Walk behind belt driven mowers and hills

[JohnnyRocker]

How does anyone feel about how a belt driven WB handles on hills. With and without velkies?

[Turf Dawg]

To me the belt drive is easier to handle on slopes going across [w/o velke]. Going up and on down the hydros do better. The belts work fine unless it is dusty or wet [my experience] even pulling a velke.

[topsites]

I always get off the Velke and walk a few steps anytime I know the terrain
is going to put undue pressure on the machine, I've never owned a Hydro
and likely never will.

[clinicalengineer]

As stated above dust and moisture make or break your success. I cut hills all of the time with my belt drive WB. And it lets you know when it is time to clean the belts by the amount of pushing that is required. I know from personal experience sucks big time trying to assist a 48" with bagger up the hill.

[Killian]

No problems uphill or sidehill as long as the grass is dry, either with or without the velky. Sometimes a steep downhill will get exciting, especially with a flowerbed or dway at the bottem. Squeeze to make a turn and the inside wheel picks up speed as it goes from drive to neutral, sqeeze hard enough to brake and you rip up a little turf. I don't know if hydro would be better downhill, never had one.

[clean_cut]

Originally Posted by topsites

I always get off the Velke and walk a few steps anytime I know the terrain
is going to put undue pressure on the machine, I've never owned a Hydro
and likely never will.

No Hydros topsites? Why not?