# ISO the best mower to handle hilly terrain



## Rolling Hills (Jul 21, 2021)

Hi Lawn Fam!

I've finally reached my breaking point using an inadequate pair of mowers for my unique terrain. My lawn is roughly 20k sqft, really hilly and irregularly shaped. If you were to look at it from a bird's eye perspective, it's like a horseshoe shape wrapping from the left side yard around the back and all the way to the front. As mentioned, lots of hills that are quite steep in spots.

Here are the problems I'm running into:

My Troy-Bilt 21" self propelled rotary push mower takes forever to cut my lawn. Minimum 3 hours of grueling pushing working against gravity of the slopes. I usually end up dividing it into two sessions within 2 days. Not ideal because it leaves me too burnt out to mow more than once a week.

My other option is a secondhand 42" Toro riding mower. Gets the job done faster for sure, but much sloppier looking because of all the odd angles and hills I have to contend with. There's no way for it to turn sharp enough to make neat stripes across the terrain. I've added some fencing that divides my yard up, so that makes the maneuverability all that more difficult. I've also had a couple of close calls with it almost rolling over and getting bogged down on really steep sections.

So that leaves me with really only one viable option for my yard as far as I can tell: A much larger and higher powered push mower. Any recommendations on some makes and models you all would recommend given the description of my yard?


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## FrankS (Jun 19, 2021)

It's hard to imagine how steep "steep" is. Maybe a photo of the view from the side, with trees or a building for reference would help.

My neighbor says his ~21" mower can climb this:


Mentioning the secondhand rider makes me wonder about the available budget.

It seems to me that the best thing would be a commercial walk behind/stand on mower, with the widest deck practical for your space.

The math is pretty easy. A 30" deck would bring the time down to two hours. A 42" deck would make it an hour and a half.


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## Rolling Hills (Jul 21, 2021)

FrankS said:


> It's hard to imagine how steep "steep" is. Maybe a photo of the view from the side, with trees or a building for reference would help.
> 
> My neighbor says his ~21" mower can climb this:
> 
> ...


Oh my 21" mower can do it even on the steepest inclines, that's not the problem. It's the time and effort it takes get one complete mow done that is at issue.

Agreed with the commercial grade walk behind, but budget is a concern for sure. I can't drop several grand right now to buy one brand new. I'm not opposed to a used one in good condition. I was hoping someone out there had experience with one and could make a recommendation.


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## MasterMech (Sep 24, 2017)

The best option hands-down is going to be a commercial hydro-walk. Belt drives are ok, and would certainly get the job done faster/easier than your 21" push, but if making the leap to a commercial walk, why stop half-way? Especially for new equipment. None of these units are going to hug contours like a 21" push will, but a 36" will get pretty close. While a 30" commercial walk (think HD version of the TimeMaster) might be an improvement from the 21" push, I'm not sure you'd be real happy with anything other than the price. For new mowers - we're talking $4k and up for entry level walk-behinds with a hydrostatic drive system. Recognized brands like Scag or Exmark are going to be more in the $6k+ range. These aren't throw-away mowers, and in homeowner service, you can expect this to be your last mower unless your needs change drastically. Good resale on these units as well.

36"-48" machines are probably what you want, I vastly prefer a floating deck but if you find a fixed deck machine with a price you like, they're just as good on the hills.

I will give examples from the Exmark line-up only because that's the line I know best.

Hydro drive fixed-deck = Viking (Confusing as the Viking name was on some belt drive units but they are quite old now and relatively rare.)
Hydro drive floating deck = Turf Tracer HP (now known as the Turf Tracer S-Series)
Hydro drive floating deck w/ HD chassis and 52"+ widths = Turf Tracer (now known as the Turf Tracer X-Series)

Unfortunately, the system that makes them so nice to operate and run on hills, is the system that has the potential to cost you the most $$$$ in repairs. That would be the hydrostatic traction drive. If buying used, I would buy from a homeowner or weekend-warrior vs buying from a commercial lawn service. If you are able to buy through a reputable dealer that can give you the run-down on what kind of shape the machine is in, so much the better.


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## AllisonN (Jul 4, 2020)

My vote is either a stander or walk behind. I use standers and rarely have had once break loose on the steepest inclines. Full floating deck of course.


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## Amoo316 (Jul 8, 2021)

You know your budget is tight and you know a used commercial walk behind unit may be the best solution in terms of time & efficiency.

Might not be a bad idea to look around and see what's available in your budget, then post about specific mowers you find and could afford and go at it from that approach.


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## Rolling Hills (Jul 21, 2021)

I'll need something with a wider deck, but also nimble enough to weave around the odd angles and slopes of my lawn. With the amount of slope I'm dealing with I can't use something too large and unweildy. Saw this Troy-Bilt that boasts turning on a dime, anyone have experience with it?:

https://www.troybilt.com/en_US/prior-year-models-sp/tbwc33-xp-troy-bilt-self-propelled-lawn-mower/12AE76M8066.html


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## MasterMech (Sep 24, 2017)

Rolling Hills said:


> I'll need something with a wider deck, but also nimble enough to weave around the odd angles and slopes of my lawn. With the amount of slope I'm dealing with I can't use something too large and unweildy. Saw this Troy-Bilt that boasts turning on a dime, anyone have experience with it?:
> 
> https://www.troybilt.com/en_US/prior-year-models-sp/tbwc33-xp-troy-bilt-self-propelled-lawn-mower/12AE76M8066.html


If you are going up/down the slopes then something like that does -OK-. They've (the 33" "wide-cut mowers) been around forever. The caster steering without individually powered traction wheels makes for a pretty unwieldy package on side slopes though. The only thing keeping it from turning down hill is YOU.


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## SWB (Sep 22, 2018)

I have several mowers and the two I use almost exclusively are the JD 950r zero turn and the 48" Turf Tracer. I have about a 1/2 acre at the front of the property that is probably at a 25 + degree slope. I mow side to side up the hill with no problems. Trying to mow down hill can be an issue if the grass is even remotely wet.


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## Rolling Hills (Jul 21, 2021)

MasterMech said:


> Rolling Hills said:
> 
> 
> > I'll need something with a wider deck, but also nimble enough to weave around the odd angles and slopes of my lawn. With the amount of slope I'm dealing with I can't use something too large and unweildy. Saw this Troy-Bilt that boasts turning on a dime, anyone have experience with it?:
> ...


Excellent point about the caster wheels. It would be very difficult muscling that thing on a true line when negotiating side slopes. I'm starting to think a push mower with fixed front wheels in the 30-33" range is the way to go. I need something that can handle all the hills and still be light and nimble enough to make hard turns. It's unfortunate the Toro TimeMaster has such bad marks against it with regards to slopes. This one here caught my eye: 
https://www.drpower.com/Power-Equipment/Lawn-Mowers/Walk-Behind-Mowers/DR-Self-Propelled-Lawn-Mower/p/WM15030DMN?gsa=true&ctm_id=WM15030DMN0&src=AW1BA9FXE4163309&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI07C3r6rH8gIVgbeGCh0gwQZLEAQYASABEgKF1_D_BwE


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## Amoo316 (Jul 8, 2021)

My big concern with that machine is they are self branding that engine which means it's probably a China special. Also no information on who makes the drive motor. No information on ground speed. How long is an all aluminum deck going to last? Is 4" high enough for how you maintain your TTTF? How would you get this machine serviced if something breaks/goes wrong?

Blade tip speed looks good. Engine Displacement looks good for the generic engine.

Main concern from me would be long term durability and parts availability if something does go wrong.

Dunno if there is room in the budget to get here from there but as a comparable higher quality option:
https://www.scag.com/product/walk-behind-mowers/sfc30/

Brand name engine and Hydro. All steel deck. Cutting height up to 5". Local dealer for service likely. More likely to last as long as you need it to.

For a difference of $700 I think it would last a lot longer based on build components. I also know they offer financing if needed.

I think the machine you linked would work for your needs, my biggest concern would be durability.


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## MasterMech (Sep 24, 2017)

Amoo316 said:


> My big concern with that machine is they are self branding that engine which means it's probably a China special. Also no information on who makes the drive motor. No information on ground speed. How long is an all aluminum deck going to last? Is 4" high enough for how you maintain your TTTF? How would you get this machine serviced if something breaks/goes wrong?
> 
> Blade tip speed looks good. Engine Displacement looks good for the generic engine.
> 
> ...


While I don't care for the chassis - the front wheels look like they may become a durability concern, I wouldn't give demerits for the self-branded, likely Chinese, engine or the cast-aluminum deck. Both are well proven, albeit manufacturer dependent, on other platforms.

@Rolling Hills, DR's biggest weakness is their lack of a dealer network. The equipment itself is decent, however most of the negative experience is due to the difficulty and reluctance of getting a "dealer" to perform warranty work. Buyer beware is all.


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## Ngilbe36 (Jul 23, 2020)

MasterMech said:


> Amoo316 said:
> 
> 
> > My big concern with that machine is they are self branding that engine which means it's probably a China special. Also no information on who makes the drive motor. No information on ground speed. How long is an all aluminum deck going to last? Is 4" high enough for how you maintain your TTTF? How would you get this machine serviced if something breaks/goes wrong?
> ...


Oddly enough, I actually did an internship at the DR Power assembly plant in Vermont before they shut it down. It is/was a great local business that built quality products. The products are geared towards larger properties but the quality is not anything amazing IMO. Most of the parts are come from China and were just assembled in the US. The QC at DR was pretty good though. I guess my immediate advice would be that DR is good stuff but is a little expensive for what it really is.


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## Rolling Hills (Jul 21, 2021)

Thanks for the constructive feedback all! The Scag mower is nice but it's just too far outside my price range at the moment. I think it probably makes sense to call around to some local dealers to ask if they would service DR Power mowers before pulling the trigger.

Is there a preferred time during the year to get a discount deal on mowers? I.e. late fall into winter when manufacturers probably want to offload their remaining inventory?


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