{"id":1471,"date":"2024-02-23T19:48:06","date_gmt":"2024-02-23T06:48:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lawnmowing101.com\/?p=1471"},"modified":"2024-02-28T08:58:25","modified_gmt":"2024-02-27T19:58:25","slug":"how-steep-can-you-mow-with-a-push-lawn-mower","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lawnmowing101.com\/how-steep-can-you-mow-with-a-push-lawn-mower\/","title":{"rendered":"How steep can you mow with a push lawn mower?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

How steep can you mow with a push lawn mower?<\/h1>\n\n\n\n

While it is nice to stand on a deck and look at a lovely lawn that slopes off down a hill, it\u2019s not so nice to be the one who has to mow that up steep hill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I once mowed a lawn that was a little too steep. I always felt I was on the verge of losing the mower, and I was so happy when my customer landscaped it and put it in a retaining wall. That made my day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, just how steep can you mow with a push mower? Most push mower manuals specify a range from 15-20 degrees, depending on the engine. If you wear good boots, cut the lawn when it is dry, and mow across, then a 20-degree lawn is mowable. Stop immediately if you start getting any blue smoke, as the slope is too steep. The image below shows a 20-degree angle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"20<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

I have learned over the years that there is a right and a wrong way to mow a slope. You can damage your mower or even hurt yourself if you do not do it right. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The dangers.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Most mowers are four-stroke, meaning they have a reservoir for the oil. If your mower has a dipstick, it will not do well on slopes. It\u2019s a four-stroke. These machines are not designed to tilt to the side. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you mow a steep hill on too much of an angle, you will be alternating between flooding the air filter and the muffler with oil. This will stop your air filter from working, and every time you flood your muffler, you will get clouds of smoke. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you continue (assuming the mower keeps going), you will reduce the amount of oil in the sump of the mower. If that oil gets too low, it can overheat your engine, causing it to seize. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another problem is that your mower may start missing while you are working. This can be caused by the gas tank being low on fuel due to the fuel tipping away from the feeder tube. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

How can you mow a steeper lawn?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

First and most importantly, if you have problems walking up the slope, you shouldn\u2019t mow it. Pass on the job. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you use a four-stroke, the only way to effectively mow a slop like that without damaging the mower is to mow straight up and down the slop. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unfortunately, this is also the most unsafe way to mow a slope. You should mow across a slope to reduce the chances of slipping. Pushing a mower up a hill is dangerous because if you slip, then the mower can roll back on top of you. You risk losing control of the mower or slipping down a hill. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

One way to make yourself a little safer is to wear boots with cleats<\/a> to help with traction. This will help stability greatly, but it is still not ideal.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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