Tips For Brush Hogging a Steep Hill

[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...