Asking for suggestions - Not sure what tractor/mower I need

[psk67]

Greetings. I recently purchased an 18 acre parcel on which we intend to build a house. Roughly 10 acres are pasture and maybe 2 acres are lawn. The other 6 acres are woods, brush, etc.

I need to be able to mow the pasture (maybe every 2-3 weeks; grass and other growth could reach 10+ inches). I also need to be able to cut the lawn. My goal is to be able to mow and cut as quickly as possible

In addition, the property had been neglected for a few years, so there is a bunch of work that needs to be done (downed trees cut-up; thick brush and overgrown bushes removed, etc.). I'd also like to be able to move some dirt around, roto-till, etc.

I currently have a '47 Farmall H with a 6' bushhog on the back. It runs great and I've been using it to mow the pasture. But, it's a bit slow and, obviously, lacks any semblance of safety features. I also have a JD L110 lawn tractor (42" cut). I'm willing to get rid of both of them if another combination of equipment would be better.

I'm not looking to break the bank with any purchases, so I'll probably buy used. But, I'm trying to decide how to get the most bang for my buck. Do I get a 72" zero-turn mower to do the lawn and the pasture? Or maybe something like a JD 2305 with loader and belly mower? Is the zero turn mower going to be that much quicker than a tractor? Any help would be appreciated.

 

[LAWALLSTRACTOR]

The zero turn will be a lot quicker than the tractor.

 

[RoyJackson]

The ZTR would be faster for the lawn.
As far as the pasture, that depends what type of vegetation. The ZTR's are mowers, not brush cutters (bush hog).
You could tear up a rather expensive mower trying to clear brush.

At this point, I suggest you look for a newer tractor that can handle a 6' cutter and keep the L110 for lawn mowing. Eventually, you could get a rear finishing mower (or a belly mower) to replace the lawn tractor.

It'll take 25+ PTO HP to handle that 6' cutter, BTW.

If funds are tight after buying the property and saving to build a house...well, what you have does work.
All you need to do is set your priorities.

 

[LoneCowboy]

The ZTR would be faster for the lawn.
At this point, I suggest you look for a newer tractor that can handle a 6' cutter and keep the L110 for lawn mowing. .

I agree
lawn mowers mow lawns, tractors do everything else. It's the best mix.

 

[psk67]

Thanks. Would a JD 2305 (24HP diesel) be too weak for a 6' cutter?

 

[RollingsFarms]

Thanks. Would a JD 2305 (24HP diesel) be too weak for a 6' cutter?

do you know if that 6' cutter is a 'light duty' or a 'medium duty'? if it's a medium duty then it's pretty dog gone heavy. i would even guess that the 6' light duty would be too much for a 2305. my suggestion would be something like a JD 3120 or something similar. compare similar models from kubota, NH, Mahindra, etc. just depends what dealers are closest to you. the reason i suggested a 3120 series is those come with a belly mower as well as being able to run that 6' bush hog.

 

[patrick_g]

I have a very heavy duty 6 ft brush hog rated for 80-85 HP PTO on a 39 HP Kubota L4610. I cut 4 inch and larger trees but don't think I would recommend going under 30 HP to run it unless you are using it for much lighter work.

I have a friend with a light duty JD 5 ft brush hog on a 25 HP tractor and for grass and weeds it is just fine but not to exceed saplings of about an inch in diameter.

Pat

 

[shimp]

i would fennce it off and turn cattle,goats,sheep, and horses on it

 

[LoneCowboy]

Thanks. Would a JD 2305 (24HP diesel) be too weak for a 6' cutter?

yes
I have a MF 1433 (27PTO HP, 33 engine) and it's all it can do to run a 6' bush hog. It's overmatched in anything over 2 or 3 feet tall.

a 5' would be a much better fit for 24 PTO HP.

The usual rule of thumb is 5 PTO HP per foot of bushhog.

 

[psk67]

OK, so from what I'm hearing the 2305 would be too weak for a 72" cutter. What's the next step up from the various manufacturers? There is a JD dealer near me, as well an a New Holland dealer. But again, I plan to buy used, and I don't mind driving a bit to find the best tractor. So manufacturer may not be that important. For what it's worth, I'm not particularly easy on my equipment.

Sorry if I seem to be asking novice questions, but I'm a novice.

I think I'm going to buy a zero turn for the lawn area, so I'm just looking for a tractor that can handle a 72" shredder, a loader and maybe some tilling work.

 

[patrick_g]

No one starts out as an expert.

I recommend at least 30 HP to use a 6 ft brush hog in more or less average conditions. I have 39 HP on a 6 ft brush hog and have never found anything I could drive through that I couldn't cut.

I back up to large stuff and use TNT to elevate the fcutter so I can back up to it.

Pat

 

[kiwiroo]

You could also go with a larger more economy model if you want to cut the pastures quicker-I almost went for a New Holland TT-60 to get the power for cutting/other jobs, it just doesn't have the bells and whistles.
I'm not sure how nimble you need the tractor to be- I ended up going with a 3520 Deere because I decided I wanted to be able to work in my berry fields, push a 6' mower, and I needed it narrow enough and light enough to do that. I also will be using it in my barn so I wanted anyone to be able to jump on and use it, so I went with hydrostatic.
I might have gone used, but the 0% financing was too attractive for me so I went new- It's also nice having a good dealer nearby of the brand you choose. Have fun looking!

 

[IslandTractor]

Thanks. Would a JD 2305 (24HP diesel) be too weak for a 6' cutter?

Basically yes, that is too small a tractor for a 6ft bush hog cutter. Think 4ft hog for less than 25hp. 5ft hog for up to 30 or so and 6ft when you reach about 35hp. There are exceptions but that should give you a basic working range.

 

[C_Evensen]

Greetings. I recently purchased an 18 acre parcel on which we intend to build a house. Roughly 10 acres are pasture and maybe 2 acres are lawn. The other 6 acres are woods, brush, etc.

I need to be able to mow the pasture (maybe every 2-3 weeks; grass and other growth could reach 10+ inches). I also need to be able to cut the lawn. My goal is to be able to mow and cut as quickly as possible

In addition, the property had been neglected for a few years, so there is a bunch of work that needs to be done (downed trees cut-up; thick brush and overgrown bushes removed, etc.). I'd also like to be able to move some dirt around, roto-till, etc.

I currently have a '47 Farmall H with a 6' bushhog on the back. It runs great and I've been using it to mow the pasture. But, it's a bit slow and, obviously, lacks any semblance of safety features. I also have a JD L110 lawn tractor (42" cut). I'm willing to get rid of both of them if another combination of equipment would be better.

I'm not looking to break the bank with any purchases, so I'll probably buy used. But, I'm trying to decide how to get the most bang for my buck. Do I get a 72" zero-turn mower to do the lawn and the pasture? Or maybe something like a JD 2305 with loader and belly mower? Is the zero turn mower going to be that much quicker than a tractor? Any help would be appreciated.

I would get a JD 2305 or larger this way in the future you could get a bachoe attachment....a grapple.....get a loader on it....saves a lot of back breaking work .....chris......

 

[john_bud]

No one starts out as an expert.

Pat

Ha! I know lots of engineer that would argue that point! LOL



I would look for a 10' to 12' bat wing mower and a a ford 5000 or larger.

You can probably get both reasonably cheap -> but deals take some work. If you are handy with tools (or want to be), you can get a bat wing that may need bearings or some welding repair and save a lot of $.

The larger tractors (50-90 hp) will probably cost no more than a small SCUT or CUT as they are too visually big for most people that have just moved out to a plot of land like yours. So demand is down. There has been a fair # of posts that also point out that the larger tractors are cheaper to run too. Sure, gals per hour is higher, but hours needed are much lower so it more than balances out.

Here's a quick little chart on mow time vs mower width that may help guide you. This is for 10 acres and is accurate enough to justify the fee (free). The hidden assumption is that the stuff getting cut is in the 6" range. Thicker and taller will take longer, with the smaller eqp taking a larger % time hit.

Mower width Mow Time hr HP needed
5 5.5 25
6 4.6 30
7 3.9 35
8 3.4 40
10 2.8 50
12 2.3 60
15 1.8 75

 

[Gizmo2]

Without a doubt, Zero-Turn, they are designed to mow and they do it really well. Not sure a 72 is a good idea. It may be too big to mow your lawn?
Just traded my 650 in for a 2320 but will continue to mow our pastures (4 acres) and our lawn (3 acres) with the 52" commercial ZTR. Way to much work to mow with a tractor.

 

[PBinWA]

OK, so from what I'm hearing the 2305 would be too weak for a 72" cutter. What's the next step up from the various manufacturers? There is a JD dealer near me, as well an a New Holland dealer. But again, I plan to buy used, and I don't mind driving a bit to find the best tractor. So manufacturer may not be that important. For what it's worth, I'm not particularly easy on my equipment.

Sorry if I seem to be asking novice questions, but I'm a novice.

I think I'm going to buy a zero turn for the lawn area, so I'm just looking for a tractor that can handle a 72" shredder, a loader and maybe some tilling work.

You need a heavy framed tractor for the bigger cutters. Its as much about the weight of the tractor as it is about the horsepower. For more acres and if you plan to let it get long then you want something in the 40-50HP range. You may be able to do OK with a 35HP but the extra HP is nice and will keep you from bogging down. My 26 HP tractor with a 60" cutter would bog down in 4 foot pasture. It can still do it but I have to go slower (than I want to).

If you plan to keep it mowed all the time you could get a 72" finish mower and run a smaller tractor.

Another thing to consider is how level the terrain is. You don't want to run a ZTR over bumpy ground or it will start hurting your back after a while. I have a Ferris ZTR with suspension and even it is tiresome when I mow in areas that are kind of bumpy. A bigger tractor won't notice the bumps as much.

Also, if you get a big tractor you have to be careful on nice lawn, it will tear it up pretty easily.

Lots of variables to consider. Buy the biggest machine you can afford and fit on your property and you won't have any regrets.

 

[psk67]

The larger tractors (50-90 hp) will probably cost no more than a small SCUT or CUT as they are too visually big for most people that have just moved out to a plot of land like yours. So demand is down. There has been a fair # of posts that also point out that the larger tractors are cheaper to run too. Sure, gals per hour is higher, but hours needed are much lower so it more than balances out.

Any suggested brands/models?

 

[psk67]

Also - Any reason not to go old school? Like maybe an International 444?

 

[LAWALLSTRACTOR]

If you liked the old International check out the Mahindra 25 series 2wd tractors. Very tough economical tractors and very similar to some of the old Internationals. Brand new, full warranty, and low rate financing. Check them out at mahindrausa.com.