Ads say "Mows up to x Acres"

[skidoo]

When manufacturers advertise a model as "Mows up to x Acres", does anyone know on what criteria that is based? Is it based on a standard time to operate per day, or is it the estimate for how many hours would be expected for the x acres before warranty runs out, or some other standard?

 

[MrJimi]

I have heard that many times and it sounds like a sales pitch to me. You can mow an acre with a 20" push mower and do the same acre with a 6' rotary cutter? one will take longer as we all know.
Jim

 

[PBinWA]

It's based on a glassy smooth and level surface, minimal turns, and poor quality of cut.

Don't believe the marketing hype. They are quoting an ideal scenario that in most cases is highly unrealistic.

 

[Robert_in_NY]

I have heard that many times and it sounds like a sales pitch to me. You can mow an acre with a 20" push mower and do the same acre with a 6' rotary cutter? one will take longer as we all know.
Jim

I think he is referring to the mows 10 acres an hour or 5 acres an hour sales promotions some companies use to push their lawn mowers.

 

[art]

I'll say that they might not mow at all with it to figure it out! They have charts at 100% efficiency for a given width at a given speed and I'd say that is what they work from. Some charts have 80% efficency which is what I like to use as a guide.

 

[skidoo]

OK, Let me clarify my question. On this JD site: https://e-marketing.deere.com/collab/customer/ViewAllProducts.do

it says the following tractors can mow up to x acres:

X300 up to 3.5 acres (regardless of model and deck size)

X500 up to 5 acres (again regardless of model and deck size)

X700 up to 7 acres excep the X729 up to 10 acres.

Why the X729 can mow 10 acres but the X749 can mow only 7?

I am sure the X300's can mow 10 acres but perhaps take a bit longer. So, I am wondering on what criteria does JD or others use to determine the max reasonable acrerage to mow

 

[zionview]

A mower moving 3 miles per hour, mowing 60" will mow 2 acres an hour. No allowance for corners, backing up, turns, obstacles, etc. In the real world, we mowed 2 1/2 acres around 14 buildings and it took 7 1/2-8 hours without trim mowing or weedeating. We bought an Allis tractor in 1969 that was supposed to do 2 A/Hr. We also had a forage harvester that was "rated" at 70 tons per hour in corn silage. That must have assumed a never-ending field with wagons that never got full operated by men who never needed rest!

 

[skidoo]

I don't think it means acres per hour. For example, the X300 with a 38" deck and 17 HP lists the same 3.5 acres as the X340 with a 54" deck and 25 HP. I think the odds are quite high that the X340 can cut significantly more acreage per hour. So, why does JD list them as both up to 3.5 acres?

 

[Robert_in_NY]

e-mail them and ask.

 

[2manyrocks]

I agree that you'd have to ask the mfg for their criteria. Having said that, John Deere published a farm implement book many years ago that had an acreage per hour chart in the back. You could use the chart to determine the possible number of acres you could work with a given implement based on tractor speed and the width of the implement. The faster the speed and the wider the implement, the more acres per hour could be worked. In the real world, my ground is too bumpy to go more than about 4-5 mph. The maximum implement width is limited by the horsepower of the tractor. So how the mfg comes up with a given rating for a given tractor--Robert_in_NY is correct. Ask them, but I would guess the ratings don't take into account dodging trees and having to slow down on rough terrain.