What's the trick to mowing grass on a steep hill with a gas push mower

[Fake ID]

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]

I was almost a customer several times, you slip, mower moves by itself.

[John Gilmer]

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]

Elmo wrote the following:

A sickle or scythe.

[aemeijers]

ransley wrote: (snip)

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.

[aemeijers]

(snip)

Talk about ER bait. Assuming you can even find one anywhere, using one 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.

[DerbyDad03]

Are you looking for a hover mower's web site that specifically says that they are good for slopes?

Stolen without permission from:

"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]

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]

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`

[krw]

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.

Get a larger extension cord.

[DerbyDad03]

re: " I looked up hover mowers"

Where?

re: "the weak plastic blades"

The HoverMowerT site (aka Eastman "Stainless steel blades for long life and clean cut"

re: "the blades are purportedly puny, about 2 inches"

Come 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.

"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]

And I'm sure it doesn't help that it's on a hill here.

[frank1492]

It depends on the length of the slope. I have a short banking and 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.

[HerHusband]

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]

Here's a picture of a guy mowing with a string trimmer.

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]

The one in this thread is between 100 and 150 feet.

[poweje01]

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.)

[Stormin Mormon]

The trick is to look at the date on the post (june 2010) before replying.

- . Christopher A. Young learn more about Jesus .

. .

[Sam E]

and how will that help with the mowing?

[snip improper sig delimiter]