What to use for food plot?

Hey Folks!

I recently bought a 2 acre place and am looking at buying a mower for it. But then I thought, HEY, maybe I can get something a little bigger to do my yard but also take out to the hunting place to do food plots.

Currently I am looking at buying a used craftsman GT5000 garden tractor mower. This looks like an advanced mower that is able to have single plow attachment on the back end. I watched some youtube videos and it seems like it will plow. However I'm not sure if I should drop the big bucks and buy a used legit tractor to mow the lawn and take to the ranch.

One advantage of the mower is I can load it in the bed of the truck. With a tractor, I would need to haul it in a trailer to the place.
Advantage of the tractor, (is of course)it is bigger and will be able to plow anything I want.

Does anyone have any advice or experience in this area. I'm leaning toward the GT5000 just because it is easier to transport and smaller(which would let me go to some thick brushy areas that maybe my tractor wouldn't be able to go to). However if this steroid mower can't plow then tractor it is!!

For years all I had was a riding mower to make food plots. They were marginally ok for mowing but I cant imagine doing much with a plow pulled by a mower. I don't think you would be able to add enough weight to the plow to work efficiently and still be able to pull it with the mower. I now have a 38hp John Deere tractor and it does awesome for what I need it for.

IMO, I'd rather have a sub compact/compact tractor with a finish mower, than a "beefed up" lawn mower. Just from a transmission POV, not to mention added capability. I have had tractors from 30hp -150hp and I dont think even a 30hp can really "plow", single and ran shallow moldboard maybe. Plus you can have an FEL (front end loader) which you will really come to appreciate.

My neighbor actually went through this 3 years ago and bought a B series Kubota iirc, only like 20ish hp, but runs his finish mower, small disc just fine and I bet it is only twice the size of that Ct500. Also will take a deck mower iirc. USes a push mower and trimmer up close to his house.

Another option to save some coin maybe, get a ZRT for the yard and just rent a tractor the couple times a year you need it at the lease.

Tractors are like building a shop in the sense, you never regret bigger, but can regret going to small.

You can also run turf tires on a small tractor that are gentler on a lawn, but you do loose some traction doing heavy work.

Might contact Navasot on here, this is what "he do".

what is your budget?

personally, I think you would be better off buying a tractor if you plan on doing anything other than mowing your yard. You might could even go with something like a John Deere X465 Garden Tractor that has rear 3 point with PTO where you can run a 4 foot tiller that still has the belly mower for mowing your lawn. I sold one for a friend of mine about a year ago that would be about the minimum lawn mower type I would consider based on what you are wanting to do from your post. I sold that for about $4500 for the tractor alone. I sold the 4 foot tiller for $1500 separately, both were in pristine condition.

another option would be going with something like the BX series or an older B series series with either a belly mower (most are detachable) or finish mower.

That single bottom plow set up would work any garden mower/tractor to death.. it may do it for a while but even 2acres id expect lots of up keep to even keep it going not to mention the trans will be under a lot of pressure. single bottoms arnt ideal for what your wanting to do also. they do have a small disc option that may work better but you would need to be in soft sand to get it to dig.. if you want to go the way of the mower your better off just scalping the ground with the blades then broadcasting twice as much seed as needed and hope for not to much but not to little rain.. iv done plenty of broadcast plots and had plenty that turned out well... getting the grass as low as possible will be the main thing and timely rains.. I broadcast my yard and the 5-6acres leading down to my food plot every fall with oats and they come up very well.. just not near as much as the disc plot below.. you could find an older 2wd tractor and a small 5-6ft disc along with a seeder for under 5k easy. and 2acres will hardly work one even with plenty of hours on it.

If you found a lighter compact tractor you could always use a finish mower on the 3point to do the yard as well... just make sure you got a good weed eater

I use to mow my dads 2 acres with a similar riding mower of his. It would take 2 or 3 hours. My cousin would mow it with dad's old Ford 600 and it would take him 30 minutes (after he charged the battery and filled the leaky tank.)I can't imagine trying to maintain food plots with a riding mower.

Like has been said, a small tractor with a finish mower, either belly mount or three point, could work real nice.

Not to change subjects, but will 48 inch mower take me 2-3 hours to mow my yard (2 acres roughly)?

So I talked to someone who is selling a very very small garden tractor/mower that lives by our ranch. He said it would plow very good at his old home in the city, but when he moved to where he is now (near our ranch) he said it won't work.

I really would like small compact tractor but can't really find them within my price range.

I could just use the mower for home and rent equipment when needed for our place.

again, what is your price range? and what area is your ranch that would need food plots? there might be someone on here (myself included) that has equipment available around your area that could help you for a few hours here and there for food plots. just a thought

I had to cut around a house, two barns, cross fencing and open/close gates. If your place is just a 2 acre rectangle with no obstacles it will go faster.

Roughly yes... I do about 5-6acres with a 48 and it takes about half the day

Yeah, but you're trying not to spill your beer, how fast WOT?

I drink and drive responsibly sir

Thanks for all the input.

The ranch is near dripping springs. As i gather, the mowers will not work for a food plot. I have found a few tractors i would be willing to pay for but then i have to buy a trailer which i havn't found how much that will cost. I think i will rent a tractor when needed and buy a used mower for $800. I think its the cheapest option

Years ago a neighbor had a place south of Merkel, he had 2 food plots about an acre each. He plowed it with a rototiller. It was all he had and he did it for years, to him it was like a big garden. Granted he was only about 30 minutes away, so he could go there often and work on his plots.

klp, a trailer is not hard to get relatively inexpensive. I picked up a new 16' x 76" inside, angle top, dual 3500# axles with rear ramp gate for ~$1525 for a friend a couple years ago. That would carry most small to mid size tractors. But if you are planning on leaving the tractor out on the ranch near Dripping Springs where you wouldn't need a trailer, I could deliver a tractor for reduced mileage fee from around central TX

FWIW - I have a GT5000 lawn mower and would not buy it again. The kohler v-twin motor is great but the rest of the mower is garbage.

In that area, the rocks will destroy anything lighter than a dozer.