Rotary Cutter Help sizing rotary cutter for my tractor and terrain

[DWKY]

Hello, brand new member here seeking advice. I am in the market for a rotary cutter and want to make sure I get the right size that my tractor can handle safely on my terrain. Currently have a tenant mowing but contract expires this year and will have to mow myself. I have a NH T4030(4wd) that is 65hp(pto). My footprint is 7 ft wide. I have around 25 acres to mow, most of which is fescue with a few spots with heavier cover. I'd like to be able to mow as wide as possible and I believe my tractor could handle a an 8 or 10 ft pull type okay as far as handling the material. However, most of the ground I am covering is pretty steep(30-50% grade). I'd like to mow as wide as I can without the Mower pushing me off the side of the hill. So my question is how big can I go without overextending myself for safety. Also I am considering a pull type because I believe it would be more stable on the hills than a lift. Please confirm or correct this if you will. I do plan to graze all this at some point to reduce mowing but presently have no fence to hold em. Any advice would be much appreciated.

 

[whis]

I would like to see a picture of your tractor on a 50% grade

 

[MF283]

What has the tenant been using to mow it with? I've watched "right of way" crews on the interstate mowing real steep areas that i wouldn't do for the love of money.
Typically, they're pulling 15' pull behinds & you can see the tractor sliding on the embankment's even with 4WD.
I don't see alot of them around, i had a 10' Fred Cain pull behind when i had my bigger tractor, it was a great unit. They are made in Danville KY, would be worth checking out.

Ronnie

 

[MMagis]

25 acres of fescue? In KY? Why not lease it out for hay?

 

[DWKY]

25 acres of fescue? In KY? Why not lease it out for hay?

It has been cut for hay before but it looks to me like every third bale they dropped ended up rolling down the hill into a gulley or the woods. I have asked around but found little interest in cutting it for hay. It would be make good hay. Good clover and orchard grass mixed in but I think I would rather graze than cut regularly.

MF 283 -- Tenant mows with 15' batwing with much large tractor. Can't remember the model but looks to be 120HP or so. He seems to get along pretty well although I have never been around to watch him. Takes him around 10 hours to get it done usually.

Thanks for the replies.

 

[MMagis]

Another option would be leasing it out for pasture. If there are no fences, that would of course reduce the lease value because they would have to deal with that, but it would still make you some money while saving a lot of work for you.

Sorry, I know I’m straying from your original question. It’s always nice to see good grass being put to use whenever possible.

 

[flusher]

It has been cut for hay before but it looks to me like every third bale they dropped ended up rolling down the hill into a gulley or the woods. I have asked around but found little interest in cutting it for hay. It would be make good hay. Good clover and orchard grass mixed in but I think I would rather graze than cut regularly.

MF 283 -- Tenant mows with 15' batwing with much large tractor. Can't remember the model but looks to be 120HP or so. He seems to get along pretty well although I have never been around to watch him. Takes him around 10 hours to get it done usually.

Thanks for the replies.

Switch to large square bales.

 

[LD1]

10 hours to mow 25 acres with a 15' batwing

If he is going that slow, sounds like there could be some pucker moments.
I cannot help on the pull vs lift type, I only have a lift type 6' cutter. I have mowed 25 degree slopes sideways, but the grass has to be dry and its still a bit iffy. Thats about 46% grade.

20 degrees is no pucker factor at all for me, but I have a small, low tractor and added 2" spacers to each side. Are your wheels as wide as you can get them?

Any possibility of mowing up and down on the bad areas instead of sideways?

 

[MMagis]

Switch to large square bales.

That’s a mighty expensive switch.
Though being near horse country, you’d think someone around there would be set up for large squares. But as mentioned, it could be too hilly to interest many people, especially since there hasn’t been a shortage of hay last few years.

 

[TripleR]

I would think an eight foot pull type would work fine, can't comment on the suitability of that particular tractor, but we mow really steep stuff with our M8540 and ten foot pull type. We own both a pull type and three point and the three point is much less stable, so it's sat in the shed for several years now.