Buying Advice Minimum $$ investment to mow 3 ac of pasture

[yelbike]

I think Bigfoot gave you the best advice you can get.

OK, now we know how to help you. (help you spend your money, that is)
So, you don't really want to know the minimum investment to mow 3 acres. What you want is, someone to justify your purchase of a new toy, right? :laughing:
Question: Are you just trying to convince yourself, or your wife?

Allright, I'll get serious. (for a minute or two anyway)
As many have suggested, a Ford 2000, 3000, or 2600, 3600 would be my pick. The 2x series will handle a 5' bushhog and the 3x will easily handle a 6'. If the ground is smooth enough, a 6' finish mower will cut closer, (more like a lawn mower) but it can't handle small trees and bushes like the bushhog.
As far as how to tell if the tractor is worth taking home, just a few basics:
Does it crank up easily (cold) and idle smoothly?
Any unusual smoke? (a brief puff of smoke immediately upon starting is normal, but the exhaust should clear up quickly) Also look at the crankcase ventilation blow-by. (slobber tube) Some blow-by is normal for a high-compression diesel engine. Excessive blow-by indicates a worn engine.
I wouldn't buy a tractor that I couldn't try out first. Depress the clutch pedal completely. Engage the PTO. Does it shift without grinding? Same for transmission. Gear grinding may indicate a worn-out clutch. With a bushhog, finish mower, tiller, etc, on the tractor worth the 3 pt hitch. Does the hitch raise smoothly and stay up? If it's really slow coming up, or leaks down, you could be looking at repairs to the hydraulic system.
The drivetrain and hydraulic system are the most expensive components. Other things can cost too. (I've discovered parts for 18 wheelers, motorcycles, or tractors cost WAY more than they should) You'll also want to look at the tires. (a rear tire for a 3000 will run $500 or more) Check for leaking fluids. (oil, hyd, coolant, fuel) Do the brakes work? (that's important too)

If you can, take someone with you that has experience with tractors. Even if you had to give a mechanic a Frankin, it might save you $ down the road.
As with buying ANYTHING used, it's still a roll of the dice. Kind of like getting married. You never really know what she's gonna be like till you bring her home.

Or, you can skip all of the guesswork and just buy a new tractor. And, trade it in before the warranty runs out.

 

[yelbike]

I think your question about damaging a mid mount mower (mmm) on rough terrain can be summed up like this. A mmm craftsmen type mower will be destroyed before the warranty is up. A mmm on a Kubota type machine are far superior to the craftsmen(not even the same league). the Kubota type mmm will stand up but its not the best either. A 3ph mower will be best. Bush hog is the right machine for rough areas. From my experience, I used a Farm king rear discharge rear mount 3pth mower to recover about 8 acres of coarse grass. It wasn't a pasture but not far from it either. After 2-3 years the grass was much nicer and thinner. I was able to spread dirt in the rough areas and now I use a zero turn mower. I don't know that's where you want to go. I think a rear finish mower will take care of your smooth and rough area. Keep in mind anything that's 3 ph mounted will not be nimble.

 

[jenkinsph]

Would this size tractor (for example) be adequate for this pasture? (this one is $7,500, but I am not so much concerned with whether it's a good deal but whether it's enough machine)

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I think that Kubota would be a poor choice for the field in the picture. Not enough ground clearance, get something with taller wheels, gear would be fine since it is open field mowing. Something like a Deere 790 comes to mind or similar Kubota, Massey or Ford. I mention the Deere 790 only because I am familiar with Deere models more than the other brands, these were cheap and simple tractors.

 

[D7E]

That field looks like it was potato rows that never got reworked and just grew back with wild grass . You might have a problem getting any one to cut that , I'd want to rip that up and level it .

 

[jenkinsph]

That field looks like it was potato rows that never got reworked and just grew back with wild grass . You might have a problem getting any one to cut that , I'd want to rip that up and level it .

I was wondering about that too.
If it were to be smoothed with a land plane then the Kubota would work. I have never been a fan of flooding fields as it seems to be a waste of alot of water. I would say I am not familiar enough with the climate in this locale to pass judgement but it is very likely the OP could smooth this up and mow afterwards with just about anything.

 

[94BULLITT]

That field looks like it was potato rows that never got reworked and just grew back with wild grass . You might have a problem getting any one to cut that , I'd want to rip that up and level it .

That it what I was going to say. No need to beat a tractor or operator to death running over that.

 

[Soundguy]

mid mount finish mowers are harder to find for many machines.. though you might find a farmall with a IH belly mower. I have a cub with one.. a 44"'er

finish mowers will get beat up by rough pasture.

I'd simply get a 5' mower and just not tear around like speed racer when mowing the first pass around the perrimeter.

used tractor is like a used car.

test it.

start good?

oil pressure good?

seem to have power?

leaks?

steering good?

oil in water? water in oil?

ask to test it out.. pto, lift.. etc.

an honest seller won't balk at that type of request.

Thanks for the ideas! Now more questions...

I like the idea of smoothing out the pasture, but it is flood irrigated via gated pipe, so that isn't an option, correct?

I should add a couple details... I have an additional four or so acres of smoother pasture that I have been mowing with an *old* JD R72. (yeah, it takes a while) I didn't mention it because I figured anything that would do the rough pasture would do the smooth also, but there are a lot of enclosed areas and obstacles. That would be dealt with much more efficiently with an under mount mower, wouldn't it? Is the general consensus that ANY under mount mower is inadequate for a rough pasture? Maybe I should try to post a picture of it. Rough is a relative term.

So if I go with an old Ford or MF, how do know whether I am getting a solid machine or a dog that is past it's expiration date? I am not tied to a budget other than common sense. As was mentioned earlier, having someone mow it a couple times a year is too cheap, simple, and easy not to consider. (it's just not as fun) There is some number above which a tractor would cost more than the work is worth. I am not opposed to spending more, but it needs to be accounted for in the "toy" column and not the tool column. Part of my problem is figuring out what that number is...

 

[steamtrain]

OK, now we know how to help you. (help you spend your money, that is)
So, you don't really want to know the minimum investment to mow 3 acres. What you want is, someone to justify your purchase of a new toy, right? :laughing:
Question: Are you just trying to convince yourself, or your wife?

Allright, I'll get serious. (for a minute or two anyway)
As many have suggested, a Ford 2000, 3000, or 2600, 3600 would be my pick. ...

Great post, thanks! It's gonna get printed out. I will need to figure out what the "crankcase ventilation blow-by" is, lol.

Those are funny comments on the hay field! I am fairly sure it's supposed to be like that, and it doesn't look different than my neighbors. In fact, the previous owner mentioned he had it re-corrugated last year when we were walking around the place. My wife was reading your posts and said "YES!!" when she saw the idea of smoothing it out. Again, though, I don't know how that could work given the ditch irrigation. If any irrigation experts have an idea...

 

[CowboyRon]

For 3 acres a high end zero turn might work well for you.

 

[Soundguy]

if that's all he ever wated to do was mow grass.

I reccomend a nice padded chair and seatbelt if the pasture is as said... and it will beat the ztr to death