What type mower to buy for hills, flat, around trees etc.

[amanda11270]

I am completely lost in my selection of a new tractor or mower. I am so tired of looking at mowing equipment my head is spinning. I've been a member of the forum here for about 5 years now, I have an older Bolens diesel for snow removal and the Bolens/Iseki forum here has been a godsend in maintaining it, but now I have a new issue.

About 6 years ago I moved to a property that is 6 acres, most of it is mowing. I owned previously a 18.5 hp 42 inch cut Troybilt bronco tractor, I used it at my last house that was 3/4 acre, brought it to my new house and have used it since (6 yrs now), until recently it started smoking slightly lately due to starting to burn oil. I sold it very cheaply to put a little more towards a new mower. The Troybilt worked good, but it seemed a little small and slow. My Bolens has a 54 inch belly mower but it makes a crappy cut and scalps the ground when you turn and such, it just doesnt seem like a quality mowing machine. My yard is also a mix of hills, roots, bumps, stumps, low hanging fruit trees to go around. The hill is a long hill, you can sled down it and its a blast, the hill is about 2 acres I would say of my property. Then another section is a small steep hill that was about 6 ft high, by 200 yards long, that the Troybilt could just do if I make few daring maneuvers with that I got very good at over time, like sit on the edge of the seat straight up, when the tractor is tilted to keep it from tipping over and down the hill. Ive never had a mishap with it though.

I just sold my Troybilt today, I have two weeks to find a new machine for mowing.

I was thinking a zero turn, but then the hills dont seem like something a zero turn could handle, especially the small 6 foot one I mentioned. Then I thought a more modern tractor than my Bolens with a 50-60 inch deck to save time, but I dont know if maybe my Troybilt worked best because the deck was smaller, at times the 18.5 hp didnt seem like enuf and the tractor bogged once in a while, sometimes often, which slows my mowing down. So then I was thinking a 20 some HP 42 inch deck tractor, but also, maybe front mounted deck mower to get under my fruit trees.

Maybe I need multiple machines LOL. I will say also, I cut like every 2 weeks, so at times the grass is higher, sometimes damp which make mowing harder on the mower im using.

Any thoughts anyone, im at a toss up, any experience would be helpful.

 

[pmsmechanic]

Buy a good used front mount John Deere or Kubota. I have a F935 John Deere and will never have to buy another mower if I don't want to. Their fuel use is unbelievably minimal and even though I only have 22 horse power I can cut grass faster than I can comfortably ride.

I like to mow when it's wet or dry as the deck stays cleaner. The water droplets in the wet grass keep the bottom of the deck clean.

To handle the hills and wet spots I added duals. They were quite easy to install. My initial cost was $5000 with about $1000 in repairs as I bought the machine as is from a dealer. Other than regular maintenance the machine has been relatively trouble free. For what I use it for it will easily outlast several cheep ride on's. Not to mention the six foot deck gets the mowing done.

I also have a six foot Farm King mower. I hear you on the scalping. I added another roller underneath the deck behind the middle mower blade. Scalping problem solved and the roller wasn't hard to build.

 

[boggen]

its the 6 acres and mowing it all... that going to get ya. if your grass errr ground will let you mow at a higher speed without busting your rear, and/or knowing you off tractor.... but with your statement of scalping. it sounds like you have a lot of "bumps" in yard. and almost sounds like you might be better ripping up entire yard, and fine tune the ground to get rid of majorty if not all the bumps (high/low) spots.

and seeing about getting something with a higher ground speed for mowing with out knocking you off the tractor as you mow.

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riding mowers were used here for years on the farm. now using a old 1954 allis chalmers CA tractor with belly mower. 3rd gear = almost 4 hours ((assuming grass did not get to tall)) riding lawn mower would take nearly all day, and after the day your rear would feel like ya got spanked a few hundred times. the old allis chalmers CA = easy going, exception no power steering. and it is a small front end (kinda like a 3 wheeler) so it makes nice on the dime turns. to get around trees / telephone poles and like.

if it was not for the allis chalmers tractor it would have been a zero turn mower. to many turning around and going around things. turns just eats up to much time. and most likely more money towards enough engine HP to gain a higher ground speed while mowing.

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been watching for an old used "pull behind offset mower" with engine for like pulling behind an atv/utv so help gain another few more cutting feet. on the larger open areas. and then undo the pull behind and just use regular belly mower to help do some better trim work. so weed eater / weed whacker would not need to be done as much.

the current belly mower on the allis chalmers has 2 chutes (1 on left and right) to send grass clippings out. it is ok, but would prefer a open back deck. to help reduce windrows (row of grass clippings that gets made)

i would prefer to have front mounted deck. so i would not have to crunch neck as much checking on things. mid mount / belly mower is next best thing... i doubt i could handle a rear mower such as a 3pt hitch mower. to much looking back checking things.

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60" is right at near max width of deck, there is some 70 inch decks out there. but the deck becomes so wide. and it does not flex. so you end up scalping stuff even on nearly flat land.

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again if you are having a lot of scalping issues. me thinks mowing grass higher, or think about re doing the landscape so ya not scalping things. and/or till up all the grass, and smooth everything back out. to reduce bumps and like.

 

[Egon]

Probably not viable but four sheep should do an admiral job on your terrain!

Suggest a small tractor with rear mower that could also be used to slowly level out your mowing area. One small scalped hump at a time. Might go faster than you think.

 

[pmsmechanic]

the current belly mower on the allis chalmers has 2 chutes (1 on left and right) to send grass clippings out. it is ok, but would prefer a open back deck. to help reduce windrows (row of grass clippings that gets made)

I'm going to hijack this tread just a bit ans say that I changed my Farm King from a side discharge to a rear discharge by closing up the side and cutting open the rear. Defiantly helped make it a better mower.

To the op. I don't know if this would work or not but have often wondered if a Harley rake would level off a lawn with out going to all the work of breaking it up and reseeding.

 

[crazyal]

Do you have a budget you are trying to work with? I'm assuming that you are looking for new since you have a 2 week window. I have a "Super Bronco" and for what it is I can say it's done a pretty good job over the years on my property but it's built light weight and it's kind of a disposable tractor. In the next couple of years I plan on replacing it. I have a hard time spending $5k plus on something that I'm going to just mow with. Up here mowing season doesn't start until mid May and by the end of September I'm blowing leaves off the grass into the woods before putting the mower up for the season. So far my searching has come down to a Husky model that has a very heavy duty locking rear axle, hydro transmission and a 46" deck for $3300 retail. It doesn't have a rear discharge (I don't think) but it does have a mulching attachment. It also has a fabricated steel deck, not the stamped steel deck most lower priced mowers have.

If I was to jump up to over $5k I find myself looking at used 4wd Kubota B series tractors (I'm sure there are other brands but Kubota sold a lot so there's plenty of used 15 to 20 hp tractors out there) without a loader. With the exchange rate being good right now I have seen several good deals across the border in Canada. I know that's unlikely to be an option for you though. But I think you could find something like a BX for $6k with reasonable hours (1000 or less).

Then of course I find myself thinking about buying something like a B6200 and restoring it. Of course with no real free time the last think I need is another project.

 

[amanda11270]

I picked up a front deck husqvarna 155 rider, it only has a 41" deck but it seems already faster than my tractor I used previously. Im planning on using it for my tight spots and my Bolens Iseki on the flats. I will report back with how it does. Seems like a well made machine so far.

 

[DHD]

I picked up a front deck husqvarna 155 rider, it only has a 41" deck but it seems already faster than my tractor I used previously. Im planning on using it for my tight spots and my Bolens Iseki on the flats. I will report back with how it does. Seems like a well made machine so far.

I think you're really going to like your 155 Rider,:thumbsup: those Husqvarna articulating riders are a great mower producing an excellent cut and are so maneuverable around objects.
I really like the front mount mower deck, that can change from the horizontal to vertical (service position) in less than a minute, to ease the cleaning out of built up grass clippings and changing blades.
I picked up a couple of Husqvarna R322T AWD to replace a couple of my old Wheel Horse 2wd riders because I needed the extra traction of the all wheel drive for mowing some steep slopes.