Thanks to the Homemade Mower Access Steps designed and built by his mechanical engineer son Russ, Bob Manzke is able again to mow his Madison, WI-area farmstead acreage. The design the two eventually adopted was a steel-tubing frame that included two 71/2-inch steps running between two handrails. Once fabricated, the frame was tack-welded to the zero-turn mower's deck. To access, Bob climb up the steps, holding on to the railings, then turns around and lowers himself into the seat. Once seated, he pulls up (with a rope) the bottom step so it rests on the top step. When ready to get off, he simply kicks it back into place.