Pasture Shredding

[Ridgefarmer63]

We've got an articulating boom mower for the skidsteer that's similar to the Lane Shark. Thing is handy when you need it but doesn't get used as much as I thought. It has three 10-12" blades mounted on a carrier that's probably 1" thick and 48" around. The mower boom swipes from front mow to 90* side mow and the deck goes from 90* up to maybe -30* down for pool banks or ditches. We mostly use a 72" front mower with the skid. It'll do 2-3" material but doesn't really like it. Our bushhog is a really heavy 15'. Our 100 hp tractor handles it fine but it'll work it. Personally I wouldn't want anything smaller than a 12' flexing for pasture mowing. A 75 hp will handle them just fine.

I believe I am familiar with the articular boom mower you speak of. That is a ruggeder machine for sure. 1" thick carrier is significant.

 

[Brute 23]

I was wanting the lane shark to run ROWs and keeps the edges trimmed up.

We use to work 2-3 people every year trimming them but you can't get people any more. It was great work for a high schooler.

Now we run a mulcher down them every so many years. It's expensive and makes a mess. Thought it would be easier to just give them a trim annually and keep them in shape.

 

[Atimm693]

You guys pulling 15' mowers with 75hp must be traveling awfully slow or be in very light material, or both?

I pull my 15' with 125-180hp tractors and in dense material it can make the tractor work. But I also don't travel at a snails pace either.

Just depends on the type of work you're doing. I've pulled a 20' with as little as 90hp. I always heard 5hp per foot is a good starting point.

We typically hit our pastures in mid June once the fescue starts to head out. Doesn't really take much to clip it off at 10-15" and stimulate new growth. I usually don't go any faster than 4.5mph or cut quality starts to suffer.

Sharp blades help a lot too.

 

[chevytaHOE5674]

Mid June the snow has just finially melted.....

I don't really "clip" pastures. Only mowing i do is to the aspen trees/tag alder that sprout around the field edges that need to get chopped down every few years and some road ditches and waterways. Sometimes it's after grazing sometimes it's before some isnt grazeable. If it's before grazing it's not uncommon for the grass to be 4-5' tall in spots (I've mowed reed canary grass that was 8+' tall). Those conditions it takes all over 150hp to pull a 15' mower.