LD1
Epic Contributor
Left my house at 5am, home by 3:30. Couldn't have done it without the 8' mower.
Pictures of this morning's mowing job...30 acres
- Thread starter LD1
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OP
LD1
Epic Contributor
Everthing for as far as you can see in all of these pics got mowed.
namesray
Platinum Member
Nice looking job. 30 acres is quite a bit. Looks like you mow circular not back and forth? How many acres per hour with your 8 footer? Having fun and getting paid, can't beat that. Congrats on your new setup!
OP
LD1
Epic Contributor
Didnt really mow in a circle. Normally, I do mow down and back. But given the odd shape and tons of things to mow around, I though it best to just go around the perimeter, and keep working in. The only real open area, was a section about 1/4 the size.
Here is what the satellite shows. Whole property measures 32.5acres, But toward the bottom there was some woods that didnt get but a few trails mowed in there. But if you look close, there are several little clearings in that wooded section towards the south west.
Here is what the satellite shows. Whole property measures 32.5acres, But toward the bottom there was some woods that didnt get but a few trails mowed in there. But if you look close, there are several little clearings in that wooded section towards the south west.
OP
LD1
Epic Contributor
Acres per hour just depends on how fast I can go. Which is usually limited by rough ground.
This job here had some areas that werent too thick, and some areas that the grasses were real thick and dense. The real thick stuff, I find I have to slow down because the cutter just isnt leaving a clean cut, NOT for lack of power, because the RPMs hardly waiver. ITs like the cutter cannot expel the clippings fast enough, and cut quality suffers. Hard to believe 50 PTO HP is the recommended minimum. With my 42.5, I have enough power to out-work the mower.
Most of this job was not real thick. I think most of the pics show that. The majority of the job was medium range, full speed. Which is a little over 7MPH. Which is about 5.5 acres/hr.
I probably averaged about 3-4 acres per hour on this job though. The whole area was 32.5 acres, but given all the trees and areas that couldnt be mowed, I probably only cut 24-25 acres. But I still bid the job as a 32.5 acre job, because if it was a wide open 32.5 acres with nothing to mow around, it would not take any longer. Less probably. I clocked 8 hours exact on the tractor doing this job, and exactly 16 gal of fuel burnt.
rustyshakelford
Veteran Member
That's good fuel usage. For some reason using my 7' I'll go thru an entire tank 25 gallons in about 6 hrs. It's terrible
Brett
Brett
OP
LD1
Epic Contributor
That would make me cringe to burn more than 4 gallons an hour. I only have a 12 gallon tank though.....so I can only get 6 hours out of a tank full as well.
Wonder why the difference...... 3800# vs 5500#, 52HP vs 55HP, 148 CI 4-cyl vs 179CI 3- cylinder........certainly dont think all of that would amount to double the usage. Mine is HST also...which is supposed????to be less efficient. I would have guessed a 5055 closer to 2.5-3 gal/hr max
smstonypoint
Super Member
- Joined
- Oct 13, 2009
- Messages
- 5,351
- Location
- SC (Upstate) & NC (Piedmont)
- Tractor
- NH TN 55, Kubota B2320 & RTV 900, Bad Boy Outlaw ZTR
I have seen two different estimates of "average" diesel consumption in the ag. engineering literature: 0.044 and 0.048 gallons/hour/PTO HP. The 0.048 is right on the mark in your case.
Steve
k0ua
Epic Contributor
Have you thought about getting a canopy? I sure like mine. It keeps that burning sun off of your body.