Saturday, April 18, 2009

I just got a job cutting 20 acres of former pasture. Using a riding mower, how long should this take?

The job is for a family member who just purchased a new John Deer mower.


It depends on the mower but it might not be as bad as you think. If your mower has a 48 inch deck and can go 5 mph, you should be able to cut a little over 100,000 square feet per hour. Twenty acres is roughly 871,000 square feet so you're looking at a little over 8 hours.

Obviously, I would say that this is a best case scenario. If your mower deck is 36 inches and you go a more reasonable 2 mph it will take about 27 hours. That's also assuming no breaks, problems, refueling, etc. In real life it would probably be somewhere in-between.

Seriously? When you say former pasture--it has brush growing in it? Or is it now a lawn? If it's the former then your riding mower won't be up to it. It'll end up breaking or wearing out quickly. Even the JD X series isn't made for that. You need a tractor with a brush mower on the back or if it doesn't have much brush, a finish mower might work. Most pasture has ruts, rocks, stumps etc. that will beat up anything else.

8-10 hours, based on my experience cutting a couple of acres. Depends on the hazards. Be *really* careful about mowing on slopes. Don't try to mow across more than a very, very gentle slope. Steeper slopes *must* be mown up and down.

never. by the time you cut 20 acres on a riding mower, it will be all grown up again, and you will have to start at the beginning again.

20 acres?......do yourself a favor and go and rent a small tractor with a bush hog. Even a small bush hog might have trouble if there is too much brush or tall weeds.

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