Rough terrain mower

[RedRocker]

Hey guys, as I clear more of my property I've discovered that I have more area to mow. I need some kind of rider that can handle brush, the occasional rock or small stump and not come apart. I have a lot of trees and rocky hills to deal with too. Any types or brands you could steer me toward would be appreciated. Thanks, Mike

 

[beenthere]

Don't know of anything that is designed to mow brush and rocks.

If you are not talking about a lawn mower, then a rotary cutter with blades that swing freely on the end of a rotating bar will accomodate the stump, brush, and rock.

 

[RedRocker]

Thanks, I never intend to mow rocks, but my poor Honda walk behind has suffered greatly from the occasional hidden one. I guess I need something that has a high setting for the deck.

 

[slammer]

Virtually all of the quality tractors on the market will allow you many differant cutting heigth options. But the only way to make any machine last is to properly prepare the lawn for mowing. Stumps, brush, and rocks do not obviously belong in a yard. Wether you spend $500 or $5000 on a mower the deck will be scrap in no time if you treat it like a bush hog. The damage will obvious and not covered by warranty.

Slam

 

[beenthere]

I'd suggest continuing with the walk-behinds until you have a lawn that could then be mowed with a riding lawn mower. Riders are too expensive. /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

I cleared about three acres of woods with a push mower, and when it was done, that is when I went to a rider. Everytime I push out into the woods with the rider, I usually pay the price. Bent blades, bent deck, flat tires, etc. Now, I use the rotary cutter to do the woods, or the push mower.

 

[RedRocker]

Sounds like a plan, thanks for the advice.

 

[Bob_Skurka]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Hey guys, as I clear more of my property I've discovered that I have more area to mow. I need some kind of rider that can handle brush, the occasional rock or small stump and not come apart. I have a lot of trees and rocky hills to deal with too. Any types or brands you could steer me toward would be appreciated. Thanks, Mike )</font>

If you are looking for a riding mower, then I would take a serious look at the Ventrac 3000 with a their LQ450 Field Mower. It is a front mount mowing unit that uses 2 counter rotating blades for rough mowing. It has chain guards, skid shoes, etc and really sounds like it might be the ticket for your needs. The Ventrac 3000 is 4 wheel drive, articulating & oscilating, it handles hills, bumps, ruts and smooth lawns with equal ease. I love mine, but they are pretty expensive. I don't own the LQ450 Field Mower, but I do have their finish mower, the 48" slip scoop, and the leaf blower and find the odd looking little tractor has outperformed my expectations by a long shot.

 

[slowrev]

Fence in the area to be cleared with electric fence and t posts. Then put goats in there, they are great for clearing land. Just sit back watch them fatten up /multiply and then sell them to buy a mower with.

 

[Ledgemere Farm]

Chickens work great and they are cheaper... /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[RedRocker]

If I had the right kind of fence I'd get some goats.

 

[slowrev]

The metal t posts are easy to drive and pull back up with a pipe driver and a simple puller from harbor freight for 15.00. Just run several strands of electric wire and use a good charger. The goats will learn FAST /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[slowrev]

Goats seem to eat the brushy stuff better than chickens. They also love poision ivy and all weeds before they eat the grass.

 

[RedRocker]

I've got a 4 strand barb wire fence, would adding one strand of elec. wire do the trick?

 

[slowrev]

I would put at least one low strand of electric and one high one (about 3 ft). Goats are pretty good at escaping, but not as hard to keep in as chickens /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif Also if you have the standard large woven wire fencing with no electric they can get their horns/heads hung in the large openings and die. Electric or smaller woven wire is best.

 

[MarkLeininger]

Are you guys talking about some giant mutant strain of irradiated chickens, or are you talking about flocks of thousands? Our chickens pick at dandelions and a few other assorted weeds, but I'll be dead and buried before they consume any real quantity of vegetation. I agree completely that the goats will clear everything, including anything there you might want to keep.

 

[slowrev]

You have it right Mark. With the goats you will need to protect any fruit trees or shrubs with a wire basket around them. Regular trees will be ok until they eat most of the briars and weeds and such. They are even better than hogs for clearing land and a lot less smelly. But I think hogs taste better /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[rockyridgefarm]

Billy Goat makes a ~30" walk behind mower that is essentialy a self powered brush hog. It is a real workout being drug behind it...