Richard
Elite Member
- Joined
- Apr 6, 2000
- Messages
- 4,823
- Location
- Knoxville, TN
- Tractor
- International 1066 Full sized JCB Loader/Backhoe and a John Deere 430 to mow with
I don't know the exact HP numbers...
I use to cut the fields using an IH-444 (30 pto??). I haven't cut the fields in 3 1/2 YEARS because of the BEATING I get.
Example: The tractor is old & not kept up very well, the 5' mower (to cut about 125 acres
is also beat to "heck")
Cutting one specific field alone, takes about 9/10 hours, cutting in low range, first/second gear..depending if you are going up or down the hill. I sometimes think I could use hand clippers and get it done faster.
Because it's so brutal to use this contraption we call a tractor, we don't mow often. Since we don't mow often, it becomes overgrown. Since it becomes overgrown when it IS mowed, it's a real nighmare with saplings everywhere.
So, it's been 3 1/2 years since the entire farm has been cut.
(I might add, since the land belongs to my father in law, I'm hesitant on ME forking out some $$ to buy a "real" tractor & mower to cut it for him...I don't mind doing the labor part if he'd get the horsepower)
Fast forward to last week.
My brother in law has a bulldozer. Seems someone wanted to rent/borrow it. The guy is in real estate. This guy has a 65 pto NH, with steel plates underneith it, cages on the side. He uses it to clear out raw land he's listing for sale.
Hmmm.... somewhere someone said "what if you use the dozer and let us use your tractor???" (also equiped with a HD 7' "Brown" (brand) mower)
So, last week, (Friday) this thing popped up. Brother in law and sister in law cut one of the fields. We thought the owner would pick it up on Monday.
He didn't.
I went home at 11:00 on Tuesday before Thanksgiving. I started cutting & kept cutting.
For what was done over the weekend and on through Wednesday, we (primarily me) put 50 hours on this thing and went through about 50 gallons of diesel.
This thing was a cutting MONSTER!!!! I was knocking over saplings that though were maybe 3" diamater, were 15' tall making me feel like I was cutting down Sherwood Forest!!
The last time I cut the farm it literally took me ALL summer. The field behind my house that usually takes 9/10 hours to cut on the IH, took me about 4 hours
I was cutting this hill (after not being cut in 3 1/2 years) in FIFTH gear, going UP hill!!! I can't even begin to say how much easier this machine made it.
Now that Father in law sees farm cut, he thinks it looks great, which it does. He's wanting to KEEP it this way... (hmm...)
He's looking at a Kubota M-8200 (I think is the number) and wants to see if he can drive it with his bad hips. I told him it doesn't matter if he can or not, that I'd be HAPPY to keep the farm cut, if we JUST had something not so brutal to use...
I really don't want to spend my free time during summer months cutting someone elses property. If however, we had a 10/15' cutter, I'd probably cut the farm a couple times a year to keep it neatly trimmed.
No point to this thread other than to simply gawk at what the difference in twice the HP and a 50% bigger cutter will get ya when you are cutting down some thick stuff!!
I use to cut the fields using an IH-444 (30 pto??). I haven't cut the fields in 3 1/2 YEARS because of the BEATING I get.
Example: The tractor is old & not kept up very well, the 5' mower (to cut about 125 acres
is also beat to "heck")Cutting one specific field alone, takes about 9/10 hours, cutting in low range, first/second gear..depending if you are going up or down the hill. I sometimes think I could use hand clippers and get it done faster.
Because it's so brutal to use this contraption we call a tractor, we don't mow often. Since we don't mow often, it becomes overgrown. Since it becomes overgrown when it IS mowed, it's a real nighmare with saplings everywhere.
So, it's been 3 1/2 years since the entire farm has been cut.
(I might add, since the land belongs to my father in law, I'm hesitant on ME forking out some $$ to buy a "real" tractor & mower to cut it for him...I don't mind doing the labor part if he'd get the horsepower)
Fast forward to last week.
My brother in law has a bulldozer. Seems someone wanted to rent/borrow it. The guy is in real estate. This guy has a 65 pto NH, with steel plates underneith it, cages on the side. He uses it to clear out raw land he's listing for sale.
Hmmm.... somewhere someone said "what if you use the dozer and let us use your tractor???" (also equiped with a HD 7' "Brown" (brand) mower)
So, last week, (Friday) this thing popped up. Brother in law and sister in law cut one of the fields. We thought the owner would pick it up on Monday.
He didn't.
I went home at 11:00 on Tuesday before Thanksgiving. I started cutting & kept cutting.
For what was done over the weekend and on through Wednesday, we (primarily me) put 50 hours on this thing and went through about 50 gallons of diesel.
This thing was a cutting MONSTER!!!! I was knocking over saplings that though were maybe 3" diamater, were 15' tall making me feel like I was cutting down Sherwood Forest!!
The last time I cut the farm it literally took me ALL summer. The field behind my house that usually takes 9/10 hours to cut on the IH, took me about 4 hours
I was cutting this hill (after not being cut in 3 1/2 years) in FIFTH gear, going UP hill!!! I can't even begin to say how much easier this machine made it.
Now that Father in law sees farm cut, he thinks it looks great, which it does. He's wanting to KEEP it this way... (hmm...)
He's looking at a Kubota M-8200 (I think is the number) and wants to see if he can drive it with his bad hips. I told him it doesn't matter if he can or not, that I'd be HAPPY to keep the farm cut, if we JUST had something not so brutal to use...
I really don't want to spend my free time during summer months cutting someone elses property. If however, we had a 10/15' cutter, I'd probably cut the farm a couple times a year to keep it neatly trimmed.
No point to this thread other than to simply gawk at what the difference in twice the HP and a 50% bigger cutter will get ya when you are cutting down some thick stuff!!
