What tractor or piece of equipment for this hilly pasture?

[Hay Dude]

Here was my $5k solution (took a year to find)

View attachment 740343

Now look, I have seen crazy mowing machines, but ain’t no way a 60’s school bus is gonna mow steep ground.

 

[Citydude]

Now look, I have seen crazy mowing machines, but ain’t no way a 60’s school bus is gonna mow steep ground.

You got me HD. Had to do a double take of that pic!

 

[MossRoad]

Reminded me of these...

 

[bearthebruce]

Twice a year, I mow a pasture that has sections with a near 20% slope. @ParkWhite suggested that you take time to practice. That's what I did.. After my 3rd mowing, I understood how to take the hills riding up/down rather than attempting to go across.

To help with the turns at the top, a FEL was added to the tractor to balance the weight of the 5' brush hog on the back. I learned that big wide circle turns is the way to go and if that cannot be done, then back down the hill. A tight turn tends to roll the tractor.

Slow is the answer on hills. This ain't no race to "gitter dun". Being alive when done mowing is a critical goal to me! It takes me 11-12 hours to mow this field.

And no, for this machine, I would not want a bigger brush hog.

A bigger tractor? Sure. But there is nothing wrong with this MF1533 for this job if one is willing to take it easy, choosing to live!

 

[airbiscuit]

Now look, I have seen crazy mowing machines, but ain’t no way a 60’s school bus is gonna mow steep ground.

Well, it does have a 2 speed rear end and dual wheels!

 

[Hay Dude]

Well, it does have a 2 speed rear end and dual wheels!

View attachment 740453

Fixed it for ya

 

[4570Man]

Now look, I have seen crazy mowing machines, but ain’t no way a 60’s school bus is gonna mow steep ground.

 

[JWR]

Those slopes are not severe. Go up/down, or angle wise. Any wide front and brush hog type mower…...

Look closer. Upper right center of his left image in the orig post has some VERY steep stuff, plenty steep to upset on. "Severe" to me is anything over 45% and 55% and above I stay off of period. That is using a tractor set up for very steep ground. Sure go only up and down but there are always unique places where they leave you no place to turn on less steep ground, where there are ridges, cowpaths and ledges. He needs something with very wide rear wheel spacing mainly and obviously 4WD so brakes can and will hold him on the steep.

I agree there is NO NEED for some specialty machine for his steep ground... good grief if it is TOO bad plant some pine trees !

He has to buy for his worst-case , not the nicer smoother, less steep places.

 

[JWR]

Have you tried to measure the slope? The one I showed above measures 21 degrees in the steepest parts, according to my iPhone. Yes, I have difficulty walking down it, more so since I turned 80, but it was never easy.

Yes, agreed. Eyeballing your picture I'm estimating that to be about a 40 to 45% slope (agreeing with the 21 degrees.) I think from study of the OP photo that his upper right, right most photo, gully areas are MUCH steeper than your nice clean 40-45% stuff. We lack photos concentrated on the steeper part.

 

[JWR]

It is hard to see the actual slope on your hillsides from a photograph. I get a pretty quick "pucker" on slopes that more experienced people mow easily without concern . . . having said that though, it really doesn't look too bad, particularly if you mow up and down the slope rather than sideways. How many acres is the field you want to mow? If it's less than 5, then maybe even a zero turn machine with a 5 or 6' deck would make sense. Is there a reasonably flat area at the top where you could turn around if you drove up the hill, turned, then drove down the hill?

To be honest, I see nothing about this case that would make any sense for a ZT.