looking for help in Cutting prairie grass

[Poppleriver]

All,
I have a 3039r JD (30 hp) with a LX5 brush hog and am trying to cut 30 plus acres of seeded prairie grass. It's a terribly slow process. Grass is kept laying on the fields and not picked up or bundled. Is there a better way to cut these fields rather than use a brush hog. My JD dealer says the tractor is maxed out and cannot utilize a larger brush hog. Looking for suggestions. Thank you.
Popple River's Bernie

 

[nwhittemore]

Buy a 6 foot drum mower. Tractor tools direct has pretty good deals and 30 hp will run a 6 foot easily but they say 40 hp. I used to run one behind a 1963 ford super dexta 32 hp and never even felt like I had it in a strain. You want a drum mower not a disk mower and there is a huge difference in the to designs.

 

[nwhittemore]

Unless it is god awful thick you should be able to run 3rd or 4th gear pretty easy because your just cutting the grass once rather than mulching it up.

 

[powerscol]

Ar you just wanting to cut it, or trying to hay> If possibly hay the drum mower would work. However if you just want to cut and leave grass a flail mower would be better. Iowa Farm Equipment carry's a wide selection and others can be found with an online search. Be careful of the china knock offs. A flail mower would mulch the grass and not leave clumps.

There is also a very long thread here on flail mowers. Its like a bible of information.

Hope this helps

 

[Egon]

Maybe think about a sickle bar mower? But it must have very sharp knives and be tight.

 

[Poppleriver]

Thanks for the input. I'm going to search for a good flail mower. Appreciate everyone's input.

 

[Slowpoke Slim]

I'm running a 6' brush hog on 32 hp off my pto. Unless the grass is very thick, and gets hood high or higher, I don't have any problems cutting it. 30 acres is still going to take a long time to cut with a 6' mower.