Tractor Sizing I'm a newbie

[Oiltech]

I don't see the need for a 70 to 80 hp tractor, a better choice would be the Kubota L5740 HSTC cab or the Deere 4520 cab both are 60 hp. Good manueverability with a hydro tranny and would match up well to an eight ft semi mount brush mower. I would use a zero turn to mow around the house and trees.

There are lots of other brands to choose from that would work well, just depends on what is available in your area.

Shopped this morning and since there is potential for the grass to get away from me time to time it seems a 50/60 HP tractor with 12'-15' Tri deck finishing mower may be the best way to go. The 72" ztr would struggle and/or take many hours to get it mowed if were to get tall.

My L3540 has 29 HP PTO, the woods brochure states 30 HP to run a Tri deck finish mower 12' wide. Do you think the L3540 would handle it?

 

[Oiltech]

Okay, I'm confused. Do you have 50 trees that are 1 year old or do you have many trees that are 50 years old? If the latter and you are mowing around 50 yr-old trees, then how high are the tree limbs. Liveoaks can have a huge canopy that could wreak havoc with a tractor's cab. I would think a small tractor with cab would be far better than a larger tractor for all the turns and to make sure the cab doesn't get damaged under the trees.

There are 50 live oak trees that were planted 50 years ago. The land was planned for a subdivision and the trees are in 4 rows, 75' center spacing and 50' in between where the streets were going to run. There are some low scrub branches and one of the first things I plan to do is groom each tree which would allow for the L3540 to pass under them now but I understand in the future clearance will be an issue especially since the trees will be nurtured.

 

[Oiltech]

Points I am considering:

Mow all the grass in 3 hours
Mow the grass in A/C cab
Smoothest possible ride
Spend what ever it takes once and getting the right tool for the job is more important than what it will cost
Good dependable equipment that will last
Have a machine that is capable of handling tall grass when it gets away from me and I know it will
Flexibility of knowing I can go fishing in lieu of cutting grass and be able to cut it later without struggling

Thanks to all for the welcoming

 

[jinman]

One other solution is paying someone else to mow for you. You can pay for lots of mowing with the price of a cabbed 70-80 hp tractor and 15' batwing. With someone else mowing, you can still sit on the lake fishing and have them call your cellphone if they have questions.

 

[jenkinsph]

Shopped this morning and since there is potential for the grass to get away from me time to time it seems a 50/60 HP tractor with 12'-15' Tri deck finishing mower may be the best way to go. The 72" ztr would struggle and/or take many hours to get it mowed if were to get tall.

My L3540 has 29 HP PTO, the woods brochure states 30 HP to run a Tri deck finish mower 12' wide. Do you think the L3540 would handle it?

I think your current tractor would struggle to mow if it were tall, forward progress would be slow. That mower is listed for 30 to 80 hp, to get the pto hp ratings recognize that the numbers reflect a parked tractor not with the tractor moving and dragging a heavy mower with it. I have a 4520 cab with the e pto and that would work if the grass wasn't too tall, taller grass and you would likely need to run the standard pto speeds. I looked at the Woods site and that mower looks pretty good to me.