What's the trick to mowing grass on a steep hill with a gas push mower
Elmo
gas push mower?
I need to mow the steep hill at the side of my house which is overgrown
with tall grasses and weeds. It looks like half a football field on its
side, with the shorter distance being the fall line.
I don't know the degrees but it's hard to walk along the slope, mostly due
to the unconsolidated soil and the slope; but it's possible to walk it; but
with a mower, things get harder fast.
When I tried to mow down the fall line, it was way too hard as I
accelerated down and couldn't pull the mower up (and kept falling down,
which doesn't seem safe).
When I tried to mow across the fall line, I could barely hold the line to
cut a swath but it was always a steep diagnal. Gravity pulled the mower so
that it actually moved at a 45 degree angle to my sidewise motion, which
itself was something less than straight across the fall line due to the
slope.
I thought of tying a rope to the handle and letting gravity mow straight
down the fall line; but it might be difficult to pull the running mower
back up.
Before I try something stupid, I figured I'd ask you guys if you've solved
the problem of trying to mow with a gas push mower (it's all I have) on a
steep slope.
ChairMan
Elmo <dcdraf...@Use-Author-Supplied-Address.invalid>spewed forth:
Hire a Mexican<eg>
harry
What you need is a hoss. Or sheep. Or rent the ground out to some-
one that has a horse/sheep. You will need good fencing to keep it/
them in.
(Or some other grazing animal.)
Elmo
>> Before I try something stupid, I figured I'd ask you guys if you've
>> solved the problem of trying to mow with a gas push mower (it's all I
>> have) on a steep slope.
>
> Hire a Mexican<eg>
They'd still need to mow the lawn.
I noticed thick white smoke when I was mowing on the hill ... any idea what
that can be from? It's a craftsman 25" or so 4-stroke push type.
I wonder if I can find a moveable winch that I can put at the top of the
slope to mow consequitive stripes down the fall line until the
approximately 200 or 300 feet long by 100 to 150 feet wide slope is fully
mowed.
Any suggestions?
Elmo
> What you need is a hoss. Or sheep.
> (Or some other grazing animal.)
I wouldn't mind having one (just one) grazing animal.
I would want that animal to eat whatever grows ... no more ... no less.
If the slope is about 200 to 300 feet long and the fall line is 100 to 150
feet down the hill, what grazing animal do you think would eat exactly that
in a year?
Roy
==
I would not recommend using a push power mower on this acreage.
Do not pull the mower up or down while cutting grass, and using a rope
to control it is absolutely insane.
If you MUST mow this acreage with the push mower then mow at a 45
degree angle up and back down the slope. As a farmer I find this the
most efficient way on steep hills and safer and easier as well. If you
want to wreck your mower then go straight up and down and soon the
bearings will be shot and there is always danger of you falling and
the mower coming back down over you. The same thing can happen when
going down if you slip you could slide right under the mower. The
smoke is likely from the crankcase oil flooding past the cylinders to
the combustion chamber when pointing downhill. As long as it doesn't
foul the plug too badly this will usually clear when you mow on the
level again. Make sure the motor oil is up to the proper fill
line...do not overfill.
Most mower manuals do not recommend mowing on steep slopes. Period.
==
Steel-toed shoes are a must and the soles should have adequate grips
for the terrain.
Ed Pawlowski
"Elmo" <dcdraf...@Use-Author-Supplied-Address.invalid> wrote
>
> They'd still need to mow the lawn.
>
> I noticed thick white smoke when I was mowing on the hill ... any idea
> what
> that can be from? It's a craftsman 25" or so 4-stroke push type.
The white smoke is oil getting past the rings as the motor is tipped over.
Walk across the slope and never let the mower get above you. Best move is
to plant a ground cover that does not need mowing. Just let it go natural.
ransley
Doesnt thick white smoke mean anything to you? You are ruining your
motor, you cant do it with a 4 stroke you are starving it of oil, it
going to fry, They only possible way is a 2 stroke lawnboy. Since 2
stroke is no longer made, a used one. But I have a hill like that and
a mowing it with a mower nearly killed me many times, push the mower
up and slip and it comes running down on you, walk it down and you
will still slip on a wet patch. A weed wacker is better, but I just
planted ground cover and plants and said screw mowing it, a dangerous
pain in the ass. Around here the State stopped using small 4 strokes
on steep highway areas, they went Lawnboy because the 4 strokes didnt
last 1 year. Now that 2 strokes are no longer made I guess its weed
wacker for areas they used small mowers
FatterDumber& Happier Moe
Goats, get a couple of them, they will eat the weeds and leave the
grass. They love to climb on things, like cars, so better have a good
fence. They make nice pets, my neighbor has one because his wife was
allergic to cow's milk. His wife is long gone but the goat is still
around.
George
Check around in your area for folks who rent grazing animals for just
your need. There are at least two families I know in this area who have
goats who do that.
Larry W
at a large apartment complex. We used the rope method on some of the steep hills
there. If you decide to push the mower accross the slope, don't drag it
backwards; make sure you actually turn it around so the opposite side is
facing downhill from time to time. Most push mowers do not have very sophistcated
lubrication systems and prolonged use with one side downhill can damage
the engine. I remember seeing one catch on fire from overheating.
--
Make it as simple as possible, but no simpler.
Larry Wasserman - Baltimore Maryland - lwasserm(a)sdf. lonestar. org
dadiOH
I feel your pain.
I have a pond and a lake. When I bought the property, both had almost no
slope. Result? A 5-10 yard zone of muck into which anything that ventured
on to it would sink. So I got a large track hoe out here and had a proper
bank made in most areas...moved maybe 1000 yards of material. Result? No
more muck but a steep and unmowable bank.
The solution to an unmowable bank can be either...
A. Roundup
and/or
B. A ground cover. I used wedelia. It is nicely invasive and looks
decent. Freezes but comes back (in Florida).
Oh yeah...one more possible solution: goats.
--
dadiOH
____________________________
dadiOH's dandies v3.06...
...a help file of info about MP3s, recording from
LP/cassette and tips & tricks on this and that.
Get it at http://mysite.verizon.net/xico
harry
Can't say. It depends on the nature of your soil, the vegetation, the
climate and the rainfall. If you're not interested in animal
husbandry hire out to some one that is. Animal husbandry is skilled
work. Don't do it yourself unless you're prepared for lots of work.
Some people find it rewarding.
Most Grazers are in fact browsers, (ie they eat leaves in
preference) They only eat grass when there's nothing else. Slope is
neither here nor there to grazers. NB, goats are very hard to fence
in.
You can control them to an extent with electric fences.
More expense..........
DerbyDad03
There is no trick. You simply use one of these (pick the model that
matches your requirements)
http://www.flymo.com/node2417.aspx?nid=16702
Just swing it back and forth as you traverse the slope.
Elmo
> Doesnt thick white smoke mean anything to you?
I was afraid of that which is why I asked.
I wonder at what angle a lawnmower can no longer handle slopes.
I know cars are more complicated, but they can handle slopes ... and
airplanes too ... so there must be something in a (slope) lawnmower that
keeps the oil moving at angles.
Elmo
> Path: aioe.org!news.glorb.com!news2.glorb.com!postnews.google.com!n20g2000prh.googlegroups.com!not-for-mail
> From: Roy <wil...@hotmail.com>
> Newsgroups: alt.home.repair
> Subject: Re: What's the trick to mowing grass on a steep hill with a gas push
> mower
> Date: Fri, 11 Jun 2010 00:41:59 -0700 (PDT)
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> On Jun 11, 12:38=A0am, Elmo <dcdraftwo...@Use-Author-Supplied-
> Address.invalid> wrote:
>> On Thu, 10 Jun 2010 23:32:58 -0700 (PDT), harry wrote:
>>> What you need is a hoss. =A0Or sheep. =A0
>>> (Or some other grazing animal.)
>>
>> I wouldn't mind having one (just one) grazing animal.
>>
>> I would want that animal to eat whatever grows ... no more ... no less.
>>
>> If the slope is about 200 to 300 feet long and the fall line is 100 to 15=
> 0
>> feet down the hill, what grazing animal do you think would eat exactly th=
> at
>> in a year?
>
> =3D=3D
> I would not recommend using a push power mower on this acreage.
>
> Do not pull the mower up or down while cutting grass, and using a rope
> to control it is absolutely insane.
>
> If you MUST mow this acreage with the push mower then mow at a 45
> degree angle up and back down the slope.
I'll try the 45-degree approach to see if it works for this uneven slope.
The problem with goats is I don't really wanna get into that. And I could
plant cover (it's chaparral out here in California), I guess, but I like
the grassy slope.
Tony
I had no idea they still made those! Or maybe started making them
again. I see Husqvarna has the name. Do they sell them in the US?
Tony
Blowing smoke may be better than blowing none. At least the rings are
getting oil. Who knows about the crank and the rest of the insides.
Elmo
> There is no trick. You simply use one of these (pick the model that
> matches your requirements)
Going to that page clued me in that the real solution is something called a
"slope mower".
It's out of the budget for now ... but in the future ... I think this is
self-leveling slope mower (up to 34°) might be just the way to go!
The slope I have is steeper than that in this picture but it gives an idea:
72LC All-Terrain Slope Mower: http://www.deweze.com/deweze/ATM/ATM.html
This one goes to 40 and the pictures are a bit more like the slope that I
have, only it's much rougher and less even and there are trees all around
in my slope.
SuperSlopeMaster SSM38-72D http://www.kutkwick.com/superslopemaster.htm
DerbyDad03
I live in the US but used to be part of a "global team" with members
from Australia.
Other than the time difference making conference calls and prompt
responses a bit difficult, we had a great time comparing life in the
US with life "down under".
It was an Aussie who told me about the Fly-Mo. He said he had one and
that they are great on slopes. He said he has one area where he
lowered it down on 2 ropes and could swing it back and forth.
LSMFT
That's why I was going to suggest. Put a winch on your ATV or lawn
tractor and lower and raise the push mower with the cable.
--
LSMFT
I haven't spoken to my wife in 18 months.
I don't like to interrupt her.
Evan
So you need to mow down a hill ?
Are you talking about just mowing grass or are their thicker weeds and
small brush plants in that area also ?
Why on earth do you think that a lawnmower would be the best tool to
use in that area ? Along that same line, why do you think that it
would
be safer to buy a huge lawn tractor just to be able to mow that small
section of your property ?
Consider the following:
(1.) Using a string trimmer/weed whacker with a heavy duty blade
installed to "mow" this area. The equipment is smaller and it will
therefore take longer, but the job will be done.
(2.) Consider purchasing the correct tool for such an application,
along the lines of something like this:
A "Self-propelled field and brush trimmer":
http://www.drpower.com/Field-Brush-Mower.aspx
OR
A "Trimmer/Mower":
http://www.drpower.com/trimmer-Mower.aspx
(3.) Planting "wild" plants in the area which will look "good" in
their natural untamed and un-manicured state.
If you continue to use your normal lawnmower in applications
it was not designed to handle you will eventually injure yourself,
you have been lucky thus far, but I would not continue to push
your luck.
~~ Evan
Elmo
> It was an Aussie who told me about the Fly-Mo. He said he had one and
> that they are great on slopes. He said he has one area where he
> lowered it down on 2 ropes and could swing it back and forth.
I don't think I fully understand the "fly mo" hover mower.
Can I just tie a rope to the handle and lower it down from the top of the
slope bank and walk back and forth at the top of the hill holding the flymo
on the grade with the rope?
Bob F
A plug-in electric mower would be way lighter and easier to handle. It would
have no problem with lubrication on a slope.
DerbyDad03
Dunno...I'm just telling you what I remember from a few years back
when I first heard of "hovering mowers". The guy had some way of
controlling it with a rope. Mayby he just lowered the mower striaght
up and down.
DerbyDad03
>
> - Show quoted text -
re: "A plug-in electric mower ...."
OK, everybody that hates corded landscaping equipment please raise
your hand.
JoeSpareBedroom
news:hutk81$ont$1...@tioat.net...
> On Fri, 11 Jun 2010 04:03:46 -0700 (PDT), ransley wrote:
>
>> Doesnt thick white smoke mean anything to you?
>
> I was afraid of that which is why I asked.
You should feel silly for not reading your owner's manual, in which it
clearly tells you which way the mower can be tipped for maintenance
purposes. Extrapolate from there....
cl...@snyder.on.ca
wrote:
For that job you want either an electric or a 2 stroke gas mower and
a set of ropes and a "dolly" on a track at the top with a winch
arangement to raise or lower the mower one mower width at each end of
the traverse.
Run the dolly back and forth, raising or lowering the mower for each
trip back and forth. 2 strokes will run upside-down with a Tillotson
or Walbro regulator carb installed.
cl...@snyder.on.ca
Yea, 2 stroke weed wackers.
cl...@snyder.on.ca
The GOOD lawnmowers with oil filters stand a chance because they have
an oil pump and full pressure lubrication. 2 strokes stand up even
better - much as I hate the noisy stinky critters.
hr(bob) hofmann@att.net
I vote for the diagonal cutting, the OP needs to figure out how to go
uphill at 45 degrees, the downhill will take care of itself.
Wildflowers is a much better answer.
ransley
I honestly stopped cutting mine, its to dangerous, slipping on muddy
areas and having the lawnmower come back to your feet while its
running, I knew eventualy my mistakes would cost me big, I went the
weedwacker route, then I terraced and planted plants. Get a 50 lb bag
of black oil sunflower seed, and have sunflowers.
notbob
> Hire a Mexican<eg>
Goat(s)!
Probably cost more, but will do a better job. Taste good, too.
nb
Bob F
You'd probably need to attach much closer to the bottom - near the vertical
center-of-mass ideally.
hal...@aol.com
think grouncover, whatever is common to your area and very hardy.
less wqork no maintence, nice flowers of some sort.
a real win win win
aemeijers
I like that idea, and so would my neighborhood birds and squirrels. But
alas, for my problem area in the front yard, my neighbors would shoot
me, and my topsoil is so thin and crappy they are unlikely to grow
unless I dumped a thousand bucks of potting soil out and spread it
around. Township would likely call them 'noxious weeds' as well, and
send Bubba and his bush-hog by, and add it to my tax bill.
--
aem sends...
J Burns
> What's the trick for mowing a half-football field sized steep slope with a
> gas push mower?
>
> I need to mow the steep hill at the side of my house which is overgrown
> with tall grasses and weeds. It looks like half a football field on its
> side, with the shorter distance being the fall line.
>
> I don't know the degrees but it's hard to walk along the slope, mostly due
> to the unconsolidated soil and the slope; but it's possible to walk it; but
> with a mower, things get harder fast.
>
> When I tried to mow down the fall line, it was way too hard as I
> accelerated down and couldn't pull the mower up (and kept falling down,
> which doesn't seem safe).
>
> When I tried to mow across the fall line, I could barely hold the line to
> cut a swath but it was always a steep diagnal. Gravity pulled the mower so
> that it actually moved at a 45 degree angle to my sidewise motion, which
> itself was something less than straight across the fall line due to the
> slope.
>
> I thought of tying a rope to the handle and letting gravity mow straight
> down the fall line; but it might be difficult to pull the running mower
> back up.
>
> the problem of trying to mow with a gas push mower (it's all I have) on a
> steep slope.
At the farm, a string trimmer with a shoulder strap and 30" handlebars
was an easy way to mow creek banks. The strap was adjusted so the head
would float level at the desired height. Then the handlebars were
adjusted for best control. I could cut a 5' swath, so it was fairly quick.
For neater cutting almost like a mower, I could use a disk head with 3
pivoting nylon blades about 5" long.
nor...@earthlink.net
A little creative landscaping might eliminate the need for mowing AND be
something to admire...sounds like a dangerous place to try to mow. In
my OR days, I saw quite a few people with mower injuries...always by
mower rolling back and grabbing some toes.
I did quite a bit of refining of the landscaping around our condo where
downspouts formerly washed out a lot of soil. Small areas, gradual
grades, but had been a real eyesore.
Zz Yzx
>feet down the hill, what grazing animal do you think would eat exactly that
>in a year?
With any grazing animal on soft soil, you'll end up with little
terraces (terracettes).
-Zz
mm
<dcdraf...@Use-Author-Supplied-Address.invalid> wrote:
>On Thu, 10 Jun 2010 23:32:58 -0700 (PDT), harry wrote:
>
>> What you need is a hoss. Or sheep.
>> (Or some other grazing animal.)
>
>I wouldn't mind having one (just one) grazing animal.
>
>I would want that animal to eat whatever grows ... no more ... no less.
You need a metered sheep for that. They are sold by the square foot.
>
>If the slope is about 200 to 300 feet long and the fall line is 100 to 150
>feet down the hill, what grazing animal do you think would eat exactly that
>in a year?
You need a sheep rated for 30,000 square feet.
Check with NHTSA, the National Home-Trained Sheep Adminstration.
mm
<dcdraf...@Use-Author-Supplied-Address.invalid> wrote:
>
>The problem with goats is I don't really wanna get into that. And I could
>plant cover (it's chaparral out here in California), I guess, but I like
>the grassy slope.
What about a roomba, or whatever they call the battery powered
electric lawnmower that propels itself, and then goes back to the
charging station.
No oil to smoke. No operator to get his toes cut off. If it flips
over, might there be someone else at the bottom of the hill? Maybe it
is set up to turn off if it flips over. There really shoudl be some
extra safety stuff on a cutting machine that runs around with no one
in charge. Black and Decker makes one.
mm
<"WheresMyCheck"@UncleSamLoves.Mee> wrote:
>
> Goats, get a couple of them, they will eat the weeds and leave the
>grass. They love to climb on things, like cars, so better have a good
>fence. They make nice pets, my neighbor has one because his wife was
>allergic to cow's milk. His wife is long gone but the goat is still
>around.
I know how that works. My wife is long gone but my girlfriend is
still around.
Just kidding.
mm
>On Jun 11, 1:33 am, Elmo <dcdraftwo...@Use-Author-Supplied-
>Address.invalid> wrote:
>> What's the trick for mowing a half-football field sized steep slope with a
>> gas push mower?
>>
>> I need to mow the steep hill at the side of my house which is overgrown
>> with tall grasses and weeds. It looks like half a football field on its
>> side, with the shorter distance being the fall line.
>>
>> I don't know the degrees but it's hard to walk along the slope, mostly due
>> to the unconsolidated soil and the slope; but it's possible to walk it; but
>> with a mower, things get harder fast.
>>
>> When I tried to mow down the fall line, it was way too hard as I
>> accelerated down and couldn't pull the mower up (and kept falling down,
>> which doesn't seem safe).
>>
>> When I tried to mow across the fall line, I could barely hold the line to
>> cut a swath but it was always a steep diagnal. Gravity pulled the mower so
>> that it actually moved at a 45 degree angle to my sidewise motion, which
>> itself was something less than straight across the fall line due to the
>> slope.
>>
>> I thought of tying a rope to the handle and letting gravity mow straight
>> down the fall line; but it might be difficult to pull the running mower
>> back up.
>>
>> Before I try something stupid, I figured I'd ask you guys if you've solved
>> the problem of trying to mow with a gas push mower (it's all I have) on a
>> steep slope.
>
>There is no trick. You simply use one of these (pick the model that
>matches your requirements)
>
>http://www.flymo.com/node2417.aspx?nid=16702
>
>Just swing it back and forth as you traverse the slope.
Why would that be less dangerous? It says nothing about hills on the
webpage and it seems to me that if it's floating, it's even easier to
get your foot under it.
Not only that, if it's heavy, its tendenecy is to keep all 4 wheels on
the ground. Since the user of the flymo will be uphill from the
mower, won't every time he lowers his arms cause the front of the
mower to go up and the rear to go down, making for a very uneven cut
and a blade that can easily throw things at anyone in front of it.
Just some thoughts. Maybe I'm wrong. But I don't see why this is
especially suited for a slope.
mm
I don't like them but in some ways they're great. ARe there trees or
bushes that would make it hard to manage the cord?
OP, what did the previous owner do? Does he have all his toes?
mm
wrote:
But is level good for a steep hill? And say it's put at the angle for
the hill, when one turns to either side, it won't be at the right
angle anymore. Still, it might still work if he doesn't do much
turning. I hate to be a pain, but I can't seem to help it.
J Burns
>> At the farm, a string trimmer with a shoulder strap and 30" handlebars
>> was an easy way to mow creek banks. The strap was adjusted so the head
>> would float level at the desired height.
>
> But is level good for a steep hill? And say it's put at the angle for
> the hill, when one turns to either side, it won't be at the right
> angle anymore. Still, it might still work if he doesn't do much
> turning. I hate to be a pain, but I can't seem to help it.
Adjusting the harness so the head will be level at the desired height is
best for mowing on level ground or slopes. I wouldn't try to mow a
creek bank walking up or down. That would mean reaching below foot
level on my way down or bringing the head up near face level on my way up.
I'd walk along the slope and use the handlebars to tip the trimmer
sideways parallel to the slope. With the handlebars I would also swing
the trimmer to clear a wide swath.
If instead of mowing at a certain level I were trying to cut weeds at
ground level, I'd shorten the strap so that the head of the trimmer was
at a toe-down attitude.
Elmo
> I don't see why this is especially suited for a slope.
I looked up hover mowers (electroluc flymo, eastman industries hover mower,
allen, draper, etc.).
The marketing makes it seem so simple, but there must be a good reason why
we're all not using a hover mower.
One problem is that they apparently can't cut high grass; another is they
reputedly don't work well on uneven surfaces; yet another, I'm told, is
that rocky soil (which is what I have) chips the weak plastic blades; yet
another is that the blades are purportedly puny, about 2 inches, so hover
mowing a large area might not be a whole lot better than whacking with the
weed whacker.
They seem to be available in 4 stroke, 2-stroke, and in 110/220 corded.
This hover mower idea might work, especially if it can hold itself on a
bank being controlled by a rope ... but that remains to be seen whether it
can actually be remotely controlled from the top of the slope.
Elmo
> Are there trees or bushes that would make it hard to manage the cord?
Yes. Both. But not too many. Mostly it's tall grass. It seems a weakness of
the hover mowers is tall grass and uneven surfaces. I have both.
I guess if I kept it mowed nicely, both would subside ... but that means I
still need to mow it all at least once with a mower than can handle tall
grass (or a weed whacker).
Since the hover mower reputedly has a very small swath (much smaller than
the area of the deck), it might not be much better than a weed whacker. I'm
still looking things up though ...
Elmo
> I went the weedwacker route, then I terraced and planted plants.
Terracing is probably the best idea, long term.
Short term I just want to mow it. I'll try the 45° idea on the weekend and
report back.
Elmo
> With any grazing animal on soft soil, you'll end up with little
> terraces (terracettes).
I've seen those terracettes ringing a hill. I always wondered who created
those paths for the cows.
Elmo
>>> For neater cutting almost like a mower, I could use a disk head with 3
>>> pivoting nylon blades about 5" long.
This wikipedia picture implies the hover mower actual coverage is not much
different than a weed whacker. Certainly the plastic blades are vastly
smaller than the deck in area.
mm
<dcdraf...@Use-Author-Supplied-Address.invalid> wrote:
>On Sat, 12 Jun 2010 00:43:22 -0400, mm wrote:
>
>> Are there trees or bushes that would make it hard to manage the cord?
>
>Yes. Both. But not too many. Mostly it's tall grass. It seems a weakness of
>the hover mowers is tall grass and uneven surfaces. I have both.
>
>I guess if I kept it mowed nicely, both would subside ... but that means I
>still need to mow it all at least once with a mower than can handle tall
>grass (or a weed whacker).
>
>Since the hover mower reputedly has a very small swath (much smaller than
>the area of the deck),
Maybe the deck is so big to keep one from getting his toes cut off.
I knew a professional gardener who keep a jar of toes in pickle juice
in his office.
>it might not be much better than a weed whacker. I'm
>still looking things up though ...
Just kidding.
Fake ID
Elmo <dcdraf...@Use-Author-Supplied-Address.invalid> wrote:
>What's the trick for mowing a half-football field sized steep slope with a
>gas push mower?
>
>I need to mow the steep hill at the side of my house which is overgrown
>with tall grasses and weeds. It looks like half a football field on its
>side, with the shorter distance being the fall line.
>
>I don't know the degrees but it's hard to walk along the slope, mostly due
>to the unconsolidated soil and the slope; but it's possible to walk it; but
>with a mower, things get harder fast.
>
>When I tried to mow down the fall line, it was way too hard as I
>accelerated down and couldn't pull the mower up (and kept falling down,
>which doesn't seem safe).
>
>When I tried to mow across the fall line, I could barely hold the line to
>cut a swath but it was always a steep diagnal. Gravity pulled the mower so
>that it actually moved at a 45 degree angle to my sidewise motion, which
>itself was something less than straight across the fall line due to the
>slope.
>
>I thought of tying a rope to the handle and letting gravity mow straight
>down the fall line; but it might be difficult to pull the running mower
>back up.
>
>Before I try something stupid, I figured I'd ask you guys if you've solved
>the problem of trying to mow with a gas push mower (it's all I have) on a
>steep slope.
A couple ideas I didn't see in the reset of the thread:
1) Masticator. Lots of different designs, from what I understand.
2) Fire. A nice little (maybe) control burn.
m
J Burns
With line, my trimmer can cut a 17" circle, almost as big as my mower.
I sweep side to side, so one walking pass is equal to three mower
passes. My lawn is half an acre. At some times of the year, weed stems
can pop up several inches almost overnight. In a case like that, with
little grass to mulch, it can be quicker and easier to mow with my
trimmer than with my mower.
Neighbors have a steep bank between the walk and the curb. I mow it
when they're away. I mow along the slope so I'm not above or below the
mower. Whether I push or pull, the mower is cocked because it slides
sideways downhill. It would be easy to damage their mower. I wouldn't
use my own more for that.
If nobody's looking, I use my trimmer, instead. It's easier, it's
safer, there's no risk of mechanical damage, and the result looks about
like mowing with a dull blade. The strap and wide handlebars give me
control.
ransley
wrote:
>
> - Show quoted text -
I was almost a customer several times, you slip, mower moves by
itself.
Smitty Two
Elmo <dcdraf...@Use-Author-Supplied-Address.invalid> wrote:
> On Fri, 11 Jun 2010 04:03:46 -0700 (PDT), ransley wrote:
>
> > Doesnt thick white smoke mean anything to you?
>
> I was afraid of that which is why I asked.
>
> I wonder at what angle a lawnmower can no longer handle slopes.
>
> I know cars are more complicated, but they can handle slopes ... and
> airplanes too ... so there must be something in a (slope) lawnmower that
> keeps the oil moving at angles.
Your own link (previous post) said that the engine in the slope mower
stays level.
Aerobatic airplanes have "inverted fuel and oil" systems that keep
things working in any attitude. Staying inverted for more than several
seconds in a plane without such features is not recommended.
John Gilmer
"Elmo" <dcdraf...@Use-Author-Supplied-Address.invalid> wrote in message
news:hushqf$f10$1...@tioat.net...
> What's the trick for mowing a half-football field sized steep slope with a
> gas push mower?
>
I have the same problem. I end up "crabbing" my way across the slope. (You
know, aiming the mower "up slope" but having it track across the slope.)
My wife's relatives have a property on the water. There is a very steep
slope in the transition between the lawn and the rifraft which keeps erosion
in line.
They mow this section using two people. One operates the lawnmower and the
other holds a line attacked to the mower. The "line tender" puts enough
tention to counter the effects of gravity putting it down the slope. It
works well.
I never watched long enough to see how they "turned around."
willshak
> What's the trick for mowing a half-football field sized steep slope with a
> gas push mower?
>
> with tall grasses and weeds. It looks like half a football field on its
> side, with the shorter distance being the fall line.
>
> I don't know the degrees but it's hard to walk along the slope, mostly due
> to the unconsolidated soil and the slope; but it's possible to walk it; but
> with a mower, things get harder fast.
>
> When I tried to mow down the fall line, it was way too hard as I
> accelerated down and couldn't pull the mower up (and kept falling down,
> which doesn't seem safe).
>
> When I tried to mow across the fall line, I could barely hold the line to
> cut a swath but it was always a steep diagnal. Gravity pulled the mower so
> that it actually moved at a 45 degree angle to my sidewise motion, which
> itself was something less than straight across the fall line due to the
> slope.
>
> I thought of tying a rope to the handle and letting gravity mow straight
> down the fall line; but it might be difficult to pull the running mower
> back up.
>
> Before I try something stupid, I figured I'd ask you guys if you've solved
> the problem of trying to mow with a gas push mower (it's all I have) on a
> steep slope.
>
A sickle or scythe.
--
Bill
In Hamptonburgh, NY
In the original Orange County. Est. 1683
To email, remove the double zeroes after @
aemeijers
(snip)
>> A little creative landscaping might eliminate the need for mowing AND be
>> something to admire...sounds like a dangerous place to try to mow. In
>> my OR days, I saw quite a few people with mower injuries...always by
>> mower rolling back and grabbing some toes.
>>
>> I did quite a bit of refining of the landscaping around our condo where
>> downspouts formerly washed out a lot of soil. Small areas, gradual
>> grades, but had been a real eyesore.- Hide quoted text -
>>
>> - Show quoted text -
>
> I was almost a customer several times, you slip, mower moves by
> itself.
Oh, I keep a close eye on the mower, and have never even had a close
call with it. The low-hanging branches and the damn ground bees have
nailed me a few times, though. Not much to be done about the bees, other
than kill the colony if I spot them first. But I really need to get out
the pruners and the toy electric chainsaw, and get medieval on those
trees. I can cut dead branches fine, but I feel guilty cutting blooming
ones- always afraid the tree will up and die on me (these trees are in
pretty sad shape), and if I cut when the leaves aren't out, I'm never
sure how much the branches will droop when fully loaded.
--
aem sends, glad he finished up mowing last night, since it is
August-muggy out there right now...
aemeijers
> Elmo wrote the following:
(snip)
>> Before I try something stupid, I figured I'd ask you guys if you've
>> solved
>> the problem of trying to mow with a gas push mower (it's all I have) on a
>> steep slope.
>>
>
> A sickle or scythe.
>
of those puppies is definitely a hard skill to master. Even assuming you
don't gash yourself, if your back is in less than great shape, you will
hurt at the end of the day.
--
aem sends...
DerbyDad03
Are you looking for a hover mower's web site that specifically says
that they are good for slopes?
Stolen without permission from:
http://www.hovermower.com/hovermower.htm
"For a fast professional cut on steep slopes, wet grounds, lake banks,
sand traps, retaining walls and awkward hard to reach angles
HoverMowerT is the answer!"
mm
<dcdraf...@Use-Author-Supplied-Address.invalid> wrote:
>
>
>I thought of tying a rope to the handle and letting gravity mow straight
>down the fall line; but it might be difficult to pull the running mower
>back up.
>
>Before I try something stupid, I figured I'd ask you guys if you've solved
That's a mistake. FIRST do something stupid, then post here to tell
us about it, or have your widow do so. We love a good laught
Twaynes
DerbyDad03 <teama...@eznet.net> typed:
>>> What's the trick for mowing a half-football field sized
>>> steep slope with a gas push mower?
>>
>>> I need to mow the steep hill at the side of my house
>>> which is overgrown with tall grasses and weeds. It looks
>>> like half a football field on its side, with the shorter
>>> distance being the fall line.
>>
>>> I don't know the degrees but it's hard to walk along the
>>> slope, mostly due to the unconsolidated soil and the
>>> slope; but it's possible to walk it; but with a mower,
>>> things get harder fast.
>>
>>> When I tried to mow down the fall line, it was way too
>>> hard as I accelerated down and couldn't pull the mower up
>>> (and kept falling down, which doesn't seem safe).
>>
>>> When I tried to mow across the fall line, I could barely
>>> hold the line to cut a swath but it was always a steep
>>> diagnal. Gravity pulled the mower so that it actually
>>> moved at a 45 degree angle to my sidewise motion, which
>>> itself was something less than straight across the fall
>>> line due to the slope.
>>
>>> gravity mow straight down the fall line; but it might be
>>> difficult to pull the running mower back up.
>>
>>> Before I try something stupid, I figured I'd ask you guys
>>> push mower (it's all I have) on a steep slope.
>>
>> to handle. It would have no problem with lubrication on a
>>
>> - Show quoted text -
>
>
> OK, everybody that hates corded landscaping equipment
> please raise your hand
Electric CAN be great, depending on how long the extension cord would be.
Next time you're in the store or online, check the wire gauge and length it
can be used with. The lower the GA number, the longer the Feet in length the
cord can be. Most stock cords seem to be only 18 Ga and I've seen them as
large as 12 Ga, but nothing larger. 12 GA might get you the distance; you'll
have to check and see. I don't think you need to pay a LOT of attention to
starting currents with mowers; it's running current that matters. The motors
seem to live OK with an extended spin-up time, but extended run times with
insufficient current/voltage might burn out the motors quicker. Working on
my back yard fence, I once used an electric stapler that charged a capacitor
for the "shooting" power. At 100' it could still work but the punches were
weak, and at 150' it couldn't charge the cap to the OK to Fire limit or
however they do it. Out came the emergency genset! Even the 100' cord made
the thing too weak to set the set the 9/16" staples completely.
Other posts have good info, too.
HTH,
Twayne`
k...@att.bizzzzzzzzzzzz
10AWG is available at the BORG and OWES, but it's pricey. All cords are a
PITA to pull around and put away, but the larger the wire the harder it gets,
exponentially.
>12 GA might get you the distance; you'll
>have to check and see. I don't think you need to pay a LOT of attention to
>starting currents with mowers; it's running current that matters. The motors
>seem to live OK with an extended spin-up time, but extended run times with
>insufficient current/voltage might burn out the motors quicker. Working on
>my back yard fence, I once used an electric stapler that charged a capacitor
>for the "shooting" power. At 100' it could still work but the punches were
>weak, and at 150' it couldn't charge the cap to the OK to Fire limit or
>however they do it. Out came the emergency genset! Even the 100' cord made
>the thing too weak to set the set the 9/16" staples completely.
Get a larger extension cord.
DerbyDad03
re: " I looked up hover mowers"
Where?
re: "the weak plastic blades"
The HoverMowerT site (aka Eastman Industries) says:
"Stainless steel blades for long life and clean cut"
re: "the blades are purportedly puny, about 2 inches"
Come on...where are you getting your info?
Once again, the HoverMowerT site (aka Eastman Industries) says:
Cut Width: 19 inches
re: "can't cut high grass"
I'm not sure what your definition of "high grass" is, but the
HoverMowerT can be set for a cut height of 4". That must mean it can
cut grass higher than that. It doesn't say how much higher, but it's
gotta be higher that 4" if it can cut it *down* to that height.
As I said earlier, I'm not endorsing them, I'm just quoting from their
website.
mm
wrote:
And I'm sure it doesn't help that it's on a hill here.
frank1492
bought a cheap electric corded mower. I put a rope around the handle
(length depends on banking length), stand at the top, and simply drag
the mower up and down.
On Mon, 14 Jun 2010 21:46:33 -0400, mm <NOPSAM...@bigfoot.com>
wrote:
HerHusband
> with a gas push mower?
> I need to mow the steep hill at the side of my house which is
> overgrown with tall grasses and weeds. It looks like half a football
> field on its side, with the shorter distance being the fall line.
> I don't know the degrees but it's hard to walk along the slope, mostly
> due to the unconsolidated soil and the slope; but it's possible to
> walk it; but with a mower, things get harder fast.
Walk up and down a steep slope enough, and you'll see the only "safe" way
to mow a slope is sideways. If you try mowing DOWN the hill, you could
slip (especially if the grass is damp) and end up with your foot under the
mower. If you push the mower UP the slope, you could slip and have the
mower roll back down onto your foot, hand, or whatever.
Of course, even mowing sideways has limits. The gravity feed carbs on many
mowers will not supply fuel properly when tilted, or the mower could flip
sideways if the slope is too steep.
The best way to "mow" a slope is with a weed eater (string line trimmer),
or get some goats to do it for you.
Better yet, if you're going to live here a while, cover the slope in plants
or other groundcover that don't need mowing, or terrace the slope to
provide level areas you can mow (and use).
Anthony
J Burns
>
> The best way to "mow" a slope is with a weed eater (string line trimmer),
> or get some goats to do it for you.
>
Here's a picture of a guy mowing with a string trimmer.
http://media.thestar.topscms.com/images/60/3a/a4b3c6e44fc79e856e7fc825a708.jpeg
The slant of the man shows that the photo has been rotated and in fact
he is mowing a steep slope.
The wide handlebars give him control to do a fairly neat mowing job.
The harness lets him stand upright with the weight of the brush cutter
balanced at hip level. That way, he could cut for hours without much
fatigue.
mm
wrote:
>It depends on the length of the slope. I have a short banking and
The one in this thread is between 100 and 150 feet.
Kyle
Address.invalid> wrote:
> …I could plant cover (it's chaparral out here in California),
> I guess, but I like the grassy slope.
From your first post I take it you haven't gone to the bother of
maintaining the grassy slope until now, so why not take this as an
opportunity to save yourself some backbreaking labor and do Mother
Nature some good?
Talk with your local agriculture extension (or some place similar)
about creating a plan for gradually converting the slope from non-
native, water-slurping grass to something native, low-growing, low-
maintenance, and visually more interesting? It might not have to be
chapparal—there are plenty of Cali-native low-maintenance vegetation
possibilities.
And by developing a multi-year implementation you spread the cost out.
powe...@gmail.com
> What's the trick for mowing a half-football field sized steep slope with a
> gas push mower?
>
> I need to mow the steep hill at the side of my house which is overgrown
> with tall grasses and weeds. It looks like half a football field on its
> side, with the shorter distance being the fall line.
>
> I don't know the degrees but it's hard to walk along the slope, mostly due
> to the unconsolidated soil and the slope; but it's possible to walk it; but
> with a mower, things get harder fast.
>
> accelerated down and couldn't pull the mower up (and kept falling down,
> which doesn't seem safe).
>
> When I tried to mow across the fall line, I could barely hold the line to
> cut a swath but it was always a steep diagnal. Gravity pulled the mower so
> that it actually moved at a 45 degree angle to my sidewise motion, which
> itself was something less than straight across the fall line due to the
> slope.
>
> I thought of tying a rope to the handle and letting gravity mow straight
> down the fall line; but it might be difficult to pull the running mower
> back up.
>
> the problem of trying to mow with a gas push mower (it's all I have) on a
> steep slope.
Stormin Mormon
> On Friday, June 11, 2010 at 12:33:03 AM UTC-5, Elmo wrote:
>> What's the trick for mowing a half-football field sized steep slope with a
>> gas push mower?
>>
>
>
before replying.
-
.
Christopher A. Young
learn more about Jesus
. www.lds.org
.
.
ItsJoanNotJoann
>
> On 6/29/2015 11:59 PM, powe...@gmail.com wrote:
> > On Friday, June 11, 2010 at 12:33:03 AM UTC-5, Elmo wrote:
>
> >> What's the trick for mowing a half-football field sized steep slope with a
> >> gas push mower?
> >>
> >
> > I have the same problem. I simply take it slow push and pull, in short moves to avoid falling. ( I have an old military injury to the knees.)
> >
>
> The trick is to look at the date on the post (june 2010)
> before replying.
>
>
Sam E
> On 6/29/2015 11:59 PM, powe...@gmail.com wrote:
>> On Friday, June 11, 2010 at 12:33:03 AM UTC-5, Elmo wrote:
>>> What's the trick for mowing a half-football field sized steep slope
>>> with a
>>> gas push mower?
>>>
>>
>> I have the same problem. I simply take it slow push and pull, in short
>> moves to avoid falling. ( I have an old military injury to the knees.)
>>
>
> The trick is to look at the date on the post (june 2010)
> before replying.
[snip improper sig delimiter]
--
Jesus loves the Ku Klux Klanners, Jesus loves the KKK, Pointy hats and
flowing robes, Burning crosses, homophobes! Jesus loves the Klanners of
the world!
bob haller
taxed and spent
"bob haller" <hal...@aol.com> wrote in message
news:1238896c-99cb-4a3b...@googlegroups.com...
bob haller
groundcover just sits there requiring nothing
ItsJoanNotJoann
>
> On 06/30/2015 07:12 AM, Stormin Mormon wrote:
>
> > The trick is to look at the date on the post (june 2010)
> > before replying.
>
> and how will that help with the mowing?
>
>
date of the original post then they just need to give up
their lawn mower.
hah
been solved and CAN NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN.
taxed and spent
Cabrito! Capretto!
cl...@snyder.on.ca
wrote:
"fly-mow" hovercraft mower with a 2 stroke engine, and tie it to a
rope. Swing the mower like a pendulum on the end of the roap. Has to
be 2 stroke to ensure lubrication - and all Fly-Mows were 2 stroke
because 4 stroke engines were too heavy.