[retiredboss]

I forgot about the Steiner! The Husqvarna R322T is like a light-duty poor man's version of the Steiner.

The cheapest slope mower you're going to find will be an old walk-behind push mower, if you have the time and energy. The ones with high wheels in the back are the most maneuverable, but I don't think they make those anymore, and definitely not self-propelled on the rear wheels (the front wheels won't have enough weight on the slopes). Heck, my Honda pusher spins the wheels going up any decent slope.... still have to push it, just not as hard!

Growing up on the farm, we baled hay on slopes approaching 30°. We set the wheels as far out on the axle as we could, and had them filled with fluid. Ag bar tires are also key here. One of my jobs was to walk behind the small round baler while Dad baled the hay.... I had to catch the bale when it popped out of the baler, then turn it perpendicular to the slope so that it wouldn't roll down the hill. Ah, the smell of fresh-cut alfalfa!

Thats how I grew up too. 1950's Case equipment. I can't walk well anymore but I can lean...but not well either.

 

[retiredboss]

T


That's a tough one. Best long-term solution may be landscaping / xeriscaping, and maybe put down some artificial grass where you want.

The newer cordless weedwhackers are starting to get decent. My old Echo won't give up the ghost, though.

Altoz makes a tracked ZTR, but then you're talking $13k.

Subcompact tractor is probably best overall answer, one that you can move the wheels out on the axle and fill tires with fluid. You just need enough other stuff to do with it to justify it - resale should be decent, too.

At least the 322T is affordable with some flexibility to be used here year round! THX!!!

 

[longboat]

Thats how I grew up too. 1950's Case equipment. I can't walk well anymore but I can lean...but not well either.

Our combines were pull-behind Case (with a Wisconsin motor that took forever to start and keep running), balers were Allis Chalmers, all were pulled behind AC WD45 tractors. One of the reasons Dad like the WD45 tractors was because they had a hand clutch, so he could start us kids out driving when we were still too little to push the foot clutch. I started driving tractor at age 6.

 

[Pleease]

I’ve looked at Steiner but it’s too rich for me. To mow 2.6 acres twice a YEAR for a Cadillac of mowers would be a waste. Even if I could afford it!!

Same here - hard to justify (let alone pay for, lol) a dedicated slope mower like that, awesome as they are, unless it's used frequently. Or if the government were buying it, they'd get two!

Mowing vertically my BX1880 will cut a steeper hill than I would be comfortable driving up....I'd chicken out before it reached its limit. It's a virtual billy goat up-and-down in 4wd low gear, which is the mode I'm almost always in. They're not cheap either though, especially now. In 2018 mine was about 12k, including the mower deck and front end loader (FEL adds a couple thousand, but so very useful), but it's a diesel and these tractors tend to last a long time.

Mowing laterally it's fairly tippy, though my rear tires are "filled". I have wheel spacers that I haven't added yet, and those should help. There's a debate on the lateral limit in my Kubota BX group - some guys saying they've done 30 degrees, which is nuts IMO.

 

[Pleease]

At least the 322T is affordable with some flexibility to be used here year round! THX!!!

As noted, I have a 322T too. It is super nimble, and with the deck out front you can really see what you're cutting. You can get a snow blade for them, if that helps you at home (I don't have one). Also it's about 1000# lighter than the little Kubota tractor - much easier to trailer.

 

[retiredboss]

Thanks Pleease!

 

[Clayton Gripslee]

The 2022 Rivian R1T Is the Most Remarkable Pickup We’ve Ever Driven

Yep, we drove it. Are you ready for the electric truck revolution?

www.motortrend.com

Besides the price tag i love everything about the Rivian

 

[JGeske]

Why in the hell does a vehicle that no longer needs a massive front mounted engine still increase in size?! I could understand height for the skateboard, but the length vs bed length numbers are killing me. The F150 Lightning is ever so slightly longer than existing crew cab 5.5 bed F150s. Why???!!?? Yeah, the frunk is impressive - but if anything you could have trimmed a couple of inches off and kept the bed the same size. It's almost 2 feet, FEET, longer than the Ridgeline. The R1T is 7 inches longer than the Ridgeline, yet I'd lose almost 10 inches of bed length!!??

Dear Honda, please drop the Ridgeline body onto an EV skateboard so I can be happy.

If you think that is ridiculous, check out the Canoo EV truck. It is only 184" long, as it did cut off un-needed front end. Half of its length is cab, making you think it will have amazing interior space, but it is a 2 seater with small storage area behind the seats. IT HAS A CAB 7 FEET LONG AND IS 2 SEATS! It is a shame because of all of the EV trucks, the Canoo and Rivian are my favorites in terms of innovative features (granted I would prefer they be hybrid than EV, but that is another issue entirely), but they both completely fail in different ways. The Canoo wastes the opportunity to be a crew cab, and the Rivian could easily shrink the Frunk/Hood or the pass-through storage and be a full foot shorter in length while being enormously practical.

I personally think an EV truck layout similar to a "Cab Over" design would be the ideal to get max cab and bed in the shortest length. Think an electric Dodge A100 Pickup in crew cab or the Jeep Forward Control FC150, only make it look nice.

 

[Clayton Gripslee]

If you think that is ridiculous, check out the Canoo EV truck. It is only 184" long, as it did cut off un-needed front end. Half of its length is cab, making you think it will have amazing interior space, but it is a 2 seater with small storage area behind the seats. IT HAS A CAB 7 FEET LONG AND IS 2 SEATS! It is a shame because of all of the EV trucks, the Canoo and Rivian are my favorites in terms of innovative features (granted I would prefer they be hybrid than EV, but that is another issue entirely), but they both completely fail in different ways. The Canoo wastes the opportunity to be a crew cab, and the Rivian could easily shrink the Frunk/Hood or the pass-through storage and be a full foot shorter in length while being enormously practical.

I personally think an EV truck layout similar to a "Cab Over" design would be the ideal to get max cab and bed in the shortest length. Think an electric Dodge A100 Pickup in crew cab or the Jeep Forward Control FC150, only make it look nice.

im in full agreement on the cabover EV truck, i would love that and buy one tomorrow

 

[RidgeSki]

Parked next to a Rivian today - really liked the size and functionality of it - would love to see the Ridgeline offer a hybrid or electric option to compete.

 

[Pleease]

Hey, look at the NART guy doing RT things .

Thanks for sharing - both trucks look good. Agree - I'd like a hybrid option to get the electric power while keeping good range.

 

[zroger73]

Ford has stopped taking reservations for the F-150 Lightning. The wait time is now about 3 years.

 

[Sparkland]

5,000 proposed charging stations to be built across the United States, and they will power these nice units from Toyota - a Compact Cruiser and a Tacoma. Fairly certain there will be an electric RL, if the model continues to be produced.

https://jalopnik.com/toyotas-president-just-revealed-this-epic-electric-off-1848214609

 

[zroger73]

2022 F-150 Lightning ranges from $42K to nearly $100K.

For $42K, you basically get a "work truck" with vinyl seats and flooring and an AM/FM radio.

An XLT with the extended range battery is $74K.

 

[longboat]

Might as well add GM to the headliners. They'll be a year later, but look to have a better product than Ford, including a return to the "Avalanche" midgate. Might we see this truck in Honda guise in a few years?

2024 Chevy Silverado EV Pickup Is Here With 400 Miles of Range and an Avalanche-Style Midgate - The Fast Lane Truck

2024 Chevy Silverado EV Pickup Is Here With 400 Miles of Range and an Avalanche-Style Midgate. Here are all the details!

tfltruck.com

 

[Pleease]

Might as well add GM to the headliners. They'll be a year later, but look to have a better product than Ford, including a return to the "Avalanche" midgate. Might we see this truck in Honda guise in a few years?

2024 Chevy Silverado EV Pickup Is Here With 400 Miles of Range and an Avalanche-Style Midgate - The Fast Lane Truck

2024 Chevy Silverado EV Pickup Is Here With 400 Miles of Range and an Avalanche-Style Midgate. Here are all the details!

tfltruck.com

Like the midgate idea, but 1300# payload? Awful expensive NART at 104k, lol.

 

[14v6]

I just watched the premiere of that new Silverado. It looks cab forward which provides an almost 6 foot bed and the rear passenger room. It reminds me of a combo of an Avalanche and the new Hummer. They also had a shot of the new Equinox EV and a Blazer EV is coming soon. After having a hybrid for a few months I think that is the answer for the time being. However, if owning multiple vehicles, I'd be inclined to have hybrids and EV's and forego ICE altogether. This is how tech is changing the world. I'm afraid that Hemi, Cleveland, Windsor, SS396, L88 will be forgotten as us older folks fade away into history.

 

[Drakken]

Might as well add GM to the headliners. They'll be a year later, but look to have a better product than Ford, including a return to the "Avalanche" midgate. Might we see this truck in Honda guise in a few years?

2024 Chevy Silverado EV Pickup Is Here With 400 Miles of Range and an Avalanche-Style Midgate - The Fast Lane Truck

2024 Chevy Silverado EV Pickup Is Here With 400 Miles of Range and an Avalanche-Style Midgate. Here are all the details!

tfltruck.com

I love the flip up tailgate stop on that Silverado when the tailgate is down. A full bed extender is safer and even more useful, but that simple stop serves its purpose. The flip down seats that allow extra bed length for items like kayaks is also interesting. I have mixed emotions about how practical that feature is given that the cab is exposed to the elements (extreme heat and cold, bugs, rain, etc.), but it definitely pushes the boundaries of truck design.

 

[longboat]

I love the flip up tailgate stop on that Silverado when the tailgate is down. A full bed extender is safer and even more useful, but that simple stop serves its purpose. The flip down seats that allow extra bed length for items like kayaks is also interesting. I have mixed emotions about how practical that feature is given that the cab is exposed to the elements (extreme heat and cold, bugs, rain, etc.), but it definitely pushes the boundaries of truck design.

On another forum, someone mentioned that they always need to haul either kids or long stuff, but rarely at the same time. Many others agreed that they were in the same situation, and that the midgate would be a significant plus factor in their decision to buy.

The negatives I see are limited usefulness, as you alluded to, when it's freezing out or above 90°F*, or dusty conditions. I've heard of some folks getting dust through the midgate when driving on dirt roads.

I suspect Honda never entertained a midgate for the Ridgeline because they valued a strong barrier between the cargo compartment and the people compartment, as well as possibly wanting extra bracing for a strong unibody structure and maybe weight savings.

Overall, I think the benefits of a midgate outweigh the cons for a lifestyle truck.

I am mostly curious if we will see a version of this truck rebadged as a Honda. Or perhaps a significantly different variation? I'd hate to see the Ridgeline disappear altogether, though. If that happens, hopefully Toyota will have a unibody truck on the market by then.

* GM has generally been pretty good at providing robust HVAC systems, relative to Honda's offerings.

 

[Pleease]

The flip down seats that allow extra bed length for items like kayaks is also interesting. I have mixed emotions about how practical that feature is given that the cab is exposed to the elements (extreme heat and cold, bugs, rain, etc.), but it definitely pushes the boundaries of truck design.

Might be one of those features that sounds innovative but not used much...but gets the attention of buyers.

I have an old friend who has a band, and he hangs onto his Avalanche in part because he can cram so much band gear in there under his tonneau cover/into the cab.