Scalping Rocks 2016...

[Tim Horton]

Well campers... I finely got the mower deck dug out and mounted on my JD tractor.. Mowed the entire yard..

Actually this is the second mowing.. First one was much earlier with the Cub Cadet mower I maintain at another place I take care of.. The Cub Cadet is a lawn tractor, 25hp air cooled gas twin, hydro, 46" deck and no power steering.. Beat the snot out of me to mow my rock pile of a place with it..

My older JD is a compact tractor, 25hp diesel 3 cyl water cooled, about 4 time the weight of the lawn tractor.. Hydro, power steering, 60" deck.. Much better ride, easier to move around... The Cub Cadet could not get into or out of very few more tight spots than the compact tractor..

I should have been on about the 3rd or more mowing as the Indian Paint Brush flowers were almost knee high.. But it powered through with ease.. Next mowing will make it look a lot nicer..

Take care..

[Tinker]

I made a pre-emptive mowing at the last of April with my brush hog, so as to have the tractor available for the wood chipper. (1956 Ford 860)

It has been raining ever since!

Although the rain is slacking off it is still too wet to go back there and compact the soil into ruts. Maybe next week.

But, at least the aquifer is being replenished, I have to look on the bright side I tell myself.

[coaltrain]

I've been mowing exclusively with my Deere compact diesel for ~5 years now. Plenty nimble to get around stuff and I need 4WD is some areas. What is nice about mine is I can change from loader to belly mower or back in ~3 minutes. The loader stays on the tractor for using the bucket or forks during the week. When it's time for mowing the loader comes off, deck on, and mow. When done mowing I do the reverse and the tractor is ready for whatever chores I am doing.

And it is very comfortable which is important with my RA. I installed a nice suspension seat ($$$) last year and it made a huge difference. I also lower the rear tire pressure to 10psi during the summer which also helps with the ride.

But like you say, it is heavy. My tractor weighs ~2500# with the loaded rear tires but so what? Yeah, some slight ruts in the spring but my "lawn" is nothing more than woods & fields that have been cleared.

Another nice thing is fuel being a diesel. I have a 150gal storage tank. I can't lift the 5gal jugs up over the hood to fill it anymore. I get fuel put in the tank once a year when I get my heating fuel delivered. i estimate I use ~1 gal per hour when wide open mowing.