Newbie Question on Rotary Cutters

[Ridonkulus]

So I have 60 acres (50/50 split timber/field). Im thinking that an 8' cutter would be a great size for the mowing. Im curious how many acres you guys mow and with what size cutter/tracker? Also how long does it take you? Curious if I can get away with a smaller cutter and save some money without it taking me an entire weekend, sun up to sun down, to get the job done. Thanks in advance.

Edit:
Mowing is probably not the right word. I only plan to brush hog it 3 maybe 4 times a year.

 

[cglaser104]

So I have 60 acres (50/50 split timber/field). Im thinking that an 8' cutter would be a great size for the mowing. Im curious how many acres you guys mow and with what size cutter/tracker? Also how long does it take you? Curious if I can get away with a smaller cutter and save some money without it taking me an entire weekend, sun up to sun down, to get the job done. Thanks in advance.

Perhaps you would wanna look at a batwing cutter. I'm not sure what sort of equipment you have to power said brush hog but batwing mowers can get 12' and larger depending on need and size of your tractor.

 

[g8erh8er]

If I had 30 acres of grass that needed mowing regularly, I'd be wanting some sort of batwing setup. I use a 7 ft finish mower on just under 8 acres with some patches of trees here and there, and it takes about 5-6 hours depending upon how fast I want to push it. I have very bumpy land and must limit my speed to 2-3 mph in most places.

 

[Ridonkulus]

If I had 30 acres of grass that needed mowing regularly, I'd be wanting some sort of batwing setup. I use a 7 ft finish mower on just under 8 acres with some patches of trees here and there, and it takes about 5-6 hours depending upon how fast I want to push it. I have very bumpy land and must limit my speed to 2-3 mph in most places.

Mowing was a poor choice of words I corrected my OP. I plan to brush hog it 3 to 4 times a year.

 

[jeff9366]

Here is a mowing time calculator:

Mowing Calcuator | How many acres can I mow in an hour

Consider a tractor including a cabin and air conditioning.

 

[Roadworthy]

I use a smaller tractor - about 20 PTO horsepower - with a five foot rotary mower (brush hog type). I don't know how fast I go, the ground isn't that smooth. It takes me forty five minutes to an hour per acre. Fortunately I'm only mowing ten acres about two to three times a year.

 

[jaxs]

Batwing mower isn't the expensive part of it,buying a tractor powerful enough to operate it is. Do you have other use for a 100 hp tractor? I have 45hp and 60hp tractors that are perfect for my needs which include trailering tractor to various loctions. I use a 6' rotery cutter and on larger tracts I pull one of these offset to cover more groundSwisher 44 in. 14.5 HP Kawasaki Commercial Pro Rough Cut Trailcutter at Tractor Supply Co.

 

[TripleR]

We have 4', 5', 6' and 10' rotary cutters and while a chart can be good guideline, but terrain condition, slopes and room to maneuver, what you are cutting as well as tractor and operator. My back cant handle more than 3mph while my sons run the same tractor and cutter 5-6mph.

On one farm, we cut 60 acres and the 10' with M8540HDC does it easily in two days.

 

[cglaser104]

Check out this article as a guide for brush cutter size vs HP to run it.

Buyers’ Guide: Flex-Wing Rotary Cutters | Successful Farming

 

[countrybumpkin]

I have a 30 ac area I cut once a year with a 8’ twin spindle, pretty much all open but a couple of trees and a small brush area I go around. Takes me 8 good hours none stop, but depending on vegetation, thickness and ground smoothness , your times will very.