Getting started: 23 vs 30 HP

[lawn_king]

A B3030 at the very least, you can get a nice fact cab and this machine will do everything you need to do. If you have the $$$ multiple machines would be great.

 

[zzvyb6]

I do the same size land, when you start doing hay, 40 hp is minumum. I started with loader, 5 ft brush cutter, tiller and a landscape rake. Post hole digger, pto generator, cement mixer, mower, baler, rake, welder, air compressor, trailer 4, wheeler etc. All necessary for farm operations. (Forgot the dogs, snowmobile, computer, torches, new truck and I forget what else.

Now I have just bought a very used JDF935 72" diesel mower. It cuts the 3 acres in 1/3 of the fuel gallonage I used in the 48" F525 front mower. Wish I had gotten it first. Make sure you have enough storage space to stash all the equipment in a manner that allows you to change over from one to another quickly.

Also, purchase accounting services from a reputable Tax Service. They will show you how to take a writeoff on all this stuff.

 

[Tom_H]

There are a lot of good ideas here. You definitely need more than a BX, a whole lot more. Instead of a BX for the lawn, I'd go ZTR, and then at least a B3030 for the other property, preferably M or L series.

There is a way to do it all with one machine. Woods has a very heavy duty rear finish mower that is actually a hybrid between a rear finish mower and a brush hog. It is built like a RFM and classified by Woods as one, but it is a 3 spindle stump jumper with 6 free pivoting blades. It cuts a 90" swath and will cut 4 and 1/2 acres per hour. It should do a decent job on the lawn, and if the pasture is grass with no brush, it should do well there as well. It needs 25 to 50 hp at the pto. Putting this model on an M or L series with cab and AC would be sweet. You certainly need a FEL and will want a number of other attachments as time goes by. If money matters, this cutter could allow you to do it all with one big tractor. Here is the Woods RM990:

Woods Equipment Company - RM990 series 90�