How to Determine if a Yard Slope Is Mowable

Mowing a steep lawn can be dangerous, especially on a riding lawn mower. Newer lawn mowers are manufactured with Operator Presence Control (OPC), which can help ensure your safety when mowing on a slope, according to the Minnesota Safety Council. For walk-behind mowers, the OPC forces the mowing blade to stop within three seconds of the blade control's being released. On riding mowers, the OPC instantly stops the engine if the operator falls from or leaves the seat. Despite these safety measures, you should know when to avoid mowing a sloping lawn.

Instructions

- 1
  Measure the slope of your yard. The easiest way to measure the slope of your yard is to calculate the height difference between level ground and the highest point of the slope, as well as the length of the slope you will be mowing, according to RoboMow.com. Divide the height by the length and multiply the result by 100. The resulting percentage is the slope of your yard.
- 2
  Calculate whether it is safe to mow your yard's slope. According to the Minnesota Safety Council, you should never operate a riding lawn mower at slopes over 15 degrees, or about 27 percent. For slopes lower than 27 percent but greater than 8 percent, you should operate riding lawn mowers and walk-behind mowers up and down the slope, never across.
- 3
  Purchase a remote-controlled lawn mower if you cannot safely mow the slope of your yard. More than 77,000 people were treated in emergency rooms in 2006 for accidents involving lawnmowers, according to a George Mason University study. If you calculate that the slope of your lawn is too steep to mow, do not risk it.

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