Tractor advise for 90 acre farm

[searcyfarms]

holy moly, you guys must have thin grass, my 78inch great bend mower pulls like a beast, it doesn't have an exhaust for grass other than the front so it is basically a mulcher, I have a 560D that I pull it with and I have to mow in 2nd gear wide open throttle and it will still bog down occasionally, and then the mower deck will raise up in the air and a GIANT ball of grass will roll out from under it HA!!! - for our 15 foot batwings, we have 110+hp tractors........we can only mow about 3mph tops w/out overheating our tractors in that thick CRP, so the 5hp/foot would not work for me.

 

[cdb2]

holy moly, you guys must have thin grass, my 78inch great bend mower pulls like a beast, it doesn't have an exhaust for grass other than the front so it is basically a mulcher, I have a 560D that I pull it with and I have to mow in 2nd gear wide open throttle and it will still bog down occasionally, and then the mower deck will raise up in the air and a GIANT ball of grass will roll out from under it HA!!! - for our 15 foot batwings, we have 110+hp tractors........we can only mow about 3mph tops w/out overheating our tractors in that thick CRP, so the 5hp/foot would not work for me.

Thanks for the additional data point. Seems like a wide range of different experiences folks have with cutting.

 

[cdb2]

My 40hp tractor is well matched to a 6' cutter. I sharpen the blades at the beginning of each season. The first cut is, maybe, 18"+ high. After that I usually cut once it gets 12" high. Running the motor at 2500rpm to get 540 PTO speed. I might loose 100~200 rpm in high grass and throttle up a little.

...

Your pic shows the grass pretty high. You might contract with someone to hay it for the first cut. Their side cutters, rake, and bailer can knock it down the first time and then you can maintain it afterwords.

The picture is about a year of growth, so that's the height it will be every time. I know the guys who cut it now use a 12 or 15 ft batwing and it takes them 10-14 hours. No idea on the tractor they use though. I'm going to have to get in touch with them and see what they run.

If I could do it in double that time with a ~60HP machine with a smaller cutter I'd be happy.

If not I'll scrap the plans to mow it myself.

 

[searcyfarms]

the going rate around here for mowing is 20bucks/acre just so you can do some rough calculating on someone else mowing it. Most of the folks go with average USDA Farm Service Agency Rates.

Id say with sharp blades, a 15 foot batwing, smooth ground, optimal conditions, 80hp tractor, you could mow that in a days time. When I start a field like that I don't stop, I bring a water jug and eat PBJ in the tractor. I love going back and forth and just thinking..........I have never mowed a beautiful field like that, all of the ones I mow are junk, mixed weeds/small saplings on 2y/o CRP growth, I would love mowing something like that it would be a dream. We top the CRP at about 12 inches that way the saplings are not tire pokers, they fold over when driving thru with atvs/utvs, trucks/tractors. Burning is cheaper but takes so much prep and back burning and perfect conditions its hard to catch it just right for that.

 

[dsb5610]

I didn't notice what height you plan on cutting at. When you are in heavy material there is a big difference based upon the height it is cut to. The mower has to process all the material which takes HP if it is thicker or cut shorter. I cut my CRP at various heights during establishment with my 56hp PTO tractor running a 12' batwing. I could cover the approx. 27 acres in a long afternoon.

dsb

 

[searcyfarms]

AMEN to the more HP on the height - if we are cutting 2y/o growth with small saplings ( usually wild plum ) and small hardwood/cottonwood around the edges - if you are trying to mow 6 inches it will flat put a 105 PTO hp tractor on its knees - 1st gear 1 to 2 mph WOT on a 15' batwing - we mow a foot high and can run in 2nd gear on the White 2-105, I just purchased a 5088 so anxious to see how it handles things this fall - we run two of them at a time, I have been running my 706 on the other 15' batwing and it will run right along side the 2-105, mine has the german diesel and its most likey not stock from how well it handles things we use it for. I love the 706 - if I spent more time in it I would probably add A/C to it. I have a 560 and have had it on the 15' batwing, an well lets just say I would only mow precut regularly maintained areas with it.

 

[cdb2]

Good points on cutting height. I don't have much preference there, higher is fine so long as it keeps the fields in good condition.

 

[MickeyDBC]

A shuttle shift or geared tractor is going to put more horsepower to the mower and run cooler than a hydro tractor. Before you buy anything do a lot of research and ask questions about your choice. There are a lot of name brand tractors out there that are great at clogging the radiator when mowing and then overheating. And there are others that you can mow all day with and not have to worry at all. Ask questions before you sign anything.

 

[flusher]

Hi, I'm a new member looking for some advise on a first tractor.

We recently bought a farm of about 90 acres with 60 or so in fields and the rest wooded. There's a lot of clean up and maintenance work to do in the fields and woods; stuff like fence repair, fixing the gravel driveways, clearing trees and brush, landscaping around the house, some trenching, lifting/moving with the loader, etc... From what I've read it sounds that a compact tractor is a good fit that kind of work. But I'd also like to be able to mow the fields a couple of times a year so we can stop contracting that job out. I have a ZTR so I don't need to be able to mow around the house.

I'm not sure what tractor would work best for the maintenance work we'll be doing most of the time but still be able to occasionally mow the fields. I'd prefer used and like to be under $15K, but would consider going a bit higher for a great deal on a new tractor with favorable financing.

I'd love to hear the opinions of folks who do a mix of work like this on what size I need or anything other advise you have.

Thanks!

Used 2WD tractor 60 hp (engine) minimum and a 7-ft wide heavy duty brush hog mower. You don't need 4WD for mowing. Save the extra $$$ you would pay for 4WD and get a cab and a tractor seat with really good spring and hydraulic suspension. You'll be logging quite a few hours mowing your acreage so it's important to be comfortable while doing that work.

Good luck

 

[searcyfarms]

from the looks of the grass its THICK and TALL, the 60HP minimum is spot on with a 7foot brush hog mower. I run a 78 inch on my 560D farmall and it will mow in 2nd gear but no faster, im thinking that is around 3 to 4mph WOT non TA - if you hit a tough spot or wet and it balls up under deck you better be ready to grab the PTO/Clutch. Its not going to be joy ride you will be busy - im thinking out in vurjenny its pretty humid especially this time of year so you will need that extra hp especially if you run something wider.