5 ACRES AN HOUR? BULL ROAR!!!!

[aczlan]

Would be interesting to see any commercial ZT try to cut the 12" high wet clover in my northside acre, and BTW, I mowed 4 acres with a 318-50" for ten years and it never took me anywhere near half a day even if I factored in using a pusher and a weedeater.

I have cut 18" high thick grass down in a wet area (was only dry enough to get in to mow once a month) with a 60" eXmark Lazer Z and it did just fine (as long as I waited until it was dry enough to not get stuck). That had a 27 HP engine IIRC and in that thick grass you could only go half speed, but it cut it just fine.

Aaron Z

 

[texasjohn]

Regarding rain in Texas....I'm over 6 inches behind for the year, in extreme drought, and have been in serious to extreme drought for 5 years now...not much grass growing here.,

 

[JDgreen227]

This was LAST June in Michigan....and we get downpours like this in April and May....

 

[houstonscott]

Regarding rain in Texas....I'm over 6 inches behind for the year, in extreme drought, and have been in serious to extreme drought for 5 years now...not much grass growing here.,

Where are all the May tropical storms off the gulf. HS

 

[Gary Fowler]

Would be interesting to see any commercial ZT try to cut the 12" high wet clover in my northside acre, and BTW, I mowed 4 acres with a 318-50" for ten years and it never took me anywhere near half a day even if I factored in using a pusher and a weedeater.

So in your hard headed way of thinking a mower should be rated at cutting speed of 12" high wet grass during a rainstorm to be honest about it's capabilities!!!! Almost anyone questioned would not expect a mower, even a tractor with bush hog to cut 5 acres per hour with a 72" cut in that type of situation. Lawn care guidelines tell you to not cut more than 1/3 of the grass height per cutting but there are always the occasional need to cut 12" grass and maybe it is a bit wet but rating a lawnmower is done with the average cutting per most lawns that are mowed weekly. I recently saw a Ferris ad stating the same thing for my model (IS700Z) with 61" deck (I only have 52" deck) and I do believe that it can cut that amount in optimum conditions. It has the power to cut at full speed, unlike your tractor that you quoted going 17.5 MPH. No tractor can turn a mower at that speed regardless of quality of cut, but a zero turn or any other riding mower is capable of making a quality cut at full speed capability. That is the difference between them and a tractor. I cut about 6 acres in 2 1/2 hours with my Ferris on some very rough ground and can still run it at the 10 MPH top speed much of the time. I have over 40 trees and many flowering bushes to cut around also but that doesn't slow me much. I also have about half of it that is open range so to speak so I can run full tilt on it. I have no doubt that 5 acres per hour is achievable. MY 52" Craftsman 6000 ZTS will only cut about 2 acres per hour or less and that is because the top speed is only about 6 MPH but it is so rough riding that 4 MPH is about tops for it without losing a kidney or causing permanent back damage.
I agree with the manufacturers rating system of max speed x width x proficiency rating of 80% is an honest way to rate their mowers for comparison. Your real World experience will vary depending on many factors such as terrain, obstacles, height of grass & even type of grass. Tall Clover being one of the easiest to cut while Bahia is pretty tough.

 

[JDgreen227]

Gary Fowler: I in no way EXPECT any commercial ZT to cut 5 acres an hour in foot high wet grass, but my point is: Wildly exaggerating mowing capability by basing your advertising on optimal conditions that the vast majority of consumers will not experience is just plain HYPE and BS.

And, BTW...did anybody here actually base their equipment purchase choice for mowing on the "claimed" capability?

 

[bcp]

Sounds like we need a Mower Test Laboratory with standardized tests, like the tractor one.

Home | Nebraska Tractor Test Laboratory | University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Bruce

 

[Gary Fowler]

Gary Fowler: And, BTW...did anybody here actually base their equipment purchase choice for mowing on the "claimed" capability?

NOT ME. I bought mine based on the quality of the product. I didn't even know the claimed mowing capacity before I bought it, only that the top speed was said to be 10 MPH.

 

[Gary Fowler]

Gary Fowler: Wildly exaggerating mowing capability by basing your advertising on optimal conditions that the vast majority of consumers will not experience is just plain HYPE and BS.QUOTE] I agree with you that it is not a realistic expectation, however since it looks like they all make the claims of mowing ability based on the same formula (at least the ones I have seen) I think it is a fair comparison. It is much less confusing than the manufacturers FEL & 3 PH lift capacity that is all over the block with their quotes, nothing standard about them.

 

[Gary Fowler]

By the way, I don't know of any one selling anything that don't hype it up some, just look at the mileage claims on autos/trucks. No way can you get that mileage unless you drive like 50MPH with a tailwind in both directions and on perfectly level ground while at sea level. Not many folks can do that either although I suppose that there is a standard that they have to go by to test them. Is it realistic driving conditions? Not in my part of the country, there aren't any flat spots and we aren't near sea level and no one drives 55 mph unless in city limits.