Mowing Hired a landscaper!

[Gary Fowler]

Around me, lawnmowers are a premium priced job. For a minimum investment of mower and weedeater, truck and trailer, they are in business. MY brother in law has COPD and can no longer mow so he hires it out. For a little over 1.5 acres, he is charged $250 per mowing each week. I mowed it for a long time and it only took me about 35 minutes but I didnt do weedeating. This guy has a commercial grade mower but runs it at slow walking speed so it takes him about 4 hours. I do my 6 acres in 2 hours with my Ferris (no weedeating) and get to watch him for two more hours poking along. My other neighbor used him for a while to mow and it was $300 to do her less than an acre. He claims he is giving my brother in law a better price so I suppose he is.
Even if I didnt like mowing, I would have to do it rather than pay someone to mow. Based on what he charges other folks, my 6 acres would cost me $900 per week to mow. Four months of that would buy a very nice mower.

 

[chim]

We should all do what we like, and as difficult as it may be - accept that not everyone might enjoy doing things the same as we do.

I'm 71 and mow 3-1/2 acres weekly. I could wrap it up in under 1-1/2 hours, but usually take my time. It's kind of fun to mow in different patterns. Our place needs about 10 minutes of the string trimmer every other week. A few hours of real effort are required about four times per season to do the creek banks. After reading about it here I'm about to try some flame weed eating along the creek to see how it works.

Maybe twice a year I walk along the fence row and under the trees with a battery-powered hedge clipper to clear low branches. Any seat time is fun but I especially like being in the tractor for mowing and snow removal.

 

[/pine]

What I don't get are the peeps that hire out any and all manual labor work maintaining their lawns and gardens and then pay a gym etc. and spend their off work time exercising at said gym...

 

[RalphVa]

I think if you're mowing more than 1/2 acre, you're mowing too much unless you have kids coming over all the time doing baseball or some such. Only mow what you can do with a walk behind mower. Make trails through the rest and just bushhog every year or two to control bad stuff. Make landscaped areas of no mow.

Ralph

 

[sixdogs]

When I worked and was pressed for time doing a big yard and farm, I used the money saved by not hiring it out and got to buy the equipment for "free" to maintain at a faster pace. I also sprayed difficult areas with glyphosate and cut trimming to near zero. Difficult obstacles got removed and it all worked with almost no handwork. These days I have the time but mow 2 1/2 to 3 acres in an hour with a 7' mower. If I fly I can do a quick job in 50 minutes.

Also, the money you pay to have work done is sort of debatable because you pay it with after tax income and at your top tax bracket. You might have to earn $100 to pay out $50 after all taxes and deductions. Plus, some yard work can be great cardio and if you eat right can add years to your life.

 

[Takman]

What I don't get are the peeps that hire out any and all manual labor work maintaining their lawns and gardens and then pay a gym etc. and spend their off work time exercising at said gym...

I've done framing, farming, auto repair, landscaping, most household stuff etc. I don't care how hard you go at it, it's not the same as running 5 miles or a long bicycle ride. Both make you stronger but in different ways....

 

[/pine]

I've done framing, farming, auto repair, landscaping, most household stuff etc. I don't care how hard you go at it, it's not the same as running 5 miles or a long bicycle ride. Both make you stronger but in different ways....

People that do manual labor for a living do not generally need any additional exercise unless they pursue specific physical endeavors (like mountain climbing etc. )

My point was about folks that sit behind a desk or computer all day...that can't be bothered to push a mower around their yard and pay someone else to... but spend money to do a hamster dance on a treadmill that they pay to use...!

 

[Tomtint]

I mow my own property..Probably spend about 4 hrs a week doing so and a few hours a month on maintenance. Sometimes I want to just hire someone..and others I enjoy doing it just the way I want. Also don't like waiting on someone to do things.

 

[Richard]

I agree with the logic that you have to find your own answer.

I don't have a manual job but, put a lot of time/energy into it. When I get home, part of my R&R is to jump on the tractor and go mow a field. I have something like 100 acres across several fields to mow and frankly, if it were up to ME, I'd keep it all looking more like a lawn. I might cut one field in one setting, another field on another day rather than to race & beat myself up to get it all done over a weekend.

Put my Ipod in my pocket, buds in my ears, over-ear protection over that and just go have my fun.

 

[stlbill]

You owned a very slow tractor.

Yes, I just never realized it!

The landscaper has mowed twice and is getting faster each time. Last time it took two guys 1 hour, 15 minutes. One starts trimming while the other uses a ride-on Exmark 60" zero turn (something I did not think was possible on my up to 40 degree hillsides). The Exmark operator then grabs a second trimmer or blower to finish it out.

AND his Exmark Laser cut quality is better than my Deere 2305 with 62C deck. It stripes... something I could only achieve by towing a cumbersome lawn roller.