Whats good to mow a rough area under trees too low for the tractor?

[JCS_in_KY]

I've got an area on my property that we'd like to keep mowed. It's cleared but is a little too rough for a finish mower (the previous property owners used their Grasshopper mower to do it and managed to do quite a bit of damage to the deck). The terrain is a little rough and there are always small branches down from the trees, that and the uneven ground is pretty hard on a regular mower. I'd be perfectly happy with bushhogging it once a month or so but my MF1533 is too tall to get in around the trees. What's a good option to clear an area like that? I was thinking possibly one of the Swisher tow behind roughcut mowers that I could pull with an ATV, other than that I'm not sure what else to try. All total it's about 2 - 2 1/2 acres of land and if I find something that works good for that I'd like to be able to use it to keep an narrow ATV / walking trail clear around part of property which is probably 3000' or so long.
John

 

[Will_C]

I don't know what kind of trees you have, but is it possible to get a powered pole saw and trim them high enough to get your tractor under them. That's what I have done in situations like that.

Will

 

[JCS_in_KY]

It's a mixture of trees but there are lots of redbud and stuff that aren't very big so I'd have to take quite a bit of the tree away to get under there. The wife says she wants to keep all the trees there so I've got to come up with another option. Maybe I should tell her to buy me a smaller tracker to use for that area It seems like one of these pull behind mowers might work well for that area, I just have seen lots of mixed reviews on them so I'm hesitant to spend the money on one.

 

[Scooby074]

Would a sickle bar for your tractor work? They'd give you some reach off the side to get under the branches and can be had really cheap, Ive seen lots for around 500.

 

[Charlie MacGregor]

I Might try this..
DR Power Equipment - DRｮ Walk-Behind Field and Brush Mower ? Walk Behind Brush Cutter, Field Maintenance and Trail Mowing ? Commercial grade Mower.

 

[tommu56]

what a bout a saber hydraulic cutter

Sabre Samurai | Questions and Answers


from their FAQ.

Can I use the Sabre as a sickle mower?
Yes. The unit can be positioned in this fashion. Many users utilize the Sabre to maintain growth underneath electrical fence lines.

tom

 

[Egon]

Sheep Goats ??

 

[MikeInEburg]

Mulch it out to a point where you can mow. Plant vinca minor or some non-threatening ground cover to fill the space.

Mike

 

[PA hayseed]

wife with a weedwacker

 

[Onthesauk]

I've had a Billy Goat brush mower for 10 or 12 years now. Bought it to get to all the places the tractor w/brush hog wouldn't or shouldn't go. Can now get 80% with a finish mower, got rid of the brush hog and still use the Billy Goat for hilly areas and keeping the trails clear. Believe it's a little easier to work on then the DR, although I've had virtually no problems with it other then replacing a belt.

 

[JCS_in_KY]

Do you think these push cutters like the DR or Billy Goat are more reliable than a pull behind like this Swisher Mower & Machine Co.: 44 Inch Tow-Behind Trailcutter ?

 

[JakeBrake]

Do you think these push cutters like the DR or Billy Goat are more reliable than a pull behind like this Swisher Mower & Machine Co.: 44 Inch Tow-Behind Trailcutter ?

I have two DR's. A 1996 model with about 450 hours and a 2002 model with about 550 hours. They will definitely do the job and they are very reliable. They can get closer to the trees than any pull behind.

However, DR's will give you a serious full body workout. You will not need to go to the gym after mowing two acres. I think of my DR's as exercise machines.

 

[dangerdoc]

I've got an area on my property that we'd like to keep mowed. It's cleared but is a little too rough for a finish mower (the previous property owners used their Grasshopper mower to do it and managed to do quite a bit of damage to the deck). The terrain is a little rough and there are always small branches down from the trees, that and the uneven ground is pretty hard on a regular mower. I'd be perfectly happy with bushhogging it once a month or so but my MF1533 is too tall to get in around the trees. What's a good option to clear an area like that? I was thinking possibly one of the Swisher tow behind roughcut mowers that I could pull with an ATV, other than that I'm not sure what else to try. All total it's about 2 - 2 1/2 acres of land and if I find something that works good for that I'd like to be able to use it to keep an narrow ATV / walking trail clear around part of property which is probably 3000' or so long.
John

I use a pole saw to trim the trees big enough to get under and roundup under the trees I can't get the tractor under.

I have a DR mower that I mow the dam with and occassionally clear in areas that I haven't prepped for mowing or too big to roundup. But honestly, I'm getting too old for that kind of work. A DR will wear your butt into the ground.

Good luck.

 

[JCS_in_KY]

I bet that DR or the one like it will give you a good workout. That's why I was leaning in the direction of something I could use on the tractor or something I could pull with an ATV. The comment about the wife with the weedwacker is a good idea too but I doubt she will go for that one I also thought about doing with my neighbor does which is buying a used riding mower cheap and using that to mow those areas. They do that and go through a mower every few years because it tears the deck up but if you can get lucky enough to find one for $200.00 or less like they were doing then I guess that's not so bad. I still like the thought of something I could pull behind the quad though but I'm not sure how well it will work. I'll try to take some pictures of the area I'm working on tomorrow and post them.
John

 

[Charlie MacGregor]

I found the DR has a tow behind too. I've never owned a DR but it looks slick, if a little pricey.
http://www.drpower.com/field-brush-mower_tow-behind.aspx?wb-icon

 

[California]

Has anybody tried Weed Badger? Some of their models have feelers out in front of the cutter, like a cat's whiskers, to retract the rotary mower when it reaches the next tree.

 

[tommu56]

Do you think these push cutters like the DR or Billy Goat are more reliable than a pull behind like this Swisher Mower & Machine Co.: 44 Inch Tow-Behind Trailcutter ?

I do have a Swisher trail cutter it would work too but I was trying to get some one to by a saber to see how it worked.http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/images/smilies/biggrin.gif before I bought one.

The only thing I would do if you are cutting with the trail cutter is extend the guide in front of the wheel out to the front of the deck to give it a flatter angle so it slides off an obstruction easier.

tom

 

[J_J]

JCS_in_KY ,

I have a 44 in Swisher with a 11 HP Honda engine on it. Should be just the thing, if you don't try and cut branches over 2 in. One single large blade.

 

[J_J]

I bet that DR or the one like it will give you a good workout. That's why I was leaning in the direction of something I could use on the tractor or something I could pull with an ATV. The comment about the wife with the weedwacker is a good idea too but I doubt she will go for that one I also thought about doing with my neighbor does which is buying a used riding mower cheap and using that to mow those areas. They do that and go through a mower every few years because it tears the deck up but if you can get lucky enough to find one for $200.00 or less like they were doing then I guess that's not so bad. I still like the thought of something I could pull behind the quad though but I'm not sure how well it will work. I'll try to take some pictures of the area I'm working on tomorrow and post them.
John

If you could find a 42 in Dixie Chopper, you could cut just about anything and enjoy doing it. The deck on it is 1/4, and the engine is a Kohler Magnum 18 or 20 HP. It is Hydrostatic, and can turn on a dime. I had several of those and graduated up to the 60 in Choppers. Someone once ask me how come you cut so fast on that thing. I simply said because I can.

 

[R_squared]

Most of the equipment rental shops in our area have the Billy Goat mowers for rent. You might want to rent one for a weekend to try it out. They have a straight blade that chops the grass, where a conventional lawn mower mulches. DR does offer a string trimmer attachment that replaces the blade. This is good for rocky areas. They also offer a 42 inch front mounted mower pan that adjusts from 2 to 4 1/2 inches. The DR brush attachment rides on skids and cuts at a fixed 4 1/2 inch height. As others have said, it can be a handful. I try not to maneuver it like a 22 inch conventional lawn mower. Keeping the skids on the ground and using reverse helps conserve your energy. You will be amazed at what they can cut down. A good friend of mine has a similar situation as you and what he does is trim the really low branches and mows with a John Deere 110 riding mower. He mows over just about anything with his JD 110. I borrowed it for a weekend and was impressed with how well it maneuvered between the trees and how well it could cut tall grass. I think you have several solutions available to you. Good luck with your final choice.