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

[RayIN]

Tried rolling with a 24" steel pipe roller filled with concrete. The yard laughed at it.

The seat that allows you to comfortably mow rough terrain at 15MPH also allows you to beat the snot out of your equipment.

My FIL had both horses and cattle. He made a roller out of a steel storage tank 4'D X 6'long and filled it with sand. He pulled it with a MF90.
It did OK for many years, then the tank walls weakened and split from rolling over rough terrain.
Now if a guy could find a thicker-wall tank at a salvage yard it would be much better; and no concern about freezing when filled with sand, or concrete.

 

[jyoutz]

Appreciate all the responses.

Sounds like some have good experiences with ZTR in a pasture. But also some batwing fans for high production which I understand.

I have a fair number of obstacles-- fences, trees, raised sprinklers, pond shoreline. So while a batwing could quickly get a lot done, I would also have a lot left to go back and address afterward, using a different machine. The nice part of the Ventrac is I can mow open pasture plus easily mow around raised sprinklers, while I am already there, and under tree/branch overhangs quite easily.

My largest pasture is the most bumpy. It accounts for about 1/2 the total area mowed. And the rest of pasture area is smoother. So I am wondering if a ZTR could be used to improve mowing speed for most of it, and use something else for the bumpiest part?

And I still am quite interested in a flail mower to get the cut height down and reduce the mowing interval.

Re: the suggestion to remove the front loader (grapple) and loader arms. My complaint about using my 8ft twin spindle rotary cutter was severe bouncing of the cab tractor requiring slow speed-- sometimes hanging onto the door handles while the cab jostled left and right. I think I need to try using the rotary cutter again with the loader arms removed-- as I should be doing if I pull anything behind-- batwing or flail.

And trying out a ZTR would be good if I can find a way to do that.

If you do get a zero turn, I recommend that you look at the Stihl/Ferris mowers. They are the only brand I’m aware of that have 4 wheel suspension. The ride is much better on rough ground than any others I’ve used. The new Stihl zero turns are just re-badged, orange and white painted Ferris mowers. But it’s nice because there are Stihl dealers everywhere, but Ferris dealers are limited, so parts are easy to source.

 

[stevem5215]

Same recommendation here. I have a Simplicity which was nearly the same as the Ferris. It rides like no other full speed across my bumpy lawn. It's the only way to cut grass in a mogul filled field/yard. I cut almost 4 acres with it.

 

[Powderdreams]

It is really going to depend on your specific wants/needs/property. When we initially acquired our property, I used rotary cutters (4' cheapo, 8' Land-Pride 3-pt, 6' JD Flail, 15' batwing towing) but as our practices changed, I ended up using a Kubota ZD1511. The 15' batwing was the quickest, but because of terraces it resulted in a lot of scalping along with being a rough ride. The zero turn is a step behind the 15' batwing but does a better job (IMO). Two issues made me go with a Zero Turn mower, 1) our grazing practices changed resulting in the paddock widths becoming too tight for efficient mowing with the tractors; and 2) my age began being more of an issue. After spending 6 to 8 hours riding the tractor the next day was not enjoyable. I went with to the Zero Turn in 2020. Looking 67 in the face and I can ride the mower 6 to 8 hours.
Good luck, hope you find what works best for you.

 

[jyoutz]

Same recommendation here. I have a Simplicity which was nearly the same as the Ferris. It rides like no other full speed across my bumpy lawn. It's the only way to cut grass in a mogul filled field/yard. I cut almost 4 acres with it.

Photos showing the suspension.

 

[plowhog]

After spending 6 to 8 hours riding the tractor the next day was not enjoyable. I went with to the Zero Turn in 2020. Looking 67 in the face and I can ride the mower 6 to 8 hours.

Exactly why a suspension model Zero Turn is appealing. Speed of mowing plus comfort.

I wish I could mow 25 acres in one day. That is not possible with the current equipment-- either the pace is too slow or my body gets too beat up from all the bumps and jostling long before that.

 

[plowhog]

Photos showing the suspension.

Thank you and good suggestion. I will look into the Stihl mowers.

The coil springs on that model are much smaller than the top of the line Ferris, but I presume that is just because it is a different model.

Here is a comparison pix of the top of the line Ferris ....

 

[arrow]

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?

Ferris | IS6200 Zero Turn Mower

Meet the Ferris IS 6200 zero-turn mower — powered by a 48 HP CAT® turbo diesel engine, featuring independent suspension, a hydraulically-lifted 72″ iCD™+ cutting deck, 12 mph top speed, and a performance-monitoring onboard display.

www.ferrismowers.com

From what I’ve seen, zero turns and pastures are not a good mix.
Zts are meant for lawns.
The best tool for cutting rough pastures is a brush hog.
If you want to do it faster, get a larger width cutting deck.

 

[plowhog]

From what I’ve seen, zero turns and pastures are not a good mix.

I started this thread because what you are repeating is not uncommon at all. I don't think 40htp at the PTO is enough tractor power to operate a batwing, so I am contemplating all the options.

No properties, soils, terrain, grasses, etc are alike so it's a bit if a guessing game. This was about 3 posts ago, with some real world comparisons ending with scoring a Zero Turn right behind a batwing:

"When we initially acquired our property, I used rotary cutters (4' cheapo, 8' Land-Pride 3-pt, 6' JD Flail, 15' batwing towing) but as our practices changed, I ended up using a Kubota ZD1511. The 15' batwing was the quickest, but because of terraces it resulted in a lot of scalping along with being a rough ride. The zero turn is a step behind the 15' batwing but does a better job (IMO). Two issues made me go with a Zero Turn mower, 1) our grazing practices changed resulting in the paddock widths becoming too tight for efficient mowing with the tractors; and 2) my age began being more of an issue. After spending 6 to 8 hours riding the tractor the next day was not enjoyable. I went with to the Zero Turn in 2020. Looking 67 in the face and I can ride the mower 6 to 8 hours."

 

[arrow]

I started this thread because what you are repeating is not uncommon at all. I don't think 40htp at the PTO is enough tractor power to operate a batwing, so I am contemplating all the options.

No properties, soils, terrain, grasses, etc are alike so it's a bit if a guessing game. This was about 3 posts ago, with some real world comparisons ending with scoring a Zero Turn right behind a batwing:

"When we initially acquired our property, I used rotary cutters (4' cheapo, 8' Land-Pride 3-pt, 6' JD Flail, 15' batwing towing) but as our practices changed, I ended up using a Kubota ZD1511. The 15' batwing was the quickest, but because of terraces it resulted in a lot of scalping along with being a rough ride. The zero turn is a step behind the 15' batwing but does a better job (IMO). Two issues made me go with a Zero Turn mower, 1) our grazing practices changed resulting in the paddock widths becoming too tight for efficient mowing with the tractors; and 2) my age began being more of an issue. After spending 6 to 8 hours riding the tractor the next day was not enjoyable. I went with to the Zero Turn in 2020. Looking 67 in the face and I can ride the mower 6 to 8 hours."

We cut pastures in Kentucky on a 30 animal horse farm. They are about 120 acres total. Not all groomed.
I use a 10’ cutter deck with the horses keeping it down quite a bit.
Pastures range in size from 5 acres - 20. Because it’s a breeding/foaling farm, pastures are rotated so some get to 18” high. We use two tractors both around mid 50 hp.
We double gated the paddocks to get the wider mowers in and next year, hope for the batwing.
Not in my wildest dreams would I think of a zero turn for this work.
Where I work sells Stihl zt’s with the most expensive one being around 18k. It has a 72” deck and I could be wrong thinking but I would not ever think to bring even this into a paddock to mow.

 

[Carl_NH]

Thank you and good suggestion. I will look into the Stihl mowers.

The coil springs on that model are much smaller than the top of the line Ferris, but I presume that is just because it is a different model.

Here is a comparison pix of the top of the line Ferris ....

View attachment 3432578

You will want the RZ700- RZ900 commercial series to be comparable to the Ferris commercial series you showed above.

 

[jyoutz]

Thank you and good suggestion. I will look into the Stihl mowers.

The coil springs on that model are much smaller than the top of the line Ferris, but I presume that is just because it is a different model.

Here is a comparison pix of the top of the line Ferris ....

View attachment 3432578

The Stihl also offers that top of the line repainted Ferris. Mine is a higher end residential model. The model you are showing is one of the commercial models. Still, the suspension is adjustable even on the homeowner’s models.

 

[KBP76]

I have both a Ferris 3200z zero turn mower and a 7 foot wide brush hog. the Ferris is amazing and it is very fast moving lawns but is not capable of moving very high pasture grass. The best mower for great pasture grass mowing is a two wheeled trail brush hog! 48 years of mowing pasture grass!

 

[KBP76]

PS mowing not moving! Crazy AI!

 

[skramer360]

I mow this field with a 60" commercial Gravely zero turn. It's about 4 1/2 acres.

It's pretty rough, but I mow it in about 2 hours or less.

 

[tradosaurus]

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.

How many acres are you wanting to mow?

 

[RayIN]

If you do get a zero turn, I recommend that you look at the Stihl/Ferris mowers. They are the only brand I’m aware of that have 4 wheel suspension. The ride is much better on rough ground than any others I’ve used. The new Stihl zero turns are just re-badged, orange and white painted Ferris mowers. But it’s nice because there are Stihl dealers everywhere, but Ferris dealers are limited, so parts are easy to source.

Not all Stihl dealerships carry every Stihl product. A friend owned a Stihl dealership and only sold and repaired chainsaws and string trimmers.
If you didn't buy a Stihl chainsaw or trimmer there he would not accept it for repairs.

 

[plowhog]

How many acres are you wanting to mow?

About 25 total, but broken up into 5 different pastures.

 

[plowhog]

the Ferris is amazing and it is very fast moving lawns but is not capable of moving very high pasture grass.

Is that an issue with horsepower, or the deck, or ???

I see the model of Ferris you use is somewhere in the mid-30hp category. There is a model with 42hp CAT diesel and am wondering your thoughts if that extra HP would make a difference?

 

[ruffdog]

Part of the reason I sold the tractor and bought a Toolcat is all the mowing I do on rough ground. I had 1800 trees removed and the stumps were SORTA ground level but some stick up a couple inches. Until they rot, it is a uneven surface. The Toolcat has 4-wheel independent suspension, 4-wheel steering, and with the big turfs, rides like a 1975 Eldorado. You can run a rotary cutter, flail, etc on the front and I use a finish mower. It is the best all around workhorse I found. They do cost a bit though.