riding mowers

Technically it is level or plump. Ha

 

Percentage from vertical?

 

I misspoke -- I meant to say 40 degrees, which was the original assertion of mowing slope. 40 degrees translates to roughly 84% slope.

I don't think you can find a lot of stable 45 degree grass hillslopes -- its going to slump and erode. If there were and you were standing on it, you would likely end up at the bottom of the hill on your first step --and I can guarantee you wouldn't be standing vertically, you'd be clinging your fingernails into the turf to hold yourself from falling. I have worked on slopes up to 80 percent (about 37 degrees) and have taken tumbles even while wearing good logging boots -- it is very cliff-like. A mower would have no chance on that type of slope.

Typical guidelines for mowing slope are 15-20 degree maximum, which translates to 25-36 percent. I've seen dozers work to about 50 percent, but only doing kamikaze firelines, and with no lateral yawl. I'd believe a mower on 40 percent slope. Above that is fantasy. YMMV.

 

If it is really steep you are supposed to go up and down, not side to side.

 

So...is 22 degrees steeper than 40 degrees? Is "way steep" doable, and then double "way steep" still doable?

I am pretty sure you don't have the skill of estimating slope steepness visually. It takes a long time of measurement and calibration. I say this after decades of experience with similarly non-trained people, with virtually everyone overestimating slope significantly.

If someone can show me a riding mower actively navigating a proven 40 degree slope I will send $100 to the AFF. If you can show me a video of yourself walking across a 40 degree slope without ending up a ball of banged up flesh at the bottom, I will eat my hat (I've seen you, and am confident you couldn't traverse a 40 degree slope. No offense.)

 

You have the degrees part correct and the slope percent wrong (even though you described it correctly in a previous post, and that is how it is portrayed in your linked table). Slope percent, also known as grade, or gradient, is rise over run, or Arctan of degree slope. 20% slope is half as steep as 40% slope. Everytime. No one ever measures gradient slope from vertical.

I am talking about estimating actual terrain. It isn't as simple as looking at a board tilted up against a vertical wall. Its not as simple as sticking an Ipad on the ground and posting an upside down picture and claiming two wildly divergent numbers. Again, I have a bit of experience doing this. If you think you can walk across a 40 degree slope without using your hands, you have no idea what slopes are like. Find a forester and borrow his clinometer, learn to use it, and get back to me. Or just go on thinking you know slopes and mowers can traverse 40 degree slopes. Your call.

 

45 degree angle, 12" rise in 12" run, is 100% slope and it is definitely steep. Just ask any roofer. You might be able to do it with a riding mower, but then again you can use a push mower as a hedge trimmer too. It just isn't recommended. When we have slopes that steep, we use a slope mower unless it is a small differential from to to bottom of slope.

 

I posted a video of last month's speed skiing world record in the YouTube thread. That slope was in the 90% range. Slightly less than 45°. I'd pay to see some of you crackheads drive a lawnmower on that.

 

degree of steepness

well my dog can run straight up a tree to a certain degree but then she falls right off but every once in a while she'll snags a squirrel . but what about oil flow to the engine on those steep slopes? looks like the sump pump would cavitate and the engine lose oil pressure? b bill and darethea

 

You'd be surprised at how easy it is to miscalculate slope, or how shitty low-end clinometers work, but for a guy like yourself, with the 160 IQ and all, I'm sure you could handle it. You go on thinking a mower can work a 40% slope, despite the fact that purpose built slope mowers rate at 30 degrees max. The AFF beckons.