On Fri, 11 Jun 2010 06:27:30 -0500, FatterDumber& Happier Moe
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.

On Fri, 11 Jun 2010 08:17:33 -0700 (PDT), DerbyDad03
wrote:

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.

On Fri, 11 Jun 2010 11:08:47 -0700 (PDT), DerbyDad03
wrote:

On Jun 11, 1:57*pm, "Bob F" wrote:
Elmo 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 plug-in electric mower would be way lighter and easier to handle. It would
have no problem with lubrication on a slope.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

"A plug-in electric mower ...."

OK, everybody that hates corded landscaping equipment please raise
your hand.

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?

On Fri, 11 Jun 2010 20:37:17 -0400, J Burns
wrote:

Elmo 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.

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.


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.

mm wrote:
On Fri, 11 Jun 2010 20:37:17 -0400, J Burns
wrote:

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.


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.

On Sat, 12 Jun 2010 00:40:49 -0400, mm wrote:

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.

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), it might not be much better than a weed whacker. I'm
still looking things up though ...

On Fri, 11 Jun 2010 14:19:27 -0700 (PDT), ransley wrote:

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.

On Fri, 11 Jun 2010 19:13:49 -0700, Zz Yzx wrote:

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.

On Sat, 12 Jun 2010 01:01:44 -0400, J Burns wrote:

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.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lawn_mower

On Sat, 12 Jun 2010 05:59:46 +0000 (UTC), Elmo
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.

In article ,
Elmo 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

Elmo wrote:
On Sat, 12 Jun 2010 01:01:44 -0400, J Burns wrote:

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.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lawn_mower

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.

On Jun 11, 7:40*pm, "
wrote:
aemeijers wrote:
ransley wrote:
On Jun 11, 10:20 am, Elmo dcdraftwo...@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.

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.

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.

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.

In article ,
Elmo 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.

"Elmo" wrote in message
...
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."

Elmo wrote the following:
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 sickle or scythe.

--

Bill
In Hamptonburgh, NY
In the original Orange County. Est. 1683
To email, remove the double zeroes after @

ransley wrote:
(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...

willshak wrote:
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.

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.

--
aem sends...

On Jun 12, 12:40*am, mm wrote:
On Fri, 11 Jun 2010 08:17:33 -0700 (PDT), DerbyDad03



wrote:
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.

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!"

On Fri, 11 Jun 2010 05:33:03 +0000 (UTC), Elmo
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

the problem of trying to mow with a gas push mower (it's all I have) on a
steep slope.

In ,
DerbyDad03 typed:
On Jun 11, 1:57 pm, "Bob F" wrote:
Elmo 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 plug-in electric mower would be way lighter and easier
to handle. It would have no problem with lubrication on a
slope.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

"A plug-in electric mower ...."

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`

On Sun, 13 Jun 2010 12:03:31 -0400, "Twaynes" wrote:

In ,
DerbyDad03 typed:
On Jun 11, 1:57 pm, "Bob F" wrote:
Elmo 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 plug-in electric mower would be way lighter and easier
to handle. It would have no problem with lubrication on a
slope.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

"A plug-in electric mower ...."

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.

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.

On Jun 12, 1:57*am, Elmo dcdraftwo...@Use-Author-Supplied-
Address.invalid wrote:
On Sat, 12 Jun 2010 00:40:49 -0400, mm wrote:
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.

" I looked up hover mowers"

Where?

"the weak plastic blades"

The HoverMowerT site (aka Eastman Industries) says:

"Stainless steel blades for long life and clean cut"

"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

"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!"

On Sat, 12 Jun 2010 16:26:57 -0400, aemeijers
wrote:

willshak wrote:
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.

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.

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

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.









On Mon, 14 Jun 2010 21:46:33 -0400, mm
wrote:

On Sat, 12 Jun 2010 16:26:57 -0400, aemeijers
wrote:

willshak wrote:
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.

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.

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

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.

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

HerHusband wrote:


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/ima...fc825a708.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.

On Mon, 14 Jun 2010 22:38:56 -0400, frank1492
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.


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
wrote:

On Sat, 12 Jun 2010 16:26:57 -0400, aemeijers
wrote:

willshak wrote:
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.

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.

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

On Jun 11, 11:25*am, Elmo dcdraftwo...@Use-Author-Supplied-
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.

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 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.

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.)

On 6/29/2015 11:59 PM, 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.

-
..
Christopher A. Young
learn more about Jesus
.. www.lds.org
..
..

On 06/30/2015 07:12 AM, Stormin Mormon wrote:
On 6/29/2015 11:59 PM, 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.

and how will that help with the mowing?

[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!

On Tuesday, June 30, 2015 at 10:32:36 PM UTC-4, Sam E wrote:
On 06/30/2015 07:12 AM, Stormin Mormon wrote:
On 6/29/2015 11:59 PM, 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.

and how will that help with the mowing?

[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!

the effective and safe answer is groundcover, plus its far less work.

"bob haller" wrote in message
...
On Tuesday, June 30, 2015 at 10:32:36 PM UTC-4, Sam E wrote:
On 06/30/2015 07:12 AM, Stormin Mormon wrote:
On 6/29/2015 11:59 PM, 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.

and how will that help with the mowing?

[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!

the effective and safe answer is groundcover, plus its far less work.

naw - goats!

On Wednesday, July 1, 2015 at 12:40:34 AM UTC-4, taxed and spent wrote:
"bob haller" wrote in message
...
On Tuesday, June 30, 2015 at 10:32:36 PM UTC-4, Sam E wrote:
On 06/30/2015 07:12 AM, Stormin Mormon wrote:
On 6/29/2015 11:59 PM, 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.

and how will that help with the mowing?

[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!

the effective and safe answer is groundcover, plus its far less work.

naw - goats!

goats bleet a annoying noise, escape to others yards where they can eat something valuable, require vet bills, and might head butt of kick someone who gets too close.

groundcover just sits there requiring nothing

On Tuesday, June 30, 2015 at 9:32:36 PM UTC-5, Sam E wrote:

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?


If the dummy who drug up this old, old thread can't read the
date of the original post then they just need to give up
their lawn mower.

On 07/01/2015 09:48 AM, ItsJoanNotJoann wrote:
On Tuesday, June 30, 2015 at 9:32:36 PM UTC-5, Sam E wrote:

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?


If the dummy who drug up this old, old thread can't read the
date of the original post then they just need to give up
their lawn mower.


and, of course, any problem mentioned in a post 2 or more years old has
been solved and CAN NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN.

"bob haller" wrote in message
...
On Wednesday, July 1, 2015 at 12:40:34 AM UTC-4, taxed and spent wrote:
"bob haller" wrote in message
...
On Tuesday, June 30, 2015 at 10:32:36 PM UTC-4, Sam E wrote:
On 06/30/2015 07:12 AM, Stormin Mormon wrote:
On 6/29/2015 11:59 PM, 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.

and how will that help with the mowing?

[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!

the effective and safe answer is groundcover, plus its far less work.

naw - goats!

goats bleet a annoying noise, escape to others yards where they can eat
something valuable, require vet bills, and might head butt of kick someone
who gets too close.

groundcover just sits there requiring nothing

Well, aren't you "Mister the glass is half full"? Goat milk! Goat cheese!
Cabrito! Capretto!

On Wed, 01 Jul 2015 11:22:50 -0500, hah
wrote:

On 07/01/2015 09:48 AM, ItsJoanNotJoann wrote:
On Tuesday, June 30, 2015 at 9:32:36 PM UTC-5, Sam E wrote:

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?


If the dummy who drug up this old, old thread can't read the
date of the original post then they just need to give up
their lawn mower.


and, of course, any problem mentioned in a post 2 or more years old has
been solved and CAN NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN.
In case the problem has not been solved, he needs to buy an old
"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.