How much gas do you use to cut an acre?

[GMAN]

With the price of gasoline possibly rising I had a couple questions.

Just wondering how much gas you use to cut an acre with or without trees and what not?

I was mainly interested in ZTRs and the different sized engines.

For example, does 23hp kawi get better,same, lower gas mileage than an engine of similar hp made by, say, kohler?

Thanks for any input. By far, the most helpful site on the net!

[HOWARD JONES]

I have a 62" Toro with 25hp Kohler - use about 1.25 gal/hr average. Of course, conditions (mostly how heavy the grass is) would affect this. It would be interesting to hear if any of the mower manufacturers have done any side-by-side comparisons.

[Eric ELM]

It depends on how thick the grass is, how much you are cutting off, what size the deck is, and how big the motor is.

This is a hard question to answer and you will get all sorts of answers to this question.

Some here have 42" to 48" decks with 26 hp EFI engines that have to be having an easy life since they don't have to pull nearly as hard as this same engine on a 72" deck and yes, it would pull a 72".

To try to answer you, my 60" deck powered by a 26 hp diesel uses 3 quarts an hour on average grass. I figure it uses 1 quart an acre on an average.

The same size deck with a 22 hp gas engine will use twice as much approximately.

[LAWNGODFATHER]

Well you have to take in account for truck, trimmers, and blowers.

All together you are probably looking at 1gal plus min. per a lawn no matter how big or small. The bigger the lawn the more gas. The farther the lawn the more gas.

LGF:blob1:

[Eric ELM]

Just so I don't get more emails on this topic, I did a search on this before I posted. I might be wrong on the 42" deck with a 26 EFI, but it is mentioned in the below thread. Walker does put a 26 EFI on a 48" machine. Here is the link.

http://www.lawnsite.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=18941&highlight=walker

I get enough email, so I'm hoping this will prevent more. ;)

[Flex-Deck]

I have been running diesels for 13 years, and they burn about 1/2 the fuel that an equally rated gasoline engine burns, My question is "Why don't more manufacturers offer a diesel option?" I have a 1988 332 with 4500+ hrs on it, and it purrs like a kitten, uses no oil, is 16 HP (diesel) and I can't get 1/2 gal per hour thru it no matter how hard it is working.:)

[dhicks]

My Toro Z-255 62" can suck some fuel when the turf is thick. I'd bet it will use almost 2 gallons per hour. Normal grass thickness and height perhaps 1 gallon per hour. B/W my Toro and Hustler I have spent about $1164.00 on fuel since March. Right now gas is $1.35 and a high of $1.68 earlier this year.

[lawrence stone]

My slow 62" gear drive mows athletic fields at about 2.5 acres an hour.

But at 5mph you only need to single cut.

The 18hp Command uses a little over a quart of fuel per acre.

[65hoss]

Glad to see you back Stone.

I've never checked mine from an acre standpoint. I know about time. Without the mulching kit I can run 7 hours per tank (4.5 gal). With the mulching kit it runs about 5.5 hours per tank.

[Eric ELM]

65 Hoss, if you are running at that rate, you could go 14 hours on 9 gallons. Running 12 hours on 9 gallons would be 3 quarts an hour, so you are burning less than that. What machine, motor and deck size is this on?

[TLS]

On my LC Lazer 27hp 60" I am getting anywhere from 1.0 to 1.5 gph. It is real easy to test as the hour meter has 1/10 hr increments. Plus on a Lazer you can run 1 tank down till she stops and then take a time reading. Go back to gas station to fill up that empty tank and BINGO, instant gph.
My normal average is 1.2 gph.

As for the acre reading, that is variable but it is averageing somewhere in the 20 min area.

[David Gretzmier]

I did this test a few moons ago. on my grasshopper mid 225, 25 horse kohler with 10 gallon tank and 60"deck, I did a 2 acre lawn with one week growth, one pass side discharge, fairly flat, 22 trees, at max speed for good looking cut. it took 41 minutes, and having several 2 acre lots in the neighborhood, continued. did 10 acres , would not run out of fuel til next day, got 8.2 hours on hour meter before it quit. same lot, 321d version of grasshoppers mid mount, got done in 32 minutes, ( woo hoo, fast stuff) and same other basic yards, did not run out until 14.8 hours on meter.

the numbers:

since i got about 3 acres per hour on gas 25, and 10 gallons /8.2 about 1.2 gallons per hour or .4 gallons per acre

diesel 3.8 acres on 21 kubota, 10 gallons /14.8 = .67 per hour, / 3.8 acres yields .18 gallons per acre.

further making diesel look good is the fact it can be bought tax free in AR, "off road diesel" runs 50 cents cheaper per gallon.

AND of course diesels typically last longer and have higher resale than gas rigs

BUT, as anybody knows, diesel rigs run $2000-2500 more to buy and in trucks 3-5000 more !
assume you run mowers 800 hours per year,

800 x 1.2 gallons gas consumption x 1.50 average= $1440 per year

800 x .67 x 1.00 average off road=$536 per year.

by saving 900 per year, you have to buy off road diesel. regular diesel puts you saving 700 or so per year. we trade mowers every two years or 1200-1600 hours, and kohlers typically don't last that long outside dixie chopper land, and all hoppers start falling apart at 1600 hours anyway. Kaw's do much better, honda and robin maybe better still. fuel consumption may also be less on the foreign gas engines.

the trade in is about $1000 more on a diesel, so you actually start saving money around the 700 hour mark. those of you who run 2 or 3 thousand hours on a diesel and run it on off road diesel are putting 800-900 dollars extra in thier pocket every year after 700 hours. and probably will sell thier rig for more as well.

I hear the new small direct injection turbo diesels from kubota are twice as efficient as the old 21 horse standby. also fuel injected kohlers are said to be 20% more fuel effiecient.

Diesel still rules.

I wish all of our units ran it.

This may be my longest post. Dave g :rolleyes:

[65hoss]

Eric, I have the 52" HP with 23 Kawi. I tested it all leaf season, it puts 7 hours on the meter when the tank will finally run dry. Much less with mulching kit due to much more drag on the motor.

This machine surprised me when I got it. I make very few trips to the gas station a week to fill it up.

Monday morning I will fill it up and check it next week to see if it has changed any since it has more hours on it now.

[LAWNGODFATHER]

My W/B's go about 6.5 hrs on 5 gal of gas. And my ZTR's go all day with their 11 gal of gas. Of course they have 2-5.5 gal tanks. Now keep in mind that is strait mowing no stopping. Yes I have places we can do that.

I know he asked for just mowers but still have to think about the other equipment used to. Such as truck, blowers, trimmers and any other gas powered things.

Also some other things to think about Climate, is your air cleaner clean, tall grass, dry grass, short grass, hills, wet ground, dry ground lots variables to consider. Good luck

LGF:blob1:

[Mowman]

I think alot depends on the area that your mowing. Example: Hills will always use more fuel for me as the engine has to work harder. Flat areas I can mow 2 acres and use about 1 1/4 gallon of fuel. I mow that in an hours time. I'm running a Walker MTSD w/ 52" Deck and a 20HP Kolher engine. Hope this helps answer your question.

Mowman

[GMAN]

WOW!

Thanks for all the info. I knew I came to the right place. Now I've got to digest it all!

Just so I've got this right, using some type of mulching kit will increase the amount of gas used due to drag, along with the height and thickness of the grass, and the type of deck on your ZTR. I'm looking at a 48" or 54" deck with a 23hp kawi or 25hp kohler.

Thanks again for the info.

[65hoss]

Ok, I checked my fuel today. It takes .73 gals per hour on the 23 kawi.

4.5/.73=6.16 hours per tank of fuel. (4.5 gal tank)

This is with the mulching kit.

[Hardy Enterprises]

Exmark Lazer Z eps
Kohler 26 hp efi
72" deck
Mowing thick bahia and bermuda mix

2.03 gal/hr


Jay

[Premo Services]

65hoss ]Ok, I checked my fuel today. It takes .73 gals per hour on the 23 kawi.
4.5/.73=6.16 hours per tank of fuel. (4.5 gal tank) [/QUOTE]

WOW!!!!!!!
I have the 23 hp kaw, and do not get no where near that amount of time on a tank.:( I will do a time test again and see what I am getting per hour. If not, then back to the dealer to have it fixed. I had problems with the motor bogging real bad, and leaving piles of grass to where I was double cutting, even in the summer, when the growth slowed. It took them 4 times to get it right, and now if it is burning too much gas, then it is still not right!!!
Hoss--- how does the mulch kit work on the lazer. I want to get one, but thought they didn`t work as well on the lazer hp`s ??

[racerdave]

72" deck with kohler @20hp
12 acres 3.5hrs = 3.5 gal. gas used

12-16" native field grasses

David

[65hoss]

Hoss--- how does the mulch kit work on the lazer. I want to get one, but thought
they didn`t work as well on the lazer hp`s ??

Mow Money, they work just as well on the HP's. But it really depends on the type of grass your cutting. With bermuda and zoysia, it does perfect. Unless its real tall, one trip over it and it looks bagged.

Fescue is a different story. I have tall fescue under my front oak tree. I usually cut it at 3.5". It skips and misses spots. I'm not sure why. But its done it all year. Even with the 36" mulching kit it skips. I've come to the conclusion that because of the characteristics of the fescue, The airflow pushes some of the grass over and not cut.

[HBFOXJr]

I do irrigation installs and service plus mow 1 day and do fertilization programs with the other associated services. Production fuel, what I put into equipment and vehicles that do the work is only 1% more or less of sales.

Needless to say I don't get real worked up about the price of fuel unless it is going to double or more. Then I'll raise my prices.

[HOWARD JONES]

Hey, GMAN - just curious what brands you have been looking at - and, if fuel consumption is one of your primary concerns, it seems you have been looking at the very largest engines available for that size deck - 23/25 HP engines are used on 60 and even 72" decks commonly; just like cars, the largest engine will cost more initially and cost more to operate - but will be more fun.