do you get a lot of rain?.. does the slope get slippery?....
for that much acerage and hills, I would definitely say 4 wheel drive. Either the X7xx series, or better yet a SCUT, like the 1026R. You can probably get a 72" deck for it - but it will still be probably 3-4 hours of cutting the 5 acres....

A zero turn will cut it faster and will be more stable traversing the slope (they come with roll bars as well), but it will also slide around on the slope with 2wd, and you may end up in the pond. A tractor with 4wd will have by-far superior traction, but you may struggle "traversing" the hill in terms of stability.... may need to cut up & down the hill.... if that results in unoptimized routing, it will add to your cutting time.

if it was me, it would be a SCUT with a roll bar hands-down.

For that much acerage, the SCUT will also be a better utility tool for maintaining the property... beyond just lawn cutting....

 

I have to agree with wally2q. You may be focusing on just cutting grass right now, but a SCUT with a FEL will open a whole new world of tasks that can be completed much easier. When I bought my 1025R I was amazed at the different chores I could get done in a fraction of the time. My only regret with buying the tractor is, I didn't buy it sooner. I would have saved myself a lot of time and back pains.

 

I wouldn't call what you have hills. That's rolling pasture land where I'm from. A decent zero turn should handle it just fine.

But as posted above, once you get a machine with a loader, bucket and pallet forks, you'll wonder how you lived without one.

 

I’m going to call it rolling pasture land from now on. I like that!!

 

I’ve only lived here in NC just shy of a year and purchased this property a few months ago. I’m not too certain about how consistent rainfall is each year but while I’ve been here it doesn’t last long and dries up fast. I moved here from WV, which had tons of mud and rain. I’d say total opposite here. It’s so nice not constantly tracking mud everywhere. I really do want the SCUT. I’ve been thinking of all the things I could do with it and save on some manual labor. I was just lugging wheelbarrows of dirt down that hill and it was pretty miserable. Having property of more than a 1/2 an acre to maintain is totally new to me. I want to make a well thought out informed decision. A little part of me was hoping the X330 I already have could handle it all, but I have only mowed the flat parts with it. I had the slope recently bush hogged and would like to maintain it cut down since I spend a lot of time trekking down to the pond with my dog and we also walk and play ball all over that slope. Great exercise for sure!! I appreciate your thoughts! I’m heading to the dealership tomorrow to try some out and possibly choose one. All very terrifying but exciting.

 

I am in SC but have lived in NC. X330 will cut it, it will just take a long time and may put some wear on it a little quicker. X300s are pretty dang tuff. Like said above, I would put a zero turn on that slope for sure.

But I do agree with comments above, if you have limited resources, and most of us do, then a "do all" machine could be a better investment, like a small tractor with mid-mount mower and loader. If you can work a few deals, can turn wrenches and are not afraid to buy used, then maybe a zero turn and a small tractor are in your near future!

Beautiful dog by the way

edit a 5 Series would do what you have asked here too, and have a bigger mowing deck option. 5 acres is a lot, you want 60" cut minimum in my opinion.

 

I am in SC but have lived in NC. X330 will cut it, it will just take a long time and may put some wear on it a little quicker. X300s are pretty dang tuff. Like said above, I would put a zero turn on that slope for sure.

But I do agree with comments above, if you have limited resources, and most of us do, then a "do all" machine could be a better investment, like a small tractor with mid-mount mower and loader. If you can work a few deals, can turn wrenches and are not afraid to buy used, then maybe a zero turn and a small tractor are in your near future!

Beautiful dog by the way

Thank you!! He’s an awesome dog! I’d be lying if I said I didn’t buy this property for him haha. The pond is his favorite. I’m excited to check out the scuts tomorrow. I hadn’t thought of the idea of doing both the scut and zero turn. I can definitely see the benefit to owning both.

 

Quick bit of info on a zero turn. They are THE tool of choice for cutting grass, specialty machine with one purpose! If you dont want to commit half your Saturday each week to cutting grass, get a ZT. But it is really only meant to cut grass, mine has a spot for a trailer hitch but I have never considered using it. Others may chime in on that.

There is more to it than just the handling and manuvering (spelling)... the blades spin much faster on a ZT than a typical riding mower like the 3 or 5 series. This does allow you to cut at a faster speed. I cut about 7 acres in under 3 hours with my 72" zero turn. I think it is the right tool for the job!

 

Looks like a job for a X758 but for the price of one I’d definately look into a SCUT. The front loader bucket is way more maneuverable than a wagon. Plus you can still pull a wagon with it if needed. A lot of guys built a 3 point hitch carryal for theirs.
Chrck out our SCUT forums and see what kind of work gets done with one.

 

Welcome to GTT from NW Ct.
Do your homework before spending your hard earned cash !

 

A side-by-side Gator would be nice to have as well. When I’m moving dirt my UTV bed holds 4 tractor bucket loads, reducing transport time. The hydraulic dump bed is a big plus as well.

And the dog will enjoy the heck out of riding shotgun with you. 😁

Anyone got a good picture of their dog?

 

A side-by-side Gator would be nice to have as well. When I’m moving dirt my UTV bed holds 4 tractor bucket loads, reducing transport time. The hydraulic dump bed is a big plus as well.

And the dog will enjoy the heck out of riding shotgun with you. 😁

Anyone got a good picture of their dog?

I have actually though about one of those side by sides but financially I’d have to buy a tractor then get the side by side later on down the road. No doubt the dog would love it!! They look like a lot of fun too. Here’s a few more photos of my dog! We do a fun bite sport called PSA. All my hills are great for conditioning and keeping him in great shape.

 

You could mow with the x330, it will just take a long time. To mow let's call it 5 acres with the x330 will take 3 to 4 hours, with the hills, slopes and the pond. Plus the x330 is going to work hard on the hills and be less than ideal for the areas you are cutting.

Sometimes, the best tool is two tools and I think this is the case here. A SCUT / CUT and a Commercial Grade Zero turn mower. I mow over 10 acres every week and I have to be honest with you, that's a LOT of mowing. You want something that will do it efficiently and effectively and a good Commercial Grade Zero Turn mower will do that.

Yes, these are going to be costly, but they are an investment in your property. And you are spending the money to recoup your time. Look at it this way? Is it worth having a $250 to $300 a month mower / equipment payment to save 8 hours of your time each month? Only you can make that call. Every hour you free up from mowing is an hour to be doing something else.

Or the alternative is to not mow the entire property and only mow parts of it. Problem is, the areas you don't mow you will eventually lose control over. If your goal is to use the entire property and enjoy and maintain it, then proceed accordingly. If you only want a mowed walk path to the pond,. then the x330 will likely be enough.

You need to think about spending an extra week each summer mowing. Is not getting the right mower actually saving you money? In my opinion, its costing you money...........Think about spending and EXTRA 2 hours every week mowing with the x330. That's an extra 8 hours a month, or you will be spending an entire work week each summer mowing, that you could be doing other things. That's a lot of time.

Having a commercial mower and then you have the SCUT for everything else. I use both machines all of the time. For years, I thought it was crazy to have two machines. But when you have owned the two IDEAL machines for the majority of your tasks, suddenly, it makes a lot of sense. Then, you wouldn't have it any other way............

You have a very nice property, by the way and great looking K9 family member...........

Many of us have done things the hard way, Then we do things the efficient way with the right tools. Everyone of us gets 24 hours in a day and 7 days in a week.

Plus when it rains, or you have other plans and the mowing doesn't get done, its even worse the next week, as the grass is longer, thicker and takes even longer. Imagine what happens if this goes on for a few weeks, suddenly its beyond the capability of the x330. It happens all of the time.

Mowing with a commercial zero turn, you can mow the 6 acres in 1.5 to 2 hours, maybe a little faster or a little longer, depending upon bumps, etc. Think about this......When you don't have the most efficient equipment, two things will happen. One, you will spend more time doing the task each week and TWO, you will start to cut less and less each week, to save time. That means the field which you had planned to mow will end up less mowed and slowly will shift to being over grown and a mess.

You will find when you mow the pastures in your pictures, they will become more and more like a nice yard. Grass will fill in where weeds once were when you keep it mowed. But when you don't keep it cut, the weeds will push the grass out. You will also be surprised how fast it will grow.

No matter what you do, be careful mowing around the pond. My friend that owns the lawn mower dealership gets at least 6 mowers a year brought into his shop which were in a pond. Last August, he had 5 machines in the first two weeks alone. Due to the weather and rain, he ended up working on triple the number of machines he normally does, due to the wet edges, mud, etc.

You will have weather to deal with, the dog will have play dates and social events and not want to spend all weekend, every weekend chasing sticks and playing in the pond....Well, actually he might..................But he will still have to do other things from time to time.

Get the right equipment and use it as its best suited. The right equipment frees you up to do other things. Equipment provides you the ability to complete tasks efficiently so you can do other things which you enjoy.

For sure, you are going to need and benefit from owning and using the following;

1. A commercial zero turn mower with at least a 60" wide deck..

2. A SCUT or CUT with a Front end Loader with bucket

• Pallet Forks
• a rear 3ph carry all platform.
• A small trailer to pull around the property to haul things and carry things. Ideally, probably 3' x 6' or 4' x 8' in size. Very handy and useful

-Maybe a grapple one day, but the pallet forks will get you by........
- Fertilizer Spreader and likely a Sprayer as well.....

You are going to keep finding things you need to do, want to do and don't want to do, but they do need to be done.

Just keep in mind that not everyone enjoys spending their weekend mowing grass and working in their lawns. 3 of the 10 neighborhood lawns I take care of own their own lawn equipment but they don't like to spend hours on the mower, etc. They would rather pay me to handle it for them.

Most people have intentions of doing things, but some find they don't like to have to do the same tasks week after week, especially when they want to be doing other things, especially when they have kids who have activities.

You have a lot to learn and try. See if you can either rent a machine to try it to see if you like it or if the dealers have demo's you can try. Take your time and don't rush into something you will regret. Also, look at what others in your area with similar property features are doing. Maybe, in the end, you will end up with a whole herd of Goats........

You just never know........Welcome to GTT, by the way..........

 

Try to learn those controls before getting near the water, this happened near where we vacation, sad event

https://www.kentucky.com/news/state/kentucky/article251061349.html#:~:text=Rescuers%20found%20the%20body%20of,the%20Pulaski%20County%20Sheriff's%20Office

.

 

He means side tippy. Feels like it wants to tip over on its side

 

Gotcha! Thank you! 😊

 

As someone who lives on rolling pasture, and as someone who has a 1025R and both a mid-mount mower (60 inch) and a bush hog (Frontier 48 inch rotary cutter) to choose from to mow 5 acres of pasture grass, I can share this experience.

I have used the bush hog four times in 7 years. All 4 times were when we first moved in before the pastures were well-cleared. They looked about like what you pictured in your second picture in the original post. Once they were cleared sufficiently, regular mowing with the mid-mount mower has kept them in good shape. For me, the bush hog was a good tool for me, but only for a brief time.

Five acres with the MMM takes me about 5 hours to mow. There are few trees (11 on the whole place), but my wife keeps planting more and more stuff that I have to mow around, so it takes 5 hours now versus 4 hours our first couple of years. I could do it a bit faster, but as you know, tractors don't have suspensions, and the 1-series has really small wheels, so it is a back-aching job.

Speaking of wives, she drives the tractor, not to mow, but for her gardening. For her, it is her diesel-powered wheelbarrow.

 

Welcome to GTT from Illinois. Whatever you decide is the RIGHT choice

 

Hello, Ylaw, and welcome from west central Ohio. Is that Y in your handle a blue Y in Connecticut? If so, we share an alma mater.

The pics of your dog and your property are awesome. You have a beautiful property and a fine looking dog there.

Your concerns about safely mowing on a slope are well founded. Bad things can happen. And they can happen fast. But I think a 1025R or a 1023E with a front end loader would serve you very well. A Zero Turn will be faster to mow with, but you can't beat the all around utility of a SCUT. And tractors are just so darned much fun!

Looking at your slope, pictures rarely do justice. And when it comes to pucker factor on a slope, well, some of us are more sensitive than others. Here's how I judge slope hazards.

I go out there with a 4 foot level and a yard stick and measure it. If you put one end of a 4 foot level on the ground uphill, level it, then measure down nice and plumb from the other end of the level to the ground downhill, and you have more than a foot of difference, you need to start being careful. A four to one slope is just shy of 15°.

Being careful on a slope with a SCUT means ROPS up, seatbelt fastened, stay off if the grass is damp, keep the tractor in 4WD, go directly up and down the slope as much as possible, no loads in the bucket when traversing the slope, if traversing the slope, keep your downhill wheels out of dips and your uphill wheels off of bumps, load your tires, and use wheel weights.

Enjoy your tractor shopping. If you buy, post lots of pictures. And always keep the shiny side up and the greasy side down!

 

The username is a mix of my dogs initials with mine lol. I had no idea what to pick haha. I appreciate all the tips!! I need as many as I can get! You’re measuring trick works great!It It varies to a foot of difference to 14” and then much less in some areas.

 

I'd say go for a new 2032R or 2038R with a 72in mid mount mower and well optioned to suite your needs. Should do everything you want to it to.

 

It looks like your dog likes your current setup, he appears trainable, teach him to mow and kick back and watch.

I would recommend a 2025r or 2032r. It will be a long term investment, look at it that way. The larger tires are a big plus compared to a 1025r.

The big question is what is your budget? It doesn’t do any good to have a new place and go broke. You can get by with what you’ve got if necessary.

Looks like a nice place, enjoy it.

 

I would keep the x330 to mow the flat area, looking in the photos that looks like the area closest to the house and you probably want to mow it more often than the pasture. it would be a lot easier with the smaller machine.

Get a 1025R or equiv. with mid mount mower/loader/pallet forks for the pasture and all the work you will need it for over the years maintaining the property.

My property is similar to yours just a little smaller and my open area is more forested. This combo works amazing for me. I have an x380 to complement the 1025R and my property is damp/soft so I opted not to get the mid mount mower and just do the mowing with the X380. All the grunt work is done with the 1025. The tractor gets used mostly for maintaining the gravel driveway and unloading materials etc. Bucket/Forks and box blade can get a lot done around a small property.

I would skip the zero turn...all they really do is mow grass...your x330 is more versatile

 

Hello,

I currently own the X330. I bought a house a few months back with 5.9 acres. 5 of which to be mowed. It’s about 2 acres flat and the other 3 acres to be mowed is sloped. I initially wanted to upgrade to a zero turn but realized quickly they are not the best option for hills. I want something that can handle the hills but also be able to pull a wagon or small trailer for odd jobs like carry dirt, tree limbs, fencing, etc. Needs to be able to pull a cart up and down the hill. Is the X330 that I have fine for this with a small yard trailer attached? I don’t want to upgrade if it’s not really necessary but was worried the X330 wouldn’t be able to handle cutting the hill plus flat part of the property. I was looking at the 500 series and the 1023 tractors. Any opinions very much welcomed as I have only ever push mowed my yard where I previously lived. The slope makes me nervous. Is it possible to get a roll bar on the X330 I already have or the other lawn tractors? I’ve included some photos. Just want to get something versatile that is a good fit for it’s purpose. View attachment 835745 View attachment 835743 View attachment 835742

Hello,

I currently own the X330. I bought a house a few months back with 5.9 acres. 5 of which to be mowed. It’s about 2 acres flat and the other 3 acres to be mowed is sloped. I initially wanted to upgrade to a zero turn but realized quickly they are not the best option for hills. I want something that can handle the hills but also be able to pull a wagon or small trailer for odd jobs like carry dirt, tree limbs, fencing, etc. Needs to be able to pull a cart up and down the hill. Is the X330 that I have fine for this with a small yard trailer attached? I don’t want to upgrade if it’s not really necessary but was worried the X330 wouldn’t be able to handle cutting the hill plus flat part of the property. I was looking at the 500 series and the 1023 tractors. Any opinions very much welcomed as I have only ever push mowed my yard where I previously lived. The slope makes me nervous. Is it possible to get a roll bar on the X330 I already have or the other lawn tractors? I’ve included some photos. Just want to get something versatile that is a good fit for it’s purpose. View attachment 835745 View attachment 835743 View attachment 835742

you can easily mow a slightly sloped hill. To be safe keep the machinery either going straight up or straight down the hill. Traversing a hill side can be dangerous.
I have a Husky rider (TS348D) and I mow and my hill that looks about the steepness as yours. I run it down, and then back up to the top and run it down again and so on.

I can also go straight up the hill if it’s dry.

 

I would suggest a 4x4 X7xx. They have front tires that rotate at different speeds so they do not tear up the sod. I use an X738. It works so well I did not order a mower for my 2025R. In 4x4 the 2025R will tear up the sod.

 

What’d you end up doing?