Mower for 6 to 7 acres

[SHB]

I mow 8-12 acres, some flat, some sloped, all with trees. Started with a 10-year old bad boy 60” zero turn that I got at an auction for $2K. Upgraded first of the year to a new eXmark radius 60” that I put lugged tires on. Wasn’t happy with the cut quality plus it seemed to use a lot of gas, changed the blades to low lift, made a world of difference. Eliminated the dual stripes of uncut grass and the engine doesn’t lug down as much.
Other options I considered included a light tractor / bush hog (trees are a problem), tried an ATV pull behind mower (very difficult around trees) and a rotary cutter on my Takeuchi track loader (maneuvering around trees is difficult, tracks tear up ground, operating costs are higher).
Don‘t know what kind of slopes you are dealing with, but steeper slopes can get really dicey when damp when using a zero turn.

 

[GroundLoop]

Mow 5 acres every week April - October. Lots of trees and small hills. Have a Kubota Z331 72". Takes me about 2 hours. Comes down to what your time is worth. Sure a smaller non-commercial grade mower will get the job done but you'll spend half the day cutting.

 

[slomo]

I've read all of these comments and they are all way off. Get yourself a walk behind Toro 21". Mow 1/2 acre and explain to wife that it's better for the planet.

I mentioned this before to a fella' on here. He got pissed and said I was rude. The wife and I have a great time with his and hers 21" Snapper pushers. Nothing like free exercise.

 

[slomo]

You guys are using the wrong tool for the job. Totally wasting time with those tiny little inferior 0-turns. Time to get a real mower.

 

[Bob Leistner]

Use to cut 8 acres with a good old fashion Craftsman riding mower...... It more about how tall you let it get.When it got too tall it was a 6ft. Brush Hog and a IH 560 : )

 

[Hesermon]

Firstly, anyone that thinks $14K is outrageous for a good, large mower has never purchased a real commercial grade machine. Now, back to your question. I am a Hustler fan personally but there are several other brands I would consider (i.e. Scag, Gravely, Exmark) In my opinion the size of the deck is not the single most important thing to consider when talking about time. My 60" Super Z HD with a Kaw 1000 will out maneuver and cut 3-4 MPH faster than my Super Z with a 72" deck w/ Kaw 850 especially if there are hills, dips and obstacles to work around. If the area is very flat and you can run wide open most of the time, obviously the 72" will cover more ground but that is something you wont really know till you mow it once. One other thing, almost all manufactures offer their best deals in the spring, if you can use your current mower for the rest of this season you will likely save several hundred dollars by waiting AND your used mower will be worth a premium at that time as well.
Good luck!

 

[slomo]

Firstly, anyone that thinks $14K is outrageous for a good, large mower has never purchased a real commercial grade machine.

Hope this was directed at me. If so I wouldn't be looking for an over built and priced "lawn mower" to cut 6-7+ acres. 0-turns evolved from typical Craftsman riding tractors. Look at me, I have a thicker deck. Oh I too offer a thicker deck. Look at me, I have hydro drives. Oh I too have hydros. Look at me, I put the letters commercial on mine and charge 4 times the price. Oh I did it too. And there's the commercial 0-turn world.

Pound your chest all your want. 0-turns are toys compared to real tractors and the many attachments they can support. For 7+ acres I would have a tractor.

 

[russbow98]

25 sheep should do it

 

[Jim Gronewold]

I am serious as I type this.. Is the property set up so you could fence some of it off and put cattle or Goats on it? Usually ther's a neighbor close enough to rent it from you and save a ton of summer work. And make a few bucks to improve elsewhere.

 

[DK35vince]

I mowed our 8 acre lawn for years with my 35HP tractor with an 84" deck before I bought a zero turn.
The 35 HP 72" deck zero turn will mow circles around the tractor with an 84" deck.
Tractor with 84" deck took me around 3 1/4 hours to mow our 8 acre lawn , the zero turn will mow the same lawn in just over 2 hours.
I purchased a commercial grade zero turn because I wanted to cut my mowing time and I wanted the mower to last me 25 years.
(50-60 hours average per year x 25 years should put me around 1250-1500hours) a commercial mower ( Hustler Super Z) should do that with ease.