Time to Brushhog a meadow

[John_Mc]

Does anyone have any "real-world" times to brushhog a meadow? I've been asked to help a neighbor with a wildlife habitat practice where he needs to brushhog a meadow once every 2 years. We've already cleared the random rocks, logs, etc. which would be a hazard to mowing. The area is still fairly rough (not a lawn by any stretch of the imagination), so mowing speeds will be moderate. There are still a few obstacles to mow around, but we don't need to worry much about cleaning up the mowing around them. Still, there will be a bit of back-and-forth and extra manuevering.

I know how to calculate a theoretical time. Figuring a 4 foot swath cut with my 5 foot brush mower: 4 ft X 5280 ft/mile X mowing speed in MPH = square feet/hour mowed. Divide that by 43,560 sq ft/acre should give me acres per hour.

However, I've never actually timed myself to see how the real world compares to the formula. I'm guessing I'd be going around 2.5 MPH through this heavy 2 year growth. Sound reasonable? (27 HP at PTO on my tractor). That gives 1.2 acres per hour from the formula, but I'm pretty sure that similar small meadows I've mowed take significantly longer than this.

Hoping some of you have real-world comparisons

 

[schmism]

medow... like wild flowers, golden rod, grasses.... no saplings/sage brush etc...

i think one of the bigger issues youll have to deal with is stoping frequently to clean the front screen so you dont overheat in tall stuff like that

 

[Dieselmh]

It sounds like the mowing that I mostly do. I'm mowing waist high thick grass and small saplings, with a few trees and stuff to go around. I average right about 1 acre per hour. FYI, I'm using a 35 HP Kubota with a 5' rough mower as well.

 

[heymack]

How big is the area in question?

About all I can add is try to make longer runs with broader turns to keep down time wasted while turning around.

 

[Farmwithjunk]

I use a quick formula that I took from a GoodYear tire add published in Successful Farming Magazine years ago.

Inches of implement width (working width, allowing for overlap) X mph divided by 100 +acres per hour. To account for wasted motion (ie time turning, wheel spin with tillage equipment, ect) add percentage of inefficiency (estimated) to "100". (ie 10% wasted motion = 110)

It works well enough to estimate time with-in a very close percentage and it's quick/easy.

I've used it for years with fairly accurate results.

For "real world", I use 6', 7', and 15' mowers. The 6'ers would relate best to your 5'er.

I mow in one of 2 gears usually. Lower one is 4.1 mph. Faster is 5.0.

With a 6' mower, I cover about 2- 2.1 in the lower range and 2.5-2.6 acres per hour in higher gear.

 

[Highbeam]

one to 1.5 hours per acre unless it is smooth and no obstacles and then more like an hour per acre.

I also run a 5 foot cutter and a 30 HP tractor. Usually closer to 1.5 hours per acre in similar meadow stuff. I am never limited by available power unless on a steep hill but by the bounciness of the field.

 

[scott_vt]

I know how to calculate a theoretical time. Figuring a 4 foot swath cut with my 5 foot brush mower: 4 ft X 5280 ft/mile X mowing speed in MPH = square feet/hour mowed. Divide that by 43,560 sq ft/acre should give me acres per hour.

However, I've never actually timed myself to see how the real world compares to the formula. I'm guessing I'd be going around 2.5 MPH through this heavy 2 year growth. Sound reasonable? (27 HP at PTO on my tractor). That gives 1.2 acres per hour from the formula, but I'm pretty sure that similar small meadows I've mowed take significantly longer than this.

Hoping some of you have real-world comparisons

Afternoon John,
The last time I mowed the field on the right side of my driveway, which is about 5 acres, using a 5 ft Bushog, tractor has 28 PTO Hp I averaged about 1.5 acres per hour. The grasses were about waste high and as you can see in the attached pic Im pulling some fairly steep slopes on the lower end of the field. I have a geared machine, and run fourth gear in mid range which is about 3.8 mph. Hope that helps ! I thing you would probablly be mowing about similar stuff as me, your about 1 1/2 hrs north of me maybe slightly less.

 

[Champy]

Agree with everyone, but would add one condition.......since this is your first time hogging this area it will probably take you longer than "normal" so I would estimate higher. You'll be going slower to watch out for holes; rocks; etc...and learning the best way to mow it with your tractor and equipment.

Second, third, fourth; etc.. times to cut it you will begin to see improvements in your mowing times as you become familiar with the acreage and know all the hazzards.

 

[John_Mc]

Thanks for the quick responses. It seems the range from people with similar equipment is from 0.67 acres per hour (1.5 hours per acre) up to 1.5 acres per hour.

I've already mowed the 2 acre area last August, but did not keep track of time. We were also stopping to clear rocks and stumps with the loader or backhoe, so time was a good bit longer than I expect in the future. It's already over waist high, but not chest high yet.

FarmWithJunk, your formula ends up with just about identical numbers to the one I was using, but yours is much simpler. Thanks for spreading the word.

On thinking about it, I'm betting I go more than the 2.5 MPH I indicated earlier. I'm in mid range (out of 3 ranges) on a NH TC33D... but it's hydrostatic, so speed is still a guess. Faster than a relaxed walking speed, anyway. But with some thrown in for inefficiencies and manuevering, I'm going to guess I can do a bit over an acre an hour, and see how it comes out.

John Mc

 

[EddieWalker]

If you can get it done in an hour and a half, I'd be suprised. Not that it's not possible, but because it's been two years of growing and it's gonna be really thick. Without seeing it, I'd had some to that and figure two hours per acre to get it all down, and probably another half hour going over it again to chop off the standing stalks and clumps of material that will stand up again after you've mowed.

Cleaning the screen on the radiator will take some time too. Just keep an eye on your temp gauge.

Eddie

 

[LoneCowboy]

smaller pieces take longer per acre than big pieces.
in a 20 acre rectangular piece, you can fly along pretty fast (little wasted motion I suppose)
in a 1 acre piece, lots of turning, lots of crap to get in the way, etc.
That's why small acreage costs more per acre.

BTW, farmwithstuff, you must have some SMOOTH pastures, 5mph would knock me for a loop. 4.5 in the Utility is about as fast as I can go. (and not that fast in a compact)

 

[jbrumberg]

It takes me around an hour per acre to cut my lower field. My avatar is a picture of what I am cutting. Jay

 

[knute_m]

Does anyone have any "real-world" times to brushhog a meadow? I've been asked to help a neighbor with a wildlife habitat practice where he needs to brushhog a meadow once every 2 years.

My brain doesn't always work like those of "normal" people. When I saw the title I immediately thought you were referring to the best time to brush hog a wildlife habitat meadow. This may be a little off subject, but . . .

I've been involved with improving and creating wildlife habitat for many years. Throughout the upper part of the country east of the Mississippi, we generally recommend brushogging in early to mid-August for a multitude of reasons:
(1) By then, the baby critters are big enough to have moved out of the meadows and won't be left homeless, slaughtered, or as orphans.
(2) The grasses and other seed producing plants will have matured by then, so they will produce winter feed for the critters, and the annuals will reseed themselves.
(3) We brushhog high -- 8-10 inches for intermediate cover.
(4) The grasses will have time to grow back by early frost, and provide winter habitat.

P.S. A great site for info is: Wildlife ecology and management

and, one particularly good publication is (see page 10 - Mow after August 1):
http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/land/wildlife/publ/onedge.pdf

 

[John_Mc]

I've been involved with improving and creating wildlife habitat for many years. Throughout the upper part of the country east of the Mississippi, we generally recommend brushogging in early to mid-August for a multitude of reasons:
(1) By then, the baby critters are big enough to have moved out of the meadows and won't be left homeless, slaughtered, or as orphans.
(2) The grasses and other seed producing plants will have matured by then, so they will produce winter feed for the critters, and the annuals will reseed themselves.
(3) We brushhog high -- 8-10 inches for intermediate cover.
(4) The grasses will have time to grow back by early frost, and provide winter habitat.

P.S. A great site for info is: Wildlife ecology and management

and, one particularly good publication is (see page 10 - Mow after August 1):
http://www.dnr.state.wi.us/org/land/wildlife/publ/onedge.pdf

Knute_M -

I was actually looking for the time it should take to do it, since most of the stuff I do on my own land, I just DO... I don't pay much attention to the time it takes...

But that is good info on the best time of year to mow for wildlife habitat purposes. I'm actually pretty heavily involved with a non-profit group here in Vermont (Vermont Coverts: Woodlands for Wildlife) that is dedicated to educating landowners about wildlife habitat and wildlife issues. We (as well as the VT Dept of Fish & Wildlife) generally recommend not mowing between April 15 and August 1 for just the reasons you cited. We have a fair amount of Ruffed Grouse around our neighborhood (and some woodcock) which need to be undisturbed during their nesting season. Since they nest on the ground, that means no mowing.

I've been mowing lower than you do on my own property... generally about 6". However, what I tend to do is not mow the whole thing at once. I'll leave islands, strips, or other pockets here and there, and go back and mow them a couple weeks later, after the first stuff I've mowed has had time to grow back in. I used to mow on a 3 year rotating schedule... 1/3 of my larger meadow each year. But when I enrolled in the USDA's WHIP program (Wildlife Habitat Improvement Program), my pasture was small enough that they didn't want the hassle of tracking whether I'd done such a small amount each year.

One thing I still do is split up how often I push back the "edge"... the area along the edges of the pasture that starts to grow saplings. This provides some good browse for the deer in the winter, so I don't cut it all in one year.

Thanks for the links... I'll check them out

John_Mc

 

[DCS]

Most of the time I can mow about an acre per hour with a 5' mower.

 

[fishpick]

Good info... Both time to mow and the time of year to mow... Last night I cut a nice path around the field - about 12' wide - with my BX24 and a 4' hog...
First time mowing down this field - stuff was from 3-6' high - grasses, goldenrod, some saplings (small)... but the ground is quite smooth as it's an old hay field last worked 4 years ago... based on the sq ft cut last night - it's about 1 acre/hour for me...
I keep the FEL on and low to take out saplings first and alert me to "hidden" treasures in the tall grass.
Yes - watch the temp gauge in the tall stuff - I had to clean my screen when I was done... It fills up quickly!

The entire time I was mowing I felt bad because it's so early in the year up here in NY... I never touch a field like this until after July 21st... why then - I dunno - that's what we always did when I was growing up...
On the other hand - it's so darn much fun... It's gonna be hard to wait until late July... but since we think there are actually reproducing ring-necks here... I think I can do it!

 

[Eric_Phillips]

Fishpick,
Pace yourself. With it beeing so dry if you go at it too fast you wont have any bush hogging to do later . The stuff I mowed about a month ago is no higher now than after I mowed. The lawn is dead except for where the down spouts drain. I only mowed the lawn once or twice this year. Believe it or not but my bird feedr, I mean pasture that I planted at the begining of June actually sprouted after the rain we had a week ago.

Have fun,
Eric

 

[pnowacki]

Attached is a quick little spreadsheet based on the formula discussed. Its simple and down and dirty but I think it works. If anyone sees any mathmatical flaws, I can correct.

 

[scott_vt]

Attached is a quick little spreadsheet based on the formula discussed. Its simple and down and dirty but I think it works. If anyone sees any mathmatical flaws, I can correct.

Mornin Pete,
Very neat ! Thanks. Using my figures Im obviously wasting time at the end of the fields because Im not mowing as fast acres/hr as the chart would indicate. But very neat just the same !

 

[fishpick]

Fishpick,
Pace yourself. With it beeing so dry if you go at it too fast you wont have any bush hogging to do later . The stuff I mowed about a month ago is no higher now than after I mowed. The lawn is dead except for where the down spouts drain. I only mowed the lawn once or twice this year. Believe it or not but my bird feedr, I mean pasture that I planted at the begining of June actually sprouted after the rain we had a week ago.

Have fun,
Eric

HAH - 35 acres... 4' hog... I'm paced!



Won't touch it again till late July then I'll go at it hard until the whole thing is done...