Welcome to the Forum ... Theo's Better Half!
If my wife was worried about me tipping a mower over into the pond, she might just go and check if the life insurance policy was paid up.
All kidding aside, we would hate to lose Theo on the forum and in the world.
IMO, (not even seeing the situation) there is always a slight danger mowing on slopes. Being next to water adds another potential risk factor.
A few years back, we did have a very experienced member tip an ATV over into his pond, and he did suffer a very scary experience.
Can we just throw out possible solutions as Theo's buddies and see if any of them are mutually palatable at the Gallus homestead?
Would it be unsightly to just leave one strip of un-mowed grass around the pond? That might actually be a slight benefit to catch windblown leaves and maybe some grass thatch during heavy rains and keep those organics out of the pond. He can back in the mower to create a few clear paths to pond edge for fishing access, feeding, etc.
My property has almost zero steep slopes, so I am nearly worthless on slope safety protocols. (But I am always happy to brainstorm 10 wacky ideas before dinner.)
I can't remember, does Theo weld? Could he weld an outrigger arm to the tractor frame, or make a bolt-on that is easier to take on and off than the sickle bar? Do the regular mowing, and then place a weight in the outrigger for the last steep strip?
Could you build a tiny berm at the edge of the pond to exactly offset the natural slope? If you made the last strip level the width of the tractor tires, he could safely race around the pond once the grass was re-established.
Hopefully, our members with sloped properties can throw out some better ideas.
