rookie tractor buyer cutting 40 acres

[schmism]

when you say mowing 40 acers... you mean like rough mow... or you mean like lawn....

either way i wouldnt be doing it with anything less than 15' at a time.

i always wanted enough turf for something like this... 18' of finish mowing goodness!

 

[Soundguy]

Reminds me of a golf course rig..

soundguy

 

[ChuckinNH]

FMJ makes a most valid point! The features of YOUR land determine the best equipment to use on it. It is very hard to make good recommendations based on acerage alone. In this case, pictures would be worth more than a thousand words.

 

[pitt_md]

Reminds me of a golf course rig..

soundguy

heck, even I could play golf on a course that wide open.

 

[JWB53]

my land is 90% flat, the rest they tell me is still very mowable with tractor, this upcoming week i'm going to look at a john deere 4300 4x4 loader with canopy 840 hours 10,000 ; a jd 4500 4x4 with loader 2002 model 16,500 and a 1995 ford 3930 2 wheel drive with loader 2500hours-13,000. dealer was concerned with 4300 pulling 6 foot mower, what do you think of theses options thanks (by the way i do have stream running thru middle of property so i thought a bar mower might help

 

[Soundguy]

That 3930 will sure spin a 6' mower fine.. plus lots of other things..

not bad hours either.

soundguy

 

[Chuck_Lind]

I mow around 70 acres every year in central Pennsylvania using a New Holland TN65 and a 6' LandPride rotary cutter.
Takes me about 60 - 70 hours to mow in 4th gear, low range (8x8 transmission).
I can't seem to find anyone who will mow it and take the hay; they even get it for free, but no luck.
Reason why I mow it is to keep down the thistle, saplings, milkweed, etc. from crowding out the good hay.
The worst part is the heat, the sweatbees and the chafe that inevitably gets in your eyes.
Think I'll be doing it every two years due to fuel costs. The deer and turkey sure love the tall hay.

 

[JWB53]

ford 3930 buy fell thru, but i found '08 4105 john deere 13 hours with loader and canopy 19,500 , have to have hydrostatic trans with my bad knees, still like look of new holland a bit better, what would be equivalent model nh thanks

 

[Soundguy]

Dang.. if I didn't mow my pasture every month you woul dbe able to see it from orbit. In 1-2 ys it would take over the neighbors pasture!

soundguy

I mow around 70 acres every year in central Pennsylvania using a New Holland TN65 and a 6' LandPride rotary cutter.
Takes me about 60 - 70 hours to mow in 4th gear, low range (8x8 transmission).
I can't seem to find anyone who will mow it and take the hay; they even get it for free, but no luck.
Reason why I mow it is to keep down the thistle, saplings, milkweed, etc. from crowding out the good hay.
The worst part is the heat, the sweatbees and the chafe that inevitably gets in your eyes.
Think I'll be doing it every two years due to fuel costs. The deer and turkey sure love the tall hay.

 

[pitt_md]

I mow around 70 acres every year in central Pennsylvania using a New Holland TN65 and a 6' LandPride rotary cutter.
Takes me about 60 - 70 hours to mow in 4th gear, low range (8x8 transmission).
I can't seem to find anyone who will mow it and take the hay; they even get it for free, but no luck.
Reason why I mow it is to keep down the thistle, saplings, milkweed, etc. from crowding out the good hay.
The worst part is the heat, the sweatbees and the chafe that inevitably gets in your eyes.
Think I'll be doing it every two years due to fuel costs. The deer and turkey sure love the tall hay.

I mow with a woods 6' rotary cutter and I have had all I want after doing 10acres. I can't imagine mowing 70. Not sure why you can't find anyone who needs free hay in PA. Lots of horse's in that area. Have you advertized? What about leasing the land out? I know the ground is not as good there as it is here in MN but I would think you could turn that land into a yearly vacation fund. Anything to not have to spend 60 -70 hours in the dust and heat.