It doesn’t matter if you’re a homeowner or a professional gardener when it comes to mowing on banks. You need the right equipment for the job and this will be a hover mower. You just can’t use conventional 4 wheeled lawnmowers in this setting. Not only are they impractical they would prove to be dangerous.
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Now depending on where the bank is can determine which category of hover mower is the most suitable. Hover mowers are currently available in mains electric or petrol engine models. For steep banks it is always recommended to use a petrol model so strain isn’t placed on power cables being pulled up and down. With a hover mower you mow in a side to side motion which is better for cutting banks.
Let’s start with a few practical and common sense reasons why traditional four wheel mowing isn’t suitable for banks.
- All 4 wheels will be unable to stay in contact with the
ground.
- You can’t walk behind a lawnmower on a steep bank,
horizontally or vertically.
- The engines aren’t designed to be used on a steep angle so
the fuel can run out or the oil will seep into other areas.
- It’s dangerous! Trying to hold onto a piece of power
equipment with a blade while keeping yourself upright is just plain daft. At
the least you’ll lose the mower off the bottom of the bank at the worst you
could seriously injure yourself, hands, arms, legs and toes. They have been
cases off people losing toes by doing this.
Now the good bit. Choosing the correct mower is simple. They are several very good brands of hover lawnmower on the market and there is sure to be one to suit your lawn and price bracket.
We have listed below our recommendations based on bestsellers, performance and value for money. All our hover mowers are suitable for cutting banks up to a 45 degree angle. Anything steeper than this and you should really contact a specialist gardener / landscaper for advice.
Toro HoverPro 400 Petrol Mower
Good for smaller areas (up to 25 degree slope) with its 16” (40cm) cutting width and 57cc Honda engine. Lightweight but strong polymer mowing deck keeps the overall weight down to 12.5kg. The Hoverpro 400 uses nylon line which can be changed easily. We recommend using a 3mm diameter mowing line for the best cutting performance. Nice soft grip handle which can be folded up for storing when space is tight. Toro have a worldwide brand and also own Hayter so have an incredibly good reputation for quality and performance.
Our best value petrol hover mower by far is this Airmow 51. A wider cut at 20” (51cm) it uses the highly reliable Cobra engine and a metal blade. Even with the metal blade and ABS deck the machine still only weighs 17kg. What helps to make this hover mower even more attractive is the transport wheel kit. It comes included as standard where other brands only offer it as an optional extra to buy. A wheel kit is very handy for moving the mower up and down steps or along the ground without carrying. It then gets clipped up out of the way when mowing.
Toro HoverPro 550 Petrol Mower
Bigger cut bigger performance! The HoverPro 550 has the largest cutting width at 21” (53cm) with a Honda 160cc engine and metal blade. Great power to weight ratio for ‘hovering’ It still has the lightweight, sturdy ABS polymer deck as metal decks weigh hover mowers down so they don’t hover effectively. An ABS deck also won’t rust so can be maintained for years. Honda was the first to develop an engine which could be fitted to a hover mower for slope cutting. Toro make a transport wheel kit and extension handles for this model. The extension handles provide additional length to the existing handle bars. Another plus for slopes and banks.
Final Thoughts
So there you have it a quick guide to mowing steep slopes and banks. Stay Safe! Go with a petrol hover mower so you can cut in a side to side motion. Buy the right mower for the job. Cheapest or alternatively biggest isn’t always the right choice. A small amount of time doing research can save you time and money in the long run.
For tips on how to maintain your petrol lawnmower over winter, read our blog post here.