mowing open meadows - MMM or rear rotary?

[mpowrd]

I'm thinking of getting a BX2200 or BX2230 with FEL and box blade to do landscaping on a 4 acre property we just bought. There is 1-2 acres of open meadow that is currently wild native grasses/weeds (we're in the coastal mountains between San Jose, CA and the ocean).

Will a mower deck do OK on wild grass a foot high or more or should I get a bush hog type rear rotary mower for now?

Thanks!

 

[Botabill]

I have a BX 1800 with MMM and front end loader. I live on 30 acres but only mow about 3 acres and trails. The BX does it all and more than I could want .

 

[crown]

Will a MMM do the job? Yes, but the question you need to answer is, is there anything under that foot tall grass such as logs, rocks, or any other debris lurking beneath the surface? How often do you intend to mow the 1-2 acre meadow? If you intend to mow regularly and it has nothing but grass to mow you will be fine with a MMM, but if you answer no to either of these questions then I would suggest a cheap light duty brush hog (Howse or King kutter) they are inexpensive compared to the MMM and are built for abuse, I personally would not want to damage a expensive MMM cutting a field. I say this because I have a similar situation I finish mow 3 arces of lawn and use a brush hog on my back 3 acres of pasture.

 

[Botabill]

Yes I should have added when I started mowing I was looking at grass and plants including small brush 3 feet tall. I chopped right through it with no problem. I'm sure that wasn't the best thing to do to a great deck like the RCK54 but it still works great after two years and no blade change.

 

[Tom_H]

Hi. Welcome to the forum. I'm over in the Central Valley on 5 acres outside Sac. I have a BX2200 and use a 60" MMM on the lawn. I have a Gearmore 40" heavy duty rough (rotary-rear) cutter that I use out in my "meadow". Depending on how tough and thick your wild grass is, the MMM may or may not be adequate. My brush hog has cut stuff 8' tall and 2" in dia. I do have a few "broomgrass" weeds that the rc struggles with and which would destroy the MMM. So, there are a few relatively short weeds that an MMM cannot handle, but they are few. I keep the rotary cutter on a home built dolly which makes it very easy to roll right up to the 3ph (3 point hitch) and attach or disattach in about 4 min. If you have lawn, that means you'd be buying an MMM anyway. You could try the MMM out in the rough and see how it does. It might be o.k. and you'd only need to worry about transferring weed seeds to the turf. If the MMM turns out not to be adequate, you could always buy the rotary cutter later. If it's only grass, then a light duty 48" model would be best. If you need to cut saplings, then a medium duty 36" Howse or a heavy duty 40" Gearmore would be a better choice. If you want to drive over and see/try mine, I'd be happy for you to do so. Good luck.

 

[GaryE]

mpowrd,

Unless your meadows are nice and level, I would recommend a RMM. My lower field is relatively flat, I can use my GT-5000 (I know it is not a real tractor to some!) on it, but my upper field is still to “bumpy” for a MMM. I used to use my B-6000 with my Woods 60" RMM, but now use the L-3710 pulling the same deck.

The problem with MMM is you will hang on or scalp the high spots. But I think you get a better cut with the MMM. Just my opinion.

Gary

 

[ccsial]

It would be nice to use a bush hog the first time. A dealer may have a used bush hog you could rent. Transporting it may be an issue if you don’t have a trailer.

If you mow it with a MMM the first time I would raise it as high as possible and go slowly and watch constantly so you can see, and have time to stop for, obstacles. If you use the MMM the first time I’d at least spend a bit of time walking the property to get an idea of what it is like before you decide it you want to do it with the MMM.

 

[mpowrd]

Thanks to everyone for their input.

Assuming I think the tractor with belly mower can nagivate most of the flat area I need to mow, I will probably go the route of renting a brush mower like the Billy Goat for the first pass, then just clean up any rough spots. I got a good look at the field before the grass grew this past spring and it's pretty free of major obstacles.

The only thing that might change my mind is if I think I need a bush hog around to keep the wooded areas cleared of undergrowth.

Thanks!