What machine, or equipment, can mow an uneven grassy pasture the fastest? Zero Turn?

[Ken45101]

In total I have almost 30 acres of pasture. It used to take almost 40 hours to mow it with a tractor and 6'bush hog. A 15' batwing mows it in 1/3rd the time. Usually at 3.5 mph. 5 mph is possible most of the time but the cut isn't as good. 90 hp Kubota 9540. The batwing is heavy enough that it is a dedcated machine, it rarely gets removed except when I do hay.

I do have a Kubota 323 zero turn that I mow pasture edges and "trails" with but it is no competition for the tractor and batwing. The batwing will mow a lot taller grass than the zt can handle.

 

[ssuser]

You might try a Swisher type pull behind offset. They are much cheaper than a batwing and will almost double your width. Then you can slow down and still finish in less time. I’m in the process of doing this right now. At the very least, it will save hours on the towing machine.

 

[BnRidge]

Just for comparison:
Width x mph x .12 = ac/hr

I have a zero turn, 6ft deck, 1.5hrs at 3.5mph, yields about 3.5 acres. A small part of it is heavy clay, clumps of grass hummocks divots heavy shade, basically grass just barely hanging on. Even with the tires at 5psi its an annoying time to go through. If it were all like that I would find a better way. Large tires, heavy weight and a wide batwing comes to mind.

 

[kemartin3]

I've got a smaller Ferris IS700. Our "yards" are just the hay field that surround where we built the house. After 15 years it's rougher than a normal yard, but not near as rough as a true field/pasture. The suspension is nice, but it doesn't eliminate the jostling completely. Things like tire ruts still hurt if you hit them going fast. And, as mentioned above, grass more than 6-8" tall still requires going real slow. My experience has been that a zero turn isn't designed for handling that heavy of a cutting/discharging load. For fields, my vote would be a finish mower for the tractor.

 

[BackRoad]

So rolling a field or lawn.

It makes it smoother, but does the process "over compact" clay soil?

What's the experience?

 

[EricW]

I love my Ferris, I'm able to mow my (former pasture) yard faster with a 61" deck than I could with my JD z850 with the 72" deck because I can go faster. That being said, if your pasture is really rough, it's still going to slow you down, not nearly as much as your other choices. I have spent time in a few off seasons flattening out my yard with my tractors to make it better to mow.

 

[Trouthill]

I am wondering if a Zero Turn, such as a Ferris with suspension, would be a better faster smoother more comfortable mower for my pastures?

All I see in promotional videos are using these for lawns, not pastures. But if a speedy ZTR could perform well, I might be more comfortable (suspension) plus get more done by mowing faster.

My equipment right now is either an 8 foot rotary cutter or a Ventrac with tough cut. Using the rotary cutter means mowing at about 3mph due to terrain. Sometimes bumpy enough where I don't even try to go faster han about 3mph using a tractor. The Ventrac can average about 5mph, handles bumps a little better, but with a smaller deck and width of cut it is only a little faster than my tractor. And I still bounce around a lot.

I see advertisements for mowing at 12mph in a ZTR. Is it realistic to think a ZTR could mow a grassy pasture that varies between smooth and bumpy? If I could even do, say 8mph, that would be huge.

Here is a Ferris ZTR with suspension -- and a CAT 48hp diesel LOL. Only $40,000 and it is yours!!

Q- is anyone using Zero Turns to mow pastures?

IS® 6200 Zero Turn Mower

Comfort, durability, and power are what make the IS 6200 more than a luxury, it's a necessity. The 48 hp* CAT^® turbo diesel engine provides up to two times more longevity than a traditional gas engine. Designed for the rigors of maintaining municipal and industrial properties, the IS...

www.ferrismowers.com

Mowing or periodically bush hogging 40+ acres here, with these observations:
* Zero with 60" rear discharge is faster (and more fun) than tractor with 72" rotary cutter but increasing speed differential increases discomfort
* Putting decent tires (I use Carlstar Versa Turfs) on the Z gives it tractor-like grip and is essential on hills
* Kubota diesel Z (ZD326, ZD1511+) easily cut 12+" down to 4.5"; the more you mow the more good quality grass grows
* Newer model Z with "air ride" seat is quite a bit more comfortable but you still should creep through holes
* Extremely steep sections are better approached with the tractor
* Anything involving obstacles (trees, rock outcrops) is better done with the Z
* Use rotary cutter on anything growing longer than ~ 7 summer weeks
* Good equipment is expensive but worth it

 

[dannyojudd]

I am wondering if a Zero Turn, such as a Ferris with suspension, would be a better faster smoother more comfortable mower for my pastures?

All I see in promotional videos are using these for lawns, not pastures. But if a speedy ZTR could perform well, I might be more comfortable (suspension) plus get more done by mowing faster.

My equipment right now is either an 8 foot rotary cutter or a Ventrac with tough cut. Using the rotary cutter means mowing at about 3mph due to terrain. Sometimes bumpy enough where I don't even try to go faster han about 3mph using a tractor. The Ventrac can average about 5mph, handles bumps a little better, but with a smaller deck and width of cut it is only a little faster than my tractor. And I still bounce around a lot.

I see advertisements for mowing at 12mph in a ZTR. Is it realistic to think a ZTR could mow a grassy pasture that varies between smooth and bumpy? If I could even do, say 8mph, that would be huge.

Here is a Ferris ZTR with suspension -- and a CAT 48hp diesel LOL. Only $40,000 and it is yours!!

Q- is anyone using Zero Turns to mow pastures?

IS® 6200 Zero Turn Mower

Comfort, durability, and power are what make the IS 6200 more than a luxury, it's a necessity. The 48 hp* CAT^® turbo diesel engine provides up to two times more longevity than a traditional gas engine. Designed for the rigors of maintaining municipal and industrial properties, the IS...

www.ferrismowers.com

Smaller tire results in roughest ride. Small tires moving quickly equals roughest ride.. ZERO turn mowers by design have small tires... I initially used 1720 Ford and 72" Woods side discharge for over 15 years. I now mow 18 acres now with a Kubota L3301F with Landpride 72" finish mower with rear discharge. Ford had 2800 hours on it and was loosing power. I goofed up and changed brands........ My X-Mark zero turn beats me up enough mowing our yard.... No way I would mow pasture area with zero turn. I can just imagine running over a horse pile with a zero turn in a crosswind!! Additionally zero turn takes lots more fuel per hour.....

 

[olenjohn]

Forgo the equipment. Pasture goats or sheep. They will take care of it.

 

[Mister3]

For a ZTR I'd look into a hustler hyperdrive 72 or 104". Rigid frame but the seat makes all the difference in comfort. They can mow at roughly 16mph.

If you like toys a used toolcat 5600 (new are uw56) and 90" finish mower. Wouldn't be the fastest but is a helluva lot of fun.

Have a couple buddies who mow uneven 3-5 acres and one got a 11' wide toro batwing (aka wide area mower) and the other started with a jacobsen 11' WAM then got a toro 14' WAM with enclosed cab. They both LOVE those mowers for the large areas.

I have a toolcat 5600 with brush hog for going around the perimeter of my 5 acre place then have the rest hayed while my cousin mows around the house. Our other house has a hilly, uneven, sloped 1.2 acre and takes me a hour to mow with my hustler diesel 60". Took 2 hours with different ZTRs or riders.