How heavy is too heavy to mow?

[keeney]

Most ZTR's probably have better tip angle than most tractors, but the traction is going to be a function of tire type and the surface you are on. ZTR's put more demands on traction due to needing good traction to retain steering control. On a ZTR, the uphill wheel tends to have less weight on it and can loose traction easier. So be careful when the grass is wet because you can spin that wheel, loose steering control, slide into a ditch, or otherwise crash or roll.

Tractors can have similar problems on hills, so I think the hill issue is mostly when comparing ride-on ZTR's to walk-behind mowers (including the wide-area 2-wheel styles).

The safety from a walk-behind comes from if the thing starts sliding down the hill, you can simply let go and are not riding it into the ditch.

- Rick

 

[dillo99]

ditto what Rick said!

I have a walk behind ZTR which only cost me about $2500. I wanted the walk behind because I figured the walk would always be good for me. I have no regrets on that but I don't mow as much as you indicated (only about 1.5 acres finish mowing - the rest is bush hogged). Personally, I think you would find a riding ztr to be much more stable on the hills than your tractor but as rick points out, turning on a hill may be an issue. You might talk a dealer into letting you try one or if you have a neighbor with one you might want to ask him to bring it over for a try. It really would depend a lot on your specific terrain.

 

[patrick_g]

Thanks for all the feedback. Here is a some more detail. Considering 2 units, both red. One 23 HP roughly 1600 lbs with mower. Next 28 Hp 2700 lbs with mower. When finished I'll have 3.5 acres to mow. Not enough to justify an old farm tractor. I'm on the outer edges of suburbia & farmland. Don't want to park a big old tractor in the back yard. The contractor will do most of the rough grading & tre removal. I mentioned a "step" in the yard. The lower half is where I'll need to spend some time. There is a 50 x 70 "excavation along a slope that I'm going to fill and grade off over time. This is the major reason I'd want a larger tractor. Well that and what kind of man doesn't always want machinery one size bigger that what's necessary.

As far as soil conditions go the lower corner of the yard can stay soft after some rain. That may change after the grading is done. 90 of the yard is dry / solid.

Another point. The 23 HP unit is about 4 incles lower. I have some mowing which will require mowing on a slope. Any big difference in stability betwen the 2?


Price difference is 5K, yes, money is a consideration. But, the bad voice on my left shoulder is telling me I can finance for 5 years

75H2, Your initial post mentioned two main uses for a candidate tractor. Ignoring temporarily the bigger is always better advice (a guaranteed response here whether applicable or not) lets consider your requirements.

They seem to be relatively disjoint, i.e. a tractor large enough to conveniently tackle serious site prep and other home building chores and mowing a tad under 3 1/2 acres. You will build the house once and then you will have the tractor for mostly mowing for years and years. If you over size your tractor to try to be able to do a limited number "ONE TIME TASKS" and then find it just isn't right for its actual use for the next xx years then you have not helped yourself as much as you could. It isn't just what can you afford and will the little woman allow it. You can easily accessorize a smaller tractor to consume the REQUIRED excess funds.

A backhoe on a smaller tractor will be a valuable asset and even in the smaller sizes will be a tremendous asset in trenching for wires, pipes, sprinklers but... will you need a backhoe after the house is finished and the landscaping is complete. Maybe you have the $ and it doesn't matter to you if the back hoe doesn't get used more than once every few years (if ever) after the house is done.

You may be best served by sizing/picking your tractor to the mowing tasks and then adding whatever accessories you can justify through need or desire (nothing wrong with buying something because you want it not because you need it or can economically justify it.) With a tractor sized for your 3+ acres of mowing you will be happier with your long term results than trying to maneuver a larger tractor without turf damage. With a proper complement of accessories a small tractor will do an amazing array of tasks.

Try to keep your situation in proper perspective. While 3 1/2 acres may seem like a National Park to someone used to living in town on a postage stamp, it would be easer to buy too large and heavy of a tractor than too small. Better a nicely outfitted small tractor even if it costs more than the larger less outfitted tractor in the long run.

Pat

 

[kozak]

What happens if you buy too small.....you end up trading up & losing money OR contracting out what you could have done with a bigger tractor and again losing money. Tractors do not depreciate in price like vehicles do. Just go out & price some used tractors & compare prices to new.....you will be amazed. If you do find that your initial larger tractor is too big down the road, you always have the option to sell & get the smaller JD tractor you are dreaming of. Again, you will lose very little (IF ANY) selling after a few years.This way you have the most flexibility & the biggest bang for your buck.

Total # of Posts for this Thread = 20
# of Posts either already using larger or recommending larger = 13
# of Posts recommending small = 2
# of Posts that have traded up to larger = 2 (Plus I did also)
# of Posts that did not address size issue = 4

If you are worried about tearing up the turf, why not test out the 28HP tractor if possible.

Good Luck,

Vic

 

[LBrown59]

A ZTR will make your mowing much much faster -
**you will not need to trim at all.

*Of course "she who must be obeyed" might not agree with my logic!!!!!

* Neither do I completely .
**There will still be trimming along ditches and out over embankments do to the fact you can't drive a ztr on banks and through ditches.
== L B ==.

 

[LBrown59]

How did going from a 60'' mower to another 60'' mower reduce your mowing time?

I started out with a Kubota BX23 and 60" mower,
I moved to a Kubota B3030 with loaded turf tires and a 60" deck. I have reduced my mowing time by about 20%.

 

[patrick_g]

Does anyone who is recommending the bigger is better approach recall that the man will have less than 3 1/2 acres to mow and after the house is built the primary task will be mowing less than 3 1/2 acres?

Is the BEST solution for mowing 3 1/2 acres, a tractor over 30HP?

Is the BEST solution for FINISH mowing 3 1/2 acres, a tractor over 30 HP?

Is the ability to do a few (more) jobs during the house building sufficient justification to buy a larger tractor which after the house is built will be mowing less than 3 1/2 acres.

Will buying a larger more powerful tractor be more useful than a smaller but more completely outfitted tractor, considering the main use will be mowing less than 3 1/2 acres?

At some point money IS an object to the man and she who must be obeyed. A smaller tractor with HST, FEL, backhoe, MMM, etc will cost as much or more than a larger less well outfitted tractor. A smaller well outfitted tractor will be more versatile and will give a lot more function for the $.

Maybe the idea of an air conditioned bug free environment in summer, heat in winter, and protection from chemical yard sprays will be attractive and a cab will be considered (or maybe not) but that costs a bit too.

Having a larger more powerful tractor just to have a larger more powerful tractor is a fine and noble desire and I have no problem with someone owning several in excess of any possible need but that is a different thing than the original posters query. He is trying to get a handle on a fairly expensive purchase for which he has little direct experience. HE needs to hear the pros and cons of mower vs tractor ( too little, too big and hopefully just right.)

A case has been stated that larger is better because tractors hold their value and you can always trade down later etc. You could always trade up too but why not do a little front end analysis and try to get it right. If you right size the tractor (did I mentioin the primary use of the tractor is mowing less than 3 1/2 acres?) maybe you will not have to trade up or down.

Except for the possibility of helping in house building trenching and such, what are the tasks for the tractor to perform that recommend a tractor over a large swath riding mower? After the house is built what do you do with all the implements?

If lots of playing in the dirt were expected such as landscaping or gardening or if the climate and length of drive way suggests a need for significant maintenance and snow removal then a little tractor with FEL and box blade is certainly a better choice than a riding mower.

Before the larger is always better crowd passes the hat to take up a collection to have me hit, let me point out that I made no size or HP recommendation. I just pointed out a few facts. Readers Digest condensed version follows:

What are the tasks to be done after the house is built? mowing-yup, driveway maint-?, snow removal-?, gardening-?, other-? How important is it that 75H2 provide equipment for construction site work?

If a basement were in the plans should we be debating the size of the track hoe excavator he should buy for that one time use? Maybe they too hold their value well. How about a D-8?

The best we can do by the poster is to suggest he do a good requirements analysis and not to pick the solution before working the problem.

Pat

 

[ChuckinNH]

I guess I have to agree with Patrick on this one. I am in the decision process on a tractor too. I have tried to list the chores that I need/ want to do, and then decide on the implements that I need to accomplish those tasks. Once the implements are chosen, I can easily see what size tractor / mower I need, how much it should weigh, etc. If I have many chores that require a heavy tractor with lots of pto hp, then I probably should really consider having a separate mower. Heavier tractors can certainly be used on sensitive areas, but tire choice becomes more critical to spread that weight out. Look at the equipment that is used on golf courses for example. I have 13 acres, but mow about the same amount as the OP. The land I mow is hilly, and rough in areas. After using both riding mowers, and a BX22 ( not for mowing) on my particular land (tends to be wet in areas, clay in areas, etc.) I have decided that I don't want to use anything heavier than the JD 2000 series, or larger Kubota "B" series for much mowing, and the smaller tractors of both brands are to be preferred for that task as being the limit. My Simplicity Legacy, at around 1000 lbs has proven to be a good size for traction, stability, and yet low impact. Still there are areas that I have to use the same track, and over all my years of use, one can still see depressions that match the tractor tire width. To answer the OP question, I think 1000 lbs to 1800 lbs would be best for mowing, especially in sensitive areas. Larger is Ok, but look closely at tire choices.
My BX22 gave me a good look at the weight thing, and in some ways was an actual worse case scenerio. Though the tires are as wide (12") as many larger tractors they are much smaller in diameter, so the footprint is smaller. With my rear tires loaded, and me aboard the thing weighed close to 3000 lbs with backhoe, and loader mounted. Imprint in sensitive areas (bar tires) was much more noticable than my Simplicity...... same day, same conditions. With the backhoe off, but the loader mounted, the results were the same. With the backhoe, and loader off it did more damage than the Simplicity but wasn't too bad except where it was really soft. With me on board, it probably weighed in the neighborhood of 1800+ lbs that way. Larger tires would have made that even better.

 

[patrick_g]

Chuck, I found that I have the wrong size tractor at least part of the time. It is the right size most of the time, maybe well over 90% but sometimes it is just too big and some times it is too small. In fact I have that same problem with my utility trailer and my dump trailer and ...

Pat

 

[m7040]

We mowe close to the house with a Kubota zero turn 72 inch diesel, works really well and is fast.



On the bigger area app 15 acres we use the M7040 with a 15 ft Woods mower. Again works really well and in comfort with air suspension seat and AC in the cab

 

[gemini5362]

I am just jumping into this post at the end. I think he should buy both tractors and a backhoe to be on the safe side

 

[patrick_g]

I am just jumping into this post at the end. I think he should buy both tractors and a backhoe to be on the safe side

At the end? Not bloody likely!

A large deck zero turn mower would make a good addition to a fleet of 3-4 (or more) tractors each outfitted at both ends and maybe in the middle with different implements so he never has to change implements, just tractors. Oh, and a few Cats in various sizes up to about a D-8 at least.

Pat

 

[LBrown59]

Just about ready to pull the trigger on my first tractor . ( I feel like a little kid the night before Christmas) Looking at a low 20ish HP SCUT. Just to be safe I thought I give one last look at mid to 20 HP CUTS which are a frame size larger. I have a 3.5 acre yard to look after. The next year or more will involve alot of dirt moving as we are building a new home and moving. The yard has a fair slope and a "step" half way through.

Here is where I'm at. I like the idea of a larger tractor to get the work done easier. But, once done my tasks are limited to mostly mowing and a 300 foot drive to maintain.

I'm concerned about how much weight is too much in a mowing capacity. I currently have septic & don't want to crush the drainfield or end up in the bottom of the tank. I'm all confused, "she who must be obeyed" has given the green light for the larger (more $$) of the two tractors. With mower & loaded tires probably looking at 2600 lbs. or more.

If you were me would you go for the lighter SCUT or the mid sized CUT

One of each would be nice.
Once yer done with the bigger projects you will have more tractor than needed if you go with a Cut.
I was faced with the same choice between a Kubota B 2410 and a Kubota BX 23 back in 2004.
The BX23 was the best choice for me.
I did hire a guy with a kubota L series to dig a couple of long ditches in a swampy area that had weeds in it about 3 feet high.
I didn't want to get my new tractor all skuffed up and muddy.
About a year later I hired a guy with a small dozer to grub out some trees and level out an area about 50 by 75 feet.
To me it made more sense to buy the tractor that met my long term goals rather than a tractor that only met my short term 1 time needs .

 

[LBrown59]

At the end? Not bloody likely!

a fleet of 3-4 (or more) tractors each outfitted at both ends and maybe in the middle with different implements so he never has to change implements, just tractors.

Pat

I have 3 tractors set up similar to this.

 

[gemini5362]

for 3.5 acres If I was going to just get one tractor I would have to get something in the 15 horse range with a front end loader and a belly mower. Or a finishing mower. I am convinced that it is impossible to live without a front end loader. The small tractor will work great on mowing the lawn and you cannot start to imagine the uses for a front end loader until you have one. I used mine tonight to unload groceries from the back of the truck.

 

[brassspike]

One of each would be nice.
Once yer done with the bigger projects you will have more tractor than needed if you go with a Cut.
I was faced with the same choice between a Kubota B 2410 and a Kubota BX 23 back in 2004.
The BX23 was the best choice for me.
I did hire a guy with a kubota L series to dig a couple of long ditches in a swampy area that had weeds in it about 3 feet high.
I didn't want to get my new tractor all skuffed up and muddy.
About a year later I hired a guy with a small dozer to grub out some trees and level out an area about 50 by 75 feet.
To me it made more sense to buy the tractor that met my long term goals rather than a tractor that only met my short term 1 time needs .

What he said. I was faced with that decision. Went with the BX23 as the most weight on the yard for mowing. I got the FEL etc. and was amazed at how much big tractor work the thing will do. It's great in the yard and with 4x4 it does other jobs well also. It takes more time but, for me, working in the dirt is "me" time. The large jobs are few but the grass is constant.