Need to mow 8 acres

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We live on a little 30 acre farm with 8-10 acres of pasture that gets mowed maybe 1 or 2 times a year. We've got 2 riding mowers, a 48" pull behind self powered bush hog, and push mowers. The rest of the farm (lawns, orchards, etc.) keep me busy enough so the pasture only gets mowed maybe once or twice a year. We used to let local farmers cut and bail it for the hay, but we want to start cutting it ourselves and letting it lay to replenish the soil.

The little pull behind bush hog wannabe isn't quite up to 5ft high grass, it'll cut it but you have to run over it 3 times to get it all or it'll look like Bernie Sanders' hair because it gets pushed down flat before the blades get to it.

Any suggestions for equipment that will do the job without having to go the full blown tractor w/bushhog route? I'd love to find a self powered sickle bar mower I could pull or push around with a riding mower or ATV. No need to mulch all that stuff, just want to cut it down.
 
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Tractors are too cheap to not own one. The finance plans make a new one easily affordable and with a finishing mower easy work of your intended purpose.
 
We have a good sized pasture to mow. It might be a little late in the season but if you get to it before it gets 5’ tall, your mower should handle it. Last year, I used the big lawn mower to do ours. I agree that if you let it get too long, it looks like sander’s hair.

If it gets too tall, a tractor and mower, either bush hog or sickle bar are you options. Maybe a neighbor has one you can use.
 
That much pasture a local farmer would probably pay you to let them bale hay on it. That’s what my neighbor does.


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Start a fire.
Obviously, just kidding....good luck, I wish I had 30 acres to worry about it.
 
Buy that 61" turf tiger in the BST
I mow about 7 acres 5-6 times a year and with my 61” mower, it only takes me about 3 hours or so
 
Tractors are too cheap to not own one. The finance plans make a new one easily affordable and with a finishing mower easy work of your intended purpose.
Buddy of mine bought a John Deere 3038e I believe.....60 months NO INTEREST!!!
CAN'T BEAT THAT!!!


DS

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Not on the table, haha!

I dunno, goats are right tasty critters. I'm a fan.

Goats are much better

'N friggin' escape artists, too. They're funny critters & I like them, but they are too smart by half.

Any goat or sheep farmers near you? They might be willin' to rent your pasture for grazing. That's what we used in Germany for our airfields. Some shepherd would bring his flock out for a couple days every month or so.
 
Any suggestions for equipment that will do the job without having to go the full blown tractor w/bushhog route? I'd love to find a self powered sickle bar mower I could pull or push around with a riding mower or ATV. No need to mulch all that stuff, just want to cut it down.

Gravely started making a walk behind 2 wheel tractor back in the 40s and up to the 90s. They had all types of attachments including 30 inch Bush hog and 36 inch sickle mowers. You can find these on Craigslist. From the really old L models to the newer ones with kohler engines.

For a modern equivalent you have to look for a BCS walk behind tractor. They are better built and in current production. They have just as many attachments. For a small farm like yours, either of these are much more versatile than those dr mowers, Bush hog, trimmers.

Search either up on you tube.
 
I have about 8 acres of grass. I had a 60" pull behind swisher that done well behind my atv but I had to mow it monthly or more. I bumped up to a 35 horse Mahindra tractor and a 96" finish mower, still have to mow it fairly often but it goes by alot faster.
 
Gravely started making a walk behind 2 wheel tractor back in the 40s and up to the 90s. They had all types of attachments including 30 inch Bush hog and 36 inch sickle mowers. You can find these on Craigslist. From the really old L models to the newer ones with kohler engines.

For a modern equivalent you have to look for a BCS walk behind tractor. They are better built and in current production. They have just as many attachments. For a small farm like yours, either of these are much more versatile than those dr mowers, Bush hog, trimmers.

Search either up on you tube.
One of our riding mowers is a 50" Gravely zero turn, I like it but it's a finish mower, like everything else except the Swisher. I'm ashamed to admit we actually have a BCS but I've never used it. The GF bought it years ago for the intern(s) to use but it hasn't been used in a while. I just checked and the sickle bar attachment is only 30". :(
 
I'd suggest a 30hp tractor with a FEL with that much acreage.

If you want to only mow grass, zero turn all the way. New gas commercial 60"+ mowers start at $12k and are well worth it. The diesels start at $16k.
 
Alls I know is the mower guy in Wake Co. at one time, said if it take over and hour to mow what you got, you need a bigger mower. My acre takes 45 mins with a 42' two or three blade deck. Not sure whats under there. I dont work on it.
 
Alls I know is the mower guy in Wake Co. at one time, said if it take over and hour to mow what you got, you need a bigger mower. My acre takes 45 mins with a 42' two or three blade deck. Not sure whats under there. I dont work on it.
Not unusual if you keep up with it, like I said I'm talking about grass you can barely see over.
 
My acre takes 45 mins with a 42' two or three blade deck. Not sure whats under there. I dont work on it.
I’d like to see a pic of that setup. :eek:
 
I also agree with a 30hp class tractor and bush hog if you are looking to cut it a few times a year.

If you want to save money over a tractor and have the time to cut more often and keep the grass 5 inches or less,
Wright ZK 72" dually with 37 HP EFI gas.
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I'm ashamed to admit we actually have a BCS but I've never used it. The GF bought it years ago for the intern(s) to use but it hasn't been used in a while. I just checked and the sickle bar attachment is only 30". :(

Let me help you with that, just send the BCS my way and I will put it to use.
 
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Our local rental place has tractors with one attachment for $200 a day. :)

CHRIS

EDIT: I mow about 6 acres once a week with a 60" Hustler. My time is under 2 hours. I used to do it with a little MF1010 and 4' finish mower and it took a full 6 hours because of obstacles and turn radius.
 
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Just can’t eat a whole one by yourself can ya?

:D

I dunno man. That stuff's pretty damned good. Man, the way the Lebanese cook that stuff up, on pita bread with fresh hummus & this kickass west African hot sauce was the bomb.

ETA- if you feel like putting in the effort, goats would keep the grass cut, introduce biomass into the soil & provide a pretty economical source of tasty meat. Or milk or cheese, if that was your thing.
 
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Crops are green, tractors are red.
Can't tell him anything. I think if you cut him...he'd bleed John Deere green!

It's not really even a JD if you ask me....Yanmar diesel. It's a Yanmar! Lol

DS

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well I know I used to do our pastures with a riding mower and daughter bought me a tractor last year and what took me about 2 days mowing I can do in maybe 4 hours tops. It's so much fun doing it with the tractor and there are so many things you can use the tractor for. Gotta big old Ford 841 think that thing could turn the pasture over if I could hook up to it. Look inot a good used one you can find them on Craigslist all the time with bushhog for under $2000 This MF is a really nice one and same guy I got my tractor from https://winstonsalem.craigslist.org/grd/d/madison-ferguson-30/6889907122.html all you'd need is a cheap bushhog or borrow one from someone
 
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