Help for a new homeowner with a sloping yard, please

[forbin09]

Just found this forum and the amount of experience of the members here all added together would likely
be astronomical.

I bought this house in November and I wasn't giving much consideration to having to mow this.
NOW, I am totally intimidated and wondering if I can do this because I have Zero experience on a riding mower of any kind.
I've always pushed a mower around a small yard.
http://i871.photobucket.com/albums/ab279/forbin09/BlackJackRidge3004.jpg
http://i871.photobucket.com/albums/ab279/forbin09/BlackJackRidge3011.jpg
http://i871.photobucket.com/albums/ab279/forbin09/BlackJackRidge3010.jpg
I measured the slope as best I could with a 2x4, level, and a tape measure.
If I calculated correctly it's only 15 degrees but it sure looks steeper.



The back is slightly less steep but if I break loose I will end up in the ravine.
http://i871.photobucket.com/albums/ab279/forbin09/BlackJackRidge3008.jpg

So, here are my questions:

1. If it's only 15 degrees can I still mow horizontally, which would be a lot easier because there are no really flat spots at the top or bottom where I can maneuver?

2. Is a Ztr appropriate for me in light of my lack of experience?

3. What strategy would You use to mow this lawn?


A WB is probably out of the question because I have health problems that will limit the amount of time I can spend on my feet.

Ironically, I thought buying an acreage would be helpful because I could sit on a riding mower instead of pushing a mower around on a hot day.

[KPW LawnCare]

First thing is what is your price range you are looking to spend on a mower of some sort?

[forbin09]

First thing is what is your price range you are looking to spend on a mower of some sort?
I hadn't really planned to spend more than $5,000 but I may have to rethink that.

If it's much more than $5,000 I might just pay someone to mow it until I can sell the house and move.

[KPW LawnCare]

Have you thought about a hydro walk behind with a sulky on it?

[Juan91]

$5,000 is a big budget, a nice used ZTR woudl fall into that IMO

[KPW LawnCare]

Or you could get a quick 44'' for about $3100 and then the sulky for about $400 the if you really wanted to you could get the accessory pack with a bagger mulching kit blades and a few other things for $500 so you could get a mower sulky and a bunk of extra stuff for $4000 and have $1000 left over thats what i would do.

[sunray]

The yard doesn't look too big, but what I do see is what is all too common these days, a house flat on the ground.
Now with a wife that's been in a wheelchair for 32 years I know all the advantages of a house like this and the pit falls.
I would suggest cutting a more aggressive swale away from the house and some underground drainage around that garage to make sure you never end up with a flooded house.
I say an aggressive swale because with the passing of time and grass and landscaping it will loose some of it's depth and slope.
As time goes by you will be more reluctant to tackle this task because of sprinkler lines, landscaping and any number of things you decide to bury in the ground.
Keep in mind everybody gets monster rains sooner or later and in the middle of one is a bad time to have regrets.
I did not mean to hijack your post, I see this all the time and it cost so much more to correct it later on when you are in love with your landscaping.
As far as the mower for a homeowner, it's hard to beat a good John Deere riding tractor with a grass catcher for periodic use, I like mulching the grass for a healthier yard.
By the way you have a nice house,good luck.

[forbin09]

Have you thought about a hydro walk behind with a sulky on it?
I didn't even know there was such a thing until now.

It seems like it would be cumbersome though. Wouldn't the silky tend to slide downhill and drag the back of the mower downhill with it?

The yard doesn't look too big, but what I do see is what is all too common these days, a house flat on the ground.
Now with a wife that's been in a wheelchair for 32 years I know all the advantages of a house like this and the pit falls.
I would suggest cutting a more aggressive swale away from the house and some underground drainage around that garage to make sure you never end up with a flooded house.
I say an aggressive swale because with the passing of time and grass and landscaping it will loose some of it's depth and slope.
As time goes by you will be more reluctant to tackle this task because of sprinkler lines, landscaping and any number of things you decide to bury in the ground.
Keep in mind everybody gets monster rains sooner or later and in the middle of one is a bad time to have regrets.
I did not mean to hijack your post, I see this all the time and it cost so much more to correct it later on when you are in love with your landscaping.
As far as the mower for a homeowner, it's hard to beat a good John Deere riding tractor with a grass catcher for periodic use, I like mulching the grass for a healthier yard.
By the way you have a nice house,good luck.
Sunray, thanks for the remarks.

I have wondered about the drainage on this house. We have had a couple of heavy rains so far and it has handled them although that side of the house and even the flowerbed out front by the porch are constantly soaked and waterlogged.

Oklahoma has had so much snow and rain this year that the ground is saturated.
If we have HEAVY Spring rains it might be a real problem.

I thought about the drainage under the driveway on the south side of the house but I doubt that will be possible.
If you notice the electrical meter is mounted on the wall right by the driveway and the underground electrical service enters
the house right in that area.

I am beginning to think I made a huge mistake in buying this house. :dizzy:

[Swampy]

Now mentioned I do see a potential for drainage problems. Tip for the wise keep a extra sump pump handy with some extra length of bendable hose ready for when and if your basement does start to flood you can just drop in another sump pump and run a extra line out of the house.

Pesonally with your hill, it isn't that steep but if you feel shaky cutting it. Try mowing up and then downhill instead of side to side.

The other thing you can do with your hill is just plant it with a plant that can grow in a culture style such as a Sumac or quaking, Native prarie grasses, bulbs, or some wild flowers.

[Valk]

Approx how many sq ft do you need to maintain with your mower?

It looks a bit rutted due to the previous owner's heavy mower or hired crew...do you know what they were using?

Yes, we've had a lot of moisture this last year here in the Midwest.

If you wish to ride on a Zero Turn Rider, then it will be important to pay attention to the mower's weight coupled with the tire size to help displace that weight. Tire pressure will be important as too high will result in ballooning (mid-rutting), and too low will hot help in the corners and will contribute to turf tearing.

A dual hydro walkbehind with a swiveled sulkey will allow you to ride via standing...and turning around will be much easier on you. A trailering sulkey will of course turn in the corners (like a trailer) so it will require a bit more expertise and input on your part. Depending on brand, this will be your lightest option - weightwise.

A stand-on type of mower might be the ticket as they tend to be more stable on hills than a ZTR. I believe you could find a used Wright Stander (48") w/in your price guidelines. This is commercial quality and should be more easy to find used and win your price-range than other stand-on mowers.
.02

[pjnlandscape]

If I had your situation to contend with i would go with a small zero turn rider that is a homeowner quality. they are relatively easy to learn on although just as with any of the other options discussed there is a learning curve. due to your apparent health constraints i don't think a sulky on a walk behind would suit u very well.

[forbin09]

Approx how many sq ft do you need to maintain with your mower?

It looks a bit rutted due to the previous owner's heavy mower or hired crew...do you know what they were using?

Yes, we've had a lot of moisture this last year here in the Midwest.

If you wish to ride on a Zero Turn Rider, then it will be important to pay attention to the mower's weight coupled with the tire size to help displace that weight. Tire pressure will be important as too high will result in ballooning (mid-rutting), and too low will hot help in the corners and will contribute to turf tearing.

A dual hydro walkbehind with a swiveled sulkey will allow you to ride via standing...and turning around will be much easier on you. A trailering sulkey will of course turn in the corners (like a trailer) so it will require a bit more expertise and input on your part. Depending on brand, this will be your lightest option - weightwise.

A stand-on type of mower might be the ticket as they tend to be more stable on hills than a ZTR. I believe you could find a used Wright Stander (48") w/in your price guidelines. This is commercial quality and should be more easy to find used and win your price-range than other stand-on mowers.
.02

It's not all that big in size, it's just that it's all sloped. There's hardly any level ground at all.
That's what bothers me about the ztr is no level ground to turn around on.
It's on the side of a hill.

I don't know what they used. Those pics were taken last October and the mowing was contracted out.
The ruts aren't that bad now because of all the moisture we've had but it is way to soggy to put any equipment on right now.

If I had your situation to contend with i would go with a small zero turn rider that is a homeowner quality. they are relatively easy to learn on although just as with any of the other options discussed there is a learning curve. due to your apparent health constraints i don't think a sulky on a walk behind would suit u very well.

My health problem is my feet and ankles have poor circulation and swell a lot so that's why I need to avoid walking as much as possible.


My father has a JD 54" ztr and my sister has a CC 50" ztr at their property which is only about a 5 degree slope.

If I practiced with their ztr riding mowers on relatively level ground do you think I could gain enough proficiency to mow mine, starting out by going up and down only?

Or should I look into the JD tractor mower that steers with the front wheels?
It would be nice to pull a cart around to pick up limbs and also to haul firewood to the back of the house occasionally.

[pjnlandscape]

from the sound of your description of your prior use of zero turn mowers i would say it would be just as easy to learn how to use one on slopes, and mowing up and down is definatly the way to go. As far as Tractors are concerned they are very good for homeowners, especially if you are not concerned about speed, as z turns are slightly quicker.

As far as the trailer goes, most zturns are available with a trailer hitch just like a tractor, backing up a trailer with a zturn is slightly more difficult however.

Hope this helps you out, Good Luck!

[LarryF]

"So, here are my questions:"

"1. If it's only 15 degrees can I still mow horizontally, which would be a lot easier because there are no really flat spots at the top or bottom where I can maneuver?"
I don't see any problem whether you were to mow up and down the slope or across, which I interpret to be what you call "horizontally". If you were to get a 52" ZTR such as I have, you could first mow horizontal strips at the top and bottom of the hill and use those for turn-around areas when mowing up and down.
"2. Is a Ztr appropriate for me in light of my lack of experience? "
I think so. Some of my hills are steeper than yours, and I had no problem adapting to my ZTR. Prior to that I used a lawn tractor for many years. I like the ZTR much better.

"3. What strategy would You use to mow this lawn?"
This seems to be the same as question 1.


Also, since you indicated you have access to a couple of different ZTRs, why don't you simply borrow them to try on your own property? If you do go for a ZTR, I would strongly recommend staying away for the so-called homeowner models such as sold in HD or Lowes. I'd go for a commercial unit. I'm very satisfied with my Exmark, but there are others that are less expensive that you can consider, notably Bad Boy and Hustler. Encore is another that has been mentioned here on LS lately that sells for about $5000. I've never used one, but from what I've seen on the web, they seem to be pretty good.

[sunray]

Have the power cmpany come out ad talk with you about the details of the underground burial service, it should be about three feet down around the house.
Have it marked and lay out the underground drainage, hand dig carefully around the service and then go on with the instalation.
The best thing to do is hire someone who is us to this kind of work to help with the trenching.
Most people never think about drainage when buying a home, they usually are just making sure the house will work for them and their family.
Just take care of your drainage and enjoy your home.

[KPW LawnCare]

You have to remeber you have a 52'' deck if he went smaller the wheel base is smaller and wont be as well on hills, if i were you i would either try out some zero turns or just get a john deere rider mower.

[forbin09]

Thanks for feedback guys; I appreciate it.

Here are some pics I took today that show the drainage in more detail:
West side looking North
http://i871.photobucket.com/albums/ab279/forbin09/drainage-pics/f001.jpg
At the end of the sidewalk
http://i871.photobucket.com/albums/ab279/forbin09/drainage-pics/f002.jpg
Looking around the corner where the grade drops off fast into a ravine
http://i871.photobucket.com/albums/ab279/forbin09/drainage-pics/f003.jpg


Higher up look
http://i871.photobucket.com/albums/ab279/forbin09/drainage-pics/f004.jpg
Looking out my front door.
http://i871.photobucket.com/albums/ab279/forbin09/drainage-pics/f006.jpg
Keep in mind that the only water that will run down to the house is what falls on my own yard which ends at the road at the top of this picture.
What falls on the road and the properties above are carried by a ditch and tinhorn,on the other side of the road, going down that road away from my house.


I decided I will call in someone who does this kind of work for a living because I like the idea of the drain pipe that goes under the driveway around the other side of the house.



About the mowing:

I talked to my brother in law and when mowing time approaches we will load up my dad's 54" JD Zrt mower like this one
http://www.deere.com/en_US/ProductCatalog/HO/media/images/product/largerview/z425_515801_large.jpg
And my brother in law who has several years on one of these will try it out.

If it handles it OK I might get one just like it except with rollover protection added.


If it has problems then I will get a Deer tractor mower.

Either way, I will start off carefully and slowly by mowing up and down only, until I get a feel for it and gain some confidence.

[KPW LawnCare]

I dont think you can get a rops on that one. And up and down is worse then side to side, you can roll back easier.

[KPW LawnCare]

The only home owner zero turn with a rops starts at like 6k.

[punt66]

just hire someone.

[forbin09]

Well schucks!;)

[KPW LawnCare]

Yea that sounds good or just get a rider, you are going to hurt yourself if you dont know what your doing on that slope not to be mean or get a walkbehind with a sulky.

[Razorblades]

If the JD ZT doesn't hold the hill well enough to suit you or the guy that's going to try it out first, then you might consider getting a 4 wheel steer, 4wd model, upper end series John Deere, Kubota...etc lawn/garden tractor. I'm not sure but a used one should be in your budget. If you find one with a 54" or 60" 7 Iron deck, that would be great as that is the same basic deck design as they use in their commercial ZT's. The tractor will turn pretty short and will mow about the same speed as the residential JD ZT models, but it should work alot better on your sloping property.

[clean_cut]

$5,000 is a big budget, a nice used ZTR woudl fall into that IMO

Yeah, you could easily get a used ztr for that much money.

You could also buy a high end riding mower (not ztr), or probably a mid grade ztr for that much.

[mhaley927]

My opinion... Used ZTR... I got my first two weeks ago, I was always the edger/blower in my 2 man crew. You'll pick up on the controls very quickly. As far as the hill, it looks just slightly more shallow than the one in my yard but mine is dome shaped. I mow it straight up and down (my partner alaways did, and I feel pretty comfortable doing so (again, this is after only about 2 weeks experiance). DONT be intimidated by zero turns, and enjoy all the spare time toul have against a tractor.

[forbin09]

Update:

OK, I ended up buying a new Hustler FasTrak 48 from a dealer that is about 7 miles from my house.
Very nice, well built mower.

The dealer delivered it and he says my slope is no big deal. Nothing to worry about as long as I don't try to mow it wet or go too fast.

I got out today and started to get acquainted with the controls and handling of the mower.
I even got up at the top of that slope in the picture, going sideways, and it holds really well.

The Hustler has such a low center of gravity and you are close enough to the ground to see very well.

The only problem I had is that a couple of areas in the yard are still muddy and soft and it makes a mess to even go there.
I may have to mow those areas with my 21" self propelled mower until it gets hot and the ground dries out more.

I appreciate everyones input and assistance.

This forum is GREAT.

[punt66]

Update:

OK, I ended up buying a new Hustler FasTrak 48 from a dealer that is about 7 miles from my house.
Very nice, well built mower.

The dealer delivered it and he says my slope is no big deal. Nothing to worry about as long as I don't try to mow it wet or go too fast.

I got out today and started to get acquainted with the controls and handling of the mower.
I even got up at the top of that slope in the picture, going sideways, and it holds really well.

The Hustler has such a low center of gravity and you are close enough to the ground to see very well.

The only problem I had is that a couple of areas in the yard are still muddy and soft and it makes a mess to even go there.
I may have to mow those areas with my 21" self propelled mower until it gets hot and the ground dries out more.

I appreciate everyones input and assistance.

This forum is GREAT.

how much did you pay?

[forbin09]

how much did you pay?

$4,900 with 4% sales tax. So it was right at my price limit.

I might have gotten it a bit cheaper if I had shopped around more but I think it's a LOT of mower for that price.

Besides, this dealer is only a few miles away and he carries parts and has a good repair shop, not that I will ever need it.

[forbin09]

Update:

It was a rough Spring in this part of Oklahoma. 2 tornadoes, and a monstrous hailstorm that did $17,000 damage to my house.
A new roof, siding, windows, and gutters were all finished last week.


http://i871.photobucket.com/albums/ab279/forbin09/web.jpg

My Hustler FasTrak mows great! I am very pleased.

As many others have said, the secret to mowing a slope with a Z is keep the front wheels pointed uphill as much as possible.
Especially in areas where you don't have room to turn around.

My landscaping project starts Tuesday. :D

[Capemay Eagle]

Update:

OK, I ended up buying a new Hustler FasTrak 48 from a dealer that is about 7 miles from my house.
Very nice, well built mower.

The dealer delivered it and he says my slope is no big deal. Nothing to worry about as long as I don't try to mow it wet or go too fast.

I got out today and started to get acquainted with the controls and handling of the mower.
I even got up at the top of that slope in the picture, going sideways, and it holds really well.

The Hustler has such a low center of gravity and you are close enough to the ground to see very well.

The only problem I had is that a couple of areas in the yard are still muddy and soft and it makes a mess to even go there.
I may have to mow those areas with my 21" self propelled mower until it gets hot and the ground dries out more.

I appreciate everyones input and assistance.

This forum is GREAT.Congrats on the mower and that is the mower I was going to suggest to you in your price range, I was just quoted $4999.00 for the Fastrak 48. I really did not think that it is that big of a slope for a good ZTR to handle, you will be fine, just becareful!!

[Capemay Eagle]

Update:

It was a rough Spring in this part of Oklahoma. 2 tornadoes, and a monstrous hailstorm that did $17,000 damage to my house.
A new roof, siding, windows, and gutters were all finished last week.


http://i871.photobucket.com/albums/ab279/forbin09/web.jpg

My Hustler FasTrak mows great! I am very pleased.

As many others have said, the secret to mowing a slope with a Z is keep the front wheels pointed uphill as much as possible.
Especially in areas where you don't have room to turn around.

My landscaping project starts Tuesday. :DHell with the house, let's see the Fastrak :laugh:

[Kiril]

My landscaping project starts Tuesday. :D

Here's is to hoping that project includes some drainage.

[BluegrassRules!]

Hey forbin09,

Hustlers are really nice mowers!! Congrats.

You have a really nice place there. Post some pictures of the FasTrak in action!!!