Mower for keeping down weeds on 15 acres with rocks

[ransonjd]

I have 15 acres of field that I need to mow to keep down weeds. There are loose rocks up to the size of footballs. I have a 74" flail mower which is great for trail maintenance and keeping down brush at the edges, but it's a bit slow to deal with 15 acres. I have a Kioti DK4510HS 45HP tractor. Are there any other mowers that I should consider?

 

[nybirdman]

I use a LandPride six foot brush hog on my similar sized tractor.Seven foot single spindles are heavy and long;If you want to move up in size get a twin 8ft.I cut at least 20 acres per year;mostly grass/light brush.We have tons of rocks also,just keep it a little up and make sure the slip clutch is working(every year service).

 

[oosik]

I have never heard of a mower that will handle football sized rocks. Perhaps consider some method of "rock elimination" first.

 

[Peter 315]

Here you go....XM42-M™

 

[L47TLBwannabe]

Some ag dealers rent rock pickers that would be a good place to start because there isn't a mower out there that can handle repeated rock strikes.

 

[jaxs]

Some ag dealers rent rock pickers that would be a good place to start because there isn't a mower out there that can handle repeated rock strikes.

And sooner or later you might see if your noggin can survive one. :shocked:

 

[ptsg]

Obviously a mower won't last much mowing over a rock pile but there are solutions out there that can handle rocks, just not sold in the US though.

Here is what we use in Europe:



High strength Grade 80 chains do a fine job on rocks. It does require more HP and that's why we run narrow mowers than you in the US. I keep backing this thing over rocks and whatever is hidden under the brush and it just handles it fine. It also will do thicker brush easily.

Here is a video of me backing over a destroyed old house. Bricks, rocks, cement. By the noise, you'll notice when I hit something hard. One thing to keep in mind, is to have a fire extinguisher with you. This things can spark a lot and with dry brush, it doesn't take much to light on fire.

The chain skirts will do a good job on containing the debris.

 

[K5lwq]

I have played the pick up rock game and every year a new crop appears! It never ends on my property. My BushHog has dents all over it from rocks.

I used to use the little Beaver to run the BushHog. I converted it to category one from category zero many years ago. One day I sent a rock the size of a basketball flying under the little Beaver and it went about 40 feet in front of me. How it did not hit the bottom of the tractor and take out my oil pan I will never know.

That is the day I started looking for a bigger tractor. On the Beaver, you sit right in the line of fire! If that rock would have hit me in the head it would have been all over!

 

[Thomas]

You won't get to many years use from mower rocks of that size $$$'s,if rocks are loose remove what you can with front loader.

 

[Hay Dude]

I have never heard of a mower that will handle football sized rocks. Perhaps consider some method of "rock elimination" first.

That’s what I’m thinking. Clean up the rocks