Best mower / tractor for 5 to 10 acres

[big bend gyrene]

Moved to Monticello area back in the summer of 2002 and in only six years I've destroyed three retail lawn mowers/garden tractors, all with 52" decks. Besides tearing up the lawn tractors, caring for the 5 acres I currently own usually costs me about 8 hours mowing time and has put a darn big dent in time I would have preferred to have been fishing.

Am guessing in next few years I may pick up as many as 5 more acres, so am interested to know if anyone on the board has good advice on the best mower/tractor option I should consider for 5 to 10 acres. The five acres I have probably has 100 or so oaks, so the mower needs to be tough enough to "eat" small branches (I DO pick up and burn big ones). Also looking in future to planting a 1/4 acre garden, so ability to till would be a plus.

Any and ALL advice will be MUCH, MUCH appreciated. Really tired of doing constant repair work on cheap mowers...

[Reel Cowboy]

http://www.kubota.com/f/products/M9000DTM.cfm

[big bend gyrene]

Reel Cowboy, you have one? Curious what size deck it pulls and about how many Gs should I expect to be set back? Before replying, give me a few minutes to make a stiff drink so I can prepare myself

[Reel Cowboy]

We have a 25 HP Kioti for moving hay, cutting 9 acres,, moving stuff.
I just thought that was right up your alley.

[jsuber]

I have a John Deere but my parents havre been very happy with their Cub Cadet and mow 5 or 6 acres of their farm with it regularly for years. Before that they went througha slough of Sears mowers, and my dads John Deere tractor and bush hawg is a little much for the yard.

[tin can]

I know there are many brands of good equipment out there. But if you get an adequate John Deere for the job you won't regret it. Parts and service are readily available, if and when you need them.

[Charles]

I think if I wanted a mower for this, I would take a look at Kubota. Not the one RC linked to, that might be just a little big. I would look at their F series and Z series mowers, and if I wanted something more versatile I would take a look at their B series, BX series and TLB series tractors.

And me, being me, and preferring trees over grass; I would plant native fruit, nut, and flowering trees and bushes on part of the property close enough together to shade out the grass, but not so close that they crowd each other.

[MudDucker]

Those old international small tractors with the belly mower used to be the cats meow. I was looking at one online the other day, but my wife caught me.

[redman1981]

I WORK AT THE JOHN DEERE DEALERSHIP IN MOULTRIE. I WOULD RECOMEND A 5103 JOHN DEERE WITH A FINISHING MOWER BEHIND IT. 4WD WITH A LOADER. THAT S A NICE SET UP. CALL CLINT HORNE@ 229-985-1027 AND TELL HIM WHAT YOU ARE WANTING A TRACTOR TO DO AND HE'LL HOOK YOU UP.

[FUTCHCAIRO]

I BOUGHT AN OLD 1952 FARMAL MODEL (C) WITH A BELLY MOWER AND 3 POINT HITCH ON THE REAR, DISC, PACKER, AND SCRAPE BOX BLADE FOR $1,700, THIS WAS 15 YRS AGO. I MOW ABOUT 10 ACRES OF CENTIPEDE SOD FIELD, AND ABOUT 6 ACRES OF WOODS THAT I CLEANED UP, AND HAVE HAD NO PROBLEMS. SHE LEAKS A LITTLE OIL OUT THE REAR MAIN BEARING, USES ABOUT 1 QT. OF OIL ALLTOGETHER EACH YEAR. IT HAS NEVER FAILED TO START AS LONG AS THE BATTERY IS GOOD. ABOUT THE ONLY THING I HAVE HAD TO REPLACE HAS BEEN THE BELTS ON THE MOWER. THERE IS A MASSEY FURGUSON FOR SALE DOWN THE ROAD FROM OUR PLACE, I DO NOT KNOW WHAT GOES WITH IT OR THE PRICE, I WOULD IMAGINE THAT IT COULD BE BOUGHT FOR ABOUT $3,500 AND IT IS IN GOOD SHAPE AND PROBABLY LAST FOR EVER, IT HAS THE PERKINS DIESEL ENGINE.
PA THE OLD MAN OF THE SEA

[roadtrip]

exmark lazer Z is second to none

[BAD BEHAVIOR]

I have a husqvarna 72"commercial and I can cut 7 acres in about two hours. The ex mark and JD are good mowers also. If you cjoose a Kubota zero turn, go with the diesel, its well worth it.

[MudDucker]

Farmall ... that is the one I was thinking of PA.

I bet that John Deere would be the cats meow!

[TallyFish]

For the 1/4 acre around house a 19" mower, for the other 4 3/4- 9 3/4 acres....planted pines!

[Flint River Pirate]

For the 1/4 acre around house a 19" mower, for the other 4 3/4- 9 3/4 acres....planted pines!

Sounds like what I did! I have a John Deere with a 48 inch deck and I love it. I only have a little over an acre in grass though.