Can I cut this with a lawn tractor?

[studor]

+1 on the lawn tractor -- looks positively manicured to me

 

[Gary Fowler]

The more trees and obstacles that you have, the more time you will save with lawn tractor vs CUT. I have 2 tractors and 2 bushhogs and I find that I can mow my place (11.2 acres with about 5 that I mow) faster with the 55" zero turn mower or the JD 54" lawn tractor than with either tractor 6' or 7' bush hog. I have a lot of trees and mowing around them with the tractor is mostly turning and crisscrossing already cut sections just to get a small patch and then end up using the lawnmower anyway to get around the trees some of which are so close together that the tractor wont go between them. Of couse I dont have all the weeds that you have, but after one cut, that should no longer be a problem. My take is to try it with the lawnmower but eventually get a tractor and bush hog or other type of mower as the homeowner class of lawnmowers are not designed to stand up to cutting 15 acres and unless you get a $15-20K commercial mower they will be toast in a short while. For that price or much less, you can have a nice CUT with FEL and a few other attachments

 

[k0ua]

I have some experience mowing 7 acres with a lawn tractor.that was kinda weedy like that. So less than half of what you are anticipating..Here is how it went. Started with an old rat mower like you are getting. an 8 hp 36 incher. It took about 3 days to mow the 7 acres and after a couple of times is when I bought the welder to keep gluing back on the parts, frame cracks, deck cracks, brackets etc.. The ground just beats the he!! out of these cheap small mowers. So bought a nice new 18 hp 48 inch Wards mower.. to take the brunt of the mowing, kept using the rat too. until it just fell apart too much to keep repairing. (transaxle, front sheetmetal axle, motor shot etc.) and then got a second lawn tractor. MTD 52 inch garden tractor. so used the wards and the MTD together (have a wife) and with both of us mowing with the bigger stronger machines, we were able to mow it in about 10 hours or so. All went well for a while, but the Wards started to fall apart soon too. (3 transaxle rebuilds) torque bracket broke. frame broke.. I was able to rebuild and weld and keep it going.. but it was broke more than it mowed after a while. And when the transaxle locked up it would just about throw you off of the darn thing. So told the wife the heck with this we are getting a tractor and 6 foot finish mower. So that is what we did.. traded in the MTD garden tractor on a Long 2360 with 6 foot mower. MUCH better. cut down the time to 1 guy about 10 hours. Later on traded for slick New Holland TC33DA with 5 foot BEFCO finish mower. with Hydrostat and SuperSteer. Wow. the smaller mower could be run faster, turn sharper, and mow around the trees much faster. now cut the time down to about 8 hours and had more fun doing it.:laughing: Of course I was out about 19000 dollars. But hey it is only money!.. The place looked like a park by that time. Nice grass, all the weeds and blackberry vines gone! Had a little trouble keeping people from stopping and trying to have picnics, because they think it is a public park but... So my advice to you.. sure give the little mower a try.. but don't expect it to last.. maybe OK once or twice. but if you try to mow at least once every 2 weeks like we did.. forget it. and get your pen out and sign on the dotted line and get the tractor mower combination you really need. just my 2 cents

James K0UA

 

[dablack]

Thanks guys. I know for sure the little mower is not going to last long and do the job right. Right now I just need it to clear some areas (probably two or three acres) and then get the tractor and bushhog ASAP.

thanks
Austin

 

[mjncad]

2 or 3 acres with the lawn tractor becomes doable; but it still probably won't last long cutting anything but grass.

 

[k0ua]

Hey look on the bright side: You can buy a welder and learn how to weld. A valuable skill

James K0UA

 

[dablack]

Just a little update to let everyone know how it went.

My elderly dad gave me a Western Auto Wizard (aka MTD yard machine) with a six speed and 12hp craftsman. I think it has a 32" deck. He went to try and start it up and the engine just about jumped out of the frame. He was missing all four engine to frame bolts. It was in pretty rough shape so it took a while to get it cleaned up and running right. He also gave me an old utility trailer. I rewired the trailer put in new wheel bearings, new wheels and tires, and a new wood deck. Finally got it all set up and took it to the property (30 acres) last weekend. I spent about four or five hours last weekend and about 10 hours on it this weekend. In some spots is was as high as the Wizard's hood. I checked some satalite photos and if an acre is 209' x 209' then I got 4 ot 5 acres done. Besides the tall grass there was lots of blackberry bushes and other thorny vines. I'm very pleased with the way it turned out and now that it is cut it won't take nearly as long to go over again. I'm hoping to cut it every two weeks. My last day out there I did finally hit a stick that jammed between the deck and blade. This bent the blade badly. Nothing I can't fix. Also, the deck was usually at full height and in the thick stuff I was in 1st gear and taking about a 10" bite every pass. Now you can actually walk most of the property without lifting your knees to your chest.

thanks
Austin

 

[mjncad]

You are a far more patient man than I ever will be.

 

[elturbobug]

That is some beautiful property you have there.

Great job on the mowing and choosing to use what you have.

With so many options out there today for equipment it is hard decision to use what you have and stay in budget. My hat is off to you.

P.S. get yourself a little trailer to pull behind that mower and take those kids for a ride. I know mine just love that. Makes going out to the property a whole lot more fun for them.

Rob
Boerne, TX

 

[k0ua]

Glad you got it mowed, and of course the next mowing will be some easier, You mower will give out some time, but maybe last for a while. This is a good time to be getting that welder. As you will be needing it later. Good luck with it..

James K0UA