Picking the best lawn mower suited for steep slopes or big hills is an absolute must because what goes uphill also goes down!
Three important factors to consider are: how steep is the slope, how big are your hills, and how strong are you? Some mowers weigh 20 or 30kg and need to be held upright due to petrol flooding and take some strength to control.
Whilst flatter areas can be mown with most self-propelled petrol lawnmowers or ride-on mowers, you’ll need to use a mower specifically designed for slopes if you’ve got a lot of steep hills. Most lawn mower manufacturers will list the maximum incline that their mower can handle.
Walk-behind mowers are usually good up to a 20-degree incline, and ride-on mowers will work safely up to 15 degrees.
With a push mower, a slope that is between 15 and 20 degrees can be mowed. A lighter mower will be easier to steer on slopes and it is best to mow across the slope, rather than up and down it. A ride-on mower with power steering will allow you to mow at a greater angle, but it can be less safe.
Having a grass collection box on your mower makes slope mowing that much easier. Given slopes can be tricky, the extra investment is worth it in making life just that little bit easier.
Hover mowers
For small gardens with mid to steep slopes, let’s start with a mid-range hover mower that’s not too heavy and easy to manoeuvre.
A popular, price-performance hover model is the Cobra AirMow which comes with two Samsung 5Ah lithium batteries that provide an impressive 80v of cutting power and will mow for up to 45 minutes. Designed to float and glide across sloped lawns, the 51cm / 20” cutting width will safely mow at angles of up to 45°.
Increasing in popularity is the robot mower. Once you have gone through the initial installation, you can expect the rest of your automated mowing to be virtually maintenance-free. Once set up it can be released to spend the rest of the day cutting the grass and giving you time to do all the other tasks, or just relax! The robot only needs charging occasionally thanks to its long-life battery.
Two keenly priced popular models are the fun-looking Mowbot and AL-KO Robolink.
Another way to attack a slope is with a self-propelled lawn mower.
Self-propelled for effortless mowing
If the slopes are shallow and you have a big area to cover, a powerful self-propelled petrol lawn mower is a good choice and will make life easier. Being self-propelled doesn’t mean it’ll start running away from you. The gearing on these models help you maintain a decent consistent speed up or downhill. Having 4 variable speeds to choose from is a real bonus, especially when you don’t want to march uphill at a rapid rate.
A popular battery powered self-propelled mower is the EGO LM2135 with all the features you expect from a petrol mower but with the environmental advantage of a re-chargeable 56-volt 7.5Ah battery.
The EGO LM cordless lawnmower is exceptionally quiet so zero noise pollution. The convenient push button starter starts the motor in seconds. This model has a variable speed drive allowing the mower to do all the strenuous work for you. The cutting speed is automatically controlled to provide the maximum battery running time whilst still maintaining the best cutting performance.
The Cobra MX515SPBI is a petrol, rotary, four-wheel lawn mower with a 51cm cutting width, power drive and 5-speed gearbox. With its four mowing options you can cut and collect clippings directly into the 60-litre grass bag.
Using the mulch plug in the rear of the mower enables it to cut and re-cut the grass cuttings into very fine pieces which are blown back onto the lawn where they virtually disappear. As the pieces are re-absorbed through the soil, they provide extra nutrients and moisture for the grass roots. This method is recommended for use in drier conditions on shorter length grass.
Without the grass collector, the cuttings are discharged to the rear of the mower directly onto the ground. If you have longer grass areas where the cuttings can be left to wilt back this is a good option. A side discharge chute places the grass cuttings in neat lines alongside the machine as you mow, ideal to longer grass and informal areas.
For gardens with a larger surface area, consider riding mowers. As these can be a significant investment you need to be sure it can handle the gradient you need safely. Look for a compact tractor or lawn tractor with traction-supporting features, such as a differential locking option on the wheels or a low profile that is less likely to tip over.
Here are two best-selling, price/performance models to look at.
The popular Mountfield 827H is a superb ride-on mower ideal for green spaces with restricted access to lawn areas or where there are trees or flower beds to negotiate. It can easily handle areas up to 3000 square metres.
The 827H uses a hydrostatic (automatic) transmission to simplify the mowing experience. Efficient reliable power comes from the Stiga ST250 ES engine and has a fuel tank capacity of 3.8 litres allowing you to mow for hours without stopping.
It has a big 150 litre grass collection box which can be emptied from the driving seat using a lever, compact cutting width of 66 cm and a cutting height that can be adjusted to 6 different positions ranging from 30 to 76 mm. A mulch kit is also available.
The Solo by AL-KO R7-63.8 offers a high quality, compact riding lawn mower with a reliable AL-KO engine. The cutting width of 62cm (24”) makes it ideal for medium / large lawns and gardens where restricted access can prove a problem and has a convenient step through design. The manual transmission has 4 forward and 1 reverse gear and with the offset deck you can mow up close to the edge of the lawn.
At the top end of the market is the EGO Power Plus Z6 ZT4201E-L Battery Powered 56V Zero Turn Ride-On Mower
Zero turn ride on mowers effectively give you a zero turning radius so are perfect for precision mowing in larger areas. A favourite in parks and other professional working zones.
The EGO Z6 is the first battery-powered tractor which can be used with any combination of the EGO 56v lithium batteries, to match or exceed the power and performance of a petrol engine. Any combination of the EGO ARC Lithium™ batteries can be used to power the tractor. Needing a minimum of 15Ah to function you can use any combination of the 2.5Ah, 4.0Ah, 5.0Ah, 7.5Ah, 10.0Ah or 12.0Ah to achieve this. The Z6 can cover up to 2.5 acres on a single charge of six 12Ah batteries.
Safety first & reduce risk
- Adding more weight to the mowers per the instructions in the operator’s manual
- Ensure you have the correct tyres with better traction and ability to redistribute weight
- Speak to your garden machinery experts about any extra safety features
- Read the manufacturer’s manual thoroughly before operating your ride-on tractor on a hill for the first time. Lawn mowers and tractors often come with controls that must be adjusted to appropriately operate on slopes.
Top tips for slope mowing
- Whatever make and model lawnmower or riding mower you choose for slope mowing, consider:
- Optimum visibility. Avoid mowing a hill when it is in the shade or getting dark outside. This reduced visibility will make it harder to spot obstacles, which can increase the chances of an issue.
- Avoid mowing extremely wet or dry grass. The grass needs to be not too wet and not too dry. Otherwise, it will compromise the riding mower’s ability to maintain traction and can pose extra risk. Wet grass especially can get stuck into the tread of the tyres and cause them to lose some of their grip.
- Take it slow. A lower speed makes it easier to maintain control of the lawnmower.
Go straight up and down the slope. not across the face of slopes where it can more easily tip over.
Avoid starting, stopping, and turning on the slope. Instead, do this on the most level ground possible, and consider where it might be safe to do so before climbing or descending a hill. - For safety, do not attempt to mow steep slopes greater than 15 degrees.
- If stopping on a slope is unavoidable, make sure to engage the parking brake. When restarting, use the lowest possible speed.
- If turning on a slope is necessary, exercise caution when changing direction and always turn downhill.
- If using the optional bagger, use extreme caution and operate the mower slowly when operating on slopes, as bagging can change the stability of the mower.
Call the Mowers-Online sales office to talk with our experts about your requirements and the best mowers for your garden, slope, and budget.