Do I Need 4-Wheel Drive? Husqvarna 2WD Garden Tractor Surprises, Mowing Tall Weeds on Steep Hills

[@jimharvard]

i have the same Husky and it will literally mow any grass/weeds that it can knock down. i recently mowed an acre lot with weeds at least 6' high along with 12" high grass and the Husky went through it. AND - i was mowing UP HILL with it!! this lot had a slope of at least 12 degrees. i had to "get a run for it" when crashing through the weeds. however, once i was able to clear a path, the Husky kept mowing each side with no problem. i still have the turf tires on the tractor and will be installing tractor tires soon. the electric diff lock on this little machine works great!

[@outdoorsinoregon]

Exactly. I had tractor tires on my previous mower, and it helped a lot.

[@kimbelesky1971]

For mor traction just put lug tires on the back. Those terf tire are not designed for great traction. I have the same husqvarna mower. I put the lug tire on it. Combined with the locking differential. Mine will go anywhere.

[@BSS22193]

So agree! I have done it one of my lawn tractors. Another alternative is to use snow blower tires like for example Carlisle X Trac tires because they also have very good traction.

[@NCDude-hg3no]

Nice, Thanks.

[@GibsonAviation]

did you change the sprind on mower?

[@outdoorsinoregon]

What is a "sprind"?

[@GibsonAviation]

@@outdoorsinoregon spring, sorry

[@outdoorsinoregon]

@@GibsonAviation No

[@ourv9603]

My property kicks up so much dust in the summer I mow in a pair of white paper coveralls, full face shield, a ballcap & the hood on the coveralls up & tied under my chin. !

[@outdoorsinoregon]

🙂

[@franzsailer2674]

How steep was the Hill?

[@outdoorsinoregon]

Well, I haven't measured it, but sections are steep enough that I can't make it to the top if the grass is any taller or wetter. The ground is also very uneven, which causes a lack of traction. It's better suited for 4 wheel drive, but this tractor with a locking diff can complete the job under the right conditions.

[@sootrattlerolloff-road1415]

Already sounds like there is an imbalance going on in that deck. Whatever is doing that, if not corrected, you will likely wear bearing or two, if that isn't what's already going on.

[@samkaplitz9036]

Rear tires need less air I like them "soft" when you put your foot on them.Better traction.

[@wildbill23c]

Looked like when you were coming up the hill every time you were getting hung up the deck was dragging on the ground...that is your traction issue.

[@outdoorsinoregon]

Right. The deck's in it's highest position, and it's not actually hitting hard ground, but rather running into the weeds as they get pushed over. Adding some momentum helps to get over that hump, but I wish the deck would raise a bit higher than it does. It has thick steel protection covering the pulleys, which limits its up travel. I don't have this issue in my yard where I have an even steeper hill because the grass gets cut much more frequently.

[@sirmichael7155]

Put water in tires.

[@sawyerbennett8227]

Need better resr tires not 4wd lol

[@jspope2008]

Seems to struggle on the tall grass 🤷🏼‍♂️

[@outdoorsinoregon]

This was about the limit of this tractor. If the weeds were any taller, I'd need to use my bigger tractor with 4wd for those hills.

[@Chef-James]

Might discharge and mow better, fewer stragglers, if the side chute was jettisoned completely.

[@phillipwhite9907]

Stupid to use this mower when u have a great 4x4 Kubota

[@outdoorsinoregon]

Many reasons why I might choose one mower over the other on any particular day. To say that the decision was stupid would presume you know the reason(s) behind the decision. Since I didn't tell you the reason(s) for using my garden tractor instead of my sub-compact tractor on this particular day, I'm not clear what basis you have for concluding that it was a stupid decision.

[@phillipwhite9907]

This. Mower won't last for long in these conditions

[@outdoorsinoregon]

6 years so far and no signs of undue stress or related issues. This is not a light duty yard tractor. It has a commercial grade engine, heavy duty transmission, heavy duty mower deck, bolt-on wheels, etc.