Has anyone used a tow-behind mower with a truck? Any reason why I shouldn’t do this? I currently use my truck to harrow the fields and other than a huge turning radius, it seems to work. I don’t have any trouble driving it really slowly.
They guy who cuts my 5 acres of pasture is retiring and so I’m thinking it’s time for me to become self-sufficient. I don’t own a tractor or 4 wheeler and would prefer not to buy them if I can avoid it.
Have not done this. But I would suggest getting a mower that can be set at taller heights of 5-6 inches to use in a pasture. You still shorten weeds to prevent reseeding, yet not shorten the grasses so much that they stress, reduce production or die. Longer leaf length left on recovers faster from mowing, provides shade to the soil and plant roots, helps build strong roots that take horse abuse. You need to mow more often, when height is 8-10 inches or the start producing seed. Plants shut off growth when they set seed.
I am growing pasture for maximum production, have 9 horses using this as their primary food source on limited acres. No obese or metabolic horse to worry about health issues. They are on night turnout, stalled during days.
Horses with issues probably would do better on less productive grazing, letting it go to seed to reduce nutrition value.
Our neighbor uses a Swisher to mow his established paths on his acreage. Not cutting new paths in the high and thick weed growth between the paths. He does mow it lawn short.
Perhaps asking about quality at a mower repair shop would help. What kind is in to repair often? What brands do they never see?
Is there any place where you can rent one to try? If so, let us know how it works out!
Should work, but you’d need to get an adapter to lower the height of the truck hitch. All of the self-powered field mowers I’ve seen (we have a 44" Swisher trailcutter) are designed for the typical ATV hitch height. Google “hitch height adapter”.
It’s going to take discipline to drive that slowly. In the comfort of your truck’s cab, probably will be tempting to go too fast. These mowers generally want to be 5-7mph, anything over that and you will beat the heck out of the mower.
Also, keep your windows down so you can hear the mower. They are not as powerful as a PTO mower, and how the mower’s engine sounds is your best way to know if it’s getting bogged down in too-thick or wet grass. (in which case you need to take more narrow passes through the thick stuff, so it’s not trying to process as much biomass in each pass).
Also, since your turning radius is large, use the “zamboni” pattern when you mow… It’s the most efficient way to cover the field without needing tight turns
I absolutely love my tow behind mower with the ATV - so good to keep the weeds down, prevent grass seeding (when I get there in time) and just making the pastures look nice. I used it behind my smallish truck before buying an ATV. The hitch wasn’t the right height but it did an ok job set fairly high. (I’m not in US so brands won’t be much use)
I also love the ATV - perfect for taking hay, feed, rugs out to the paddocks. Plus we have a little trailer that hitches up to it which is perfect for loading with fencing gear, new troughs, garden clippings to go on the burn pile - a million and one chores. I’m also in a fairly wet climate so wouldn’t be able to drive my truck in the pastures 3-4mths a year. ATV does fine in all but the wettest times.
Just buy more farm toys, whoops I mean tools 
Hi. How did it work? I was planning on doing the same and run into your post
I ended up buying an ATV. I felt that I need to see and hear the mower to make adjustments as I go. That’s not possible with the truck.
I’m mowing about 5 acres with an ATV and tow-behind mower and it takes me several hours - I hate it. The tow-behind is great for mowing trails through the meadows. If I didn’t also have the trails to maintain, I’d hire someone with a brush hog to do the pastures.
The downside of the tow-behind is it doesn’t have a fan to pull up tall grass so it just pushes it over and doesn’t cut grass over about a foot tall. I let half my property go long for ground-nesting birds so I have to hire someone for the first cut after the birds move out.
All that said, what I do like about having the tow-behind is that I can maintain the pastures on my own schedule, rather than having to get the job done in between haying rotations when I hire the farmer to do it.
Thanks for getting back so quickly. I have 5.5 to mow too. With any equipment it will take hours. I thought the tow behind could work with the truck just to safe money instead of getting a riding lawn mower that can handle this acreage. Atv + tow behind then will defit the purpose of saving a few thousands. I don’t like the zero turn, at least with the tractor you have a bucket.
The price of a good brand name tow behind will be in the same range as a residential grade zero turn mower, and the ZTR will be gentler on your pasture. You’ll need to maintain an engine and blades and tires either way.
You can definitely use the tow-behind with a truck, but you may need a drop hitch. I bought a gas-powered Berco mower (Canadian brand). It’s about 4K CAD.
I did it for a few years. Only 3 acres and because I only used it once a year it always had issues and I had to call a farmer friend to fix it. He said it would be easier on him to just mow it himself! It did work, but was hard because as others have notes, you can’t see or hear the mower to know if it’s working.
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