Mowing a hill? Use your angles, the right way.
The anglePush mowers across, riders up and down
With a push mower, mow across the face of the slope, side to side. With a riding mower, go up and down, and only on gentle slopes. The safe direction depends on the machine.
The video for this angle is on its way.
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How to do it
- Walk the slope first and pick up anything the blade could throw.
- Push mower: start at the bottom and mow back and forth across the slope, working up.
- Riding mower: go straight up and down, never across, and only on gentle slopes.
- Avoid wet grass, which slides.
- If a slope feels too steep, it is. Use a string trimmer or plant ground cover.
Why it works
Across the slope, a person behind a push mower keeps solid footing and the mower can't roll back onto their feet. A riding mower driven across a slope can tip sideways, so up and down is safer. UGA Extension suggests push mowers on slopes up to about 20 degrees, and riding mowers only on slopes under 27 percent.
Questions
Why is it opposite for push and riding mowers?
Different risks. Push mower: slipping and the mower rolling back onto you. Riding mower: tipping sideways.
How steep is too steep?
Check your mower's manual. Many list a maximum slope, and some include a slope gauge.