Tractor or ATV

[jhgnag]

This seems to be a place of many opinions, so I'm looking for some advice. I just purchased a place on 3 acres & clearly my push mower isn't going to cut it. I don't want to plant grass, only cut the field grass that is already there.

I'm hearing that a lot of people like the ATV w/a pull behind mower. I'd love to buy an ATV, but I have some concerns about that setup. Mainly, is the mower really going to have the necessary power if it's not hooked into a PTO.

Can you guys share your thoughs on this, and I'm also looking for a specific tractor or ATV recommendation. I'm thinking a rider mower might work, but not be durable or powerful enough for field grass. What do you think?

 

[GaryK]

If all you want to do is mow grass then I would seriously consider a larger garden tractor. A compact tractor will do what you want and more b ut you would be paying for more tractor than you can use. ATVs are great for running thorugh the woods and stuff and they use them down here to spray fields with but I personally don't think they are suitable for what you want.

 

[JeffRey30747]

When you say field grass, do you mean something that a standard lawnmower or finish mower could handle or something of the rough and tumble variety that you will need a heavier rotary cutter for?
If it is truly just grass, a large lawnmower or small tractor with a finish mower would be sufficient. If you think you might be cutting some rougher stuff, a small tractor with a rotary cutter will be necessary. If your budget is an issue, you might want to look into the Yanmar greys. They are used tractors bought new in Japan for farming. You can get a YM1500 (18hp 2 cyl. diesel w/ 2WD) package for less than $4K where I live and it will outpull and outlast any new riding mower. If you want a little smaller up to a lot larger or possibly 4WD, they are also available. Check out <A target="_blank" HREF=http://clubs.yahoo.com/clubs/yanmartractorownersgroup>http://clubs.yahoo.com/clubs/yanmartractorownersgroup</A> for more details if interested. If budget isn't an issue any of the smaller orange or green tractors would certainly handle your task and much more.
I'm not really familiar with the ATV mowing setups, but I personally would shy away from them.

 

[jhgnag]

Jeff,

Thanks for the advice. As for the grass, I think a regular mower "could" cut it, but I also think it would struggle. Thanks for the Yanmar advice. I'm having a hard time justifying a $10,000+ mower. I will want to use it to remove snow from my driveway also. So how old are these Yanmar's typically. Are they bought new in another country first?

Thanks.

 

[Gatorboy]

For 3 acres, you might want to get yourself a 48" walk-behind with a sulkey. I have a 48" Scag, but there are many other brands just as good. I bought mine for $2600. These are commercial mowers that will most likely last for as long as you need.

You can see mine by clicking <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.pbase.com/image/241697>here</A>
The site where my pictures are stored is currently down -- so try again later if the link above is not working.

 

[Knight9]

My neighbor has only been on his place for under a year, but so far he is sticking to the ATV to do a lot of his work. He has a blade for it to scrape his driveway and clear the snow. He pulls a trailer behind it to move wood etc. However he does have a riding mower. I've seen several mowers that are finish and some that are rough cut that can be pulled behind ATVs. I guess if a guy had an ATV it might be worthwhile to calculate the cost of the ATV "implements" vs a small used tractor. I'm guessing resale may be challenging though.

Kevin

 

[Knight9]

Dave,

That link didn't work for me? Can you double check it.

Kevin

 

[butzkeg]

If all you're going to do is mow a field and snow plow, an ATV would be adequate. I've plowed a 1/4 mile drive for the last 8 years with an ATV, and it really does work well.

You can purchase a rough cut pull behind mower for about $2300 from http://www.cyclecountry.com/. I thought about getting a mower for my ATV, but I had a lot more I wanted to do, such as landscaping a new home and planting a large garden every year.

ATV"S hold there value fairly well in my area. If you have any other uses for either a tractor or ATV, that could be a large deciding factor.

 

[beenthere]

I have a compact (JD4300) and a Garden tractor (JD445) and do not want or need an ATV.
However, if you have a desire to get an ATV for some things (hunting, recreation) other than just taking care of the field and the drive, then, if it were me, I would seriously consider sinking the funds into the ATV you want, and get it a plow for the drive and a pull-behind rotary cutter for the field. A nice feature is you can offset them to pull beside you, widening the path or reaching beyond where the ATV can travel.
My good friend has such a set-up, and mows the trails in his woods (brush) and through swamps (swamp grass) on 450+ acres with great success. I personally think he goes too fast, but that 8HP mower keeps on chugging and he gets the job done - FAST! Having said that, I don't like ATV's very much, as they ruined my hunting experience by making too much racket in the woods. But to each their own.

 

[BKColeman]

I used to ride ATVs a lot a few years ago. One of the guys I'd go trail riding with had a mower for his 4-wheeler. He mowed about 2 acres with it if I remember correctly. His ATV was a Honda 250cc, and the mower had a Honda engine, but I don't know who made it. He bought both from the same cycle shop. I believe it was about $2k for the mower, and it could be offset. He started off mowing a field, but after a while, it looked like a yard. He just had to go slow so the 4-wheeler's knobby tires didn't tear up the grass.

So I don't see anything wrong with the idea, as long as you've got other uses for the ATV (riding mowers don't do well trail riding /w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif).

-Brad