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Which type of mower for very steep slope?
#2
BKBrown
BKBrown
#5
Ventrac
Ventrac
#10
S
Slater
I think I would go the goat route if I had to do that! Gotta give the guy props for trying :thumbsup: I actually remember Ventrac making a wheelchair operated tractor like their 4000 Series. It had quick mount attachments, 4wd, center articulating, just a wider back for wheelchairs. Pretty sweet looking unit and very nice for those that want to get out and do their own work, but I am not sure where I saw it
Found this one, but this isn't what I am talking about. YouTube - Ventrac Freedom Model 300 Great little scooter to get around, but not the full fledged tractor I was trying to find.
S
Slater
I think I would go the goat route if I had to do that! Gotta give the guy props for trying :thumbsup: I actually remember Ventrac making a wheelchair operated tractor like their 4000 Series. It had quick mount attachments, 4wd, center articulating, just a wider back for wheelchairs. Pretty sweet looking unit and very nice for those that want to get out and do their own work, but I am not sure where I saw it
Found this one, but this isn't what I am talking about. YouTube - Ventrac Freedom Model 300 Great little scooter to get around, but not the full fledged tractor I was trying to find.
#11
BKBrown
BKBrown
http://ventrac.com/pdf/VR300.pdf :thumbsup:
http://ventrac.com/products/other/vr300/
http://ventrac.com/products/other/vr300/
I think I would go the goat route if I had to do that! Gotta give the guy props for trying :thumbsup: I actually remember Ventrac making a wheelchair operated tractor like their 4000 Series. It had quick mount attachments, 4wd, center articulating, just a wider back for wheelchairs. Pretty sweet looking unit and very nice for those that want to get out and do their own work, but I am not sure where I saw it
Found this one, but this isn't what I am talking about. YouTube - Ventrac Freedom Model 300 Great little scooter to get around, but not the full fledged tractor I was trying to find.
#15
txzrider
txzrider
#18
GentlemanFahmah
GentlemanFahmah
Any garden or lawn tractor can be modified to dual rear tires. Just run duals on it and then hold on tight!
I used to mow steep banks for a summer job 40 years ago and we had Simplicity tractors with duals and we went sideways on 45 degree slopes daily. The hardest part of doing that is staying in the seat.
In my current location, I mow 45 degree slopes with my lawn tractor, but I have to go downhill straight on dry grass (as mentioned in previous response). Going uphill is out of the question due to flip backwards potential with seat directly over rear axle. With duals you can go sideways on steep slopes with nearly zero flip risk.
In my own experience, one of the things you do not see coming on steep slopes is loss of steering effectiveness as the uphill front tire is barely touching and the down hill tire is in contact, but not great. Always turn downhill because of the potential to flip backwards.
I used to mow steep banks for a summer job 40 years ago and we had Simplicity tractors with duals and we went sideways on 45 degree slopes daily. The hardest part of doing that is staying in the seat.
In my current location, I mow 45 degree slopes with my lawn tractor, but I have to go downhill straight on dry grass (as mentioned in previous response). Going uphill is out of the question due to flip backwards potential with seat directly over rear axle. With duals you can go sideways on steep slopes with nearly zero flip risk.
In my own experience, one of the things you do not see coming on steep slopes is loss of steering effectiveness as the uphill front tire is barely touching and the down hill tire is in contact, but not great. Always turn downhill because of the potential to flip backwards.
#20
Ric
Ric
#21
F
friedfolk
F
friedfolk
I too have a 45 degree slope that I keep mowed as a fire break. We live in a forest. I modified a rear wheel drive walk behind mower by adding a steel circle around the drive tires. I put 3/4 inch screws through the steel hoop that act like large studs. Doing this puts much more stress on the drivetrain of the mower since there is virtually no more slippage of the wheels. If the mower has nylon gears cut into the drive wheels, it will fail within 4 hours of use. Trust me, I know from experience! You need a mower that has a chain drive gear reduction transmission. This type mower lasted 1 year before the chain/gear transmission failed. I replaced the transmission assembly and added a grease fitting to the housing around the chain drive. Each spring I pump it full of grease and it has worked for 4 years now with no failures. You will need replacement clutch gears and springs as these fail once or twice a year. These are located behind the drive wheels.
I mow on a diagonal so the mower is less likely to flip over. It takes some strength. I have built a robotic mower for this hill that is R/C controlled. My problem with it is traction. When there is no person attached to steer and support the mower, steering is difficult. On more level ground, my robot works very well. It is a hybrid design. There is a gas engine for the mower and a 24 volt alternator. There are two 12 volt batteries powering 2 electric motors. There is an electronic speed controller which is controlled by the radio system. It also has steel wheels with large studs for traction. I am looking into a tracked drive train but so far, they are very pricey!
I just thought I would add my experience to this topic.
You need a mower that has a chain drive gear reduction transmission. This type mower lasted 1 year before the chain/gear transmission failed. I replaced the transmission assembly and added a grease fitting to the housing around the chain drive. Each spring I pump it full of grease and it has worked for 4 years now with no failures. You will need replacement clutch gears and springs as these fail once or twice a year. These are located behind the drive wheels.I mow on a diagonal so the mower is less likely to flip over. It takes some strength. I have built a robotic mower for this hill that is R/C controlled. My problem with it is traction. When there is no person attached to steer and support the mower, steering is difficult. On more level ground, my robot works very well. It is a hybrid design. There is a gas engine for the mower and a 24 volt alternator. There are two 12 volt batteries powering 2 electric motors. There is an electronic speed controller which is controlled by the radio system. It also has steel wheels with large studs for traction. I am looking into a tracked drive train but so far, they are very pricey!
I just thought I would add my experience to this topic.
#22
reynoldston
reynoldston