Mowing tractor advice

I'm looking for a sounding board here on a tractor to clip 25 acres of pastures.  We run a small regenerative agriculture farm and one pillar of our farm is management intensive grazing of cattle and sheep.  Yes 25 acres doesn't sound like a lot but we make good money per acre.  Clipping the pastures behind the flerd (cattle and sheep herd/flock) is a requirement to keep the grass at the boot stage, 8-12" high, mixed grass with 20% legumes, and my 6' bush hog with the Kubota L3240, 32 hp, just takes too long.  Our small place is split by a creek that is is a royal pain for work flow, and I need something that will pull a 10-12' mower, ether rotary or flail so that I'm not spending all my free time clipping.  I grew up in Western Nebraska on an Allis only farm, 190xt, D19, 7030, 7040, 7080, and a 7580 so I'd like to stick with an Allis.  The physical size of the Kubota is close to a shortened 185 and that size works great for us. 

Edited by eodcoduto - 17 Dec 2022 at 12:55pm

After having the front wheel assist on the loader it would be hard for me to go back to not having one. This is all a long term fix so I’m in no rush, but if I did go to 6080 route I would want to put a loader on it and then I can get rid of the Kubota. If I stick with a non-loader tractor I’m fine without the front wheel assist.

I'm cheap, and spending 30K+ on a new tractor isn't an option, but I do enjoy having at least one orange tractor around.  An Agco Allis, White, or other is on my mind too.  

I would try buying a good 7’ sickle mower, the extra foot of cut and the fact you can cut at a higher speed than a brush hog may surprise you, (and it’s a lot cheaper than a big mower) just my thoughts. If you’re set on a bigger mower, you can’t go wrong with a 180,185 or a 190 to run it.

I have been on the hunt for a 7-9" sickle mower, the hp required works for my tractor with an issue being most sickle bar mounts are too wide for the compact tractors.  I have seen guys make adapters and I guess that's why I have a welder and a mill.  I getting a bigger mower and putting an engine on it is an idea that I hadn't thought about, they did that with square balers a lot and it worked great for small tractors.  This is one reason I love this forum!

steve(ill) wrote: I kind of like the 185 option and keep the Kabota.. Cant hurt to have two tractors , a backup... just in case !

I agree or pickup a 200 and a 10’ woods rotary cutter but keep the kubota

I knew a man years ago used an AC 175 tractor to pull a 15 foot Servis batwing rotary cutter. I think before that tractor which he brought second hand he used a AC D-19 tractor. His farm was about 400 acres.

I'm mowing 120 acres once a year with an Allis-Chalmers 175 and 7' Enorossi sickle bar mower on a regenerative cattle farm.  Takes a little while, but I don't do it all at one time.  It's a fairly inexpensive set up and gets job done.  Wet and steeply sloping areas I mow with my 4-wheeler and a Kunz 57" rough cut mower.

Id stick with a sickle bar its easier on the cover crop