Bushhogging speed (acres per hour) and the like

[LD1]

Just wondering what you'all are averaging with 5 and 6 foot cutters???

I ask, because I did a job yesterday that was 13 acres. I didnt actually measure it, just went off what the owner said, but it seemed about right.

Anyway, I was using my L3400 bota and a bushhog 306 6' cutter.

For about 85% of the time, I was in 2H @ WOT which is 5.3MPH according to the book. There were a few times I had to back down to 1H (4.1MPH) and a couple down to 4L(3.5MPH) It wasnt really thick, mostly ragweed and such.

Anyway, total job took 5.3 hrs. Thats about 2.5 acres per hour.

I always figured it was between 2 and 3, depending on how thick. I was (according to calculation) expecting ~ 2 ac/hr in 4L and closer to the 3 ac/hr in 2H like I was for most of this job. I guess I am just more inefficient than I thought???

Wit bouncing between a few gears, I am guessing I averaged 5MPH total.

that should have let me cover 26.5 miles or 139,920ft

times a 6' wide path =893,520 sq ft, or 19.27 acres. The job was only 13, so 13/19.27 is only a 67% efficency. I was always figuring closer to 80%:confused2:

Which I was figuring this job @ 5-6 hours anyway, but I figured I'd be in 1H most of the time. It wasnt as thick as I thought:thumbsup: so that saved me there. But if I'd have figured 2H @ 80%, this job should have taken an hour less:confused2:

Anyways, I am a numbers guy Just wondering what you alls thoughts are? And what you have couculated with a similar set-up?

PS: I do like this 306 bushhog I got now, But I still think my 105 5'er left a better cut at the same speed. It has a higher blade speed, which I am kinda bumed about about this 306. The 105 has a 1:1.5 gearbox, and the 306 is a 1:1. But it is still a MUCH better and MUCH heavier cutter. There aint too much I have to worry about:thumbsup:

 

[Highbeam]

That's about twice as fast as I can do it with my 5 foot cutter. It's not the mowing that's hard it is the travel speed. You need a nice smooth field to be able to go as fast as you were going.

 

[jenkinsph]

That 306 is a heavy duty cutter so it needs to be geared to handle the forces of small trees and brush. Most of the heavy cutters I have used don't even have a blade edge or were almost flat. Made to beat everything to death.

Not much point in figuring acres/hour on unknown properties as you can only go as fast as you are willing to hit something.

 

[Marveltone]

You're a flippin' speed demon compared to me! I usually mow at 2.8 mph with my Woods HC54. Any more and it tends to flatten out the grass too much and not cut. Of course, this is with 3-6 ft grass. If the grass is around 12" or less, then I can go 3.8 mph.

Perhaps if I toss the rubber panels and make chain guards it might do better.

Joe

 

[LD1]

This wasnt grass. Grass definatally bogs me down and I have to go to 4L at the FASTEST (3.5MPH). This was 3-5ft tall ragweed. It was bushhogged last year.

I did hit one huge rock. About 18" diameter sandstone Didnt seem to hurt the 306 any. But you all are right, 5.3MPH was pushing it a bit for the unknown. I did hit a few groundhog holes and one tile blow out. It was ROUGH:confused2: But the cut quality was as good as can be expected.

I usually try to run as fast as I can until quality starts to diminish, then back it down a notch. But there was NO difference in ct quaity between 4L (3.5mph) and 2H (5.3MPH), so I ran 2H when I could and when terrain permitted, which was about 85% of the time.

 

[atgreene]

My 4150 Kubota with a B106 Woods I have always figured on 3 acres per hour, sometimes more, sometimes less.

I never back up, loop all my corners and try to work the entire field so their is no wasted passes. I've been mowing fields for 15 years now commercially and have found that it's as much about efficienciecy on corners and planning the field as it is speed.

I also shift my pto into 750 rpm, back down on the rpms but raise to another gear. Blade speed is the same, ground speed isn't much faster and the tractor isn't reved up so high.

 

[Rockgod]

Last time out the best was about 3-3.5 mph alot at 2.8 mph. 6' hog, very rough ground.

 

[Farmwithjunk]

I mowed a little today.

One area is less than 1/4-acre. I took almost an hour. (Rocks galore, a ditch that could flip a tractor, a zillion trees...)

Then I mowed 10-1/2 acres of pool table flat, smooth as a babies butt, knee high grass in 3 hours 10 minutes......

both with a 6' rotary/45hp (40 year old) tractor.

1/4-acre; snails pace, lots of backing up. Approx .25 acres per hour.

10-1/2 acres; 5mph, mowed in a very efficent pattern....Figures to 3.315 acres per hour.

Expect something in between those two.....

 

[Feydakin]

I use cutting time as get away time. Low and slow so I can avoid 'working' for as long as possible. I can make the 3 acres in Indiana take all afternoon when I have to

 

[LD1]

My 4150 Kubota with a B106 Woods I have always figured on 3 acres per hour, sometimes more, sometimes less.

I never back up, loop all my corners and try to work the entire field so their is no wasted passes. I've been mowing fields for 15 years now commercially and have found that it's as much about efficienciecy on corners and planning the field as it is speed.

I also shift my pto into 750 rpm, back down on the rpms but raise to another gear. Blade speed is the same, ground speed isn't much faster and the tractor isn't reved up so high.

I assume that 06 is a 6' mower?? That would put you at a little over 5MPH @ 80%. I think I could get closer to 80% but this field was an odd shape, I'll see if I can draw it.

Last time out the best was about 3-3.5 mph alot at 2.8 mph. 6' hog, very rough ground.

So what was the acreage and how long did it take? 3MPH @ 80% would put you @ 1.75 ac/hr.

I mowed a little today.

One area is less than 1/4-acre. I took almost an hour. (Rocks galore, a ditch that could flip a tractor, a zillion trees...)

Then I mowed 10-1/2 acres of pool table flat, smooth as a babies butt, knee high grass in 3 hours 10 minutes......

both with a 6' rotary/45hp (40 year old) tractor.

1/4-acre; snails pace, lots of backing up. Approx .25 acres per hour.

10-1/2 acres; 5mph, mowed in a very efficent pattern....Figures to 3.315 acres per hour.

Expect something in between those two.....

@5MPH that puts you @ 90% efficency:confused2: How do you do that? Was it a round field???


This is the first time I have ever done a job this large. Most of the people that I work for, it is only about an acre or two. So I usually only run 3.5MPH (4L). Becasue speeding up on such a small place doesnt help much in the total time. I maybe would save 15 minutes? But on a 13 acre job, speed and efficency become more important.

Like I said though, this was very irregular, rolling terrain, and a few thick areas I had to slow down. ANd there was one area about 20' circle of dense briars, that cost me about 10 minutes. I stopped and backed into that area.

I also loop the turns as well. Especially when in 2H. Because using the shuttle, 2R is a Creaper gear. And to Hit 4R is just a paint shifting back and forth. A looped turn W/individual brake takes 5-6seconds before I back in.

But I guess given the lot I was on, 67% wasnt bad. Plus I am not fully used to this 6' cutter yet and how much wider it is than my tires:confused2: