Looking for rough grass/paddock mower

[Chris Green]

For many years we've used a venerable Kubota T1600H to both mow our lawns and to cut large areas of rough paddock (brambles, stinging nettles and, hopefully, grass). The T1600H is now beginning to show signs of its age.

We have bought a Stiga 'out front' mower for the lawns so I'm wondering what to get for the rougher paddock areas. We have a compact tractor (Iseki 18Hp) as well so the choice probably lies between:-

Add on flail mower for the tractor, OK but not so manoeuverable as the Kubota we have now for edges, corners, etc.

A new[er] ride on rotary mower, there are some that advertise themselves as specifically for rough mowing (though I've not seen a diesel powered one which we'd prefer)

Sonmething else? E.g. a 'walk behind' mower of some sort, but it needs to be powered (i.e. driven wheels) and to have an easy forward/reverse to get along edges of fences, into corners, etc.

[Ermin]

Why not use the Stiga for that as well?

Countax do (did?) diesel versions of their bigger mowers - but they are expensive. Nettles shouldn't bother any decent sized ride-on and frequent mowing will also keep the brambles in check.

[newshound]

Since you already have the tractor, why not a topper? Mine came with a PTO topper but that didn't cope so well with our very rough paddocks, I now have a cheap Chinese one with its own honda clone motor. About £1200 iirc for a four footer. Key start. I've given away the tractor but tow this behind an ATV (which actually copes with slopes better). The only thing I slightly miss is the ability to pick up the topper with the three bar linkage for backing right into corners.

[Bill Taylor]

A topper should do the job. I have a 4 foot one which I use on a Kubota B1750 and it will attack most things, including small trees.

If the roughness isn't too rough the Stga should be able to cope, albeit slowly.

[Chris Green]

Because it's not designed for rough ground or for hacking through tall nettles and such. Our paddocks can get pretty overgrown at times with great patches of thistles, nettles and tough grass.

[Chris Green]

Yes, that's a possibility, as per my first option. However the tractor is nowhere near as manoeuverable as the Kubota so it's much harder work (or at least takes much longer) going along edges by fences and getting into corners. I do have a topping mower and tend to use it for the 'bulk' mowing of the paddocks, what I'm after is something to mow patches of nettles/thistles/etc. and to wiggle around all the trees in the orchard.

[Ermin]

OK. its obviously a different model of front mount Stiga to the ones I've seen used then. They go through most stuff.

[newshound]

Perhaps you need a goat :-)

[Vir Campestris]

Unlikely.

You know the difference between a sheep and a goat? A sheep is a grazer, a goat is a browser.

Which means a sheep eats the lawn, and a goat eats the roses....

ANdy

[David Hill]

Another difference is a sheeps tail hangs down and a goats tail sticks up. Regarding the cutting problem, I have a 2 wheel tractor Pasquali and atachments including a ride on trailor (worth it's weight in gold). Rotary plough I also have a 115 cm cutterbar.

[Janet]

Have you thought of setting up an electric fence, then putting pigs in to clear the enclosed area? They will eat everything, dig out all roots and eat those too, thoroughly dig and compost the soil, then you could reseed (if you want lawn).

Neighbours of ours did it, and turned half an acre of rough moorland into an allotment veg garden that looked as if it had been rotovated. They borrowed the pigs for a few months, and used straw bales and a piece of old corrugated iron roof to make them a temporary shelter inside the pen.

Janet.

[Chris Green]

We have horses on the land, mixing in some pigs would not go down too well! :-) Horses are notorious for leaving sections ungrazed, hence the need for mowing at intervals.

[newshound]

Sheep then, if you already have the fencing, and it will improve the land and reduce the parasitic worms. One of the reasons we've never got around to it is that our old hay supplier (a retired sheep farmer) used to say "If you've got three sheep, one of them is lame".

[The Natural Philosopher]

Would the pigs ram the horses or would the horses kick the pigs?

[Chris Green]

I think his advice is good, we have quite enough livestock already! :-)

[Ermin]

Is there a grass farmer near you or an Ag contractor? You could get them to top the rough stuff a couple of times a year to keep it under control for you. Looking at the lawn tractor you used to use for the job I'm amazed that the Stiga won't cope. Nettles are not that hard to keep under control once they are down similarly with thistles and brambles.

I'd start with a brushcutter to get the 'weeds' down and then use a selective herbicide to keep on top of the new growth - again have a chat with a grass farmer to see what he uses and if he can get some for you.

[newshound]

Pigs are omnivores, so smell like predators to horses. Horses *really* don't like them. I was riding today past a place that used to keep Tamworths five years ago, and my horse can still smell them.

[newshound]

Us too, but we are cutting down. Down from five energetic dogs to two lazy ones, currently have six equines of various types and sizes, but some of them are going next year too.