ZTR for slope?

[Ric]

I don't know what kind of mower you are running and I don't know what kind of zero turns they are running but my ZD 326 will take you to about any angle you got the guts go take it. I have never run a mower of any kind that will work on any steeper hill. Across or up and down. I have a ZG 222 as well. It does pretty good also but it will slide some especially trying to turn right going downhill if it is too steep.

At 1,700 pounds and more money than it's worth the 326 sucks on wet hills or wet ground period leaves to any tire tracks.
The mower you choose to use should do any job that comes your way.
Yes I cut hills for guys that have scag and kabota ZTRs they are just to heavy when the ground is wet. They just turn everything to mud.

To put any ztr on a 45 degree hill is foolish
They are not made for it.

jekjr I know your partial to your Kubota's but keep in mind the mower is only rated at 15 degrees the same as most lawn tractors, to mow anything greater than 15 degrees you would be depriving your engine of proper lubrication. Kawasaki engines are rated for up to 25 degrees but even they say not for extended periods. you both showing your stupidity.
I have to agree somewhat with Carscw in the fact that anyone who mows with a ZTR, any ZTR knows they will leave tracks and ruts on wet ground and there not worth a flip on wet hills because you have no control of the mower and all they do is tear up turf.
When it comes to mowing hills, the fact is to mow up and down hill on any mower is insane because you have no control of your mower especially turning down a hill and it puts not only you at risk but also the client your working for at risk.

 

[lawn mower fanatic]

If I was to mow a steep hill with a zeroturn I would definitely invest in some TED Brakes!! :confused2: TedBrakes - Tedbrakes.com

And some hills I would refuse to do (with a ZTR)...like ones by water (see video)! I would be scared I would slide in!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D7AdP7PoW4Q

 

[jekjr]

jekjr I know your partial to your Kubota's but keep in mind the mower is only rated at 15 degrees the same as most lawn tractors, to mow anything greater than 15 degrees you would be depriving your engine of proper lubrication. Kawasaki engines are rated for up to 25 degrees but even they say not for extended periods. you both showing your stupidity.
I have to agree somewhat with Carscw in the fact that anyone who mows with a ZTR, any ZTR knows they will leave tracks and ruts on wet ground and there not worth a flip on wet hills because you have no control of the mower and all they do is tear up turf.
When it comes to mowing hills, the fact is to mow up and down hill on any mower is insane because you have no control of your mower especially turning down a hill and it puts not only you at risk but also the client your working for at risk.

You put as much of all of that in practice as possible. Then you work out in the real world.
A large part of what we have to do pushes the envelope on something. There are for instance some hills you work up and down or you don't do. There are some things that go with the territory. All of us do not have the privledge of working under labratory conditions. Tall grass, rough ground, weeds, hillsides, wet grass, and at times wet ground come with the territory.

 

[Mid TN Lawn]

You guys did not read the question this guy is a homeowner wanting to mow his 5 acres.
For cost and additional uses a small 4 WD tractor will be exactly what he needs. It will go places no zero or stander should go. And cost will be low no a little homeowner rider but a real tractor and no turf tires! You all are city boys if you dont understand what a tractor can mow. I have mowed stuff 4 wheelers cant climb lol

 

[Ric]

You put as much of all of that in practice as possible. Then you work out in the real world.
A large part of what we have to do pushes the envelope on something. There are for instance some hills you work up and down or you don't do. There are some things that go with the territory. All of us do not have the privileged of working under laboratory conditions. Tall grass, rough ground, weeds, hillsides, wet grass, and at times wet ground come with the territory.

Yes you put all that and more into practice in the real world and you don't push the envelope on anything. All equipment has ratings, there put in place buy people and manufacturers that build this equipment and knows its capability's and they should not be ignored and to do so only shows your inability to do job as it should be done. Personally my mowers and equipment are worth far more than any one job that I would have to push the envelope on and to put myself and my equipment in that position would be pure stupidity.

 

[Parkmower]

You guys did not read the question this guy is a homeowner wanting to mow his 5 acres.
For cost and additional uses a small 4 WD tractor will be exactly what he needs. It will go places no zero or stander should go. And cost will be low no a little homeowner rider but a real tractor and no turf tires! You all are city boys if you dont understand what a tractor can mow. I have mowed stuff 4 wheelers cant climb lol

I agree if it were me that's the way I'd go. But he stated he wanted a zt for speed purpose.

 

[Terry CleanFuel]

A stand on could be a good option.

I was thinking Wright Stander too.

Or this: remote control slope mowers - Bing Videos

I don't know where you would mount the propane tank though. ;-)

 

[LoCo86]

You put as much of all of that in practice as possible. Then you work out in the real world. A large part of what we have to do pushes the envelope on something. There are for instance some hills you work up and down or you don't do. There are some things that go with the territory. All of us do not have the privledge of working under labratory conditions. Tall grass, rough ground, weeds, hillsides, wet grass, and at times wet ground come with the territory.

I agree with you jekjr. I have used my walk behinds with kawasaki engines to mow some hills you can barely walk across. I would have to invest over 100k just in equipment if I was go by the rating and said limitations of the mower. But I believe the OP does not have a hill to what it is being made out to be. He just needs to visit his local dealers and find a ZTR he likes and then take it home for a demo.

 

[Raw Dodge]

You guys did not read the question this guy is a homeowner wanting to mow his 5 acres.
For cost and additional uses a small 4 WD tractor will be exactly what he needs. It will go places no zero or stander should go. And cost will be low no a little homeowner rider but a real tractor and no turf tires! You all are city boys if you dont understand what a tractor can mow. I have mowed stuff 4 wheelers cant climb lol

My father in law has a Kubota BX 1850 with 54" belly mount deck, and let me tell you it's a great machine however it's not the best on steep hills .. in fact it's downright scarey, I would advise against a small four wheel drive tractor because most of them are very narrow and fairly tall the center of gravity is too high to you safely use... Besides a small four wheel drive tractor will cost just as much a decent ventrac or Steiner, both of those would easily handle any of the hills safely even in wet conditions... And can run attachments for other purposes, unlike a ztr.

 

[Carscw]

This is what the end result when try to push a mower beyond what it was made to do