Mowing No pun intended, am I just slow?

[Learning to Farm]

So I am new to this whole "tractoring" business, and I was adding up how long it takes me to mow. Mind you everything is fairly flat but ~2ish acres (and even that is something that the WV folks would laugh at).

I use a L2900 GST with a 5' brush hog and it takes me about a bit over an hour an acre. I am in 4 most of the time 3 when I am not going straight. Is that normal? Am I using the right speed?

Second part, I am looking at a finish mower I found in the weeds (don't know if it even works). Will that slow me down, speed me up, not change the time? Think it is same width.:confused2:

I know part is my learning curve, but I want to make sure I am not wasting time/diesel.

The math is done that we have 20 acres that are fenced, into 10 different turnouts (some paddocks, some pastures), it took me over 20 hours.

Thanks!

 

[ackerrj]

I have a couple of acres and a b2320 with rotary mower... Like to take my time and do not want to bounce the machine (or me) around too much. An hr an acre seems about right... Beats my riding mower!

 

[Stubee]

Sounds Ok to me. Rented a Ford/NH 2620 (if I remember right) two years ago & hogged tall fields @ about an hour/acre or maybe a bit better. Ran darned slow and from using two tow-behind cutters then this much bigger PTO hog think the added power gives ya more width but not much more speed. Depends what yer cutting & in my case doing 3' tall & often thick stuff.

 

[JOHNTHOMAS]

So I am new to this whole "tractoring" business, and I was adding up how long it takes me to mow. Mind you everything is fairly flat but ~2ish acres (and even that is something that the WV folks would laugh at).

I use a L2900 GST with a 5' brush hog and it takes me about a bit over an hour an acre. I am in 4 most of the time 3 when I am not going straight. Is that normal? Am I using the right speed?

Second part, I am looking at a finish mower I found in the weeds (don't know if it even works). Will that slow me down, speed me up, not change the time? Think it is same width.:confused2:

I know part is my learning curve, but I want to make sure I am not wasting time/diesel.

The math is done that we have 20 acres that are fenced, into 10 different turnouts (some paddocks, some pastures), it took me over 20 hours.

Thanks!

A rotary cutter is usually for less frequent mowing of high grass for a field cut finish. A finish mower is for using about like any yard mower to get yard quality cut. So, with rotary cutter you can cut less often for the field cut quality which by mowing less often will take less overall time but with a lower quality cut. The finish mower will bog down on grass that's to high which is where and why you would use the rotary cutter.
I started the tractor life myself about 7 or 8 years ago and it has been an enjoyable experience with all 13 Kubota purchases, well a couple of them weren't as enjoyable and traded them back to Barlows pretty quick after purchase.

 

[WM75Guy]

Sounds about right. I mow my 14 acres with my 50 hp Boomer 8N. I use a 6' rotary cutter and a 6' finish mower. I mow at 3 mph so I can walk the next day. Any faster and my back can't take it. It takes me about 45 minutes per acre regardless of which mower I am using. I finish mow around the house once a week and cut pastures every 2 weeks or so.

 

[WM75Guy]

What also helps is a set of hearing protector headphones that plug into your Ipod, cruise control, a canopy to keep the sun off, and a good cup holder. Sit back and enjoy your seat time. The time flies by and you look forward to mowing.

 

[TripleR]

How fast you can mow with a tractor rotary cutter is going to be determined by one of or combination of two things, quality of cut and comfort. If you are going too fast, you will not get a good cut, so mow at the maximum speed where you get a good cut. Cut quality will often vary from one person to the other, so only you can judge that.

On most tractors, the faster you go the more pounding your body will take.

If getting done quicker is important you will want to mow as fast as you are comfortable while getting an acceptable cut. For people like repowell and me, being mobile the next day is paramount, so I mow at about 3 mph on my L5030 pulling a 6' cutter.

Now I can mow faster with our M8540, but like repowell I enjoy the seat time, so I am in no hurry.

My 31 year old son mows quite a bit faster on both tractors.

 

[rpraymond]

We were all newbie's once. Take it slow and easy, be deliberate in your actions and in time it will all be second nature. And as repowell said, enjoy your seat time. We all do! :thumbsup: