Average Productivity

[Envy Lawn Service]

For those of you that keep track and have a general idea, post your average "mowing only" productivity and equipment.

Your input is appreciated:blob4:

[KLMlawn]

Here is a link to Exmarks prductivity charts for groundspeed and various deck sizes ... assuming that if you have the same width deck and are travelling at "X" MPH, it really shouldn't make a difference between the various different manufacturers, the productivity should be the about the same.
http://www.exmark.com/productivity.htm

[MacLawnCo]

Even at the 80% productivity, I have found that with my 48" gear, I cant hit the productivity marks exmark gives. I have found my rates to be 80-90% of exmarks 80% figures.

[Envy Lawn Service]

I agree! I think even the 80% numbers look too high as well.

It took a little doing but I figured out the formula they use for 100% efficiency...

Width of cut x mph / 99 = 100% efficiency acres per hour

[FrankenScagMachines]

80% accuracy is width cut (in inches) x mph / 120 = 80% effeciency. 100% is just going at the exact speed mentioned, in a straight line for an hour. No turning at all or slowing for extra thick/wet grass, etc. Jason, 80% of 80% is 64% I think. Should be...theoretically, haven't tried it, that would be:
inches of cut x mph / 140 = 64% actual effeciency??? think

OK I just got out the calculator, here we go:
48" deck x 5mph / 100 = 2.4 acre/hr. @ 100% effeciency.
48" deck x 5mph / 120 = 2 acre/hr. @ 80% effeciency
48" deck x 5mph / 140 = 1.7 acre/hr. @ 64% effeciency

Then I figured 80% of 80% and it was indeed 64%, so the above is correct. Remember, 1 acre is 43,560 sq. ft. There you have it.
Eric

[rodfather]

Good reply, Eric...i always felt all the productivity charts put out by the manufacturers were overrated.

Like you mentioned, they don't take into account stops, turns, high/wet grass, terrain, etc.

[KLMlawn]

Well that was the point of the 80% chart, but I have to agree ... that is usually very hard to achieve unless you are on very wide and open acres.

[Envy Lawn Service]

Well, this thread has been on here for a while and frankly...

I'M DISAPPOINTED....:(

With all this jibber jabber on here about..."oh my mower goes 10 mph!!!!"....????

Now no one wants to talk productivity??? I figured people would just be jumping to brag about how much they can cut an hour.

I have those MFG's productivity charts. They are just formulas. Formulas don't mean jack out in the field. I'm looking for "real life" averages.

Can anyone else help me out here?

:help:

[Lawn-Scapes]

I think I average roughly 1000sf per minute with 60" Lazer.

[Phishook]

1 60" Great Dane Charriot
1 50" Bunton
Two Men
about 7 rough acres
including blowing and trimming (Aug.)
1.75 hr in Aug. to 3 hrs. in May.:confused:

Those small yards kill ya. 1/2 hr. mowing 1/2 hr trimming Then one guy stands guard while the other blows the drive for 10 min.

[Fvstringpicker]

Something I'm going to do I ,quite frankly, haven't done before. My yard is about a 1/2 acre front and back (with fenced back) I have the "average" amount of trees, bushes, boats etc to cut around. I'm going to time how long it takes to do the whole place the way I'd expect it done if I contracted it. With that I may have a pretty good statistic using a 44" z-master, 21" push mower, stihl trimmers and blowers, etc,etc. Whatja'll think???

[Envy Lawn Service]

ALLRIGHT!!!! :) !!!!

Fvstringpicker,

I hope I've posted in time...Keep track of just the 44" mowing time and area for me if you don't mind PLEASE!

[Farmboy]

I do not know if this is what you are looking for but when I had my 60" bladerunner I was mowing a 5 acre property trimming and blowing off a very small driveway and was done in about 2 hours! That was one person doing the property. Before there were two of us on gravelys 60" machines and the same property was done in about an hour and between twenty to thirty minutes.

[KLMlawn]

OK .... No, I don't have a Dixie, or a Lazer, but I do have a 2 Standers, both of which average between 8-9 MPH, respectively.
Honestly I do not think that anyone, no matter how good of a deck design, combination of blades, deck pitch, bagging/mulching/sid discharging ... can mow at more than about 6-7 MPH and still get a manicured, clean looking cut with one pass!!!
Dixie's may go up to 15 MPH, and only the full size Lazer Z, not the HP or the XP can go 11 MPH, but if you are going that fast, with an average blade tip speed of 18,000 feet per minute, you can't get a real clean look in one pass ... I am sorry, this is just my opinion, but I just can't see it ....

[southerngent]

Iwas told that the DC Chopper had a much higher blade tip speed....over 19,000ft per min......and they underwrite their own insurance to alow them to get that speed....mowing faster with that blade speed ....gets a very good cut

[rodfather]

Southerngent, you are correct...they are self-insured. IMHO, they are doing it to get around certain regulations imposed by the government, including blade tip speed.

What I do find interesting is that they fail to meet some of OSHA regulations and standards (one of which is dba) that other manufacturers do in fact follow (including Ferris, eXmark, Deere, Gravely, Walker, etc.) and others.

Kind of makes you wonder???

[Flex-Deck]

I have a 4 1/2 acre yard with lots of pine trees and hardwoods - Takes 1 hr. 20 min to mow -
Trimming around the hardwoods is an every third time deal.

[Envy Lawn Service]

FLEX-DECK,

What you cutting with? Is that mowing time only? That's what I'm looking for!!!

rodfather & southern agent,

19,000 fpm aye? I thought that was just the maximum speed, not anything over. Encore also advertises 19,000 fpm blade tip speed. Hum????

Anyways, I think blade tip speed is only a portion of things that go into delivering a clean cut at any speed.

[Jim Feder]

mow said that she timed me one day one her lawn and it is 7000sqft mowed in 8 min mowed trimed and blew off in 13 min with a 17hp 48" scag. Bro and me can mow 3.5 acers in 45 min that is with a 48" scag tiger cub and 48" w/b scag. mostly open:D

[65hoss]

I have a 2 acre church thats 35 minutes to cut. Lazer off the trailer and back on it 35 minutes. Some areas its wide open and full blast. Some areas its much slower.

Productivity with any machine changes on all properties. They are all different.

[Flex-Deck]

Envy - 65 Hoss is right - Different yards are different - This 4 1/2 acre place is loaded with pine trees and hardwoods, planter boxes etc - I also mow a grass strip runway at the local airport - 100' wide and 3200' long which is 7.35 acres in 1hr. 30 min. (No obstacles - just go-go-go.

Here is my mower - the one in the lower left hand corner is 78" with the Flex-Deck, the other two are 72" , and the W/B is a 36 + 18 = 54"

Notice the under the fence deal - that applies to pine trees also, and notice how the decks slide between the posts and bushes.http://Turf Cover

[southerngent]

rodfather...I hope they're not crazy enough to stick their necks out on the blade speed,without being absolutely sure about it....dang....I just bought one!! LOL:eek:

[Envy Lawn Service]

Guys, I know every lawn is different. Anyone who mows more than one lawn knows that. Heck, sometimes the same lawn can take longer at times. That's why I asked for an "average" productivity.