Mower for 6 to 7 acres
- Thread starter mntgoat
- Start date
I've owned 54" deck and 72" decks on zero turns and an 84" rear mount deck on my tractor.
The 54" had 3 blades, the 72" decks have 3 blades, my 84" deck has 3 blades.
The blades may cost a bit more on the bigger decks, but there is no difference in maintenance that I have seen.
TonyPrin
Well-Known Member
Sounds like you have 15-20 trees per acre, quite a few. Depending on specifics, that will make for considerable maneuvering. Overall then I'd ease into getting a new mower, especially with the kind of money you may be spending. I go along with other suggestions to bring your old mower and take some time to figure out what's best.
Beyond that, 6-7 acres with trees could mean considerable additional work. If so, a tractor with mowing attachment could make sense and would allow many more attachment options for bagging, hauling, etc.
Beyond that, 6-7 acres with trees could mean considerable additional work. If so, a tractor with mowing attachment could make sense and would allow many more attachment options for bagging, hauling, etc.
jamesds016
Forum Newbie
Hustler 104 or a exmark 96. The hustler is a gas big block engine and the exmark comes with a hangar 3 cylinder diesel
I demo’d a 72” machine before buying. If you fall behind on your mowing for any reason, usually rainy weather, a 72” deck will really be spitting out some clippings. It’ll look like hay ready for combing even with mulching blades. I went with a 60” deck for that reason. If you get a machine that really scoots, the 60” cut will probably be fine and save you some time. Just my two cents. ?
Caleb Hummell
Forum Newbie
You might consider the Exmark (Toro) Lazer series. My 2014 Lazer-Z 60" has been bulletproof. All I've done is change oil & hydro, lube it, and it's only had two belt changes.It's a commercial mower that I paid a bit more than $9,000 for, but it's been worth every penny.
I have about 5 acres I mow, also with lots of trees and other obstacles, and have been really happy with that ZTR. I had so many crappy consumer mowers in the past that I decided to finally buy something that will last. I'm on my 8th mowing season. I never got more than 8 seasons out of the consumer mowers, and that was pushing it because they were just barely functional at that point.
If you consider Exmark, make sure you look at the commercial line because they're making some higher-end "consumer" models that don't look nearly as well built. My mower will also mow tall prairie grass (Little Bluestem, Grease Grass, and Indian Grass) in the spring. Before I got my 8N and rotary cutter a couple of years ago, I used the Lazer-Z to cut the dead grass in late April: raised the deck to the highest (transport) setting and only mowed about a 3-foot swath at a time, but it didn't even struggle.
Exmark has gone all out with their commercial line, and even has a water-cooled, shaft-drive model now. Pricy, of course, but they make great quality equipment.
I have a 2 acre lawn and a 4 acre pasture with a couple dozen trees and surrounded by a split rail fence. For equipment, I have a 45HP Kioti hydrostatic tractor with a 3-point 72" John Deere grooming mower and I have a Scag 61" Turf Tiger. I've mowed the pasture with both setups and prefer the Scag hands down. Maneuvering the tractor around trees and fencing requires at least 50% more time and you can't trim as close as the zero turn so more trimming is required. The only time I break out the Kioti/JD setup is when I let the pasture get out of hand. Sometimes that requires the 72" Woods brush mower. I can't comment on the Bermuda grass, but I mow my pasture about every 2 weeks. If we get a lot of rain, the grass is a pretty good load with the 61" deck. I would worry you might have issues with a 72" deck depending on how often you want to mow. BTW, I mow my lawn every week.
joe_cooler
Member
We mow 6 acres weekly. Even on a fast 72" it will take a great deal of time especially with the number of trees you mention. I have a 72" Ferris IS4000Z with mulching blades and it never leaves a windrow. Figure 20 minutes per acre if you have lots of turns. Rough ground slows you down. 72" ZTR is the minimum. Get a Ferris 72" with full independent suspension. Makes a huge difference in ride quality. If you have property, a big quality mower is part of the obligation. We just added the Hustler Super 104 and it makes a huge difference on the open ground. I just cleaned the deck and added mulching blades. The deck was clogged with over 20lbs of old clippings that the previous owner never cleaned off. Probably mowed in the wet a lot and let it build up. He had the flat low lift blades also. Got the 104 with less than 140 hours on it. Test mowing today.
