Mowing Steep Hills - Follow Up & New Equipment
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- čas přidán 28. 07. 2024
- Alternate title: "Someone was wrong on the internet!"
I made this video in part to demonstrate how steep this hill really is and why "just mow sideways" is not a realistic option for this hill. Also I wanted to show an easier ready-made option.
0:00 Intro
0:16 Just Go Sideways
3:07 New Equipment
3:38 Tie Rope To Body
3:58 Tie to Sides - Jak na to + styl
Love the video and all of your trial and error clips haha. Glad the mower wasn't running. I have a large hill. I purchased cleats and made a video about it. I had good success with the cleats. Have you ever tried that?
Yeah, several dependencies if a technique works or not. I have used most of them, except rope versions. Easiest to use on similar hills were Flymo versions.
I do landscaping for a park that has hills all over the place like this. There’s a product called the Kahtoola K10 that help with traction. They are meant for Alpine climbing but it’ll get the job done, and the strap layout secure them very well since they’re intended for extreme hiking conditions. Paired with an AWD push mower, I’ve had success going side to side. Our AWD went in for maintenance and only had a 2wd backup and noticed it did make more of a difference than I thought it would. I use a Husq. AWD that has yet to fail me. Would be interested to hear your thoughts.
I should mention that I do mow with the mower at a slight angle always favoring the incline, but having the AWD makes it possible for me. If I feel it ever going off course, I stop, take one or two steps back to reset, and continue the same direction. I’ve gotten so used to it at this point that it’s a routine I’m familiar with so it doesn’t take as long anymore.
Before the K10s it was unbearable.
On this hill a gas mower leaks gas out the side because it's tipped so far. I also think it's very important to consider what happens if you slip and fall backwards/on your butt. Before you even realize you're falling, your reflexes have already gripped and pulled the mower over your feet. A commenter in either this or the first video stated that this very thing happened to him. I know the hiking things improve traction but if (depending on your specific case) you're putting yourself into a situation where a simple slip results in being maimed for life, it's worth reconsidering. Are you willing to trust those things to that extent?
In my case this hill is very soft/sandy soil and I find it easier to walk on a slackline, that's how bad it is. Spikes wouldn't do much here. I'm not one to advocate mindless one-size-fits-all safety measures because it always depends on context, so if you've thought it through and your setup keeps you (and others) safe then more power to you. :)
@@LiftPizzas that makes sense with the type of ground you’re dealing with. I wouldn’t trust those in every situation, but I’ve been mowing this hill 2-3 times a week for almost 2 years so it’s a routine for me at this point. The ground is very firm and established.
Yeah I saw your other video and some people's stupid comments about mowing sideways. These people have no idea how steep these hills really are. I have about a 50-55 degree hill that has to be mowed and it's just about impossible. I hate it.
I have a lot that is extremely steep in areas. I have decided to buy some cleats to wear for working these areas. Has anyone else done this ?
Have worn my old golf shoes when mowing for decades. Even flat areas can be slick.
You should look up how they cut grass on steep hills in Europe. They use basically a flexible swather, only downside is $$$.
How about using a weed whacker just on that section? Might not be as "finished" but, it does the job...
Ugh I have the same problem at my house! The steepest hill and .50 an acre long! I usually use my weed whacker
And it always looks terrible 😂
And when I start cutting it gets slippery because the weeds are juicy so cut enough they become slippery!
My whole street has 150 ft hill at 45 deg angle. Everyone goes across no problem. Even easier with self-propelled Rear wheel drive and soccer shoes.
Fellow steep hill owner. I keep waiting for like a robot option lol.
They have those but cost too much
Lol yeah they cost 33000 dollars.
Get a 4 wheel drive lawnmower. I bought one at Lowe’s and it’s strong enough to pull me up a hill steeper than that one.
nice house
Wow... that is a steep hill! 😮
Thought you were just being over dramatic, with your first video. 😆
Plant something on the hill that doesn't require maintenance. I don't know what it's called but I have one steep hill covered with some kind of ivy vine -- looks great. Chokes out any other kind of weed or plant.
A set of steps solves the other problems.
It's got some purple-ish little flowers. I do know it's a low-light plant but there's all sorts of plants which will choke out the weeds.
Plant some kudzu 👍🙂
A terrace would be cool - can plant stuff on each level - make a waterfall with a pond at the bottom. You could remove all the grass and cover it with rocks and gravel or if you had big dollars install one of those big gage outdoor train sets. lol
My sister had a terrace-type of hill in front of her place - she had little lawn gnomes and little windmills. lol
I like the train set idea. Biggest obstacle to any changes is the septic tanks are inside the hill. Long ago I covered it with bark chips, which was a lot of work and expense. Everything grew back through it anyway. I also used the lawn fabric stuff, whatever it's called. Letting it grow ends up with a ton of bugs, and mice which carry ticks. They carry Lyme here so minimizing mouse habitat is a big consideration.
@@LiftPizzas Wish I could remember the name of that vine stuff - but it's only shade. Nothing grows there except that stuff - no weeding at all.
I live in a zone where that Lyme disease crops up -- basically they have no idea how that comes about. It just seems to pop up outta nowhere. And it's somewhat cyclical. There's a spot around me here and another couple west from me - one over by Lake Michigan and another near Coldwater.
Wait. What is happening here? I am a 72 year old woman (with the strength of a 40 year old) I have a slope that is as steep as what you have shown in this video. I use a Toro Personal Pace AWD mower. I wear track shoes with little spikes...(for my own traction). I always walk BELOW the mower on the side hill. This tow rope thing looks like a pain in the butt.
So you're saying that if you let go of your mower it will tumble sideways down the hill? I do trail runs up and down insane muddy, rocky, and icy slopes, I walk on slacklines, and I'm not going to count on being able to keep upright on this slick sandy mushy hill. Your hill is definitely not the same.
It's really not that difficult anyway, the mower is so light I could throw it up the hill with one hand if I wanted to. Plus this thing replaces a string trimmer for doing around/under all my trees.
@@LiftPizzashere that wee montage you put up showing how fit and agile you are had me laughing. Now you’re on telling an old woman how great you are because she’s obviously more capable than you. You’re a sad pathetic wimp.
Someone needs to invent spiked wheel "socks" so it can't slip sideways, and use a self propelled mower, would make it easier.
I have slopes like that and I'm going to build a remote control mower, there's some on youtube
Use your multitool.
grow abundant wonderful pollinator wild flowers all over that side hill and have a no mow lawn then chop down with a sling in spring.
Maybe. If you are already into gardening. And have money to spend on all those flowers. And have many hours a week to spend on your hands and knees pulling weeds... on a slope so steep that you'll slide down even when you're sitting still. And that's the easy times when the ground is not wet from recent rain.
I wish that were an actual option for a lot of the hills and banks I have to do with a weedeater. Unfortunately, the weeds outpace the flowers and you're back to square one. Still, I'd much rather use a weedeater for a minute or two instead of using a push mower.
I could do that with a weedeater in about 30 seconds.
I have a battery mower. I will tie a rope like you and see if I will be successful.
Pour concrete over it and spray paint it green. Or - just don't mow the lawn. I have fond memories from our family house we had once, but none of those memories were from mowing the lawn...
Grandma said, use a weedwhacker.
So walk on a hillside barely in balance while swinging a spinning cutter. Also you would have to hold the cutting edge at eye level. Try standing at the bottom of a stairway and holding a weedeater to cut the 6th stair. Or vice versa.
@@LiftPizzas Yes, you walk or crawl on the hillside with a weedeater. A string isn't going to cut through a good pair of boots. But if your method works, go for it. The banks I do are either much too tall for the rope method to work or there is not a place to stand at the top of the hill and use a rope. Heck, some of the banks I do are approaching vertical. You dig in the boot on the low side and put your other knee into the bank on the high side. It's not fun, but it's the only way to do it other than just letting it grow.