Bush Hog/Rotary Mower use question

[TheMan419]

We have about 18 acres. 10 or so was planted in corn before we bought the place. It was harvested in the fall and has not been turned under. So of course there are now the left overs from the harvest as well as the weeds that have grown in.

We are planning a barn and pasture grass. That is likely not to happen for a couple months. Now is also not the time to plant pasture grass. Should be done in the fall at this point.

So my question is would a medium duty rotary mower handle keeping this weed patch under control? I am going to need one to periodically mow the pastures anyway.

Any advice?

 

[topbuilder]

Your tractor is set up for a 4"mower. It will do it, it might be more seat time than you want. I don't think you can cover one acre per hour if you let it get high.

 

[Soundguy]

A hog will eat the weeds and corn stubble, just a time/size factor

 

[joefromga]

Four inch mower??

 

[TheMan419]

Your tractor is set up for a 4"mower. It will do it, it might be more seat time than you want. I don't think you can cover one acre per hour if you let it get high.

Yeah, that was the next thought. Although at this point I have more time than money.... also the seat time for me as of late has been therapeutic.

Thanks for the input!

 

[topbuilder]

Four inch mower??

View attachment 470753

Whoops!

 

[RSKY]

People don't realize what a tractor powered rotary mower can do. A medium duty is supposed to cut 2" saplings, a heavy duty up to four inch, a light duty up to an inch or so. Unless it is very light duty a rotary mower will usually chop up anything the tractor can push over. My little 22-hp with a 5' Howse light duty mower has cleared thickets that haven't been mowed in three or four years. That is one inch to an inch and a half saplings. You have to go slow, the sheet metal on top flexes a lot, and it makes a lot of noise but doesn't hurt anything. Only things that have stalled the tractor were hitting a hidden cross tie and a couple of small trees with two or three inch trunks that I really shouldn't have tried to mow.

With a 24-hp tractor I would go with a 5' mower especially if you have a hydro. I have been bushhogging fields since I was fourteen and I'm sixty-two years old now. So I know what I'm talking about when I say a wider mower and slower ground speed is better. That is unless you like your kidneys pounded into mush driving over corn ridges. With a hydro if the tractor starts bogging down just slow down and let the engine/mower catch up.

Mowing down corn stubble and weeds that have only grown for a year should be easy for any LIGHT DUTY mower on the market. Some of our land that is signed up in government programs can only be mowed every other year and it gets thick with tall bushes and small trees six to eight feet tall. The little Kioti handles them okay, slowly, but okay.

RSKY

 

[TheMan419]

Thanks RSKY. I appreciate the knowledge.

I have Hydro. I drove the tractor out over the field the other day just to check out the "Back 40". Yes the kidneys took a pounding if I went too fast. So slow is going to be the deal regardless.

 

[big bubba]

A medium duty is supposed to cut 2" saplings, a heavy duty up to four inch, a light duty up to an inch or so. rsky
good advice, except i sure would hesitate tackling 4" diameter growth even with my 8' hd rhino mower. that's something l'd like to see after repeated use like that. as long as it's not my own mower. there are super heavy duty mowers designed for road/elec corridors, etc, but they aren't practical for utility use and don't give an even cut on regular mowing. just in my experience imho

 

[LD1]

a wider mower and slower ground speed is better. That is unless you like your kidneys pounded into mush driving over corn ridges.

Agreed.

Get a 5' mower.

Corn stubble and weeds should be pretty easy mowing. Not power hungry like thick grasses. So I am guessing the speed limiting factor with 24hp and 5' mower will be the smoothness of the ride.

If it aint terrible, a 5' mower and 24hp should do 1.5-2 acres per hour. (Thats about 3-4 MPH travel speed, or about a walking pace).