Mahindra 2545 on sand

[duffer]

Anyway, the other question I have is I need to figure out how I'm going to cut the yard. I just plotted it and I'm going to be mowing around 12 acres of land every time I mow "the yard". Anyway, what do I need to cut that much regularly? I was thinking a huge finishing mower but my dad is telling me that everyone he knows that buys a finishing mower ends up just buying a big zero turn in the end. But, when I'm done the land will be clear and perfectly flat which I'm thinking would be a prime candidate for a finishing mower pulled by a tractor. Thoughts?

FWIW...I have 10 acres of common bermuda grass on a sloping parcel. I mow it every 2-3 weeks depending on how much fertilizer I apply. If you want it to look like a "lawn" (3-4" high) then a finish mower will be great. If you had a ton of trees to navigate, the zero turn would be good. But it sounds like your grassy area will be relatively clear. My 10 acres probably avg's 4-5 trees per acre.

I have an 84" finish mower for my 2538 (35 hp @ PTO). The mower deck has 4 corner wheels and a center roller to prevent scalping. I love it. When I get done mowing the place looks more like an estate, rather than pasture. A bush hog won't give you near the finished look it sounds like you want.

My only regret is that I didn't get a 96" mower instead of the 84". You have more HP than I do, so a 96" should work fine. I looked into a bat-wing mower deck, but couldn't bring myself to dish out $16k for it. Most people buy implements that are "undersized" for their tractor, which is fine, but I want to come close to hp capacity. My dealer assured me the 84" was no big deal for my 2538.

Whatever you decide to buy, get an extra set of blades for it, so you can always have a set sharp and ready to go. The 1st 2 seasons of mowing, I hit several rocks that had floated to the top of soil, and screwed up one of my 3 blades. And of course, I tried to mow too close to the woods, and hit a large branches or small stumps...

 

[mike69440]

So I'm working on cleaning the corn stalks off the land that will be my future yard with a landscaping rake. I've got a pretty sweet drag I plan to use to get it the rest of the way level once I get all the organic matter up. Extremely time consuming as the rake gets full very quickly. On a first pass I can only "rake" maybe 5 to 10 yards before all the plant matter wants to ball up and be drug along, lifting the other rake tines off the ground. Maybe adding some cinder blocks to the rake would help? The 3pt being float I think is hurting more than helping with the rake.

Anyway, the other question I have is I need to figure out how I'm going to cut the yard. I just plotted it and I'm going to be mowing around 12 acres of land every time I mow "the yard". We are planting trees through a gov assistance program on the rest of the cleared land on the property, should come up to around 15 acres. The rest of the 45 acres are hardwoods that we wouldn't dare cut down. I'm a purist and like trees.

Anyway, what do I need to cut that much regularly? I was thinking a huge finishing mower but my dad is telling me that everyone he knows that buys a finishing mower ends up just buying a big zero turn in the end. But, when I'm done the land will be clear and perfectly flat which I'm thinking would be a prime candidate for a finishing mower pulled by a tractor. Thoughts?

You, unlike up here in the great white north have grass growing most all the year,
Get some cows. Like Beef? We have cows. I mow at most once a year.

 

[heavy hammer]

Try a finish mower, if that doesn't work you can always get a zero turn. I use a 72" finish mower for my place but I only have 2.5 acres. I didn't want a zero turn so it works for my situation.

 

[pripyat]

I was looking at the prices of good finishing mowers. No wonder people go to zero turns.. The price is close enough between the two that it surprisingly comparable.

I'll definitely buy used. I ordered bearings for the old Long bush hog. It is 6' and the heaviest built bush hog I've seen (granted i haven't seen many). There are some cracked welds, they make me feel like I need a larger welder than my 110v mig. I'll use it for any heavy stuff. I'll start looking for a finishing mower to play with soon. It would only make sense if it was.. huge. 84" sounds awesome but expensive..

 

[duffer]

Not sure how you define "expensive" but my 84" was about $2200 new. Certainly not cheap, but my neighbor bought a Deere zero turn and spent several thousand more than that.

I get good consistent cuts with mine. But to each his own...

 

[pripyat]

Probably not apples to apples comparison but an 84" on the high end (Woods) is a little over 3k, lower end is $1700.

dixie chopper zero turn is $3500, Husqvarna around $2500.

I know, I'm comparing 54" cut to 84".. A 74" zero turn is 9 grand.. lol. I get your point..

 

[SPYDERLK]

I was looking at the prices of good finishing mowers. No wonder people go to zero turns.. The price is close enough between the two that it surprisingly comparable.

I'll definitely buy used. I ordered bearings for the old Long bush hog. It is 6' and the heaviest built bush hog I've seen (granted i haven't seen many). There are some cracked welds, they make me feel like I need a larger welder than my 110v mig. I'll use it for any heavy stuff. I'll start looking for a finishing mower to play with soon. It would only make sense if it was.. huge. 84" sounds awesome but expensive..

A 200 Amp buzz box and 6011 rods will be your friend.

 

[pripyat]

Is there any reason this valve would not work to add grapple capability to the tractor?

1 Spool 2 GPM Prince RD-2575-T4-ESA1 DA OC Valve | Prince Mfg | Brands | www.surpluscenter.com

I don't want a diverter valve, I'd prefer to just mount another lever for the third function.

 

[SPYDERLK]

Is there any reason this valve would not work to add grapple capability to the tractor?

1 Spool 2 GPM Prince RD-2575-T4-ESA1 DA OC Valve | Prince Mfg | Brands | www.surpluscenter.com

I don't want a diverter valve, I'd prefer to just mount another lever for the third function.

It will work for sure, but it has a bunch more flow capacity than you have on the tractor. A lower capacity valve would be a little cheaper and still not restrict any high flow application you might have. - And for lower flow application you would have better throttling control.

 

[pripyat]

I just realized that the flow rates on the tractor spec sheet are in L/min while the valves are G/min. Thanks for the comment. That valve was 10x my flow.. lol

This one is closer to 4x and is marketed to be compact. Look better?
1 Spool 8 GPM Prince MB11B5C1 DA Valve | Prince Mfg | Brands | www.surpluscenter.com