Small Mower Advice

[Native Hunter]

Let me pick your brains a little on what you would recommend for a specific mowing application that I have.

I like to keep some fescue grass trails mowed at my farm and hit them about every three weeks during the spring and summer. I have used a walk behind DR for this and it has worked well. But it takes me about 35 minutes to do the mowing that I have been doing. When it gets in the 90s, its not a lot of fun.

Starting this year, I now have around an acre of clover that will need occasional mowing too. The DR mowes too close (4 inches) and can't be adjusted. Also, this is just to much to do with the DR

I have a tractor with a bushhog, but keep it a little over mile away on another farm, and it seems like a long way to drive it (on a blacktop road) just to do this small amount of mowing. I do bring it here for the big mowing jobs whenever that is needed.

What I need is something to keep at the farm that will adjust high enough to mow the clover and back down to 4 inches or so to mow the trails.

I've thought that a big riding lawn mower might be about right, but don't see any sold around here that will go any higher than 4 or 5 inches high. What do you thing might be a good choice for me to consider for this application?

Thanks in advance for your thoughts - Steve

 

[huthut]

I would take my tractor and brush hog down the road and cut whatever is needed. I also sharpen my brush hog blades once in a while to make the cutting of my foodplots and trails cleaner. My brushhog is used more for weeds,glasses, clover than woody brush. Always good to be on the tractor seat!

 

[2ndHand]

I have a DR like you, but no tractor. To speed up my mowing needs, which now includes a small plot, I purchased a Swisher pull-behind rough cut trail mower - works pretty good.

 

[tooln]

A mile isn't that far on a tractor.
Do you have anything to pull a pull behind type mower?

 

[gwm]

I have a DR like you, but no tractor. To speed up my mowing needs, which now includes a small plot, I purchased a Swisher pull-behind rough cut trail mower - works pretty good.

What size cut did you get? I've been looking into the Swisher but there seems to be as many bad reviews as good ones.

 

[Jeff23]

If I were you, I'd drive the mile...providing it's a safe road to drive a mile on a tractor.

 

[Native Hunter]

A mile isn't that far on a tractor.
Do you have anything to pull a pull behind type mower?

I had considered a pull behind mower. I actually thought about buying a small, used tractor just to leave at the farm. I have a shed there I could put one in. I just don't want to leave my good tractor and bushhog there. We've never had any problems with thieves, but just didn't want to take a chance.

Thanks everyone for the responses. I may just continue to use the DR and make the mile drive with the tractor occasionally when I need it.

 

[2ndHand]

What size cut did you get? I've been looking into the Swisher but there seems to be as many bad reviews as good ones.

I agree with your thoughts on the rating reviews for the Swisher, I thought the same thing. I like DR products (have the walk behind and chipper)but I didn't want to pay the big bucks for the DR ATV pull behind. I haven't had any issues with Swisher - starts easy. I bought the 12.5 HP, 44in. rough cut.

 

[jlonll]

I bought a used zero turn (Ferris). Wii cut to 7 inches. Cut my mowing time in half .Be careful where you go. Can get stuck.

 

[2ndHand]

Now you need to get their DR stumpgrinder. I ground 34 stumps ranging from 4"-10" diameter at 3" height down to below ground in 50 minutes last Sunday. They were pine and maple. Great little machine that does a great job. It eats right through them.

I have lots of pine stumps that could be ground and would like to find a good deal on a used one. Thanks for the info and recommendation!!;)

 

[TMIL]

If you are thinking about an older tractor to leave there, I'd consider an old Farmall Cub with a Woods42 belly mower. Those little Cubs are awesome. I use mine to plow, disk, mow, blade, haul stuff around. Lots of stuff. I have 5 of them so I don't need to switch implements! There are very reasonable on cost and are super easy to tuneup and work on if you have any mechanical ability whatsoever.

 

[TMIL]

OK, it looks like my attempt to post pics was a miserable failure.

 

[tooln]

OK, it looks like my attempt to post pics was a miserable failure.

Try again. you'll get it. I've found that photo bucket works best, it's free. You'll have 5 choices for a link to insert, I use IMG. Hope this helps .