Ride on Mower for sloping lawn

[yottie]

Would like any advice on using/buying the above.
The land is gently sloping, is it feasible to use a ride-on.
I was thinking about tackling the cutting not "up and down" but sideways on?

 

[Burnerman]

No trouble at all - depending on the angle and length of the slope, of course!
The only things I'd consider......many of the smaller engines (maybe up to 12 hp or whatever - have oil splash lubrication. It's therefore vital that the oil level is maintained at all times - no one wants the engine to be starved of lube although it's not really likely unless the slope is extreme.
Some more modern machines (Husqvarna Riders for example) have engines with pressurised oil delivery which you can tell by looking for an oil filter on the side of the engine.
All of the Briggs and Honda vee twins have this system - some of the later Briggs engines do too.
You'd maybe consider a machine with scalp wheels on the cutting deck - these give a more even cut on a slope.
The only thing to consider when using the machine is it's tendency to topple if you turn up the slope - again this depends on the actual angle.
Hope this helps!
John

 

[ericmark]

Oh I remember years ago when the St Asaph by-pass was made into duel carriageway (A55) we had a mower for doing the banks with brakes you could latch on so it would do a straight line on the slope, so they are clearly made, it was more like a go cart than a mower, but today the banks are no longer cut. Hayter made the mower, it had a hydraulic drive and was very wide and low to the ground.

It was too steep for a tractor mounted mower, but internet hunt has not found one.

 

[yottie]

Many thanks for info B & e.
I hadn't considered such things as lubrication, a very relevant point!
Many thanks to both, will start a search.

 

[Burnerman]

You don't mention what your budget may be, or whether you intend to go down the second hand route?
Either way, the hydrostatic transmission is preferable to the manual box; Honda or larger Briggs and Stratton engines are brilliant;
some machines have an electric blade clutch rather than a belt tensioning design; some collect the grass better than others.
If second hand, steel cutter decks rust out and are expensive.
Husqvarna zero turn machines are great, so is the price!
Countax are probably one of the better makes for a second hand purchase, Mountfield are pretty good and John Deere and Viking have lots on offer.
Good luck with the search!
John

 

[Tigercubrider]

Isn't it more sensible to cut "up and down"?

a mate was killed by driving a 4x4 along a hill rather than up/down.
Surely the manufacturer could say the max incline deemed to be safe? The CoG would be in your favour

 

[lostinthelight]

One disadvantage of mowing across banks it loss of traction of the higher wheel, I use a Countax16hp twin cyl vanguard engine mower on some serious slopes and overcome the traction issues by, not advacating it, hanging off like a sailing dinghy...some more expensive machines have a diflock.

 

[Burnerman]

Great engine, the Vanguard
I have to do similar acrobatics on my machine from time to time......I've disconnected the seat / ignition interlock cut out switch so when I shift my ass the engine doesn't cut out.
John

 

[lostinthelight]

L,,

.....I've disconnected the seat / ignition interlock cut out switch so when I shift my ass the engine doesn't cut out.
John

First things to go when I get a machine for my own use

 

[Harry Bloomfield]

some machines have an electric blade clutch rather than a belt tensioning design; some collect the grass better than others.
If second hand, steel cutter decks rust out and are expensive.

Mine has a mechanically engaged blade clutch, which is very little different in design to an electric type - so I wouldn't choose one over the other - Called a PTO (Power Take Off). Second hand, the blade/deck/PTO clutch on mine soon began to exhibit problems, and replacements were a silly price, so I investigated. What I found was it was metal against metal friction, whether it was designed to work this way was not clear, but I decided to to try fitting some material between the metal clutch plates, to provide some friction. I cut a large piece of old gasket material to the shape of the plate, which I then super glued in place on the metal plate - glued just to make sure it stayed put long enough to reassemble it. Once my botch up had bedded in, it worked absolutely fine and has worked for several years since. The clutch uses a spring to push the plates apart, and three ball bearings in grooves to jam the plates together.

Grass collection is hopeless - grass is blown via a duct, which is in the middle of the body, going up and over the back axle. If the grass is anything but very dry (in the UK??), it sticks and chokes the duct up. Collector is on the rear, which I gave up using long ago, because of the constant need to take it off to clear the duct. I suspect the side discharge type may be less of a problem in this respect.

Drive is via three V belts, leading to rear axle, variable speed like the old DAF variomatic.

It's my second one, both have had very thick and tremendously heavy steel cutter decks, rust has never been a problem.