What to buy for 5 acres of wilderness?

[Twinkle]

I have to start thinking seriously about what to buy to deal with our new land acquisition. Basically its around five acres of overgrown weeds right now. I know I will have to deal with that before buying a mower, but I'm pretty sure there is grass underneath it! Is a sit down mower the only option for this kind of space?

 

[KennyV]

For five acres I would rather be sitting...
Now if you are looking for a LOT of exercise a walk behind will keep you busy non stop for the entire growth season. :biggrin:

Seriously if it is wide open, a small tractor with a mid mount OR rear mount finish mower will work fine and you may find other uses for a tractor.... I know I do.

If there are a lot of trees and shrubs to mow around then a ZTR is the perfect get it done fast and easily...
Happy mowing... :smile:KennyV

 

[Honey]

I would love 5 acres, what I could do with that. I think I would go for the tractor with a mower attachment, if it is an option, you can also get tiller attachments and snow blowing attachments, very versatile rigs.

 

[Twinkle]

Thanks for the tips. I will look into the ZTR. The plan at the moment is to clear the land and then develop it as a caravan site. So in the long term there will be trees and shrubs, plus static and touring vans. (And people, cars, dogs, kids......)

 

[AndyMan]

For the taller grass, we use a brush cutter. Ours is an 8 HP Briggs & Stratton Power Built, and it is a workhorse. Many areas of our property are left wild, but we clear them at various times as the mood strikes. The brush cutter has never let us down, even with raspberry vines, sumac, burdock and the like.

 

[Mean Machine]

I have friends in Tennessee with five acres. They had some farming experience, and for them a small tractor was the answer. With the right attachments, they could get anything done they needed to with it.

 

[Two-Stroke]

For the taller grass, we use a brush cutter. Ours is an 8 HP Briggs & Stratton Power Built, and it is a workhorse. Many areas of our property are left wild, but we clear them at various times as the mood strikes. The brush cutter has never let us down, even with raspberry vines, sumac, burdock and the like.

If the land is flat and fairly grassy some kind of a ride-on mower could do it. For areas with steep slopes, you need a walk-behind -- for safety -- you don't want to be on top when it tips over.

If you plan to change the land significantly (grading, etc.) you will need at least a tractor, which can pull either a rough-cut mower or a finishing mower.

Here's a photo of my brush mower:

It's good for cutting through dense brush (including small trees) on uneven surfaces.

 

[adan]

I have to start thinking seriously about what to buy to deal with our new land acquisition. Basically its around five acres of overgrown weeds right now. I know I will have to deal with that before buying a mower, but I'm pretty sure there is grass underneath it! Is a sit down mower the only option for this kind of space?

That's around two hectares. That's a large area to start with. No I don't think you'd want even a ride-on mower for that size. I think you should get a tractor and then pull a rotary slasher.

Something like this . . .

It would be a serious investment I think. But with 5 acres, I don't see a way around it.

 

[Green Girl]

We live in a pretty wild area on the edge of national forest land. Have you considered not getting into mowing it at all? I have some small patches of grass right near our house, and all I need is a little reel mower to keep it trimmed.