another "what size" question

[TripleR]

Thanks for all replies,...hers's another "newbie" question (and yes, I like to save $$ wherever I can)....how close could I cut the grass with a bushog??? ie: use for both pasture and yard....I don't have to have a "manicured" looking lawn.

You will have to check the specifications on the various mowers, but my Woods will go down to about 2". Running this low however you run the risk of gouging if the ground is not flat. I usually run 3" and up depending on the property/purpose.

 

[ugabulldog]

Here's a real life experience with mmm's and bush mower at my property. Maybe something useful for your situation.

In 2001 we bought some property that included about 6 acres of "pasture", which meant it had once been a corn field that had been left untouched for 8-10 years. The first mowing, done before we bought it, pretty much worked the life out of the guy's tractor and bush hog. When I started mowing it, it was still knee-deep brambles, ivy and assorted weeds, and full of debris and rocks. I would hit it with the bush hog every month. By 2004, it was truly "pasture", and the natural grasses had driven out most of the weeds. In 2005 I bought a BX sized Kub with mmm to do small chores and go where the big Grand L would not go. Today, we can mow the place at 4" with the BX or bush hog at maybe 6" with the L. Usually we use the BX for the trimming and hog the rest. There are still some ruts that would be too much for a zero-turn mower, so it's not "lawn", but it's pretty close.

In your case, I'd probably start with a tractor/bush hog setup and use a riding mower for your 1 acre lawn. That would probably be most cost effective, and the bush hog will surprise you with how good your pasture will look after a few mowings. This also leaves your options open to upgrade the lawn mowing tools if you end up with a few more acres you want to keep finish mowed.

Also, hogging 10 acres with a 5' bush hog is going to take some time... probably an all-day job. You may find yourself wishing for a bigger setup to reduce the mowing time. Obviously a 6' bush hog would save you time, but puts you into a bigger tractor category.

Makes sense......my 10 acres is already established pasture.....after reading these posts I am leaning towards a bigger B series, like 26xx or 29xx.....are these big enough for a 6' bush hog?? Also with the hills that I have I am worried that a 6' might be too wide and end up scalping??.. Also, if I cut the lawn w/ bushog or got a RFM or MMM for the B26xx B29xx Do you think I could run over septic with it?? btw...I am in process of building house now so maybe i could pay a little extra to have septic tank buried a little deeper??

 

[Grandad4]

The general rule is 5hp/ft of mower size, so a 6' bush hog needs at least a 30 hp tractor. But from my experience, a 30 hp tractor could not drive a 6' cutter on my property... the grass is just too thick and it would bog. Sounds like your field may be similar, so I think you're into an L series tractor, not a B, if want a 6' mower. Also, a 6' bush hog is probably heavy for a B sized tractor, especially on uneven terrain.

When you first said "hills", I thought you meant a big hill, as in "Let's climb that hill over there." But, I think you mean little hills, as in "mounds" or "humps", right? If you have "hills" where a 6' mower would scalp, I would be thinking about some re-grading with a boxblade before the mowing begins. Otherwise, that's going to be some sloooow mowing, even with a 5', and you'll probably be frustrated because it's too rough to go any faster. Gotta remember the tractor has no springs... your butt will let you know when you're on rough ground right away!

 

[IslandTractor]

10 acres of pasture mowing is quite a lot. Probably would take a full 8hr day with a 4ft mower. I agree with those who have advised a six foot mower. I do that acreage with a six foot flail and I'd guess it takes roughly 4-5 hours. I use a 40hp tractor but it could be done easily with 30hp if cut twice a month and more slowly if cut less often.

I haven't priced Kubota's recently but would think that a B7800 would be the most bang for the buck for this sort of task. Mahindra, BobCat and Kioti sell equivalent 30hp tractors that probably can be had for less. They are all good solid machines.

 

[TripleR]

Makes sense......my 10 acres is already established pasture.....after reading these posts I am leaning towards a bigger B series, like 26xx or 29xx.....are these big enough for a 6' bush hog?? Also with the hills that I have I am worried that a 6' might be too wide and end up scalping??.. Also, if I cut the lawn w/ bushog or got a RFM or MMM for the B26xx B29xx Do you think I could run over septic with it?? btw...I am in process of building house now so maybe i could pay a little extra to have septic tank buried a little deeper??

Just my thoughts having shopped for these before. If you plan on doing a lot of bush hogging go with something like the Bxx30 Series that has position control or you will be bumping your mower up every once in a while or have to add height chains.

I have rotary cutters from four foot to ten foot six inches and if you can run a rotary cutter of any size in the hills and not sling some dirt, you are a better man than I.

I run a six foot rotary cutter on my L5030 and would be skeptical of operating a six foot with the size tractor you are discussing.

The size tractor you are looking at should not be a problem with your septic system and you really don't want to bury them too deep anyway or at least according to the guy who worked on ours.

Just an opinion, others may disagree.

 

[dmay]

How many four legged lawn mowers are you going to have on your 10 acre pasture? Maybe your concern for mowing will already be taken care of. Four horses will keep your 10 acres mowed very nice!

You state you have access to your dad's big tractor right next door. Have you considered buying dad a big bushhog? Then ask to borrow dad's tractor when needed. Get yourself the Kubota B series of your choice to maintain your yard site and perform simple horse pasture maintenance. Really you might just need to drag a harrow and/or landscape rake to break up manure and keep the site level after rains.

 

[sweettractors]

How many four legged lawn mowers are you going to have on your 10 acre pasture? Maybe your concern for mowing will already be taken care of. Four horses will keep your 10 acres mowed very nice!

You state you have access to your dad's big tractor right next door. Have you considered buying dad a big bushhog? Then ask to borrow dad's tractor when needed. Get yourself the Kubota B series of your choice to maintain your yard site and perform simple horse pasture maintenance. Really you might just need to drag a harrow and/or landscape rake to break up manure and keep the site level after rains.

When my Dad was alive, He kept 3 mares and 2 mules in a 8 acre field that I did not need. They sure kept that field clean. I would usually run the brush hog over it 2 times a year to get the Iron weeds and Thistles. That was all it needed, other than a chain harrow once in the spring to scatter the manure. Ken Sweet

 

[DieselnHooters]

How many four legged lawn mowers are you going to have on your 10 acre pasture? Maybe your concern for mowing will already be taken care of. Four horses will keep your 10 acres mowed very nice!

You state you have access to your dad's big tractor right next door. Have you considered buying dad a big bushhog? Then ask to borrow dad's tractor when needed. Get yourself the Kubota B series of your choice to maintain your yard site and perform simple horse pasture maintenance. Really you might just need to drag a harrow and/or landscape rake to break up manure and keep the site level after rains.

I think we have a winner :thumbsup:

 

[leonz]

A Kkubota BX2660 with a Caroni TLFSC1500 flail mower can do both jobs easily for you and it can mow very close to the ground using the mowers rear roller as the cutting hieght guage which reduces turf damage when cutting in very hot weather.

The FCS 1500 flail mower has 4 rows of grass knives for a total of 88 knives for cutting edges
for a full width cut versus a brush mowers limited cutting surfaces

I used mow 12 acres every week with an IHC low boy cub with a sixty inch belly mower and it took 2 days= forever but the BX 2660 and the 59 inch caroni flail mower with four rows of knives will mow very fast.

The key is mowing in a spiral to avoid stopping and turning and backing up and it does not take long to mow that way versus mowing in straight lines and when you mow low enough with the flail mower it does not need to be mowed that much where you could mow 2 acres a day quickly.
the agri supply folks have an internet special price for the 59 inch mower ordered through their home page which includes the frieght delivered to your door. $1549.95

Agri Supply - Farm Supplies, Tools, Lawn Mower Blades, Cast Iron Cookware

Caroni S.p.a. - Costruzioni meccaniche



I have to go chase woodstock down and tell him to park the zamboni, as we defrosted the hockey rink and there is no ice.


leonz

 

[Grandad4]

I think we have a winner :thumbsup:

I'd agree!