What is the best tall weed cutting machine for small property?

[jimigunne]

Our rural property is 2 acres. because Johnson grass grows up all over the lot to 5 ft. tall, any ordinary grass mower, even a Husky 25 HP riding mower, can't handle it. I went through 150.00 worth of belts before giving up on this machine. I guess no riding mower can. To plow through thick and tall Johnson grass I think we need something like a Brush Hog. We are getting elderly, so it needs to be self-propelled. There are lots of thorny saplings and various short scrub brush coming up in places, too. Without going into a bunch of debt, about all I can scrape together is 2000.00. I have a push-behind line trimmer which uses .155 line. It works decent as long as you attack the Johnson grass slow. Because of this, and its cutting swath is only 22 inches, I would need about six of these machines all working at the same time to make a dent in the weeds engulfing our lot.
There is no way possible to stop the Johnson grass from growing I guess, as even if we had a heavy duty brush hog and kept it continually cut down , the weed seeds would immediately blow onto our lot from the neighboring vacant lots. Even high quality weed barrier fabric, I have found, only prevents Johnson grass and dandelion from coming up for maybe a year at most. Ideas about best weed-wacking machines that someone who is not rich can afford?

[Awnry Abe]

I have a Billygoat Industries brushcutter. It is a self propelled brushhog, basically. Rental stores have them for rent in our neck of the woods. I don't know if it fits your parameters, but it wouldn't hurt to rent one and try.

[Jolly]

Pay one of your neighbors to brush hog it twice a year.

[FarmboyBill]

Set up fence and put in a couple calves. Take them off before frost.

[wy_white_wolf]

http://www.mowersdirect.com/Swisher-...4BS/p9869.html

Pull it with an ATV or your riding mower

WWW

[po boy]

Have it bush hogged and then keep it mowed with your rider. I mowed down several large clumps with a 11 HP snapper rider...

[GREENCOUNTYPETE]

where are you located is a big question

around here we would burn such a lot as soon as the snow was out then keep it mowed with a normal mower

in other places goats would be brought in and they would mow it down , I know of one group in south Florida one guy started out by buying 10 goats when he had 40 he gave 20 away and this continued with a bunch of horse owners doing the same every time they got more than they needed or had pastures broke they gave them away eventually if there is a surplus they can be sold for meat

[anahatalotus]

My vote is for bills notion. Get a portable electric fence (cut a path out for the fence so it wont short) and put in some livestock. Depending on the vegetation you might do best with calves, piglets or lambs. I would mention goats but you would either have to tether them which some folks consider inhumane or put up a fort for a fence...

[Nimrod]

Rent a brush hog and cut the grass or hire someone to cut it. Then mow with your riding mower often enough so it can handle the grass.

Spray with chemicals to kill the grass then plant what you want.

[Chucknbob]

In my area you can pick up old gravely walk behinds for a few hundred bucks. It's basically a self propelled PTO. The nice thing is they have many attachments- blades, tillers, bush hogs and many other things can be had for them.

I used one to mow my pasture before I bought my kubota.

[Chucknbob]

This is an example of a Gravely. http://dayton.craigslist.org/grd/4822344833.html

[1shotwade]

I disagree with the post about swisher. I have a 13 hp-48"cut and it won't go thru 12" grass being pulled by my atv in low range,low gear. I don't think that will do the job for you.Goats if it's fenced,bush hog if it's not.

Wade

[stockdogcompany]

$2000 would completely fence in 2 acres (1200 linear ft, more or less) with good quality high tensile woven wire fence on self insulated poly posts, pay for the fencer, cross break wires, water tank and some nice hair sheep ewes and a little improvised shelter.

Unless you like to mow. Then I have no idea what to do. I like my stuff to work for me, not vice versa.

[Forty Acres]

Round Up (glysophate).

[SteveD(TX)]

Like someone else said, just pay someone to do it once for you. Then keep it mowed regularly with what you have. Larger stumps and roots might require renting a small excavator at least once.

[Okie-Dokie]

A small area like that I would just ask around who does brush hogging. Pay some one to knock the weeds down before spring growth starts then keep id trimmed up with your rider. Cheaper than buying the tractor and brush hog then only using it to mow once or twice a year.

[fixitguy]

You can find old Jeri mowers on craigslist and auction every once and awhile. BCS has a new version, but also a nice price tag.

http://www.bcsamerica.com/attachments/sickle-bar-mower/

[RebelDigger]

I love my DR Field and Brush mower. It goes through the Johnson grass patch on our property like it is nothing, even when I let it get 5' tall. Mine is an older one we bought second hand, could not afford a new one! I also use it to keep the grass mowed around the edges of the garden.

[Shrek]

I brush mow my two acres of five foot brush and hay once or twice a year with my 21 inch cut big rear wheeled walk behind mulch mower.

I cut a 20 by 20 foot section or two a day and rotation mow the place popping wheelies when needed to roll into the tall stuff.

The mower cost me about $300 and has been in service for three years so far and the one before it was in service for four years.

Each year I replace the drive belt two maybe 3 times at $8 each as I use combine belts instead of higher priced MTD belts, do the one quart oil and air filter change once per season for about $15 and use about 16 gallons of gas during the season.

I brush hog my property and get my walking exercise without hitting my overhead budget too hard on equipment, maintenance or fuel costs.

[Terri]

Jimigunne, I have found the trick to Johnson grass is to mow it at least every week.

For MOST of mine once a week is good enough, but the Johnson grass over the septic tank is RANK! If I do not mow it more than weekly then I have to make the swath about 6 inches wide or it chokes the machine!

I bought my riding mower on payments, and it was worth it.