saltydecimator 482 Posted July 23, 2018 Report Share Posted July 23, 2018 (edited) i used to make fun of hte guys at work who all day all they would talk about is mowing grass, now here i am, talking about mowing grass.... my conundrum is this: im cheap. i have almost 4 acres, including the house and driveway foot print.... im in the desert. nota lotta thick grass, but i need to mow it more often than i do. i dont want to spend thousands on all the tractor upkeep etc. been mowing it by hand, but at 22" per pass, thats just not fast enough.... it works, just too slow. ive trained for a couple half marathons, so walking back and forth for long distances isnt a problem, its the width.... ive googled it a bit, and the widest i saw was like 27-29.... soooooooo that leads me to less trodden ground, rolling your own.... anyone done anything like that? maybe a couple 22's spaced 19" apart, so you skip a pass back and forth?? common engine, belted together? Edited July 23, 2018 by saltydecimator Quote Link to post Share on other sites
evlblkwpnz 3,418 Posted July 24, 2018 Report Share Posted July 24, 2018 I think I'd hit Craigslist at the end of summer for a deal on a rider. Do the fine work with the pusher and then hop on the rider. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Heartbreaker 1,085 Posted July 24, 2018 Report Share Posted July 24, 2018 22"? Screw that, I have a Farmall Cub with a 60" deck. It's much nicer. A zero turn would be better still. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Mullet Man 2,114 Posted July 24, 2018 Report Share Posted July 24, 2018 (edited) If all you're doing is mowing, then a zero turn is what you want. I'm on just over 5 acres and about 4 is grass. I can cut it in 2hrs with my 72" JD 797. High lift mulching blades help it look good too. Little too no clippings left on top. Edited July 24, 2018 by Mullet Man 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
evlblkwpnz 3,418 Posted July 24, 2018 Report Share Posted July 24, 2018 I came from 3 acres and it would eat up an entire day. I think we are on 1/4 now, mostly covered by the home. I cut with a 21", edge, and blow in about 1 hr. I like it. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
G O B 3,516 Posted July 24, 2018 Report Share Posted July 24, 2018 You NEED a riding mower. If you have $$$$ zero turn mowers rock. A good rider will work, and yes you can pull a swing mower or 2. A friend of mine had 20 acres to mow, so Booger would scrounge old push mowers, and made a rig to tow 2,3,or4 (depending on how many would start!) of them behind his tractor. He could get his place mowed in no time! Find a 36" lawn tractor with a bad motor. For $450 you can buy an INDUSTRIAL rated replacement motor. ONE WITH AN OIL FILTER! The motors with a filter last for ever, they have an oil pump. The cheap motors are splash oiled and are shit, they do not last. I am running a 2008 mower with a new engine 2 years ago, it is a grass eating bitch! 2 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Mullet Man 2,114 Posted July 24, 2018 Report Share Posted July 24, 2018 I had an old neighbor that pulled two push mowers behind his rider. He just made up a spreader bar to keep them where he wanted. Looked hillbilly as fuck but it worked. You can find zero turns for a song these days. They've become so popular, they're everywhere for sale used. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jerry52 893 Posted July 24, 2018 Report Share Posted July 24, 2018 10 hours ago, Mullet Man said: If all you're doing is mowing, then a zero turn is what you want. I'm on just over 5 acres and about 4 is grass. I can cut it in 2hrs with my 72" JD 797. High lift mulching blades help it look good too. Little too no clippings left on top. Another vote for 0 turn , money well spent. Think of the time and energy you will have for other things? You cannot put a price on that. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
YOT 3,743 Posted July 25, 2018 Report Share Posted July 25, 2018 https://lovebackyard.com/how-many-bales-of-hay-per-acre/ Y'all are throwing away income. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jerry52 893 Posted July 25, 2018 Report Share Posted July 25, 2018 The wife came to me with pictures of flower shelfs that you put on a any flower patio. "Can you make them ?' she asked I said " yes no problem, Why?" "Well we could start a business making them and selling them on ebay". Just retired and now,she want to start a business. YOT is this a business or does someone rent the land and does all the work? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Mullet Man 2,114 Posted July 25, 2018 Report Share Posted July 25, 2018 (edited) Get you a small tractor and a vintage square bailer like this.... https://stlouis.craigslist.org/grd/d/john-deere-square-baler-14t/6650255859.html Till up your land and seed with alfalfa or whatever tends to do best in your area. Depending on moisture a square bail weighs about 55lbs. Gotta be able to move them. You can lease out your land too. That's not uncommon. Edited July 25, 2018 by Mullet Man Quote Link to post Share on other sites
G O B 3,516 Posted July 26, 2018 Report Share Posted July 26, 2018 If you have a fenced yard big enough to call pasture, there is a farmer somewhere that will pay to graze cattle there. Might even pay the taxes. 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
saltydecimator 482 Posted July 26, 2018 Author Report Share Posted July 26, 2018 heres a pretty cheap one, what say yall? https://boulder.craigslist.org/grd/d/john-deere-zero-turn-lawn/6644745183.html Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jerry52 893 Posted July 27, 2018 Report Share Posted July 27, 2018 23 hours ago, saltydecimator said: heres a pretty cheap one, what say yall? https://boulder.craigslist.org/grd/d/john-deere-zero-turn-lawn/6644745183.html I have a friend who has one , He loves it Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Mullet Man 2,114 Posted July 28, 2018 Report Share Posted July 28, 2018 i don't have any particular info on that specific model. All i can say is if you can find one and it's priced right, always go for the dealer models, if possible. The ones sold at Lowes, Home Depot and Farm and Fleet (the "big box store" brands) etc. etc. etc., just are built to last like the dealer models are. A little research will tell ya where any make/model was sold from. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
HB of CJ 1,263 Posted July 28, 2018 Report Share Posted July 28, 2018 Don't go too small. Have you considered an older used but good baby farm tractor? Perhaps with just some towed gang pulled reel mowers? Lots of times in farm country the older smaller equipment becomes available cheap. Why take all day when it can be mowed in just one hour? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jerry52 893 Posted July 29, 2018 Report Share Posted July 29, 2018 Time is about time. Time that you will never have again. I pay someone to cut my grass ,have for 25 years. ( worth every dime) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
saltydecimator 482 Posted August 7, 2018 Author Report Share Posted August 7, 2018 as far as paying folks, i dont like too many folks around... they tell their friends etc and wham bam thank you pam you robbed. quasi irrational but you get the idea... found a Ariens 46" 20hp for $350 up west of Fort Collins... so stoked!!!! it has a gap in the cutting pattern, on either side. maybe where tires pushing stuff down? how electricity work on these things, can i bolt on some led lights etc to replace the factory refrigerator bulbs? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
G O B 3,516 Posted August 7, 2018 Report Share Posted August 7, 2018 Use LED lights, lawn tractors only have a 9amp alternator. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
saltydecimator 482 Posted August 8, 2018 Author Report Share Posted August 8, 2018 ah right. so, they can be used for night mowing or is that not a thing? i have 2 young kids and so that kinda limints my time outta the house during non sleeping hours... i am really stoked about this.... got it from guy who ran over buncha rocks, on the Rocky Mountains, getting an uneven cut, but its pasture grass, and its like 3 feet tall. manual says blade mandrel? how annoying are those things to mess with? or the blades, which i gonna change from the mulching ones back to the cutting only style, which are new (and prob never hit rocks) Quote Link to post Share on other sites
G O B 3,516 Posted August 8, 2018 Report Share Posted August 8, 2018 (edited) Mandrels are a BITCH! Buy NEW mandrels, as you will seldom be able to remove one without snapping off the bolts. Use anti-seeze liberally on the bolt threads of the new one. PS Always keep the old belt for the blades, new belts will not slip, and cause damage when you hit something. Nice worn , old belts slip enough to let the blades survive when you hit a rock or a dog toy. Edited August 8, 2018 by G O B 1 Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.