Go BottomWhat size mower tractor for 40 acres of pasture
 | thmixon
Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 2 Mississipi 
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2003-02-02 48550
I recently purchased 80 acres (40 Woods & 40 of pasture) and I am going back and forth between a finish mower & a bush hog. The pasture is fairly clean and feel like I could maintain with a 12/14 ft finish mower to save mowing time. On the other hand, if I miss a couple of weeks, a finish mower would not do the job and I would need to use a bush hog. Should I go to a bigger tractor (60-70 hp) and get a 12 ft bush hog ? Cant decide between a TC45D or a bigger TN75 ? Help! Don't want to spend forever mowing.
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 | Art White
Join Date: Jan 2000 Posts: 6898 Waterville New York 
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2003-02-03 48574
My first thought would be as to how smooth it really is? Mowing more often will help the grass grow stronger if mowed at a reasonable height. The Pastures here in NY have never been that level. I would be looking for a big bush-hog stlye that is in the 10 to 12 foot width and use a 70 pto horsepower tractor. Most brands build a 10' that is offsetr and the wing will mow at 90 degrees that works out nice for cutting back the edges of a field. ....
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| wdbg1046
Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 15 scituate, rhode island
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2003-02-03 48578
I'm curious; why wouldn't you let someone else cut it for hay and make some money on it? ....
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| thmixon
Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 2 Mississipi
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2003-02-03 48582
Acreage is pretty flat (but terraced). I guess I could let someone cut it for hay, but don't you have to let it get fairly high ? If we want somewhat of a manicured look wouldn't we have to cut more often than what someone would for hay ? I am leaning right now to getting a 70-80 hp and pulling a 10 ft bushhog, and keeping my TC33D for finish mowing. But I still am tempted to spend less money and get a TC45D and try to do it all with that (a 6 ft bush hog and a 10-12 ft finish mower) Still going back and forth. ....
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 | Billy
Join Date: Oct 1999 Posts: 975 Southeast Oklahoma 
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2003-02-03 48584
thmixon
If you want that manicured look, a hay field isn't for you.
If you can stand some tall grass and an extra couple of thousand bucks a year, that hay field looks pretty darn good.
I have roughly a 10 acre meadow that I let someone cut for hay. This 10 acres of hay brings me from $500 to $750 a year. The good thing is, I don't have to do anything for the money. Well, I do have to sign and cash the check.
Billy ....
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| slowrev
Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 231 Winchester , KY
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2003-02-03 48585
thmixon,
Sounds like you are out of the range of CUT's, and into the standard utility tractor range. A 10-12 foot brush hog will require at least 70 hp and a class 2 hitch. I would recommend a brush hog type of mower as opposed to a finish type of mower, unless your pasture land is very smooth and rock free. The brush hog type of rotary cutters are unaully more durable and handle abuse better than the finish type.
....
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 | BillMullens
Join Date: Jun 2000 Posts: 649 Central West Virginia 
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2003-02-03 48597
My neighbor has a beautiful Tudor-style house that sits on several acres. He keeps about 2 or 3 cut for a lawn (with nice landscaping, etc) and gets the rest cut for hay twice a year. It doesn't detract from his property at all.
Another neighbor mows his fields every couple of weeks with rotary cutter and an older farm tractor. May not be quite lawn quality (he also keeps an acre or two as lawn) but looks good from the road.
Personally, I would jump at the opportunity to keep the TC33 for finish mowing and buy an old Farmall M, etc., to rough cut the pastures.
Bill ....
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 | plots1
Join Date: Jul 2003 Posts: 563 mo
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2003-02-15 49306
for cuttin 40 acres probley going to need more than a compact ....
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 | Peters
Join Date: Feb 2002 Posts: 3034 Northern AL
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2003-02-15 49313
I guess I am inclined to purchase a large used tractor like a Ford 6000 and then mow.
Having 11 acres or so of pasture to mow I know that it still takes time matter what size mower you have. Even with a 12 ft mower it is still going to take you 10 hours or more to mow. You can only travel so fast. It goes look nice when manicured but from experience I can not get to mowing mine every two weeks, more like once a month.
Peters ....
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