Mower Questions

[H80Hunter]

My wife and I are closing soon on a property with out first house. It has some room for us to roam and for me to plant some food plots. I’ve planted some 1/4 kill type plots on my grandparents property, so I know “the basics.”

I know we’re going to get a utv to roam the place and a garden tractor for mowing the lawn and some basic garden work.

If you were starting from scratch, would you buy a tractor to mow in food plots and (eventually) horse pastures?

Or would you get a little tractor for the yard (riding mower/lawn tractor) and a tow behind brush hog for the food plots and pastures? We won’t be CLEARING new plots but we will be establishing them in expiring CRP. If so would you tow the brush hog with the tractor or the the UTV?

Cliff notes: garden tractor or UTV brush hog for mowing a few acres of food plots and a few more of horse pasture?

 

[ToddG]

I have horse pasture and food plots and couldn't live without my tractor. It just makes life so much easier.

 

[H80Hunter]

What kind of tractor? I don’t think I’d get something bigger than something like this:

https://www.brandnewmowers.com/9604...5mq-bckoon2pc9ntg77ajongekkwnwdsaatlqealw_wcb

I wouldn’t have enough use for a bigger tractor to justify the expense. So my choice is: get that tractor, OR get a cheaper lawn tractor for the yard and use the UTV with a tow behind brush hog for the plots/pasture.

 

[ToddG]

I have a large Kubota. It all depends on how you plan on planting the plots and how large the pastures are going to be. I was maintaining mine with a small lawn tractor like the one you posted and an atv. It was working but was hard on the equipment.

 

[Ben.MN/WI]

I think the tractor you showed on that link is more of a lawn mower. They are not designed to handle rough areas and uneven ground, so I would probably pass on that option. I think that would be a nice lawn mower for the yard, but I'd get a rough cut type mower that pulls behind an ATV or UTV for the rougher areas. I have a Swisher rough cut 44" that I tow behind my ATV for that type of work. You can take that type of brush cutter in places that would destroy a lawn mower. I know this because I have a 20 horsepower lawn mower similar to the one you showed and taking it into rough areas generally leads to a trip to the welder.

 

[270 sniper]

Personally I would look into a subcompact or compact 4 x 4 tractor with a FFL

 

[ToddG]

I second the above.

 

[H80Hunter]

I appreciate the input, and I’m sorry to seem like I’m pushing to get an answer I want.

I’m settled on the Utv for an “around the farm” type vehicle and for hunting, hauling stands etc.

I just don’t have the budget for a subcompact tractor right now. Is the UTV tow behind lawn mower a horrible option?

 

[yoderjac]

My wife and I are closing soon on a property with out first house. It has some room for us to roam and for me to plant some food plots. I’ve planted some 1/4 kill type plots on my grandparents property, so I know “the basics.”

I know we’re going to get a utv to roam the place and a garden tractor for mowing the lawn and some basic garden work.

If you were starting from scratch, would you buy a tractor to mow in food plots and (eventually) horse pastures?

Or would you get a little tractor for the yard (riding mower/lawn tractor) and a tow behind brush hog for the food plots and pastures? We won’t be CLEARING new plots but we will be establishing them in expiring CRP. If so would you tow the brush hog with the tractor or the the UTV?

Cliff notes: garden tractor or UTV brush hog for mowing a few acres of food plots and a few more of horse pasture?

A riding mower won't mow clover high enough. I'd get a compact (not sub compact) tractor with a FEL and 3-pt hitch. You can get 3-pt finish mowers that can adjust high for clover or low for fescue. Whatever mower route you decide to go, make sure it can adjust to at least 8" high.

Thanks,

Jack

 

[H80Hunter]

To elaborate, my plan would be to get a $1500 lawn tractor rather than that $3k tractor shown above. Then when doing pasture stuff just drag a pull behind brush hog with the UTV.

 

[Ben.MN/WI]

I think going with a lawn mower for the yard and a UTV with a pull behind brush hog for the thick pasture would be a good option. That's pretty much what I used for several years and it worked fine. Tractors are really nice, but they are not cheap.

 

[Tree Spud]

I appreciate the input, and I’m sorry to seem like I’m pushing to get an answer I want.

I’m settled on the Utv for an “around the farm” type vehicle and for hunting, hauling stands etc.

I just don’t have the budget for a subcompact tractor right now. Is the UTV tow behind lawn mower a horrible option?

It depends on what the UTV is ... the complexity of what you are cutting, and other stuff.

Cutting lawn grass is different than field weeds & grass. Clover if cut to short is a problem.

I would forget cutting clover, that is a "magazine" promo concept. Your deer should be keeping clover in height check if not, plant less of it and plant other stuff. If grass is a problem in the clover field, spray it.

Buy a mower for your lawn, and a trail mower for your fields.

Like all of us, you will learn what you really need in 2-3 years.

 

[Catscratch]

I've done a lot of plots with a cheap riding mower and a boom sprayer. It's hell on the mower but you can make it work. Tall grass mow's easier when it's dead. I use burns to help clear before mowing if there''s woody brush in grass. Like said before, clover doesn't "need" mowed. I think a boom sprayer on an atv or utv is way more useful than a mower. Might think about going with that in the field before hammering your rider to death out there.

 

[Northbound]

First tip of owning land, don't call a riding lawn mower a tractor- your neighbors will laugh at you. No more armorall on the truck tires either-Gravel dust sticks. :)


I'd find a old ford 9n or simular if that's your budget. Pretty easy to find a tractor and brush mower for 1500 bucks. Using a lawn mower for much more than mowing lawn will keep you busy with repairs.

 

[Frosted brassica]

First tip of owning land, don't call a riding lawn mower a tractor- your neighbors will laugh at you. No more armorall on the truck tires either-Gravel dust sticks. :)


I'd find a old ford 9n or simular if that's your budget. Pretty easy to find a tractor and brush mower for 1500 bucks. Using a lawn mower for much more than mowing lawn will keep you busy with repairs.

This above. Get older ag tractor at farm auction. Find local farm welder and mechanic. Ask them about local auctions and maybe they will help advise you on bidding.

How large of an area are you working with and what else do you think you will want to do beyond mowing?

 

[H80Hunter]

The property 160 acres. Would be like ~6-8 acres total of food plots and pastures. Would be using the Utv for stands/work/roaming around/spraying plots/ basic farm stuff.

Would mostly be using a tow mower to mow food plots and horse pastures.

 

[j-bird]

I have no idea how I would live without my little JD790 with FEL, front assist, 3 cylinder diesel (roughly 25 to 30 hp). It's as "handy as a shirt pocket" as some folks used to say. Mine I could get a undermount PTO - for a belly mower, but I chose not to. A rear PTO is a must. Cat 1 hitch gives you lots of implement options as well. With a machine like this you can use a 5' wide bush-hog type mower for rougher cutting as well as have a belly mower for mowing around the house as well. Only issue I see is that I prefer ag or R4 industrial tires vs turf tires. They can be hard on your yard if your not patient about mowing when the ground is soft. My place is 150 acres and fairly flat. I do 3 to 5 acres of various plots. With R4 tires and a fixed ROPS I can still pull it into my standard sized garage door opening. I typically run out of traction before I run out of power. The white thing on the back is a 5 gallon bucket - I have the handle over the top link of the hitch. My little tractor IS my ATV/UTV.

 

[jsasker007]

You could get a small disc to pull around and can clear lots of stuff and prepare ground for planting----I know everyone is on the no-till band wagon but thought I'd throw it out there anyway.

 

[Ben.MN/WI]

You might not really need a tractor, but after a couple years I bet you'll want one. I went with the ATV and brush hog route for quite a few years, but I picked up an old Ford 841 a few years back and it is awesome. I picked up a 3 point digger and 3 point disc and they work awesome for a few acres of food plots. A front end loader is very handy as well.

 

[Wild Thing]

The property 160 acres. Would be like ~6-8 acres total of food plots and pastures. Would be using the Utv for stands/work/roaming around/spraying plots/ basic farm stuff.

Would mostly be using a tow mower to mow food plots and horse pastures.

It sounds like you have your heart set on a UTV and you can definitely use one for what you are suggesting ("Would be using the Utv for stands/work/roaming around/spraying plots/ basic farm stuff"). They are great for some types of work and can definitely be a "work horse". I get a lot of use out of my John Deere Gator. That being said - I think you would be asking a lot from your UTV if you plan on planting and maintaining 6-8 acres of food plots. As others have mentioned, you will definitely want to move up to some type of farm tractor - sooner rather than later.