Do We Really Need to Ride the Mower?
3,609 views · Published 23 November 2017 · 5:59 · Indexed 28 September 2026
Channel: Tractor Mike · 2017 · Howto & Style
I recently attended the GIE Expo in Louisville, Kentucky, working for a magazine I write for, Rural Lifestyle Dealer. While attending, I wanted to see if it was an event I could recommend to my viewers, and if there was anything new coming that might be of interest. It turns out the show is really geared to lawn care and landscaping professionals. While there were a lot of products, like tractors and attachments, that my audience would enjoy seeing, they're really not the target of the show. There were commercial landscapers and mowing crews from all over the country there and the show is tailored to them. Consequently, there were several new and unique ways of grass cutting on display, at least one that addresses a problem for a lot of the folks who watch this channel. One question that I get asked frequently in comments on my videos is "How much of a slope can I safely mow on a tractor?" It's a topic I obviously won't touch because of liability issues and the difficulty in giving good safety advice over the Internet. My stock answer is, "If the slope worries you, don't mow there." The reality is, there are many factors determining what slopes can safely be mowed, including the center of gravity of the tractor, ground speed, ballast, wheel settings, and what's in the loader bucket and how high it is. There are solutions on the horizon that would make mowing slopes completely safe and I got to see one in action at the GIE Expo. It's called the Spider (here's a link to their website: http://www.slope-mower.com/) and it's a remote controlled mower that can navigate incredibly steep hills. With the operator weight off the machine and the engine and drive system positioned low to the ground; the stability increases drastically. This machine is not cheap, but if you have a steep hill that just HAS to be mowed, it may be a great option. It'll definitely get the attention of your neighbors and it attracted a lot of onlookers at the GIE show. I can see municipalities and highway departments who attempt to mow incredibly steep ground now with tractors and cutters (and occasionally dealing with a rollover) finding this an extremely viable option, and that's what the developer had in mind when he invented it. It's an intriguing machine and it makes you wonder how far away the day is when you'll no longer have need to be riding on the mower or tractor, getting covered with grass, breathing dust and pollen, and risking a rollover. By the way, if you're into mowing or landscaping, the GIE Expo in Louisville is a show you definitely want to go to. It's in October each year and it is HUGE! It's maybe not exactly the show for the rural lifestyle person, but if you're thinking about building a patio, finding the latest way to cut grass, or especially if you have a commercial mowing company, DON'T MISS THIS SHOW!!! SUPPORT THE TRACTOR MIKE CHANNEL: https://www.patreon.com/TractorMike Visit the Tractor Mike website: http://asktractormike.com/ Subscribe to YouTube Channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/tractormike?sub_confirmation=1 Visit Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/Ask-Tractor-Mike-312112962245304/ Buy Stuff I Use: https://www.amazon.com/shop/tractormike Copyright 2017 Tractor Mike, LLC
