Riding Mower

[bluzcat]

I am currently in the process of relocating from California to Indiana. I bought a house on 7 acres and I am looking for some advice on cutting all this grass. About 4 of the 7 acres is grass, but that still alot to mow! My house in California was on a 9,000 sq.ft. lot. My wife could mow that in 20 mins. with a 20 inch push mower. Besides the size, I understand the grass grows really fast here (just north of Bloomington). I have always recieved good advice (and opinions) from you guys, so I came here first. By the way, I almost hate to mention it because it sounds like a gloat, but the reason I bought this place is the 2032 sq.ft. workshop (insulated with heat, AC, and its own 200A service).

[thiggy]

Tractor and Bushhog!!

[crokett]

You will need a small tractor to mow something that big. Your other option is a big rider and let a lot of the lawn just go wild. Advantage to the tractor is you can get other stuff for it (front end loader, etc).

[jAngiel]

I have a little over an acre and a JD riding mower. Works fine but I wish I actually had a small tractor so that I could do the other things as well (front loader, box blade, pto auger...list can go on and on).

[TheRic]

..... By the way, I almost hate to mention it because it sounds like a gloat, but the reason I bought this place is the 2032 sq.ft. workshop (insulated with heat, AC, and its own 200A service).

That's twice as big as my house!!!!
You SUCK!!


Now on to the topic at hand.
I would suggest getting a small tractor, or a LARGE riding mower (could attach a couple of mowers to the sides to help). My uncle has something like 4 acres he mowers with a tractor, takes several hours when they do the whole thing.

Letting some of it grow wild is definitely an option. The grass will only get so tall, it slows down the taller it gets. The height varies from type to type but normally around 10-15" is tops. For example the grass along the sides of roads is normally (around here at least) only cut twice a year.

You can mow the whole thing whenever you have something special going on. Keep the the front mowed, and other parts the neighbors can see from the road and they will be happy. Look at it this way, from a distance can you tell if that grass is 2" tall freshly mowed, or 8" tall and it's been a month?!!

[os1kne]

Important questions that will help answer your question.

What type of terrain? Is it hilly or flat? If hilly, how bad are the slopes? Do you want to get a machine that you can add attachments to, or do you only expect to just cut grass? What type of vegetation is to be mowed, is it just grass like you find around most homes, or is it grass around the house and field brush in outlying areas?

If it's all grass on a flat terrain and you only want a machine to mow the grass, the solution to your problem is probably a small tractor (John Deere, Cub Cadet, etc. - not huge, but bigger than what you'd get at HD or Lowe's). You may even be able to find a used one for a few $k that would handle 4 acres with no problem. If you want a front-end loader, snow blower, cab with heat and a/c, etc. etc. - you will spend a lot more $ and should really consider what you expect to do to prevent from over-buying.

My dad has a mid-sized John Deere with cab, front-end loader, brush hog, belly mower, etc. and it is really amazing how far these machines have come - especially in the area of installing and removing the various attachments. (It almost looks like the old Transformers cartoon when you install or remove the front-end loader - and it doesn't require much strength or intervention of the operator).

Good luck.

[linear]

Some facts from my yard for your consideration. I have about 0.8 acre of "lawn" in my setup, which I mow with a JD garden tractor with a 42" mulching deck. It takes in the ballpark of 75 minutes to mow and it's very close to entirely flat, with few obstacles to skirt.

So it might be reasonable to think that in mowing about 5 times that area (from your original post) it would take around 5 times as long, or about 6 hours, on like equipment.

Here you have to consider trading dollars for time. I'd seriously consider a zero-turn mower if I were you. Another option is that you want to figure out what maintenance is required for your other acres--if it takes a tractor to do it, a compact utility taractor and finish mower may be a better (more versatile) choice. It probably won't be as fast as a zero-turn. A brush hog is probably not going to mow your lawn to your satisfaction.

If you have neighbors with tractors, ask them to borrow their rig for a mowing session (most guys will happily show off their tractor!) so that you can get a feel for what you need, both in engine and implements. Don'r be in a huge hurry to buy is my advice. (On the other hand, I'll make you a great deal on a 1950 Ford 8N...)

[gsmittle]

What about a herd of cows?

g.

[Kristofor]

I *like* snowblowing, but mowing the lawn doesn't do much for me. Perhaps because one takes place maybe a dozen times per year and the other is once or twice a week from spring through fall, so keep in mind that's the angle I'm coming from...

Mix in some native prairie grass/flower species for 80% of that space and only mow .5-1 acre... Still plenty of room for kids to play or other lawn activites, more drought resistant, and a heck of a lot less time spent cutting grass that will grow right back...

Kristofor.

[jerrye]

If...
There are a LOT of obstructions
There is no need for anything but cutting grass
Your budget will allow
I'd agree with linear and go ZTR. Look at Hustler by Excel. Great machine, built to last. Can even outfit with wing deck to cut up to 10' in a single pass. Check them out at www.hustlerturfequipment.com Can often find them used at municipality and contractor equipment auctions. HTH

[Daryl]

Who says you have to mow the whole works? If you insist on it look for a Farmall Cub with a belly mower.

[Hellrazor]

Real men would push mow the whole area...









The rest of us would buy a John Deere...

[LinuxRandal]

Real men would push mow the whole area...

Real men, would use a REEL mower!

What is the land like? If it's flat, why not buy and convert a Mustang into a mower? 0 to done in no time.

[Ed62]

Real men, would use a REEL mower

Reel men just go fishing.

Ed

[billwmeyer]

I agree with Gsmittle. Cattle or sheep if you have a water source. You might even be able to rent out the space for a horse.

Bill