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Help! 10 Acre Mini-Farm

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masonmillerky

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Discussion starter · #1 ·
We've recently purchased a 10-acre "mini farm" (pictures attached) in Lexington, Kentucky with about an acre of lawn surrounding the house and the rest of land is just fields/pasture. My current house sits on 0.3 acres, so all I've owned is a standard push mower.

Needless to say, the push mower isn't going to cut it (no pun intended). We don't plan to have any horses or other livestock, so my question is what is the best way for me to cut the land? Everyone on here seems to be very experienced, so any advice would be great.

1. Should I buy the equipment to cut it myself or should I hire it out, and what should I expect the cost to be for each?

2. If I buy equipment, what should I be looking at? I don't want it to take 15 hours to mow the yard, and I'd hope I could buy one piece of equipment for the fields and the lawn.

3. New or Used?

4. How often to mow?

Please help soon.........I don't want it to be five feet tall before I figure out the right answer :)

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#3 ·
Intended for customers with large areas to mow and hills to climb, the 1600 Turbo Wide-Area Mower features a 57-hp, turbocharged, overhead-valve, 4-cylinder, liquid-cooled Yanmar diesel engine with on-demand or full-time mechanical rear wheel drive. Mow up to 68 acres in an 8-hour day with a nearly 11-foot cutting width.

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#4 ·
1. Do you have the time available to cut it yourself?

2. Can you afford the equipment?

3. Lease or Own?

4. What do you consider high grass?
 
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Discussion starter · #5 ·
Thanks for the input so far - - that JD is one scary looking beast.

I do have the time (provided I can mow it in under 5 hours).

I would probably look to purchase, not lease the equipment, preferrably used. I know with a used tractor, if you get in it right, you can get back out without too much depreciation.

I can afford the equipment (unless you tell me its $25K).

I plan on mowing it once or twice a month, so it will stay pretty short.
 
#6 ·
CALL Me!!!!!!!!
I will give you a fair competitive price on your property and you wont have to spend your time on it. It will take you a have a day to maintain this property each week.
948 2884
Lou
 
#7 ·
What is your budget for the mower? The JD that was recommended on here is an excellent choice for that large of a property, but it is very expensive. We need to know your budget and what kind of time you have to spend on this large of a property to mow and maintain it.
 
Discussion starter · #9 ·
I'd like to spend 3-6K on a used piece of equipment, whether a mower or tractor (although if I get the tractor I'll also need a small riding mower for the lawn I think).

3-5 hours per mow, once or twice a month (twice on the lawn near the house for sure) would be fine. I also have a person I can hire for $12 an hour to do the work if I supply the equipment (office clerk at my work).
 
#10 ·
Really buy the time you purchase 10000-19000 of equipment you could have it done . Your time is important 10 acres = 's 4-8 hrs with weed eating (lots of wood horse fencing takes time, maintaining the equipment, initial cost of equipment, how long do you plan on living there, Are all things to consider............
 
#11 ·
Do you own a 1600?
I just sold a Ransomes 951 d on ebay. It was a 10'6" mower. Personally I wouldn't buy anything but a Toro4000. But its over kill for a homeowner. The bad thing is its a 50000 machine new and there's no used one's out there yet. I would stay away from Deere and Jacobsen
These mower's are just to much maintence for a homeowner!!!!!!!!!! You need a macanic to maintain them.............Sorry wide area mower's are not for home owners!
 
#12 ·
Go to Central Equipment on Red Mile Road and talk to Joe Huber or one of the sales associates about your options if you decide to buy. If you aren't familiar with them, they sell John Deere, Exmark, Grasshopper and a few other brands in ALL sizes to suit your needs. I use Exmark in my lawn care business and they have always been very helpful for parts, service, etc.

If you decide to purchase, you may want to consider what you want the yard around your house to look like compared to the fields. Most people prefer a more manicured look on the lawn surrounding their house, which in my opinion, a large tractor would not achieve. But it would be helpful in knocking down the larger areas around your farm. If it were me, I'd purchase a 72" z-turn (as someone has already mentioned) or something comparable.

As for hiring someone to do it, I generally charge $60.00 an acre and then $25for every additional acre. Those estimates can fluctuate depending on time and how many obstacles I have to mow around. Weed-eating is also factored in and can raise the price if there are a lot of fence rows, etc. But that gives you a general ballpark of what you might be looking at. I am a solo operator in lexington who maintains around 20 properties, both commercial and residential. Larger LCO's may charge more or less.

Anyway, if you need any help maintaining the property while you're making your decision. Let me know, I'd be glad to come take a look at it and discuss options. Good luck to you in the meantime. Looks like a pretty place.
 
Discussion starter · #13 ·
We'll be there for good, and I'm open to hiring it out, but given that there's no plan to move for 15-20 years, the upfront investment in the equipment isn't too much of a concern.

As for the fencing, I planned on spraying to keep down the growth, so I hope I wouldn't have to trim every time.

But I did write down your number....we don't move until Sept., so I probably will hire it out for the last month or two of the mowing season this year anyway.

That being said, now that you have most of the details, any other recs?
 
#14 ·
I would go with a 60"-72" zero turn. Something like a Hustler Super Z, A bigger Dixie Chopper, Kubota ZD series, Ferris 3100 or bigger etc.

They would still be small enough to mow the lawn easily, but yet big and fast enough to cut the fields in a few hours.
 
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#15 ·
masonmillerky said:
Thanks for the input so far - - that JD is one scary looking beast.

I do have the time (provided I can mow it in under 5 hours).

I would probably look to purchase, not lease the equipment, preferrably used. I know with a used tractor, if you get in it right, you can get back out without too much depreciation.

I can afford the equipment (unless you tell me its $25K).

I plan on mowing it once or twice a month, so it will stay pretty short.
Click to expand...
If it is all fairly flat, 90% open and not so rough you could not stand it at 10 mph on any other zero turn mower. I can run 12 to 15 mph with my 66" Hustler Super Z and cut 10 acres in 2 1/2 hours depending on the layout and that is being realistic.

The calculation at 13 mph cutting 66" at 75% efficiency is 6.5 acres per hr.
 
#16 ·
Give me a ring anytime........10000 dollar mower/5 yrs is 2000 a yr. Labor at 12dollars an hr. 15cuts * 6 hrs = 1080 +2000=3078 plus fuel and maintence.

hired out at 15 cuts a yrs. say 250 a cut is $3750
 
#17 ·
I have the same situation as you (only I own a lawn bus.), my house/ shop are on 9 acres, minus the pond & woods I have about 7+/- of lawn (1.5 acre), field (6 acre). I mowed all of it last week (fields were way overgrown too), took 5 hours with my JD 757. That's just mowing, no trimming. If I keep up with the fields better it will be about 3.5 hrs. A 60" deck will realistly cut 2 acres/hr on average, from my experience (12 yrs), the 72" (I had a lesco z two with the 33 hp) will cut at least 20% more. You have to be carefull with the scalping though. My advise would be to go to all the local dealer & request demo's. They should let you try before you buy, if they don't move on to the next one because their customer service will most likely be lacking if they don't do demos. Buy the one you feel will give you the best service, for a decent machine (most commercial units are very simliar, service makes the difference). To cut that your going to be looking at some serious $$$.
 
#18 ·
By the Way Lastec is coming out with a new 100 inch mower this fall. All the decks are independent. $20000 I think the nearest dealer is in nicholasville they also sell hustler.
 
#19 ·
i too own a ten acre mini farm, and have for 5 years the up side i am also a outdoor equipment salesman/mechanic.i went through the normal 72/60"z turns and after demoing many went with the dixie chopper with the 60" 35 hp yanmar the reason for the 60"was i live in east tn.and the hills are bad. rule of thumb the smaller the deck the better the cut.i took that dixie and converted it to run on vegetabale oil.i went to greasecars.com and got the kit.i cut my grass for free.well not for free you have to warm it up with the deisel then switch.only thing i can see as a downside is the maintance, the dixies need it, belt adjustments blade sharping and such.with the pasture fields you will be cutting it IS needed if i do it bi weekly i can get it done in 3.5 hr thats the pasture fields the lawn gets done weekly 1.5 and it takes 30 min. with the flat aera you are going to mow the 72" should do you fine, but take note get a diesel even if you do not convert you can buy tax free fuel.

oh the cost of that beast? 17,000.00 with the kit
 
#20 ·
Take a look a a lesco 60" with 25 hp, it should me more then enough for you for years of cutting and they have it on sale for $6400 plus 24months 0%. 10 acres of open mowing would take about 2.5 to 3 hours just mowing. I would spray around some of the posts, less time weedwacking.
 
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