TC29D -- How Many Acres How Fast?

[MODiesel]

OK, so I'm real close to buying some new property and I've started to size up my equipment vs. the terrain. I've dealt with lots of big acreage before [2000+acres], but those have all been with much larger tractors. This new piece of ground has 15 acres of level pasture and about 30+ in wooded hillside. As I looked over it tonight, and then looked at my lil' 29D & 5ft rough cut mower, I started wondering at what rate I could expect to cut the pasture.My current property has a little bit of open ground & lots of timber. The tractor does lots & lots of loader duty, but doesn't see much mowing. I realized that I have no idea in what gear range I can cut level pasture, or how fast. Do I need to look to the Class 3 tractors? Can I get it cut between early morning and into the afternoon?This is just "maintenance cutting" to keep the weeds down. In the future, I might put in it hay or one of the trendier, horse-oriented grasses and just pay someone to bale it. However, for the time being, I'd need to mow it to keep it looking nice and enjoy the property without stepping over the weeds.So I thought I'd ask what other users experience. Basically, how long does it take to rough cut your property with your tractor, and how many acres do you mow? Would a larger/smaller machine have done a better job? Etc...Thanx in advance for the insight! /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gifBest Regards,Jay

 

[John_Mc]

I mow in mid-range (II) on my TC33D with 5 ft brush cutter. When mowing pasture, I can go as fast as the bumps/comfort allows, as long as I don't let it get too long between mowing. I'm mowing a similar amount of acreage to yours. It generally takes me more than a day to get it all done, but I have a fair amount of obstacles, some rather bumpy terrain, and I'm generally hopping off from time-to-time to see about digging up the rock I just hit.

I chose this frame size because the larger boomers would be too big to get thru my trails in the woods.

Since you already own the 29D, I'd suggest trying it out on your property before you make the leap to a larger size. (Not that I want to be quoted as advising someone against buying a new tractor! /w3tcompact/icons/grin.gif)

John Mc

 

[webbmeister]

Jay - I've 3 acres with a lot of hillside. On my 25D, I have to stop before going up the hill and move from II to I in order to not lug the engine. Changing ranges takes time, and mowing in I slows things down a bit. Bottom line? 3 acres = 4 hours.

Jim

 

[Number6]

I recently got to use my TC29D for the first time this past weekend. I purchased a 6 foot landpride mower deck to cut my 10 acre field. It was pretty high but I was able to get through it in mid range without too many problems. When I got into some real thick areas I had to drop down into low range to get through it. I don't anticipate any problems mowing the whole thing in mid range now that I got it cut down. All in all I was impressed with the way things went. I started cutting about 1 pm and finished around 7:30 pm and that included a couple of breaks. My land is pretty much all pasture.