Acres cut per hour

[jenkinsph]

Builder,
with the right equipment you could cut it easily in three to four hours with one wide area mower, something like the 1600 series Deere. This includes mowing around obstacles and trees. Someone trimming up while you mow the open areas. That would leave two of you weed eating the rest of the day. In my area that would be worth about $850 to $1000.

 

[Farmwithjunk]

No, I'M paying for the mower. They pay for the mowing.
I agree with your view on it, but I'm walking in with 1/2 the mowing season over. Also, grass tends to slow down and turn brown in July/Aug so cuts may get much less frequent.

Just curious: What can you guys command in price for say 20 acres of nicely clipped pasture, 5,000 feet of split rail fence and maybe 100 assorted trees, stone barn ruins, etc.? My bid's already in, but just curious. I charge ~$60/acre to bush hog. What do you pay a weedeater operator?

Based on rates that are competitive in my area, 20 acres of well kept pasture would equate to something like $500....$575, weedeating extra. (Mowing cost MIGHT go higher if there's a significant distance to travel) I figure estimates on weed eating at $45hr. Leaving it up to you to do the math based on hours you estimate to do the trimming.

Keep in mind, this is a relatively cheap area of the country to live/operate in. It's not UNcommon to find "legal" small scale mowing "contractors" here that will run a 40hp tractor/6' mower for $40hr.

Some of the "beer money" guys will do the same for as low as $25 an hour. No point in even trying to compete against those sort of prices....

 

[jenkinsph]

Farmwithjunk,
I see our estimates are very close, New Mexico is a poor state with low per capita income. The key here I would think is the time spent on edging and cleanup with trimmers.

 

[Builder]

Builder,
with the right equipment you could cut it easily in three to four hours with one wide area mower, something like the 1600 series Deere. This includes mowing around obstacles and trees. Someone trimming up while you mow the open areas. That would leave two of you weed eating the rest of the day. In my area that would be worth about $850 to $1000.

I actually looked at a Jacobsen with hydraulic finish wing mowers, but I cant afford to buy any "one dimensional" pieces of equipment at this point. Many of these type of mowers are for sale in the 7-10K range. Everything must be able to serve multiple uses, so the mower will probably have to be something I can pull behind my M7040.
Your price estimate range was exactly what I had thought. I went on the high end side of your guess.
My only remaining concern is R-1's leaving damage to the pasture turf. Nothing I can do except be very careful and avoid sharp turns.

 

[jenkinsph]

Builder,
Did you look at the Swisher 60" finish mowers that could be pulled with the small Kubota? This would keep the weight down low and two of them added on would approach a 14 to 15 ft cutting width. I don't know that I have ever seen these Swishers' up close just a thought.

 

[Builder]

That would be a great "economy" solution. Can't help think there'd be a compromise there somewhere....
I can get a 15' batwing finish for a VERY reasonable cost, but the R-1's issue doesn't go away.

 

[Builder]

Update: I just took my MX-8 over to a Customers and cut about an acre of 15" tall pasture with it. Even with dull blades traveling at 4MPH, it did a good job.
I think I will sharpen blades even more than normal and go forward with the MX-8 cutting the pasture. They will need to be made aware that the clippings will lay, but will be better with the 2nd cut.

 

[Farmwithjunk]

but the R-1's issue doesn't go away.

Every tractor I own has R1's. I mow lawn, pastures, and hay fields with a combination of tractors, but as I said, all R1's.

I'm particular about the lawn, but the HAY FIELDS make me money, so I'm even more particular with them. I avoid tire tracks/tire marks as much as is humanly possible. Best to avoid cutting in wet conditions. No sudden sharp turns. Make wide sweeping turns where possible. There is still the occasional tire mark, but not nearly so bad as you might think.

We're negotiating a mowing contract now with a thoroughbred horse operation based not far from here. They want pastures, lanes, waterways, and lawn areas to look like they've been hand manicured with fingernail clippers.....That particular. If that works out, we'll be mowing there NEXT summer. If so, I'll be putting a set of turf tires on one of the tractors. It will be a dedicated mowing rig for that one job. If we get it, I'll be buying a Sitrex SM3600 finish mower.

SITREX SPA - AGRICULTURAL MACHINERY - ITALY

 

[JWR]

Update: I just took my MX-8 over to a Customers and cut about an acre of 15" tall pasture with it. Even with dull blades traveling at 4MPH, it did a good job.
I think I will sharpen blades even more than normal and go forward with the MX-8 cutting the pasture. They will need to be made aware that the clippings will lay, but will be better with the 2nd cut.

Sharpening blades: I assume you know this already BUT I found out the hard way last year. On an MX6 (presumably on the MX8 ?) the bolt torque for getting the stump jumper on/off is 450 ft -lbs. That means a big socket set and a cheater pipe about 5 feet long if you are strong as ****. You need help. Worse yet, the torque specs on the flails are either 600 or 650 ft-lbs. If the stump jumper is not torqued to spec you will eventually find it sailing out through the field as it did on me. The manual says tighten it near spec values, then belt it with a sledge hammer and do it all over again, twice -- I'm serious.

As a practical matter, you really need a big torque multiplier wrench and stuff most people do not have lying around to get those blades on and off. It's almost better for us po-folk to jack the thing up on something safe and sharpen the blades on it (using a carbide disk on a drill) without removing them.

 

[dodge man]

Someone else mentioned it, but I've seen a comercial mower use one, but I've always called them offset mowers. You could hook one of these up behind your BX and get a cut of at least 9'. I'm not sure how fast you could mow with one, but I'd think 3 miles an hour would be pretty easy. The one I've seen used in this area is electric start, and they tow it behind a regular riding mower, and it seems to give a pretty good cut. Its another gas engine to maintain, but they appear to be a pretty simple setup. Here is a picture of what I'm talking about.