Looking for a mower that is capable of mowing 3 acareas. We do have slope but nothing that is going to make a mower tip no matter what direction you mow Budget is playiong a part in making a choice. Deck size is not too important but would play a part in pricing. I want to do my own work on what ever I buy to save money in operating cost. Been looking at mowers at lowes But some of them look cheap made. Let me know what you have and what it has been like to own it. Not sure what to buy with all the foreign made parts out there. Dependibility is very important Thanks
3 acreas mower
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CR172
Silver Member
What type of terrain do you have? Is it smooth, bumpy, ? We have a Kubota GR2110 with a 54" deck, 3 cyl water cooled diesel that has taken care of our 3.5 acres for the past 7 years and is still going strong. You say deck size is not too important. Trust me, it will be. It takes me roughly 5 - 6 hrs to cut everything. Which is why I generally don't cut everything at once.
nybirdman
Super Member
Look at Simplicty;a friend purchased a Broadmor a couple years ago,well made for sure.
hslogger
Platinum Member
Confucious say Box Store. Pay less fix more.
davesl708
Elite Member
You are right to stay away from the box store models if you want long term reliability. hslogger nailed it. The mowers there are built to hit a price model not long term use.
With budget an issues might want to look at used commercial like Hustler, JD, Kubota, Grasshopper and there are some I forgot.
With budget an issues might want to look at used commercial like Hustler, JD, Kubota, Grasshopper and there are some I forgot.
4570Man
Super Star Member
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- Crossville, TN
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- Kubota M59, Kubota L3800, Grasshopper 428D, Topkick dump truck, 3500 dump truck, 10 ton trailer, more lighter trailers.
Stay well away from the big box store mowers. I'd look for a used commercial grade ZTR. My personal choice would be a front deck Grasshopper diesel. A front deck mower is better at nearly everything. The only downside is the machine is longer making it slower in a tight place. I don't think deck size is terribly important. I can cut 3 acres of nice flat yard in about an hour using my ZTR with a 50" deck. In more realistic conditions ( with trees, hills, buildings, or rough ground ) it might take me 1.5-2 hours.
2ndhalf
Veteran Member
you didn't list your budget but for under $2k you can buy a used Kubota from Tractorhouse.com that would mow 3acres. If your budget is more and you can afford a ZTR I agree with those mentioned above. How much money do we have to spend for you? 
RaydaKub
Veteran Member
Do you have any farm implement dealers nearby? Parts availability is a must. Box store mowers? Good luck with that.
Dealers should be able to find something reliable, tough, and efficient at a decent price. It will probably be higher priced than the box store, but it will last 3 to 10 times longer.
Dealers should be able to find something reliable, tough, and efficient at a decent price. It will probably be higher priced than the box store, but it will last 3 to 10 times longer.
Gary Fowler
Super Star Member
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- Bismarck Arkansas
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- 2009 Kubota RTV 900, 2009 Kubota B26 TLB & 2010 model LS P7010
You could cut that in 1/3 the time with a good zero turn. I mow 6 acres with my Ferris IS 700Z with 52" deck in 2.5-3 hours and I have over 100 trees and shrubs to mow around.
CR172
Silver Member
Maybe so. The back 2.5 acres is very rough. Can't mow at a higher speed unless you wear a kidney belt. Picked up a Ford 3000 & a 5ft bush hog to take care of the majority of it and will use the Kubota around the house.
Gary Fowler
Super Star Member
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- Bismarck Arkansas
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- 2009 Kubota RTV 900, 2009 Kubota B26 TLB & 2010 model LS P7010
I cant mow full tilt with my mower on much of my yard either. Where you gain is mowing around obstacles like trees, flower beds, shrubs etc. Of course 11MPH top cutting speed works too when you can use it which isn't often in my yard but even a little bit helps cut the time down.
powerscol
Veteran Member
Do you have any equipment rental places around you. Most rotate their mowers out every season or so. You could rent several and try them out and buy at the end of the season. I have gotten some great deals on Agg implements that way and my rental place has compact tractors with belly mowers, PTO finish mowers for the same tractors, push mowers and zero turns - just to fit everyone's needs.
PS I used to mow my 3 acres with an old Sears 18 HP Garden Tractor, manual trans with belly mower with a 44" deck. I now have a Sears GT (made by Huskavarna) 24 hp 54" deck mower to do the same. The older mower did better, but the new sears may not be set up correctly.
Hope this helps
PS I used to mow my 3 acres with an old Sears 18 HP Garden Tractor, manual trans with belly mower with a 44" deck. I now have a Sears GT (made by Huskavarna) 24 hp 54" deck mower to do the same. The older mower did better, but the new sears may not be set up correctly.
Hope this helps
RjCorazza
Elite Member
Given that reliability is important, consider a commercial zero turn. I gave up with cheap mowers and got a Kubota diesel zero turn for my 6 acres. Problem free for the past 1400 hours. The diesel is pricey, but plenty of commercial options in gas mowers. I know it's easy to spend someone else's money, but really you can't beat the reliability of commercial equipment.
chim
Elite Member
Had 2-1/4 aces for 25 years and it took between 1-1/4 and 1-1/2 hours with 3 different 5 foot decks - one belly and 2 RFM's. A few years ago we added adjacent land and and now mow 3-1/2 acres. Went with a 6' RFM then. Takes about the same amount of time to do the whole thing with the 6 footer as it did to do the smaller area with 5 footers.
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RoyJackson
Rest in Peace
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- Bethel, Vermont
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- John Deere 4052R Cab,, Deere 855D UTV, Z920A Zero Turn Mower and assorted implements
Definitely a zero-turn mower! And, as others wrote, go for a commercial machine.
I have a Deere Z920 and I love it! Just remember to drop that ROPS when mowing under trees with low branches!
I'd love to have a diesel ZTR...just not in the plans right now.
I have a Deere Z920 and I love it! Just remember to drop that ROPS when mowing under trees with low branches!
I'd love to have a diesel ZTR...just not in the plans right now.
KYKub
Silver Member
I was in a similar situation and never regretted getting an older (900 hours) Kubota G1900. Diesel, 4-wheel steering, 60" deck, power to spare and moves faster than I need. As a matter of fact, I picked up a second one and just sold it recently for $1,225. It was older and had seen a bit more wear, but it ran like a top and I'm sure the new owner will get years of service from it. Watch CL and you can pick up a nice G1900 or G1800 (same mower except 1900 has one more HP) for $2k or so. I basically paid what I would have for a higher end box store model and bought a used really nice machine that will outlast any big box store model.
Good luck.
Good luck.
man00
Silver Member
I use a Badboy Oulaw and a Kubota T1670 that I paid around $600 for couple year ago. The Kubota mows great just no match for the badboy
buickanddeere
Super Member
We do that much with an old thrashed JD LX188.
If purchasing a new Deere, go with the X310 or higher as the transmission is much beefier than the economy tractors below it.
No matter what the brand. A lawn tractor with a light weight, low cost K46 transaxle in best avoided.
If purchasing a new Deere, go with the X310 or higher as the transmission is much beefier than the economy tractors below it.
No matter what the brand. A lawn tractor with a light weight, low cost K46 transaxle in best avoided.
2ndhalf
Veteran Member
We mowed about 2.3 acres with a JD 170 38" 14hp kawasaki for 9 years. I estimated about 1000 hours on it with no issues. It still ran great when I sold it for $600 (had a little slop in the steering but ran great, no issues). You can mow larger yards on a GT, it will just take longer. I agree larger framed and better transmission is much better on large yards.
