figured the areas I lost traction on were just not mowable for me.

 

[whistlepig]

I did exceed the traction in 4wd in reverse...so I quickly shifted forward and just headed back down the hill. I figured the areas I lost traction on were just not mowable for me.

I used to do a lot of commercial mowing on steep hills. If you feel what you are doing is unsafe then it is unsafe. No matter what others say. You are the sole judge of this. If I feel I am taking a risk to do something I will find another way. Its not being chicken. Its just good judgement.

 

[avc8130]

I used to do a lot of commercial mowing on steep hills. If you feel what you are doing is unsafe then it is unsafe. No matter what others say. You are the sole judge of this. If I feel I am taking a risk to do something I will find another way. Its not being chicken. Its just good judgement.

Yeah man, much easier to head to the shed and grab the string trimmer than try to explain the wife what I am doing under the upside-down tractor.:thumbsup:
ac

 

[doall]

I agree, totally, with whistlepeg.

 

[Mechanos]

There is a comfort factor one developes with time on the machine... or is it complacency??? When I first moved into the house I'm in now, I had a new to me tractor that I wasn't comfortable with yet. The whole first year I lived here the ditch slope from the road to the flow line in front of the house never got mowed because I didn't feel I could do it with my tractor. The second year I was here, I had a lot more time on that tractor and was a lot more comfortable.

I now mow part of the ditch slope regularly with no uneasy feeling. There is one part of the slope that I've only mowed with the tractor about 3 times. The ground conditions have to be just right, but even then everytime I did mow it, it reminded me why I don't regularly mow it... it's spooky. I checked this slope the other day with a laser level and it exceeds 25 degrees and since it's such a short run, there is no way to mow it up and down... only cross-slope.

The last time I mowed it, I decided it was just too spooky for me and have resigned myself to just mow it with the new Stihl FS-90R trimmer I bought. That thing is an animal... it's like a shoulder-slung, man-portable brush hog.

 

[bcp]

Don't mow it, plant something nice to look at, instead.

Bruce

 

[TripleR]

My original plan was to only mow forward...but that went out the window quickly. I used 4wd and 1st gear. I did the base of the hill and what I felt comfortable turning on in a typical "zamboni" method. Then I backed up the hill mowing and was planning on stopping when I got scared. I wound up not getting scared too badly and just went all the way up. The machine didn't high center. I moved over and made a pass down. Repeated this about 3 times and I was done with what I think the tractor could do.

The full overhead protection system on my L39 really makes me feel safe. I strapped myself in and covered the brakes and clutch or shuttle lever at all times. Overall it was a puckering, but good experience. I will mow it this way again in the future as necessary.

I will try to snap a few pics tomorrow since it got dark on me. I hope the pics do it justice as this hill is no joke.
ac

I'm glad it worked out for you; sounds like you have it pretty well under control.

Pictures really don't demonstrate how steep something is, here are a couple from yesterday and it is quite a bit steeper than it looks.

 

[9973720wb19]

In Maryland I have some pretty good hills...I use the up and down method as well. if i can't turn around at the top, i just go up and down...you can angle a bit to mow more - the only thing i can add to this thread is make sure the ground is good and dry when you mow (never mow until the due is all dried up) and use either a FEL or weights. I prefer weights because the loader is something else i have to focus on.

oh, and watch those hills that have mounds that will pitch left or right. i have a few hills that have mounds that pitch you left or right as you ascend. the best advices is knowing the property...where is it wet, where does it pitch. the taller the grass the harder these things are to find...