steep bank question

[Garagedude]

I have a bank thats to steep even for a walk behind. Anyone ever used a reel type push mower and mow sideways on steep banks. I've been using a weed eater but I'm looking for a cleaner, easier way. Any ideas would be great. Its too steep for a powered push mower without pressure type lube system. Some have mentioned a two stroke mower but thats expensive for this one piece of grass.

[bam]

growth regulator - reduce the amount of times you need to cut

[JFF]

I think it is lunacy, but I continue to see people tying a rope to a mower deck and pulling it up and down the slope. I would rather price myself out of the slope market, personally.

I always end up wondering what designers are thinking putting grass on a hillside only a goat could mow. Good luck.

[txgrassguy]

Nothing to it really, for steep slopes my crews use Allen Hover mowers.
These things have 4 stroke Honda motors, use .150 line and are height adjustable.
Best thing is when mowing around ponds these mowers will hover when running (hence the name Hover Mower) and you can literally push them out over the water and cut the protruding growth. Much much faster, and more importantly safer than a hand trimmer.

[JFF]

Nothing to it really, for steep slopes my crews use Allen Hover mowers.
These things have 4 stroke Honda motors, use .150 line and are height adjustable.
Best thing is when mowing around ponds these mowers will hover when running (hence the name Hover Mower) and you can literally push them out over the water and cut the protruding growth. Much much faster, and more importantly safer than a hand trimmer.

Aw yeah, forgot about those. This modern age!

[txgrassguy]

Oh, come on now - " This modern Age"?????
Hover mowers have been around for a least thirty years.
What, are you still using a horse drawn mower or something?:)

[cgaengineer]

Nothing to it really, for steep slopes my crews use Allen Hover mowers.
These things have 4 stroke Honda motors, use .150 line and are height adjustable.
Best thing is when mowing around ponds these mowers will hover when running (hence the name Hover Mower) and you can literally push them out over the water and cut the protruding growth. Much much faster, and more importantly safer than a hand trimmer.

I was talking about these the otherday to my friend and we both mentioned it would be really important to make sure you have a new spark plug and a clean air filter or the mower would go in the drink. I really would like to see one of these working one day...very interested in them.

[txgrassguy]

I was talking about these the otherday to my friend and we both mentioned it would be really important to make sure you have a new spark plug and a clean air filter or the mower would go in the drink. I really would like to see one of these working one day...very interested in them.

Nope, they float - even when running. Have had them die many times from lack of fuel and you just pull 'em back to you.
I have a Honda powered 4 cycle hover mower that works very well. For steep banks and retention ponds the operator will attach a rope to the handle and walk back and forth across the top of the bank paying out a bit of rope each time.

[Gardens55]

I think it is lunacy, but I continue to see people tying a rope to a mower deck and pulling it up and down the slope. I would rather price myself out of the slope market, personally.

I always end up wondering what designers are thinking putting grass on a hillside only a goat could mow. Good luck.

I wont recommend that plan then...:o

[Marcos]

Why not take it out of turf completely ?....and put it into some type of groundcover that (after becoming fully established) will be somewhat maintenance-free.

You'd have to, of course, kill the grass will glyphosate (Roundup) 1st, and lay down a blanket of landscape fabric over the tilled soil / compost to keep the weeds down, then just cut little 'X' cuts thru the fabric and plant the "flats" of plants right thru the fabric, right into the soil. Then mulch.

Is it a fairly shaded area ?
Wintercreeper, vinca (periwinkle), or pachysandra might work.

An open sunny area?
Try a group of extremely low-growing juniper.
(They would have to be sprayed for mite control at least once a year, though.)
Or if it's a large enough sunny area...you could even look into putting in some crown vetch; like what is used along the highways,etc for erosion control.

[Atlantic Lawn]

Had a Hover Mower for years, things work fine, we used them on ditches.Two stroke push mowers work on any grade as well.

[JFF]

Oh, come on now - " This modern Age"?????
Hover mowers have been around for a least thirty years.
What, are you still using a horse drawn mower or something?:)

Ha! No, sad to say I know longer employ goats or horses. The work was fine but the communication was not so good. But they did not use gas and they made free fertilizer.

Anyway, here in the sticks, I saw my first hover mower in a trade magazine a few years ago.

[Gardens55]

Ha! No, sad to say I know longer employ goats or horses. The work was fine but the communication was not so good. But they did not use gas and they made free fertilizer.

Anyway, here in the sticks, I saw my first hover mower in a trade magazine a few years ago.

How does it work? Must be witchcraft, or magic!

[txgrassguy]

How does it work? Must be witchcraft, or magic!

Dude, you have to be kidding.
Allen Hover Mowers are imported into the US from the UK and have been for over twenty years.

[Atlantic Lawn]

Rides on a cushion of air.

[Marcos]

Rides on a cushion of air.

Over the years I've seen some folks try some idiotic stuff with these things; including trying to "hover" over the tops of shrubs to save pruning time !!! :hammerhead:

Obviously that's plain-and-simple "abuse of equipment"...
But before I'd ever buy one, I'd do some internet research into the overall accident history of the Allen Hover Mower, and the types of injuries that have occurred.
I'd be willing to bet there's been alot more feet cut off, and "lower extremity damage"...% wise to the total number of mowers...compared to traditional "wheeled" mowers.

[txgrassguy]

Over the years I've seen some folks try some idiotic stuff with these things; including trying to "hover" over the tops of shrubs to save pruning time !!! :hammerhead:

Obviously that's plain-and-simple "abuse of equipment"...
But before I'd ever buy one, I'd do some internet research into the overall accident history of the Allen Hover Mower, and the types of injuries that have occurred.
I'd be willing to bet there's been alot more feet cut off, and "lower extremity damage"...% wise to the total number of mowers...compared to traditional "wheeled" mowers.

The Hover mower has a large impeller that is attached to the crankshaft of the motor and sits inside the deck housing.
Once the motor is started the mower actually hovers - no wheels needed and is quite easy to push or pull.
Height adjustment is through spacers on the end of the crank where the line holder bolts to the crank. Additionally, a skirt may be added to increase the total height of cut to about 3 and 1/2" but in practice is drags more than it helps.
I have been around these mowers for over 23 years and multiple states and countries too and have never heard of someone injuring themselves, despite solid knives being available to replace the large diameter line.
I have observed many injuries with fixed bladed rotary and reeled mowers, hand trimmers and large cfm blowers yet never heard of a hover mower accident.
One other point, when I worked at Augusta National in the mid nineties, how do you think all those creek and pond banks were mowed so evenly? Yep, even AN had hover mowers.

[k911lowe]

getting back to the original topic:you just need to make sur the mower you use had an oil pump and a fuel pump.then you should be able to use it on modest inclines without worrying about ruining something.make sure you mow up and down the embankment.

[kmann]

Listen to Txgrassguy, he knows what he's talking about. I see them used around here mainly to maintain Golf Courses and are expensive from what I've seen. If you have alot of steep areas they may be worth it, if not try thre extended lenght Tanaka Trimmer.

[lifetree]

I would recommend the DR Trimmer / Mower, I have one myself !! The commercial model is self propelled with a full pressure engine (i.e.-slopes are no problem), cutting height from 1.5" to 4".

[Limbourg]

Has anybody tried these remote controlled mowers? Might be the solution but they seem extremely expensive to me. Their site is: http://evatech.net/COMMERCIAL.php