brush hogging hills

We all know you go up and down hills, never across a hill of any degree. But when brush hogging do you go down the hill head first or back down the hill. I'm in hte middle of my fall brush hogging and find backing down works best on my hilly terrain.

I go back down at the slighter slope, wherever it is, then do all the steepest on the way up.

we do slopes everyday we do not go down and up them we go along them side to side (across) most of ours are miles long...when we do go down them first make sure your brakes work...again we do these everyday so its up to the operator and the conidtions of the slope and how exp the operator is. most of our there is a deep deep deep canal at the bottom. next depends on the machine like which end has the most weight...we have gone down them forwards and backwards....my self if you have to come back up the same slope and there water at the bottom and can not turn around I would back down so you can get close to the water with the mower...just make sure you keep the mower close to the ground coming back up so not to flip.....sory I though that I had some pic of the tractor save on here but cant find them...

Doc said:

We all know you go up and down hills, never across a hill of any degree. But when brush hogging do you go down the hill head first or back down the hill. I'm in hte middle of my fall brush hogging and find backing down works best on my hilly terrain.

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what ever that makes you the most comfortable and the safest....like what olcowhand said just a little side angle will help alot..plus the way I do it when I back down them towards the water its always easlier for the towtruck to pull it back with the front bumper

howierd3866 said:

what ever that makes you the most comfortable and the safest....like what olcowhand said just a little side angle will help alot..plus the way I do it when I back down them towards the water its always easlier for the towtruck to pull it back with the front bumper

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That's some rig you got in those pics Howierd. Sure would come in handy around my pond.
I about resembled that statement about backing down so the tow truck could pull be up the hill easier. I saved it just in time, but it was at maximum pucker factor.

Olecowhand. I have a couple of sections of the hills I cannot make it back up. The terrain is rather bumpy and even with my 4wd I cannot make it up this grade ...I loose traction. Since I figured that out I always back down that one.

I should mention when I'm brush hogging I always have my FEL on the front. I use it to smash mutiflora and extreme brush & trees. Plus it helps balence the tractor. I feel safer going backwards with the FEL on.

Doc, you should leave your bucket tipped a bit, just in case you need it to stop you from sliding, should the need arise. I've use a bucket to stop a slide more than once. You must have some STEEP hills, as ours are very steep in places, but our 2WD make it up....but they are smooth.

I do keep the bucket at the ready "just in case". They are kinda steep. I'm just across the border from WV right on the Ohio River. Some of the WV hills didn't stop at the river they came on over here too. Much of SE Ohio is hilly like that.

Doc said:

I do keep the bucket at the ready "just in case". They are kinda steep. I'm just across the border from WV right on the Ohio River. Some of the WV hills didn't stop at the river they came on over here too. Much of SE Ohio is hilly like that.

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NOW I understand your hills!! Been through those parts.