What HP diesel engine?

[Sigarms]

Debating between a 21 or 25 hp Kubota diesel engine.

Never rode a mower with a diesel engine.

Looking at about 15 acres, sometimes the grass gets high in areas, and on a couple of decent slopes, it's about 120 yards from the bottom to the top.

Would a 25 hp Kubota engine be overkill with a 54" deck? (test rode a scag 31 hp 61" deck, and the lawn around the house is just a little to uneven and with that 61" deck, even at a 4" cut, was getting some scalping marks in tighter areas with the large deck).

Currently have a 25 hp kawasaki pushing 700 hrs on it, and it's starting to feel a little underpowered if some of the grass in the back gets high or going up the hills after running the mower for longer than an hour.

This is going to be my "buy once cry once" moment, but don't know if I can justify the extra money for a 25 compared to a 21, however, perhaps a 21 hp with 54" deck would be more than enough.

Any feedback would be appreciated.

Thanks

 

[whistlepig]

Its kind of hard to explain but a diesel motor does a lot more work than a gas motor with the same horsepower. When a diesel motor gets a heavy load on it pulls harder. When a gas motor gets loaded down it just gets loaded down. I think Kawasaki gas motors the best gas engines that are made.

 

[dex3361]

I have a BX1500 that has a 15HP 2 cylinder diesel engine and it has a 54" deck. I have been impressed by the little diesel engine.:thumbsup:

 

[Professor Marvel]

Are you cutting 15 acres of grass regularly with a 54 in deck? Like a lawn?

 

[sandman2234]

15 acres would be, no WILL BE a lot of work for any mower. My thoughts would be try to find something that eats ground a lot faster than even a commercial mower, because you will get tired of sitting on any mower for that long and have to start over as soon as you get finished (it will seem).
I have a used Steiner with a 23.5 hp diesel engine, 60 inch deck, articulating not zero turn and while it would do a fine job with it, I would rather put a finish deck *(or bush hog) behind the tractor to do the wide open spaces and save the close up areas for the mower.
With 15 acres to mow, you might consider a used tractor in the 50 hp range to pull a finish mower. Bought used, you will be able to justify that cost in a hurry in time savings.
I used to mow the church grounds outside the immediate building area with a 6'6" flail mower behind a 65 pto hp tractor and that would eat a lot of ground in a hurry. The guy that was paid to do it tried to subcontract me to do it for him because I could do it so much faster than him, because he used the same mower up around the church that he tried to use on the open field (grass parking lot).
David from jax

 

[dex3361]

If I was mowing 15 acres as a lawn I would want a 8 or 10 foot mower.

 

[sandman2234]

Just thinking about my neighbor, who has a 50hp tractor with a 6' finish deck, and his wife uses a zero turn to mow the 7 acres that they own.
Must be a reason...
David from jax

 

[Sigarms]

Are you cutting 15 acres of grass regularly with a 54 in deck? Like a lawn?

I probably cut about 7 acres regularly (weekly) around a 4" height.

The rest of what I cut looks like below, but it's more along the lines of once a month.



Sandman

I've been down the tractor / ZTR road and what to spend for getting how much done. The auctions around here are crazy for what people will pay for a 20 year old tractor. I have a total of around 45 acres, and the one guy who did come out to bush hog everything one time told me I'd want (or at least regret not getting) a 40-50 hp with 4x4 (some areas very hilly and wet).

Problem is the 4 or so acres around the house using the tractor.

Family is groaning and will be looking for a larger vehicle shortly down the road as well.

No debt other than the house and land, and prefer to keep it that way, but something always seems to pop up from keeping me to buy new on the tractor side.

 

[Chiriqui]

I see several options:
1) Spend a fortune, buy a 40-50 hp tractor, mow the lawn quickly & then do favors for all your neighbors. Keep your existing mower as is and let the wife mow the area around the house.
2) Spend a smaller fortune, repower your existing mower. FYI - diesel works better than gas because it provides more torque at low rpm, and uses less fuel. Spend all your time mowing.
3) Get cows, keep the existing mower as is to let the wife mow around the house and spend your time mending fences. At least the cows will more or less pay for themselves; or,
4) Go fishing and let the grass grow.

 

[Sigarms]

I see several options:
1) Spend a fortune, buy a 40-50 hp tractor, mow the lawn quickly & then do favors for all your neighbors. Keep your existing mower as is and let the wife

Most of my neighbors have tractors, and twice in about 7 years I've used a neighbors help for a short period of time (gravel and a couple of holes). Using neighbors help more would be rude on my end IMO LOL

Honestly, for what I have to mow now, it doesn't take me all week. If I spent a good "all day" saturday or sunday mowing, I can get most of it done. I usually break the larger back, less frequently used areas down and although I do spend time mowing, kind of enjoy it.

My current mower probably has been ridden harder than most average mowers, just starting to spend too much time in the shop waiting for parts ("off" brand with little local dealer support) and it's starting to drive me up the wall.