Best mower for rough terrain...w/smooth ride

[nomad289]

http://http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_6970_200268424_200268424
looks like a suspension seat that might work.

Hate to ask on a tractor forum, but how would I regrade my 1.5 acre front lawn? It already has sprinklers installed. I assume I could mark them, roundup/poison the grass, rototill the surface ~3" deep (avoiding the sprinklers), then drag a harrow rake (or box blade) back and forth for about 2 weeks? How would I separate the dead grass roots/duff from the soil when leveling? Is there a machine or attachment that will scalp the high points and deposit dirt into the low points?

Should-a done it right the first time, but I ran out of time prior to the first fall freeze and wanted to plant before winter set in.

 

[ampsucker]

if i didn't sink my money into my kubota bx, i would have a ferris. nice kawasaki engines and good ride in the heavier, wider models.

you have the right idea about tackling the smoothing of your lawn. renovations should be done in the fall. if not reusing the existing sod, kill it off with roundup several weeks before moving any dirt and take a soil sample for nutrient testing (core sampler about 6 inches deep from different areas). when test results come back, add lime/sulfur/potash/phosphate as recommended by the lab. you can't do this later, that is why rennovation time is THE best time to add everything except nitrogen. use a tiller set at shallow cut depth to break up the lumps and incorporate your fertilizer. use a blade in back with front end loader each set about an inch over the surface (make settings on a flat surface like concrete or asphalt) and then go over the yard from all different directions. this configuration maximizes the length of your rig (like a road grader) so you get maximum smoothing. going from different directions shaves off the high spots and fills in the low spots from different angles so you don't get a rolling surface when the tractor wheels are all in a low spot. run a light roller over the ground and check for level. shave off any remaining high spots and fill low spots as before. run a rake/harrow/dethatcher over the ground. sow your seeds. run a light roller over it all to compress the seed into the ground. keep it wet (nature may do this for you, but you have sprinklers, so might as well use them if needed). let it grow all winter. aerate in the spring if necessary and fertilize lightly with high nitrogen. enjoy new lawn. fertilize deeply every fall for root development.

i have a lawn and garden newsletter. pm me to be included in the mailing. it tells month by month what to do for a great lawn and garden.

amp

 

[artfull dodger]

We sell the ferris, grasshopper and Kubota ZTR's where I work, I like the ferris the best, followed by the grasshopper, Grasshoppers are a finish mower only, they dont like heavy grass, or wet grass, even the diesels. The Ferris will handle rough grass conditions much better than the Grasshoppers and ride much better. I like the IS4500 with the Cat yellow diesel, actualy made by Perkins/Shibura engine group for Cat. That mower is awsome, I mowed the median out front of our dealership and it was well over a foot tall and I took it down to 3.5in in one pass and it didnt even bog it down. I am not in sales, but handle the repair work. We dont see the Ferris brand in for much other than routine service and blade sharpening. I do see the grasshoppers much more often for a various reasons, usualy the air cooled engine models more. The kubota diesel ZTR's are nice, can be had with a 72" mower deck, but do ride a bit more rough compared to the Ferris. The IS4500 I ran had the 61" mower deck on it. Cheers Mike

 

[nomad289]

The Ferris 4500 diesel looks like a top machine after from looking at the pictures/specs. Suspension, maneuverability, & strong performance in wet/overgrown grass sounds perfect. The local dealer only has a 1500 but I may go test it this weekend just to check the suspension. I still like the grasshopper a-lot but they are big and long, even if the ride is as good or better.

Thanks for the tips on grading, big job to do it "right". What about cutting the grass to 1" height, dumping a load of fine topsoil on top, and going over with a drag harrow or box blade? Would that work? I'm thinking the box blade would glide over the existing grass rather than dig in and might actually distribute the soil into the low spots. Once smooth, I could water and the 4' deep grass roots would be sure to push up through and re-establish? Half-*** approach but only 10% of the effort. Would it work?

Guess it would...it's called "topdressing". Here's some good links:

Summary: What does topdress mean and why is it done?

Best Article: Top Dressing Your Lawn

Equipment: The Country Club at Castle Pines Golf Course Maintenance: Topdressing

Video: Top Dressing Atlanta

Thanks for the ideas and leads.

 

[ampsucker]

depending on the size of the lawn, the depth of the ruts and undulations, etc. top dressing usually only adds a thin layer of material. it's good for covering exposed roots, helping thatch to decompose and smoothing "small" imperfections.

from your earlier post, i assumed you had some major changes in soil level to cause your mower to hop and jump around.

another problem with top dressing is timing with the rain. if you don't break up the soil structure and redistribute that underlying, root and clay impregnated solid mass, any type of decent rain is going to wash your top dressing into the lowest corner of the lawn and park it there. you can end up with worse problems than when you started. it's a catch 22. you need plenty of water to get the grass grow up and hold things in place, but too much and you'll wash away the good stuff. at least you have sprinklers so you can plan to do it during a drought.

my previous comments were based on what i would do in our area in the midwest. we have a lot of clay, limestone and there is usually a good reason to get the soil tested and make amendments at the same time. obviously, everyone's conditions are somewhat different. rock, sand, loam, all would affect to an extent what you need to do.

good luck!

amp

 

[ampsucker]

depending on the size of the lawn, the depth of the ruts and undulations, etc. top dressing usually only adds a thin layer of material. it's good for covering exposed roots, helping thatch to decompose and smoothing "small" imperfections.

from your earlier post, i assumed you had some major changes in soil level to cause your mower to hop and jump around.

another problem with top dressing is timing with the rain. if you don't break up the soil structure and redistribute that underlying, root and clay impregnated solid mass, any type of decent rain is going to wash your top dressing into the lowest corner of the lawn and park it there. you can end up with worse problems than when you started. it's a catch 22. you need plenty of water to get the grass to grow up and hold things in place, but too much and you'll wash away the good stuff you just put down. at least you have sprinklers so you can plan to do it during a drought.

my previous comments were based on what i would do in our area in the midwest. we have a lot of clay, limestone and there is usually a good reason to get the soil tested and make amendments at the same time. top dressing doesn't stick to the clay very well on any type of an incline. obviously, everyone's conditions are somewhat different. rock, sand, loam, all would affect to an extent what you need to do.

good luck!

amp

 

[jeffinsgf]

Let me start by saying that I love turf, just not quite so much. More on that later.

In your shoes, I would start with a very thorough core aeration, followed by topdressing with as much compost as I could afford (given that you're looking at spending 12K for a mower, that might be quite a bit), up to about 1/2 inch. I would follow that with a layer of sharp, coarse sand -- about 1/8 inch. Let your current turf work its way through that and maintain as normal the rest of this summer. In September, slit-seed in a turf type tall fescue. Aerate and topdress each spring when growth is strong and vigorous. Slit-seed each fall when the weather starts to cool just a bit. You'll have a golf course lawn in a couple years.

Now, the criticism. For all of us rural property owners we have to remind ourselves that, like the farmers who owned this land before us, we are stewards of the environment. Turf is an enjoyable use of land for humans, but it is poorly suited for birds, insects and small animals. I own ten acres. just about an acre of that is kept in "lawn", and in that there are numerous flower and garden beds. I can't imagine maintaining more than an acre or possibly 1.5 as turf. You guys that are mowing 5 to 10 acres need to seriously consider some options. The open 4 acres of my property that are not part of the lawn have been sown in native grasses and wildflowers. The view from the road as you come to our place is stunning. The palette of color and texture changes every few weeks from March until December. The fields are constantly filled with the buzz of bees and other pollinators and crowds of song birds and game birds. Best of all, it requires virtually no input from me once established. I mowed it twice the first year, not at all last year and this fall I'll burn it once everything has gone dormant. It's beautiful, low maintenance, needs no water or fertilizer, and invites wildlife onto the property where elsewhere their habitat is being destroyed. What could be better?

 

[jeffinsgf]

...What about cutting the grass to 1" height, dumping a load of fine topsoil on top, and going over with a drag harrow or box blade? Would that work? I'm thinking the box blade would glide over the existing grass rather than dig in and might actually distribute the soil into the low spots. Once smooth, I could water and the 4' deep grass roots would be sure to push up through and re-establish? Half-*** approach but only 10% of the effort. Would it work?...

Box blade would not work well in this situation, and really wouldn't be necessary. A Topdresser is a specialized spreader that will meter out a specific depth of material over the entire area. After spreading, the topdressing material will finds it way to the lowest spots and smooth out everything. It is something that will benefit your yard when done annually. Here's a person powered topdresser. Earth & Turf - America's Compact Topdresser Company Looks like you know how to use Google, so you'll find some other options. I bought an old fairway topdresser off eBay and rebuilt it.

 

[nomad289]

Test drove a Ferris 1500Z last weekend.

The suspension really does soak up large bumps, as one would expect. It works as advertised and as designed. Wonder why all tractors don't have suspension Cars, truck and motorcycles all do...

The contrast between the suspension mower and one without was like riding my CT70 honda trailbike w/3" suspension vs. a mono-shock motocross bike with 11" suspension. A world of difference.

Now to justify a new mower...

The other options are more practical: topdressing, less acreage in grass, hire out job, regrading.

 

[bontai_Joe]

I still think that you can upgrade the seat on your existing mower for a lot less money than trading up to a new machine.