Pls Recommend Mowing Solution for 10 Acre Rural Residential

[DaRube]

20 years ago, I bought my first tractor, a Kubota B7500HSD with a 60" belly mower. It has strained to keep up with my property, which has 7 acres (out of 10 total) of mostly flat mowable land. I've been looking at ZTs, but want to size it right and open myself up to considering other brands, and other formats as well. The Kubota can still handle the lighter front loader and 3-pt hitch needs (or I can hire them out), so the new machine would be dedicated to mowing. What solutions should I be looking at?

 

[amhicks21]

That's quite a task for such a low HP tractor for sure. Keep in mind that you'll practically have car money into a ZT that'd be big enough to make any appreciable difference in time and effort spent. Im certainly partial to tractors so I'd sell the b7500 and find a 40+ hp tractor and get a nice size 3pt finish mower or a small flexwing. Here's what I use sometimes. l6060 with a woods 90" finish mower.

 

[Doughknob]

I’d be looking at renting it out for hay. Income instead of outgo.

 

[seville009]

I was in your exact same situation about 15 years ago - had the same B7500 hst with a belly mower; my first tractor.

Added on to my parcel though, and also wanted to finish mow about 5 acres now instead of 3, plus bush hog about 6 more.

Too much for the Kubota.

Bought a MF1540 hst with a 3 pt finish mower and a bush hog mower.

To cut to the chase, still took too long to finish mow, plus the lack of suspension on the tractor was killing my back.

I ended up buying a Ferris ZTR 33 hp diesel in 2009 to use for finish mowing. Is fast and has a suspension.

Still use my MF1540 for brush hogging and as a backup for snow removal.

 

[sandman2234]

Ten acres is a lot of mowing on any sort of lawnmower. I do 10 acres up at the Church with a M7040 pulling a twin spindle Bush Hog 3008 mower. It doesn't do "groomed" but is a lot better than a single spindle bush hog, as long as I keep the blades sharp.
The reason I have that job is because the guy who does around the buildings with typical zero turns tried it once and came back to the Church saying they needed to find someone else to do it because it beat him up too much. Since then, several people have done donuts in the field with their vehicles, which just adds to the roughness, but my tractor pays very little attention to small bumps.
My thoughts, keep the little Kubota for around the house and get a larger tractor with a big bush hog for the outlying field.
David from jax

 

[fuchifarm]

I'm partial to fencing it in, fatten up 4 steers and put 1 or 2 in the freezer and selling the rest as beef to neighbors or friends. Hay lease works too if you have someone nearby that already does hay. A flock of meat hair sheep are reasonably easy to maintain as well.

If you are set on mowing pickup an 8ft finish mower from agrisupply and a 40hp tractor with cab and ac. Or just break up the mowing into 1 or 2 acres a day.

 

[RoyJackson]

At minimum, a 30+ HP ZTR (preferably a diesel) with a good suspension or air-ride seat. The Deere 997 (37 HP, IIRC) would be my choice.
Downside, a ZTR is, for the most part, a one task machine...also, rather expensive.

Here's another alternative:

Commercial Mowers | 1585 TerrainCut™ Front Mowers | John Deere US

John Deere Front Mowers are commercial-quality mowing products that are ideal for the large-area commercial/institutional, golf and turf markets.

www.deere.com

Which can be a more versatile machine

If I didn't have occasional need for a loader and/or 540RPM PTO drive, I'd have gone for a 1500 series (the 1585 being top of the line) machine

 

[Torvy]

Some good ideas here. 10 acres is too big for a doggone lawn. Pasture, hay, just rough mow with an RC once or twice a year.

 

[m1garand762]

Fence it and get some steers or hogs and let them graze it or mow around the house and septic and let someone make hay

 

[Fixastuff]

I've never seen any animal eat enough grass that the area still doesn't need to be mowed.

 

[AndyMA]

My 60" Exmark ZT will mow at 9 mph.
Get one with a suspension seat

 

[DK35vince]

Some good ideas here. 10 acres is too big for a doggone lawn. Pasture, hay, just rough mow with an RC once or twice a year.

I read it as he has 10 acres, 7 acres mowable

 

[Hay Dude]

One of these. Itll knock out 7 acres of grass in 2+ hours and get close to fences & trees. It’ll do a great job and last a long time. 72” cut and it’ll cut as fast as you can hold on.
Ask me how I know.

 

[DK35vince]

I mowed our 8 acre lawn for years with a 35HP tractor with an 84" rear finish mower.
Took me around 3 1/4 hours to mow.
2013 I got a commercial grade zero turn, 35 HP with 72" deck (the thing will mow at 14 mph) and cut my mowing time to just over 2 hours

 

[lman]

This 12' mower works for me.

 

[3gunr]

Between my yard and my daughters across the road i mow at least 7 acres every week with my bad boy zt 60 in cut, takes about 5 hrs total. usually do it over several days after work.

 

[Popgadget]

I use some combination of a 60” Lazer, a 90” 3PT finish mower or 16’ pull behind mower on a Kubota L6060.
The Lazer is hands down the best for trimming and negotiating tight spaces. The 16 foot pull behind is the best for the wide open spaces. The 90” is not the best at anything. The Lazer is the only machine that could do it all, being able to go along fence lines, and around trees and buildings. The L6060 with a cab is the most comfortable with climate control and a stereo.

So it really depends on your priorities, the Zero turn is a one trick pony, but it does that trick very well. A tractor and a big pull behind will save time, but you will still need something to get the edges. It’s nice if your budget can handle it, but the ZTR will do the job, and has a lot less tires and grease fittings……

 

[Gee Ray]

if your present tractor is in good shape keep it. And buy one of the 5 foot tag behind mowers such as a Swisher. You’ll have less than $4000 invested in it. And will cut your mowing time in half.

if you set it upright you could trim pretty well with the tag behind. And for what you can’t get with it you can drop it and finish mowing with just the tractor.

I wouldn’t want to bounce around on 7 acres on a zero turn mower. I much prefer the ride of a tractor and a little slower pace.

 

[4570Man]

A batwing finish mower would be the fastest solution but without a bigger tractor that’s not really a viable option. I don’t think you’d really save that much time over a zero turn anyway. A 72” zero turn mower would be my pick or they make even wider zero turns if you wanted.

 

[mikester]

Personally I'd sell and move to a place with less lawn.
If you fence it in you could call it a "horse farm" and sell it for more money.

If you are independently wealthy and retired and hate baby seals and whales buy a little ride on mower and do a Forest Gump.