Considering best bang for the buck for acreage

[CADplans]

Twenty acres of pine should yield about $60K in twenty to thirty years with virtually zero maintenance.

I just had my timber cruised,, they were thankful there is no pine.
They told me pine has zero value,
pine boards from Brazil are being delivered to the US for less than the cost of removing trees from the land.

The state forester said that if and when I cut my timber,,, weed out any pine starts after the cut regrowth begins.

For my soil conditions, Poplar, and oak are the $$$ trees.
The makeup of the soil can dictate what trees can grow, nutrients, pH,,, etc,,,

 

[paulfun9]

Thanks bspeedy and everyone. Yes, I am pretty new to tractors, although I have ridden an L34xx on my land...and it definitely didn't look or feel like a hot wheels to me, but I get your meaning.

But I'm definitely not new to mowing smaller acreage. I have a different experience mowing the 3.5-4 acres we have fenced (for our dogs) around the house. My little 42" lawn tractor has been fine with that for several years now. I usually do it in about three parts (since that's how the land lies), and it has never been a problem. I can generally move at close to top speed, but then again, I'm doing it every two weeks or so (maybe every week for a month or two in the Spring). I guess I like mowing more than others here - I find it relaxing. I also mow paths around the rest of the property with it, and it does okay (not great) when dry.

You're right though, mowing is never done. That's just the nature of mowing, no matter how fast we do it.

I'm not disagreeing with anything said here, but it seems some think a 25hp tractor can do it fine and others think it can't. I guess I might rent one with a 60" r/c for a few days and see...seems like the logical next step.

Yes finding a rental would be smart but also consider renting something bigger to test/compare against!

I doubt after running even a 40HP with a 7ft rear mower or even a bush hog that you would ever consider the 25Hp belly mower again.
Like you I find cutting relaxing but still find no relaxation being bounced around on a small machine or having to go so slow the turtles pass me while I concentrate on not stalling when I let things get a little overgrown.
For large acreage I would be looking for a batwing on a much bigger machine for the balance between enjoyment and a chore to be realistic.

For an example I mow my yard with a 40HP Kioti and a 6FT rear discharge mower about 5 acre and it takes just over an hour in med range. I get off and walk away feeling good but to cut the same yard with a 20hp JD with a belly mower its a 3 hour event and I get off tired and sore from being bounced around. to cut the same yard with a lowes ride on husky and 54 inch deck its a 2 day ordeal leaving me soaking in the tub and asking the wife for a back massage.

Bang for the buck in the tractor world right now I would have to say that LS seems to have the best deals at least that was the case going into the winter.
In most cases going with a utility tractor can get you a considerable amount more ability for just a little more money and with having lots of open fields going with a gear utility tractor will grab you even more bang for your buck.

WHat is the cost of the smaller tractors you have been looking at?

 

[newbury]

I just had my timber cruised,, they were thankful there is no pine.
They told me pine has zero value,
pine boards from Brazil are being delivered to the US for less than the cost of removing trees from the land.

The state forester said that if and when I cut my timber,,, weed out any pine starts after the cut regrowth begins.

For my soil conditions, Poplar, and oak are the $$$ trees.
The makeup of the soil can dictate what trees can grow, nutrients, pH,,, etc,,,

Stumpage prices for pulpwood are
about as good as they have been for the last 10 years.
source

 

[TractorOnMyMind]

Thanks all, good advice as always.

WHat is the cost of the smaller tractors you have been looking at?

With fels and ballast box (although I might just fill the tires) and R4 tires so as not to tear up the yard too much, here is what Kubota's site says new (pretty sure I want a Kubota). I realize that without rebates and haggling, these are a little high...

kubBX 2370 +fel $15039
kubBX 2670 +fel $16460
kubB 2301 +fel+ballast $18743
kubB 2601 +fel+ballast $19753
kubL 2501 +fel+ballast $21421
kubL 3301 +fel+ballast $24821
kubL 3901 +fel+ballast $27013


I think this thread, and research through some other threads and elsewhere, has convinced me NOT to get a belly mower. I think my best option will be to use a rotary cutter.

A 4' one attached to an L2501+fel should work well enough for my needs, and I think I'll be able to move at a decent (not fast) clip with it. Add a box cutter and maybe a snow blade and I can easily do everything on the list in my first post. Sure, a bit slower than with a bigger tractor, but not so slow that it will kill me and my wife finds my skeleton on a BX a 1/4 mile from the house. ;p

I like the L3301/L3901 but the added 25hp+ Tier IV complexity worries me a little bit, probably needlessly, over the very long term. This isn't a farm and I could probably even get by with just a B. But I like the heavier tractor, and everybody seems to love their L2501 and it sounds like it has a lot of extra oomph given the hp. Once I figure it out for sure, I'll probably start a new thread with some more specific questions.

Thanks again all!

 

[jeff9366]

Get a 5' Rotary Cutter should you finalize on an L2501.

Here are pages and pages of L2501 threads in the T-B-N archive: Google

 

[TractorOnMyMind]

Get a 5' Rotary Cutter should you finalize on an L2501.

Here are pages and pages of L2501 threads in the T-B-N archive: Google

Thanks again Jeff! Yes, I have read many of those threads today and my eyes are starting to bleed. I may well opt for a 5' RC, was trying to be conservative with 4'.

 

[jeff9366]

Five foot R/C is 20% less mowing time.

 

[IndyIan]

I guess the good old days of getting a DK40SE for 21k are over but I can't say its ever been too big, and the odd time its been too small. It's the size I'd recommend anyways, and do your fine mowing with a lawn mower.

 

[Happy Gilmore]

I do most of my rough cut mowing with my Ford 4630 (50 hp PTO) and Woods dual spindle 8' rotary cutter. I used to do it with my 7' John Deere 709 rotary cutter. The tractor is a 1993, heavier in weight than today's similarly sized hp tractors. When the grass is taller I find myself wanting more hp. I definitely wouldn't want anything with less hp or cutter width. I like mowing, just not that much to go any smaller in size. If I were you, I'd do what others have recommended and go used in a larger tractor. I think with that much land BX, B no way, higher hp L, maybe, but seriously consider a used MX or M if you want Kubota and can swing it, you won't be sorry.

 

[TomSeller]

Or borrow a cow for the summer. dde1c

If it is fenced this is a good idea. Assuming water is available. That many acres could hold a few head, then just trim up the pasture, much easier than mowing a full growth of hay.