Practical and expensive solution to cutting slopes
Jack Bridge
Posts: 4
Hi,
I am currently in my third year of product design and looking into developing an easier in-expensive solution to cutting slopes and ditches for the general public. If I can take a moment of your time would you mind answering a few questions for the research part it would really help and I would be extremely grateful!
If you have ever had to deal with the task of cutting slopes on a steep incline, what sort of issues come with doing it?
What sort of machinery or tools did you use for the job?
What drawbacks were there with using the tools or machinery you had?
If a product were to be developed for cutting steep slopes, what characteristics or features should it have to improve it for the job?
What do you believe would be the ideal set up of the machinery for tackling the task e.g. blade/ strimmer cable, pulleys for extended reach down the hill etc?
What sort of power assistance would you recommend best for the job out of battery motor, petrol or a manual method?
Are there any issues to consider when working alone?
What sort of vegetation is most commonly in need of being controlled?
Once again thank you for your time, it will be a great help.
Posts
Grassed slopes are dangerous http://www.lynnnews.co.uk/news/local/latest-local-news/roll-bar-could-have-prevented-sandringham-lake-accident-1-5830886
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
We used to have a steeply sloping bank about 2 metres high down one side of our garden. We cut it using a hover mower and a strimmer but it was always a lethal exercise. OH took over a few years back when I refused to do it any more but we finally resorted to terracing the bank last winter and it has been a very beneficial change.
What you need is something with which you can cut the grass without actually having to set foot on the slope. Maybe something remote controlled? But that would probably not be inexpensive.
I have cut many grass slopes but a lot depends on what you are cutting / how steep the slope is, then you would pick your machine. I used light 25cc strimmers ( which are probably the easiest to use on steep slopes) 50cc brush cutters - lawnmowers with or without collecter or specially designed bank mowers.
I wouldn't consider anything but for petrol machines, nylon line for strimmers 99% of the time very rarely I have ever had to use a blade on anything that 3mm nylon line wouldn't cut.
If you slip while working alone and break your leg for example that could be a problem.
Thanks for everybody's responses, it should all hopefully be of some use! The idea is to compile everyones suggestions to hopefully develop something to combat the problem.
I looked after a garden on 4 levels with steep slopes of roughly 3m in height.
I attached ropes to a petrol flymo and lowered it and basically dragged it back and forward.
don't tell H&S though
I was just going to say the same Hosta, when we lived in Kent we used to take the kids to Dover castle quite often, the grass slopes there are huge going down to what was the moat, and the men did just that, tied ropes on hover mowers and let them down and pulling back up on the ropes.
great minds
Sheep or geese - much the best solution
Probably not much help to Jack though
Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.
What sort of power assistance would you recommend best for the job out of battery motor, petrol or a manual method? I would say some sort of caliper will resolve this.
Are there any issues to consider when working alone?
yes there are many issues for example, being lonely.
What sort of vegetation is most commonly in need of being controlled? Grass?
These days, that job of cutting grass at Dover would not be allowed to be done alone. Nothing is, always out in two's except my OH, who goes it alone.