Buying Advice Bagging Mower For Fields (no manicured lawn) & Something Else for Everything Else

[northSun]

Re: Bagging Mower For Fields (no manicured lawn) & Something Else for Everything Else

Thanks jenkinsph. I keep getting an under construction page at that link. Maybe it'll be up again after the weekend; will check tomorrow. Meanwhile I'm reading a couple TBN threads on the Laurin cabs; they sound like a good option on machines that don't come with a factory cab.

I'll have to look into 3 ph pull type snow blowers. I didn't know those existed. What about my rock situation? Is there anything that is protected by something that doesn't have to be replaced when the auger / fan jams on a rock? I don't see a good way to stop the rocks from ending up on my driveway (they fall out of the bank above whenever the sun shines on it), and I've changed shear pins as often as three times in 10' before. I'm liking the idea of a direct drive hydraulic snow blower where the pressure relief does the protection, though I'm guessing the rocks may still bang/bend things up a bit on occasion.

 

[northSun]

Re: Bagging Mower For Fields (no manicured lawn) & Something Else for Everything Else

Yeah Fiziksgeek, I'd been thinking my kids might grow into the job, but don't want them wasting their whole childhood walking behind our Honda "brush hog" either I didn't have much lawn to mow in my childhood, so I guess I tried to make up for it over the last three years!

On further consideration, we've decided to put more focus on the wood mulch and use less grass mulch to eliminate the bagging requirement.

Thanks for the suggestions. Depending on how much yard we end up fencing the goats out of, we may eventually want something bigger to bag in there. Everything outside should be fine with a flail or rotary brush mower.

 

[northSun]

Re: Bagging Mower For Fields (no manicured lawn) & Something Else for Everything Else

gwstang, it didn't start that way... we bought the mower thinking we'd mow a bit around the house. Then we found the garden that had been struggling took off with grass mulch and wanted more... Then the fields starting looking real nice... Then I started thinking there had to be a better way

 

[Poopdeck Pappy]

Re: Bagging Mower For Fields (no manicured lawn) & Something Else for Everything Else

If you REALLY want the grass clippings for mulch, you could always mow it with a brush hog and then rake it up with a landscape rake. That would sure beat the pants off of mowing and bagging.

 

[northSun]

Re: Bagging Mower For Fields (no manicured lawn) & Something Else for Everything Else

Thanks for all the great advice and food for thought, guys. I'm coming around to consider the the tractor idea. I don't think I'll need to lift things too heavy for a 60+ HP tractor all that often--just split pallets as necessary for most stuff. And I'm probably letting my only experience driving a tractor (ancient and very rough shape TLB nearly 20 years ago) bias my opinion against tractors too much. I have a feeling driving a modern hydraulic shuttle unit would be a whole new experience, never mind hydro-static. I'll see if I can test drive a tractor or too on my next trip out coming up shortly.

Laurin website is working. Kubota M59 with TLB looks interesting. I'm also considering a L6060HSTCC with LA1055 FEL and BH92 backhoe attachment. For attachments, I'm thinking gradually add:
1 - hydraulic feed chipper
2 - something like a Metal-Pless Agrimax hydraulic wing plow (via quick attach on FEL rather than plow subframe)
3 - brush hog. I realize small stuff can be brush hogged driving forwards so the only time I'd need to back is opening new area. I think that'll be workable if maintaining open areas can be done driving forwards.
4 - see how the plow goes and possibly add snowblower later. Something like a Norman Inverted sounds like a slick setup, as long as I can always push enough off the top with plow to be able to drive over the snow before blowing it.
5 - rock bucket and grapple for picking up and moving rocks, brush, etc.
6 - perhaps a mid-mount finish mower and bagger, though I'm not sure if that makes sense on this size machine or not. Maybe leave finish mowing to a future zero-turn addition and knock all but the closest to the house down with the brush hog meanwhile to give the Honda (operator) a break

There's probably more. Do you think I'll be happy with the L6060, or is it worth spending more on the M59 TLB (similar cost before addition of Laurin cab)?