Horsepower is a rate. A speed.
In this case, like a snowblower, the horsepower required is a function of the pounds/minute (or tons/hour) rate of material processed.
The pounds/minute of grass a mower cuts (& hp required) is the product of:
- Vegetation density (pounds per square foot) x
- Mower speed (linear feet/min) x
- Mower width (linear foot) x
- Overlap percentage (%)
That’s four different load factors that will determine the horsepower required. For some reason we only talk about the width of the mower (or snowblower).
A mower is too wide when you can’t go slow enough, adjust your overlap %, or it’s too heavy for the tractor to safely handle