The 6000/Lazer X chassis is goated when it comes to hillside performance on sitdown mowers. That said, I say any hill that can be mowed with a conventional (non dually) zeroturn rider or stand on, I think I could mow it with a 60" Grandstand. I have yet to find a stander or rider that will take hills like a Grandstand will. Ventracs are awesome, but they definitely come with a price.
I have a 1988 snapper z2002k that I mow a dam with. I put atv tires on the back to keep me from sliding down. I might rebuild it instead of replacing it.
A solid chuckle was had at such unprofessional testing of these machines. I value the slope challenge that was used. I have a 63-year-old man who can show you how to run a 48" Velki on your hills. I have cut greater than 30 degrees on an Exmark Laser 60 inch. Through experimentation, I learned that when making end turns on steeper slopes, nose up into the turn and slow reverse down to your next pass. Speed is your best friend or worst enemy on slopes. Nose down turns are a bad idea. When you put your weight behind you turning down, you lose quickly if you slide. I've spent considerable time on slopes, many around ponds. Slopes keep your head in the game.
The walk behinds !!!!! The hills my husband gets his 48 in on scare me but I can see in the video these tires are clearly over inflated that makes a world of difference!!! They don't need no more than 10-12 psi in them that will make a world of difference!!!! I rub this equipment daily and I'm a girl 😂
We totally trust your skills on a velki .And massive respect to you for taking them on steep hills, specially after doing that ourselves in this testing 😅
Great video…….. after watching this video I was so glad that I purchased the Commercial Cub Cadet PRO Z 960 with steering. I mower weekly lawns at 25 degrees or more, and my employees can do it with one hand, and keep straight stripes. All wheel steering is like having 4WD. We now own four of these mowers and my Exmark and Scag are my backup mowers. Thx
My home is built on the break of a slope with an area that is at 35 degrees. I have a Cub Cadet SZ60. My SZ60 can mow and turn and directing on the 35 degree area without issue.
25 degrees is common on just about all my yards in some areas of the yard. I mow some up to 35 36 degrees without a worry. But I also run the Ferris z3x with the 61 inch cut it's part billy goat.
I used to work for Niagara county parks department. We'd often be called out to Niagara falls for lawn maintenance. Sadly, due to the escarpment being almost a 60° slope at some areas, we'd still have to cut it. Climber's harness with a winch mount. We'd let the mower down (push mower) and crank it back up the escarpment. When i left in 2015, due to the upticks of suicide at the falls, we transitioned to manually climbing down with a weed whacker. I don't think there will ever be a mower to tackle the extreme. We also had the job at bond lake park , which has an old ski training hill. Im guessing almost 50° grade. You have no idea how scared i was with the Jacobsen wing mowers cutting it. 😮
@@mainstreetmower I'd love to, but I don't speak lol. I could see what I can do, maybe you send me questions and I could find something to fill in the voice
I use a JD X739 lawn tractor. It has full time hydraulic all wheel drive and all wheel steer. The engine is rated for full time 20 deg use and up to 25 deg max short term. The turn radius with a 60 inch deck is about 6 - 8 inches. JD does not recommend operating above 18 deg's with the tractor in its base configuration, but that is a very comfortable stable 18 deg's. In my day to day use I remain in the seat up to about 22 deg's cross slope. Above that I hike out onto the edge of the seat to move the center of gravity over the high wheel and maintain an upright posture. The machine has a low center of gravity, a wide base, and tracks true cross slope. A interesting plus to the all wheel steer is that a set of wheels are always pointing up / down hill when turning on a slope which greatly adds to traction and stability. I can turn in ditches and on slops with ease with no wheel slip.
We use a 52" or 60" turf tracer on our really steep property's, but I use our 60" cubcadet pro 600 stand on, for hills up to about 30°. For slopes 45° or more we use a 60" rc tracked mower.
A lot of people have mentioned those two machines in the comments section here. I wonder if you've had a chance to mow the same hills with a ventrac. If so, how does it compare to the other mowers you mentioned?
I will take a turf tracer on any hill anyone would take a ventrac, never personally run the ventrac but worked along side them and can put now them speed wise and quality of cut. We use our rc tracked mower for overgrown tickets and steep hills beside ponds where any other mower can't go
The grounds master does steep slopes too. I used to work on a golf course when in college many years ago and I used the grounds master. I remember the 1st time on that bank I wanted to bail off but it was stable.
I just talked to the B & S Vanguard rep today at the Less customer appreciation Day l forgot to ask but there is a upgraded cylinder head coming to most Vanguard engines😊
I was looking for a review like this a few years ago when I was buying a new mower for my hilly lawn! I’m happy with my sit down zero turn but I was wanting to fry a stander. I’m kinda glad I didn’t after watching this. Our yard is as steep as what you were on in places and I do some crab walking when it’s not completely dry but I feel safe. It’s hell on the grass though. I don’t have a lot of grass on the steep stuff. You guys do a good job with your reviews!
company i work for we have the husqvarna stand on that is designed to work on slopes by placing its hydro drive pumps up front over the front wheels to help with weight distrabution
Ventracs and the 900 series with duallys from Cub Cadet are currently the go to rigs for the steep hill crowd. You could always go with the 30 inch Toro push mower as well.
@@mainstreetmowerthe only similarities between a cub 972 sd and the 6000 in the video is there both zero turns. The cub is a steering wheel model with dual wheels specifically designed for slope mowing
My toro z master does ok on a hill, slips a little, but my residential jd z540m 48in cut is incredible on a hill. it has put every commercial mower I’ve ever used or owned to shame. I dont understand, why it does so well but it’s a little beast.
Comparing different style mowers with different widths on various degree slopes really isn't fair. I'd be interested in seeing a future video comparing the different types of mowers of similar widths - perhaps a video of reasonable widths for homeowner practicality, and another video for commercial contractors. Which type of mower (zero turn vs. stand-on) for residential sloped yards is always being asked on the various Facebook groups.
In TN our back hill was between 23 and 30 degrees depending on where you were but top and bottom were flattish. Old style rider straight up and down did so well. Also did push for that section only (also old style that was user propelled) and it was perfectly stable but was also a very good workout.
I use a swisher tow behind finish cut mower and a ATV with 4 wheel drive. That slope would be a piece of cake in your video with this configuration. Just to let everyone know there are tons of other options.
I have a wright stander b 32" it's gone to 36.4 degrees. Terrifying but it did it. And it did it good. I eventually got a 61" z3x and it does it perfect
Im working on my own still looking for tracks for it .. 52" rc mower engine tops out less than 24" tall.. the 42" sat higher than I wanted but was only made from scrap mowers
Grasshopper front mount mowers will hold a hill better then any zero turn mowers due to the 6 wheel configuration that helps you get more stability and is able to hug the hills better.
Question: With stand on mowers, and how bumpy most land is, I am wondering if stand on mowers allow more of the body spread out the shock of the terrain vs an sit down where the spring does help but most of the shock is delivered to the lower back. This might be another great idea for a video. We have both and some people like certain types (sit down or stand). Thank you for taking the time and making this video.
Yes, standers are much more forgiving on the spine on bumps. I have a bad back and I start feeling bad for the mower before the bumps bother me, unlike my sit on even with a suspension seat.
Try a bad boy r series with independent suspension. I have three of em and there absolute Cadillacs. Very easy on the back even when mowing large acreage on rough ground. 👍 If you don't have a mower with suspension, I mean real suspension between the wheels and the frame, not a suspension seat or the bs suspension platform folks be trying to sell, then yes, go with the stand on units to help preserve the old back. I've been in the business for 13 years now. I mow big contracts. Schools, cemeteries, city parks, DOT contracts etc. I can tell ya something about ride quality and so far I'd take a bad boy over anything do to the ride quality. Even better than ferris tho ferris ain't to shabby. Definitely doable but the bad boys are king of ride quality imo.
Years ago I had a residential property with a small lawn in the back and boy was it steep. It was very dangerous even with a push mower. I don't know the slope angle but it was ridiculous. Only I could mow it because my guys would refuse to do it...bear in mind back then I was young and naive ;)
Young and naive often do great things. Hats off to you for doing the more dangerous part of your business yourself instead of asking your employees. 👏👏👏
I started out with a walk-behind and an aftermarket velke. The velke had those skinny wheels and was an awful ride. I ended up cutting the front wheel spindles off of an old riding mower and welded them onto the velke. The wide, air-cushioned tires made a world of difference and put the velke wheels in the same track as the mower wheels, so the stripes were cleaner. Went from that to a Ventrac, the ultimate king of side slopes
@@mainstreetmower Instead of buying a 10k+ zero turn, I found a deal on a used ventrac with a 60in deck and a power bucket. That thing is worth every penny. It's slower overall than a z-turn, but the stripes are second to none and it goes everywhere
I mowed a mansion estate in Edwardsville, IL when I started working there used a water cooled John Deere. When that mower was ready to retire I demoed 6 Mowers. The best was a Scag Turf Tiger II . I was able to mow straight up steep hills the back down move over and go up again. All the other mowers would lift the front castors off the ground.
i honestly love the simplicity of the push mower if you have the strength, I'm not a particularly strong guy I am only 150lb and 6ft 3. but i have used a push mower on a 37'degree incline roughly half the size of your total test area (but much longer and thicker English meadow grass that had not been cut in over 6 months).
I think it was already said but, pro tip, you go upwards when turning, then you fall backward to your line, then you mow the pass and turn upward, then fall backward. That's how you always mow a slope. I don't care how dry out it is, if the grass is green then it is slick after being cut.
I take my 52 inch scag walk behind on slopes my Ventrac won’t even do and it don’t skip a beat, but put the sulky up on the hills ! Don’t be lazy and just get it done.
@mainstreetmower With a hydro walk-behind it's more the operator than the machine. If you are strong and have good footwear/tires a hydro walk-behind will be able to handle steeper areas than any ventrac.
That’s interesting we have a 60 inch wright zk stander that sticks hills better than our JD z970r sit down since the John Deere is prone to rolling over and the tire higher up on the hill gets no traction and it would turn downhill
That walkbehind would have done fine without the sulky. I would run most or all of a hill like that with a rider all day.. In fact, I have a customer with a hill like that behind their house, and I feel better with the rider than with the 48 walk .....Ah, there are differing slopes....yes, their hill is like 22-25° if I had to guess. But I mow the top half horizontally, from bottom to top, and I never turn with the nose of the mower facing downhill.
Thank you Rich. Toro should listen to you haha. And yes, I totally think having a weight on the front of the walk behind would have drastically helped. I even hoped on the top of it at one point while Stu was using it to see if the theory works.
If you go straight up and reverse down the zero turn will never run away... Y'all turning down hill was very dangerous... I mowed professionally for years in the mountains of NC and we used Massey diesel 33 hp zero turns and they work awesome for years... 72" is too big gapping yards that aren't perfectly smooth... 60" is always the best result and best looks especially stripping...
Cub cadet zts line will handle slopes all day. I take my zts254 across 35 degrees. Itll go up anything as long as its dry. With stock tires. I cant imagine how good it would do with a good set of tires and a nose weight.
@@mainstreetmower yes you do it is pretty unbelievable. They make a commercial grade one called a pro z972 that is a dually. But for residential grade stuff the zts2 line is best there is for hills.
The best mower for steep slopes you did not test. It is a commercial walk behind. Gravely prowalk. They are rated by the manufacturer for twenty degree slopes, But one can safely handle much steeper inclines with this machine because of its design.
Good to know. Thank you for sharing. A lot of people have shared the same machine in the comments section here. I gotta use them for a comparison soon. ☺
@@mainstreetmower You should be asking yourself, "What makes the design superior so that it can handle Steep inclines such as 20 or 25 degrees, Where as other machines cannot?". The gravely pro Walk is the absolute best on the hills, Even superior two Exmark. And until you test one you will not understand. That's because people for the most part learn through experience. Put another way they have to learn the hard way. Do you know why the walk behinds are superior on the steep hills? Design is correct, but specifically do you know what In the design makes them able to handle steep inclines? If you're interested, then let me know and I will tell you.
@mainstreetmower any of the mower use right can cut those hills. Start at the top and turn up hill backing in to your return pass. Hell I could do it with a old belt drive. As fare as the jungle jim wobble install new pins and brass bushings and give it 1 or 2 pumps of grease every day it's used it will last a lot longer
@@robertmoreland1220 I agree robert. But my point is which one is best meaning it is most productive, Safest and easiest to use. Hands down, it's the gravely.
My dads nuts. Mows about a 25 degree with a 42 inch cub cadet riding mower. Chains on the back. Goes straight up, turns, straight down. Mower cost him 175 bucks 😅
When I used a Toro it was rated for 18 degrees... Why is yours limited to 15?? The best banking machine I used was an older (2010) Ferris with stanchions like your "Custom" version. Not sure why you are calling it "Custom" because Ferris provided them. Anyway, that machine did something close to a 30 degree slope without too much of an issue unless it was wet. SCAG also have a banking version of their Tiger. That is a brilliant machine for banks. And I used to walk about 20 miles a day with mowers. Great way to keep fit!
I would like a comparison that includes a front deck type. I would think that with the deck in front of the drive axle and the engine behind the axle the balance would be much better.
Oddly enough, I’ve put our exmark tracers on way steeper than tht proline and I haven’t had it really step out quite like tht. Now on near vertical slopes, that’s another story. Max id feel comfortable with on the tracer would b abt 45, walking it tht is.
I mow my 31-35 degree sloped yard with a Husky AWD Push Mower. Exhausting. Why I am watching this video. Been doing this for 11 years. I mow up and down this hill though to keep from slipping sideways.
Really not bragging here but I have several weekly properties that are 30+ and the highest I’ve measured is 42deg I use an exmark radius 48in I’ve had pros tell me there’s no way I cut that all with a zero turn…I’ll gladly send video..
haha I see you Harry. I thought we had convinced you to buy a Toro in the last challenge we filmed together. But looking forward to doing so when we do the TORO vs SCAG!@@harryerhart5978
We have a few toros and even I do like a few things about them they really trash for hills if you mowing hills I highly recommend a stand on John deere
Yes for sure. Even during our testing, chip had to jokingly sit on the front of a proline to give it that weight in the front, resulting it in stopping from popping wheelies.
Dude a zk 61in 37 hp is the best bet for slopes hands down I’m talking like 37% type shit hell I’ve seen my boss mow around a bridge that was something like if you stuck your hand out you touched the second pass.. also it doesn’t burn your legs on a wright my guy it burns your forearms
I’m surprised that 21” push actually ran that long. I have the same mower only Mine has been in the shop more than it’s been on the grass and Toro has been completely non responsive to the obvious build problems, which are all unacceptable in a $1000 mower. That’s why we bought Gravely when we needed to add to the fleet and cancelled the order on Toro snow equipment and went Ariens.
Have you guys tested the Cub Cadet ZTS1 (not the ZTS2) steering wheel mowers yet? They claim to be able to handle a 20 degree slope. Would be interested in your thoughts on that!!
Neat video but you guys need to stop turning so your caster wheels face the bottom. Turn up towards the top and back the machine down to your next pass. Your weight is going to travel whatever way the caster wheels are facing and down is the easiest way to lose control.
60" hydro walk behind is king. We had a customer with a gated backyard with a very steep hill. We used a gravely 34Z and went nose up and backed down, then up and backed down over and over lol. It was so steep we slid the seat forward and leaned forward and the front tires were slightly wanting to come off the ground. Ready at all times to jerk back on the handles which i had to do once or twice. Butt puckering glad we dropped them every other week only cheap basters. Did then for YEARS.
For extreme slopes the only real option is cub cadet pro x with duel wheels. I work for a municipality that uses these for flood control. They have swivel seats that’s a game changer.
Take the #@%&# sulky off the walk behind. It's a... WALK BEHIND ! I used a 52 inch belt driven Toro walk behind in the early 90's, we had no sulky, we walked and mowed very steep hills here in Columbia County NY. I personally mowed hills that had previously only been done with string trimmers. I remember saying "weed eat that entire hill? Heck no ! Watch this ". Admittedly, I was in my early 20 at the time.
Yeah dont' do what these guys did... You'll only ever roll your mower going straight up a hill, it will do a backwards summersault. We mow ditches at 40-50° with 60" ZTs with no problems if you don't go up the hill... Rule number 1 is always go across the hill as you'll never roll any of these mowers sideways.
Yea well theirs a reason for that lol their not safe on hills to be honest to high of a center of gravity Seen to many people get hurt that was one of our easy selling points to homeowners for ztrs better center of gravity to handle mowing hills
The 6000/Lazer X chassis is goated when it comes to hillside performance on sitdown mowers. That said, I say any hill that can be mowed with a conventional (non dually) zeroturn rider or stand on, I think I could mow it with a 60" Grandstand. I have yet to find a stander or rider that will take hills like a Grandstand will. Ventracs are awesome, but they definitely come with a price.
Ventracs with dual wheels are really unbeatable, just ridiculously expensive and not practical for a lot of applications
I have a 1988 snapper z2002k that I mow a dam with. I put atv tires on the back to keep me from sliding down. I might rebuild it instead of replacing it.
48 metro will ans on a sulkey! Belt driven .
A solid chuckle was had at such unprofessional testing of these machines. I value the slope challenge that was used. I have a 63-year-old man who can show you how to run a 48" Velki on your hills. I have cut greater than 30 degrees on an Exmark Laser 60 inch. Through experimentation, I learned that when making end turns on steeper slopes, nose up into the turn and slow reverse down to your next pass. Speed is your best friend or worst enemy on slopes. Nose down turns are a bad idea. When you put your weight behind you turning down, you lose quickly if you slide. I've spent considerable time on slopes, many around ponds. Slopes keep your head in the game.
😂😂😂 “a solid chuckle was had” love your syntax, I’ll be using that
The walk behinds !!!!! The hills my husband gets his 48 in on scare me but I can see in the video these tires are clearly over inflated that makes a world of difference!!! They don't need no more than 10-12 psi in them that will make a world of difference!!!! I rub this equipment daily and I'm a girl 😂
That' great advice. Thank you for sharing@@kimberlystosky7457
We totally trust your skills on a velki .And massive respect to you for taking them on steep hills, specially after doing that ourselves in this testing 😅
This. The guys in the video obviously do not mow slopes regularly. ALWAYS turn uphill, then back down to the next line. PERIOD.
Great video…….. after watching this video I was so glad that I purchased the Commercial Cub Cadet PRO Z 960 with steering. I mower weekly lawns at 25 degrees or more, and my employees can do it with one hand, and keep straight stripes. All wheel steering is like having 4WD. We now own four of these mowers and my Exmark and Scag are my backup mowers. Thx
😂😂
My home is built on the break of a slope with an area that is at 35 degrees. I have a Cub Cadet SZ60. My SZ60 can mow and turn and directing on the 35 degree area without issue.
25 degrees is common on just about all my yards in some areas of the yard. I mow some up to 35 36 degrees without a worry. But I also run the Ferris z3x with the 61 inch cut it's part billy goat.
I was about to say, 25°is nothing. You know it's bad when it's so steep you can hardly walk to just weedeat.
I used to work for Niagara county parks department. We'd often be called out to Niagara falls for lawn maintenance. Sadly, due to the escarpment being almost a 60° slope at some areas, we'd still have to cut it. Climber's harness with a winch mount. We'd let the mower down (push mower) and crank it back up the escarpment. When i left in 2015, due to the upticks of suicide at the falls, we transitioned to manually climbing down with a weed whacker. I don't think there will ever be a mower to tackle the extreme. We also had the job at bond lake park , which has an old ski training hill. Im guessing almost 50° grade. You have no idea how scared i was with the Jacobsen wing mowers cutting it. 😮
Thanks for sharing, pretty cool experiences! Would love to record a podcast with you if you're ever down for it.
@@mainstreetmower I'd love to, but I don't speak lol. I could see what I can do, maybe you send me questions and I could find something to fill in the voice
Gravity always applies.
I use a JD X739 lawn tractor. It has full time hydraulic all wheel drive and all wheel steer. The engine is rated for full time 20 deg use and up to 25 deg max short term. The turn radius with a 60 inch deck is about 6 - 8 inches.
JD does not recommend operating above 18 deg's with the tractor in its base configuration, but that is a very comfortable stable 18 deg's. In my day to day use I remain in the seat up to about 22 deg's cross slope. Above that I hike out onto the edge of the seat to move the center of gravity over the high wheel and maintain an upright posture. The machine has a low center of gravity, a wide base, and tracks true cross slope.
A interesting plus to the all wheel steer is that a set of wheels are always pointing up / down hill when turning on a slope which greatly adds to traction and stability. I can turn in ditches and on slops with ease with no wheel slip.
We use a 52" or 60" turf tracer on our really steep property's, but I use our 60" cubcadet pro 600 stand on, for hills up to about 30°. For slopes 45° or more we use a 60" rc tracked mower.
A lot of people have mentioned those two machines in the comments section here. I wonder if you've had a chance to mow the same hills with a ventrac. If so, how does it compare to the other mowers you mentioned?
I will take a turf tracer on any hill anyone would take a ventrac, never personally run the ventrac but worked along side them and can put now them speed wise and quality of cut. We use our rc tracked mower for overgrown tickets and steep hills beside ponds where any other mower can't go
The grounds master does steep slopes too. I used to work on a golf course when in college many years ago and I used the grounds master. I remember the 1st time on that bank I wanted to bail off but it was stable.
I just talked to the B & S Vanguard rep today at the Less customer appreciation Day l forgot to ask but there is a upgraded cylinder head coming to most Vanguard engines😊
I was looking for a review like this a few years ago when I was buying a new mower for my hilly lawn! I’m happy with my sit down zero turn but I was wanting to fry a stander. I’m kinda glad I didn’t after watching this. Our yard is as steep as what you were on in places and I do some crab walking when it’s not completely dry but I feel safe. It’s hell on the grass though. I don’t have a lot of grass on the steep stuff. You guys do a good job with your reviews!
Thank you, I am glad. Even though we missed you by a few years, you made the right decision by going with the sit down mower.
company i work for we have the husqvarna stand on that is designed to work on slopes by placing its hydro drive pumps up front over the front wheels to help with weight distrabution
Ventracs and the 900 series with duallys from Cub Cadet are currently the go to rigs for the steep hill crowd. You could always go with the 30 inch Toro push mower as well.
Yes that's what I have found talking to different industry personnel.
Have a 972SD. Mow up to 30 degrees. Quite comfortable.
@@oliviercoulon5196 Good to know. That's similar to the 6000 Series in the video
@@mainstreetmowerthe only similarities between a cub 972 sd and the 6000 in the video is there both zero turns. The cub is a steering wheel model with dual wheels specifically designed for slope mowing
My toro z master does ok on a hill, slips a little, but my residential jd z540m 48in cut is incredible on a hill. it has put every commercial mower I’ve ever used or owned to shame. I dont understand, why it does so well but it’s a little beast.
Comparing different style mowers with different widths on various degree slopes really isn't fair. I'd be interested in seeing a future video comparing the different types of mowers of similar widths - perhaps a video of reasonable widths for homeowner practicality, and another video for commercial contractors. Which type of mower (zero turn vs. stand-on) for residential sloped yards is always being asked on the various Facebook groups.
In TN our back hill was between 23 and 30 degrees depending on where you were but top and bottom were flattish. Old style rider straight up and down did so well. Also did push for that section only (also old style that was user propelled) and it was perfectly stable but was also a very good workout.
Thank you
Great video - I did have this concern so to see all of the options in a test session was helpful. Thank you.
We're glad it helped. Thanks for watching 🙂
I use a swisher tow behind finish cut mower and a ATV with 4 wheel drive. That slope would be a piece of cake in your video with this configuration. Just to let everyone know there are tons of other options.
I have a wright stander b 32" it's gone to 36.4 degrees. Terrifying but it did it. And it did it good. I eventually got a 61" z3x and it does it perfect
36 degrees is not easy by any means. Good to know the wright did good on it.
Im working on my own still looking for tracks for it .. 52" rc mower engine tops out less than 24" tall.. the 42" sat higher than I wanted but was only made from scrap mowers
Grasshopper front mount mowers will hold a hill better then any zero turn mowers due to the 6 wheel configuration that helps you get more stability and is able to hug the hills better.
Good to know, thanks for sharing 🙂
we always used a riding mower on our long steep hill when we lived in the mountains and it worked fine. No zero turn or push mowers.
Good to know, thanks for sharing 🙂
Florida is the flattest state in the country. I'm impressed you found a slope to test on.
This right here! Thank you for recognizing that haha. Sometimes getting these lawns is harder than getting the mower.
Actually Kansas is more flatter than Florida.
@@LyrikGriffeth interesting
Question:
With stand on mowers, and how bumpy most land is, I am wondering if stand on mowers allow more of the body spread out the shock of the terrain vs an sit down where the spring does help but most of the shock is delivered to the lower back.
This might be another great idea for a video.
We have both and some people like certain types (sit down or stand).
Thank you for taking the time and making this video.
Yes, standers are much more forgiving on the spine on bumps. I have a bad back and I start feeling bad for the mower before the bumps bother me, unlike my sit on even with a suspension seat.
Try a bad boy r series with independent suspension. I have three of em and there absolute Cadillacs. Very easy on the back even when mowing large acreage on rough ground. 👍 If you don't have a mower with suspension, I mean real suspension between the wheels and the frame, not a suspension seat or the bs suspension platform folks be trying to sell, then yes, go with the stand on units to help preserve the old back. I've been in the business for 13 years now. I mow big contracts. Schools, cemeteries, city parks, DOT contracts etc. I can tell ya something about ride quality and so far I'd take a bad boy over anything do to the ride quality. Even better than ferris tho ferris ain't to shabby. Definitely doable but the bad boys are king of ride quality imo.
Years ago I had a residential property with a small lawn in the back and boy was it steep. It was very dangerous even with a push mower. I don't know the slope angle but it was ridiculous. Only I could mow it because my guys would refuse to do it...bear in mind back then I was young and naive ;)
Young and naive often do great things. Hats off to you for doing the more dangerous part of your business yourself instead of asking your employees. 👏👏👏
I started out with a walk-behind and an aftermarket velke. The velke had those skinny wheels and was an awful ride. I ended up cutting the front wheel spindles off of an old riding mower and welded them onto the velke. The wide, air-cushioned tires made a world of difference and put the velke wheels in the same track as the mower wheels, so the stripes were cleaner. Went from that to a Ventrac, the ultimate king of side slopes
That's awesome. Could've totally used your velke on this slope. How've that ventrac been for you?
@@mainstreetmower Instead of buying a 10k+ zero turn, I found a deal on a used ventrac with a 60in deck and a power bucket. That thing is worth every penny. It's slower overall than a z-turn, but the stripes are second to none and it goes everywhere
@@willp942it's ridiculously slow compared to a good zero turn. I know their good on slopes tho.
I mowed a mansion estate in Edwardsville, IL when I started working there used a water cooled John Deere. When that mower was ready to retire I demoed 6 Mowers. The best was a Scag Turf Tiger II . I was able to mow straight up steep hills the back down move over and go up again. All the other mowers would lift the front castors off the ground.
We did a SCAG vs TORO review some time ago, but didn't do a slope test with them. Good to know though, thanks for sharing.
Remote Control tracked mowers will end up being the go to in the next few years. Safest way to mow slopes without question
Very interesting. Gotta wait a few years to see which direction the industry develops into.
i honestly love the simplicity of the push mower if you have the strength, I'm not a particularly strong guy I am only 150lb and 6ft 3. but i have used a push mower on a 37'degree incline roughly half the size of your total test area (but much longer and thicker English meadow grass that had not been cut in over 6 months).
6’3”, 150?
Eat more sammiches, my dude.
My diesel Grasshopper does great on slopes. It is the front mount deck.
I think it was already said but, pro tip, you go upwards when turning, then you fall backward to your line, then you mow the pass and turn upward, then fall backward. That's how you always mow a slope. I don't care how dry out it is, if the grass is green then it is slick after being cut.
Absolutely agreed. Great advice.
I take my 52 inch scag walk behind on slopes my Ventrac won’t even do and it don’t skip a beat, but put the sulky up on the hills ! Don’t be lazy and just get it done.
Really? Your scag beats a ventrac?
@mainstreetmower
With a hydro walk-behind it's more the operator than the machine. If you are strong and have good footwear/tires a hydro walk-behind will be able to handle steeper areas than any ventrac.
@@mainstreetmoweryes a hydro walk behind will eat up a ventrac on any slope.
That’s interesting we have a 60 inch wright zk stander that sticks hills better than our JD z970r sit down since the John Deere is prone to rolling over and the tire higher up on the hill gets no traction and it would turn downhill
A video on all-terrain tires, mud, water,wet slopes. I live in S.E. Oklahoma water shed under property.
I have a friend whose mother lost 3 toes to a push mower on a hillside. Grass was a bit wet from morning dew and she slipped
That was funny!!!! I have has my Vetrac on up to 35 degrees.
Love it. How does the Ventrac feel on slopes that steep?
@@mainstreetmower It is fun!!! As long as it not wet it sticks to the ground.
haha fair enough@@brianhina8538
The best residential mower for steep hills and slopes is the cub cadet zrt aws steering wheel.
Gotta check that one out, thanks for sharing.
That walkbehind would have done fine without the sulky. I would run most or all of a hill like that with a rider all day.. In fact, I have a customer with a hill like that behind their house, and I feel better with the rider than with the 48 walk .....Ah, there are differing slopes....yes, their hill is like 22-25° if I had to guess. But I mow the top half horizontally, from bottom to top, and I never turn with the nose of the mower facing downhill.
I agree that walk behind would've performed much better with out the sulky.
Was wondering if weights on the wheels would help? Not sure why Toro hasn't hired you guys to do there marketing! Great work guys.
Thank you Rich. Toro should listen to you haha. And yes, I totally think having a weight on the front of the walk behind would have drastically helped. I even hoped on the top of it at one point while Stu was using it to see if the theory works.
I like the 60 inch ferris fw35 with the 28 hp and a pro slide
Good to know, thanks for sharing.
If you go straight up and reverse down the zero turn will never run away... Y'all turning down hill was very dangerous... I mowed professionally for years in the mountains of NC and we used Massey diesel 33 hp zero turns and they work awesome for years... 72" is too big gapping yards that aren't perfectly smooth... 60" is always the best result and best looks especially stripping...
Cub cadet zts line will handle slopes all day. I take my zts254 across 35 degrees. Itll go up anything as long as its dry. With stock tires. I cant imagine how good it would do with a good set of tires and a nose weight.
Really gotta try the cub.
@@mainstreetmower yes you do it is pretty unbelievable.
They make a commercial grade one called a pro z972 that is a dually.
But for residential grade stuff the zts2 line is best there is for hills.
@@StumpStunter95 Awesome. Thanks for the info
That’s my neighborhood in Skyridge. People don’t believe me when I say my house is LITERALLY on a hill in Florida lol
haha heyy we were in your neighborhood and we confirm theres a major hill over there😁
@ Haha Thanks for the love & support! Best Toro/Stihl dealer in the state.
@@aaronandrews7830 Thank you 🙂
What’s your feeling on fluid in the tires to gain more low center of gravity?
The best mower for steep slopes you did not test. It is a commercial walk behind. Gravely prowalk. They are rated by the manufacturer for twenty degree slopes, But one can safely handle much steeper inclines with this machine because of its design.
Good to know. Thank you for sharing. A lot of people have shared the same machine in the comments section here. I gotta use them for a comparison soon. ☺
@@mainstreetmower You should be asking yourself, "What makes the design superior so that it can handle Steep inclines such as 20 or 25 degrees, Where as other machines cannot?". The gravely pro Walk is the absolute best on the hills, Even superior two Exmark. And until you test one you will not understand. That's because people for the most part learn through experience. Put another way they have to learn the hard way. Do you know why the walk behinds are superior on the steep hills? Design is correct, but specifically do you know what In the design makes them able to handle steep inclines? If you're interested, then let me know and I will tell you.
@mainstreetmower any of the mower use right can cut those hills. Start at the top and turn up hill backing in to your return pass. Hell I could do it with a old belt drive. As fare as the jungle jim wobble install new pins and brass bushings and give it 1 or 2 pumps of grease every day it's used it will last a lot longer
@@robertmoreland1220 I agree robert. But my point is which one is best meaning it is most productive, Safest and easiest to use. Hands down, it's the gravely.
My dads nuts. Mows about a 25 degree with a 42 inch cub cadet riding mower. Chains on the back. Goes straight up, turns, straight down. Mower cost him 175 bucks 😅
Exmaro 60" turf tracer
Drops 🎤 enough said
When I used a Toro it was rated for 18 degrees... Why is yours limited to 15??
The best banking machine I used was an older (2010) Ferris with stanchions like your "Custom" version.
Not sure why you are calling it "Custom" because Ferris provided them.
Anyway, that machine did something close to a 30 degree slope without too much of an issue unless it was wet.
SCAG also have a banking version of their Tiger. That is a brilliant machine for banks.
And I used to walk about 20 miles a day with mowers.
Great way to keep fit!
Thanks for putting great content out there love your vidéos !
Thank you for watching:)
That's great man. Thank you for helping our channel grow.
My exmark does great on slopes.
Xmark turf tracer 60 inch
@famfirst6660 If it's super steep, use ATV bar lugs and a weight kit. The bar lugs are also great for around boggy pond slopes.
Which model?@@TractorWrangler01
@@mainstreetmower The tires are AT101's
All mowers aside, I think a video is due on tires for zero turn mowers that mow 1-5 acre properties,that can handle mud ,water, wetland hill slopes
Oooh cool idea. Let us see what we can do.
Hey guys, how about a small gate mower comparison???? Those pesky gates the prevent me from running a 48 inch through. Show us what ya got!!!
You asked for it, and we have it 😬. Here's the video: ua-cam.com/video/_LHb9NQ1Bho/v-deo.htmlsi=pyQ4aX3UxL2tWk01
Why no ride on garden tractor?
I would like a comparison that includes a front deck type. I would think that with the deck in front of the drive axle and the engine behind the axle the balance would be much better.
Oooh that's very interesting.
Oddly enough, I’ve put our exmark tracers on way steeper than tht proline and I haven’t had it really step out quite like tht. Now on near vertical slopes, that’s another story. Max id feel comfortable with on the tracer would b abt 45, walking it tht is.
45 degrees. That's insane. Hats off to you for doing that. Be safe tho 🙂
@@mainstreetmower it’s amazing Wht a “little” walk behind can do, first time I put our 48-60” TT on a decent slope I was surprised.
For sure. I think the key with walk behinds is the amount of control the operator has compared to any other kind of mower.@@bobbystewart2605
I mow my 31-35 degree sloped yard with a Husky AWD Push Mower. Exhausting. Why I am watching this video. Been doing this for 11 years. I mow up and down this hill though to keep from slipping sideways.
That's great. Thank you for sharing.
Anyone have a link for a similar video but done with people who know what they are doing? I’m really interested in a real test
ATM 72LC HILLSIDE MOWER 34⁰ sitting upright, engine upright.
Really not bragging here but I have several weekly properties that are 30+ and the highest I’ve measured is 42deg I use an exmark radius 48in I’ve had pros tell me there’s no way I cut that all with a zero turn…I’ll gladly send video..
Thanks for mentioning me My JD went bye bye now it's Scag Tiger Cat 2 vs Toro 4000 💪💪💪💪??
JD to Scag, hmm when will you make the correct decision and buy a Toro 🤣
@@austiny528 never
haha I see you Harry. I thought we had convinced you to buy a Toro in the last challenge we filmed together. But looking forward to doing so when we do the TORO vs SCAG!@@harryerhart5978
Ventrac is all you need to know. 30 degrees.
100% agreed. That tractor is built different. We are soon dropping a video about how the ventrac does on slopes, stay tuned.
We have a few toros and even I do like a few things about them they really trash for hills if you mowing hills I highly recommend a stand on John deere
Hustler trimstar walk behind would’ve ate that slope 👌🏽
Good to know, we might bring that one out, the next time we do this test.
I picked up an electric push mower that I can push beyond 45 degrees. I don’t have to worry about oil adequately lubricating the engine.
14:58 THAT BURP JUST CRACKED ME UP 😭😭🤣
hahah that was more of a hesitation but I see how it sounds like a burp 🤭
the best lawn mower for a slope would probably be a front mount
Yes for sure. Even during our testing, chip had to jokingly sit on the front of a proline to give it that weight in the front, resulting it in stopping from popping wheelies.
RC Mower is your best option
Dude a zk 61in 37 hp is the best bet for slopes hands down I’m talking like 37% type shit hell I’ve seen my boss mow around a bridge that was something like if you stuck your hand out you touched the second pass.. also it doesn’t burn your legs on a wright my guy it burns your forearms
I’m surprised that 21” push actually ran that long. I have the same mower only Mine has been in the shop more than it’s been on the grass and Toro has been completely non responsive to the obvious build problems, which are all unacceptable in a $1000 mower. That’s why we bought Gravely when we needed to add to the fleet and cancelled the order on Toro snow equipment and went Ariens.
So sorry to hear about your experience. Hopefully the units you got now are working well for you.
Asked for this video years ago ! YEA BUDDY!
Sorry for the delay. Hope the video made up for the wait. 🙂
@@mainstreetmower you definitely made up for it. And the video was awesome. Keep up the good work!
@@justing6594 Thank you Justin, you're the man!
another good video.
Thank you so much. I love your profile picture haha
60 inch exmark turf tracer will stay on any slope. It's center of gravity is so low.
Good to know. Thanks for sharing 🙂
I see a major mistake the operators were making and that was turning downhill. Always make your turn up hill. My Ferris z3x 72 is awsome on slopes
Without a doubt the Z3 would have embarrassed all the other machines
Have you guys tested the Cub Cadet ZTS1 (not the ZTS2) steering wheel mowers yet? They claim to be able to handle a 20 degree slope. Would be interested in your thoughts on that!!
No well try to get our hands on one
@@mainstreetmower The price point on the 42" is really approachable, it seems like a lot of good things are being said about it.
Try Gravely ZT series the stick like glue!
Neat video but you guys need to stop turning so your caster wheels face the bottom. Turn up towards the top and back the machine down to your next pass. Your weight is going to travel whatever way the caster wheels are facing and down is the easiest way to lose control.
Copy that 🙂
You can always walk behind the walk behind
try the commercial cub cadet steering wheel zero turn
Have heard a lot of good things about it. Hoping to get my hands on one but no luck so far.
@@mainstreetmower im planning to buy a ultima ztsx4 next spring
Trick to riding mowers on steep slopes when turning, is back it down the slope, instead of turning into the slope.
Get a razorback mower for those slopes at the higher end degrees and use what ever you got for the rest
Never, Never , Never point your nose down on Any type of slope or hill. Nose up always and back into your next stripe.
Great advice. Thank you for sharing.
60" hydro walk behind is king. We had a customer with a gated backyard with a very steep hill. We used a gravely 34Z and went nose up and backed down, then up and backed down over and over lol. It was so steep we slid the seat forward and leaned forward and the front tires were slightly wanting to come off the ground. Ready at all times to jerk back on the handles which i had to do once or twice. Butt puckering glad we dropped them every other week only cheap basters. Did then for YEARS.
😂😂😂
Cub cadet pro z 900 with steering wheel
Got it
WTF! a walk behind mower on a hill you must walk behind it! Nothing is to be attached on a hill! The walk behind will win this challenge!
Maybe it was the difference in decks, but that Zero turn felt pretty solid.
For extreme slopes the only real option is cub cadet pro x with duel wheels. I work for a municipality that uses these for flood control. They have swivel seats that’s a game changer.
Oooh swivel seats sound interesting.
I’d go w the cub cadet zero turn w steering wheel.
A lot of people have mentioned that unit. Gotta check it out. Thank you for sharing 🙂
You have the same push mower as mine😅😅
I have a 1988 Wheelhorse 310-8 that will climb an cut that NO issue and no weights.
Awesome. Gotta check them out.
Have you tested Altoz mowers?
Well the brand is wrong from jump street wright or ferris for stand on and slopes period
what slope app did u use on your phone?
Take the #@%&# sulky off the walk behind. It's a... WALK BEHIND ! I used a 52 inch belt driven Toro walk behind in the early 90's, we had no sulky, we walked and mowed very steep hills here in Columbia County NY. I personally mowed hills that had previously only been done with string trimmers. I remember saying "weed eat that entire hill? Heck no ! Watch this ". Admittedly, I was in my early 20 at the time.
Remove the sulky/velke from the 36". Nothing can be better on slopes than large walkbehind mowers if you are walking behind them.
The only 2 wheel Sulky that is worth a damn is the Havener (Bradely) swivel wheel sulky. Single wheel; the Wright Velke can't be beat.
Yeah dont' do what these guys did... You'll only ever roll your mower going straight up a hill, it will do a backwards summersault. We mow ditches at 40-50° with 60" ZTs with no problems if you don't go up the hill... Rule number 1 is always go across the hill as you'll never roll any of these mowers sideways.
🙂
Ventrac 4520 is my choice
Need to get Chip out there on the Ventrac!
Ventrac + Hills = Match made in heaven!
chegando agora ,from Al bladez channel,parabens
Obrigado e bem vindo ao canal. Espero que você goste do conteúdo aqui.
Walker MC enters the chat
I would love to see this with a lawn tractor I haven’t been able to find any videos with lawn tractors on hills.
Yea well theirs a reason for that lol their not safe on hills to be honest to high of a center of gravity Seen to many people get hurt that was one of our easy selling points to homeowners for ztrs better center of gravity to handle mowing hills
32 Toro V 32 Scag Slope test
Thanks for the advice. We'll see if we can put one together.