How steep of a hill will you mow with a rider, 2 to 1, 3 to 1, 4 to 1. ( just so you know 2 to 1 is two foot of distance to one foot of fall) 1 to 1 = 45 degrees
I turned down a large community open area because the berms were too steep! I took my ZTR out there and it couldn't hold the hill. I don't know the angle limits on the mower, but if I can't ride it, I don't want it!
With a rider, you can mow up and down, quite steep, possibly 2:1 (33%) and across 4:1 or so. I hope the moderator "bleeps" out and % over 40 as though they were a swear word. I have a clear spray tank on my Tracer and I can tell the EXACT % slope of any hill I can put it on. Anyone claiming to mow anything greater than 40% with a wheeled mower is completely full of ****.
Lazer, maybe I spent too much time in the service but a 100% grade is 45o hill, so your saying that 4 to one is the steepest you can mow? Reason for the question is we have a job that has a clay stock pile (60,000 cu yds) they want shaped and black dirted then seeded but they want to maintaine this hill the less dirt I have to move the cheaper for them, I make most of my money on the seed and netting that they need to control erosion.
Being an installation and maintenance contractor, I've seen too many jobs were the GC wanted too steep a slope in a landscape setting. Against my advise, they opted for fine lawn on a steep slope. 5 years down the road, these things are happening: 1.) The property owner pays more because maintenance contractors charge more for cutting those steep areas. 2.) Contractors dislike the exposure of putting a mower on a steep slope. Rollovers and out-of-control machines are not uncommon. Add that to spinning blades and you've got a dangerous situation. 3.) The mowing, whether done by a mower or line trimmer, always looks like crap. Mower tires leave ruts and spin-trimming a large area always looks poor. Moral of the story: Plant other materials, install retaining walls, use a groundcover, etc, but DO NOT install a lawn area with a slope too steep to mow quickly, effieciently and safely.
I'm going to have to put an electronic level on the frame of my Exmark. I routinely mow places that sure look steeper than 1 in 4. If I find a place where the mower just won't stick I'll check the grade and report back
I do a very steep lake lot with my kubota belly mower. Sitting up high on it gives me the heebee jeebees. I have gotten use to going sideways on the slope over they years. But i have to go straight down sometimes. The zoysia grass that it contains is very slick like glass. Even though I have tractor tire on the back it will slide and then catch. Giving me a mini heart attack each time lol. It pay good or i would give it up for sure. I may give it up soon anyway. Its just not worth taking a chance. Because at the bottom is trees then the lake. When I got the job the man was impresses with the job i could do. Because the rest of the LC he had hired would f it up
