Mowing Mowing, how fast?

[tmc_31]

Ok, I know that this is another almost impossible question to answer because of all of the variables that come into play, but here goes anyway.

How fast should a person be mowing assuming a tractor/shredder combination that is sized correctly, flat ground with no obstructions and mowing for optimum quality of cut.

I have a TN70D (57 pto hp) with a 7' rhino rotary mower. One 30 acre field I mowed two years ago I was running 6mph and getting a nice cut. Weeds were not thick but were about 3' high. A week ago I mowed 8 acres, again not thick but about 2' high with 1/4-3/8" mesquite running 4.3mph and got a nice cut. In both cases the fields were nice and flat and large enough that there wasn't much backing up or other wasted time. Both were fields that had been cultivated within 5 years or so, so there were no obstructions, rocks or trash to mow around.

Tim

 

[mostly_gas]

At the risk of sounding sarcastic, slow enough to give you the quality of cut you want. Tractor should be at PTO power, adjust ground speed as needed. You know better than anyone else how you want the field to look when you are done.

 

[brin]

mostly....I don't think that is sarcastic at all...I was going to post the same thing...I go as fast as I can and still get a good cut...when I get into thick grass I have to go to a lower gear....did I say I hate thick grass when bush hogging...great when haying but not bush hogging...LOL

 

[TripleR]

Ok, I know that this is another almost impossible question to answer because of all of the variables that come into play, but here goes anyway.

How fast should a person be mowing assuming a tractor/shredder combination that is sized correctly, flat ground with no obstructions and mowing for optimum quality of cut.

I have a TN70D (57 pto hp) with a 7' rhino rotary mower. One 30 acre field I mowed two years ago I was running 6mph and getting a nice cut. Weeds were not thick but were about 3' high. A week ago I mowed 8 acres, again not thick but about 2' high with 1/4-3/8" mesquite running 4.3mph and got a nice cut. In both cases the fields were nice and flat and large enough that there wasn't much backing up or other wasted time. Both were fields that had been cultivated within 5 years or so, so there were no obstructions, rocks or trash to mow around.

Tim

Agree as it will vary from one operator to the other, comfort level, available time etc. with quality of cut obviously at the top of the list.

I would say to go the speed with which you are most comfortable with that still gives you the quality of cut you want.

I can mow faster with the 8540 than the L5030 due to ride quality while my son mows the same with both.

 

[tmc_31]

At the risk of sounding sarcastic, slow enough to give you the quality of cut you want. Tractor should be at PTO power, adjust ground speed as needed. You know better than anyone else how you want the field to look when you are done.

MG I don't take that as sarcastic, I know that yours is the correct answer. What I am trying figure out is some typical mowing speeds for varying conditions. these speeds will be used in a spreadsheet that will ultimately yield a $/acre rate schedule for mowing. I am more interested in your experiences than my own.

Tim

 

[TripleR]

You might want to look at some posts by Farmwithjunk and Builder as they do commercial mowing.

 

[namesray]

MG I don't take that as sarcastic, I know that yours is the correct answer. What I am trying figure out is some typical mowing speeds for varying conditions. these speeds will be used in a spreadsheet that will ultimately yield a $/acre rate schedule for mowing. I am more interested in your experiences than my own.

Tim

you mentioned that the 2 fields you mowed had no obstructions. with that in mind, when the grass on one of your potential customers is waist high, on a steep hill, that you have no clue the history of what has the ground been used for and what obstacles might be there, how can you determine a consistant value. that is why when i mow other's property, it is by the hour. every job will be different. a flat area, wide open, with knee high grass is going to cut a lot easier and faster then a side hill, with "cow paths" and wood chuck holes that has a few trees/obstacles with chest high grass and weeds that you can't see what you might hit.

i was faced with the same thought you have. how much by the acre, but when it came down to it, by the hour was so much easier and made much more sence. if i owned that flat, wide open field, and my neighbor owned a rough side hill, both same amount of acres, i would be pretty mad you charged me the same as my neighbor, knowing it only took you half the time to do mine as it took you to do my neighbors. see where i am going with this.

 

[smstonypoint]

What I am trying figure out is some typical mowing speeds for varying conditions. these speeds will be used in a spreadsheet that will ultimately yield a $/acre rate schedule for mowing. I am more interested in your experiences than my own.

Tim

Tim,

Some ag. economics departments at land-grant universities publish enterprise budgets for forages, including pasture maintenance. These budgets will include estimated costs for mowing. For example, here are links to XLS files from NCSU (http://www.ag-econ.ncsu.edu/extension/forage_budgets_excel.html) and Clemson (http://www.clemson.edu/extension/aes/budgets/index.html). It looks like the Clemson budget for fescue/clover for grazing assumes a 7' cutter.

These budgets typically make assumptions about implement width, ground speed, and efficiency (turning, etc.). You could check other ag. economics sites for additional info.

Good luck.

Steve

 

[LD1]

6mph is about the top end for bushhogging IMO, and thats only if conditions are right.

And sometimes as slow as 2 MPH if it is really bumpy or dense grass.

As you probabally figured out, dense grass is MUCH tougher to cut than much taller weeds.

I dont mow commerically but I do do some side jobs. And I price them by THE JOB, and not by the acre. Several reasons for that

1. Pricing by the acre will vary due to conditions already mentioned. So that aint a good way to price UNLESS you have already looked at the property and know of said conditions.

2. Pricing by the hour never works well for me. Because a customer ALWAYS asks: "how long do you think it will take" IE: how much do you think this is going to cost. And if you price by the hour, you can never satisfy a customer. They will think you are either going to slow and "milking it", or if you try to hurry a bit so they dont balk at price, they will be upset if a few weeds remain standing.

3. A lot of my jobs are small. 1/2 acre to an acre. So I dont want someone to think I charge $50/acre and think I am going to load up, trailer there, unload, mow, load back up, trailer home, and unload again all for $25:confused2: I usually tell these customers I have a $150 MINIMUM and that will get you 3 hours of my time from the time I leave my house until I return home.

So all that said, ALL my bushhogging jobs I like to lay eyes on. Take a measuring wheel so I can verify acreage. Once I have seen the job, I will have a good idea how long it should take, and I price a flat price. That way there is no question of "rushing" or "milking". If I "guess" that it is going to take 6 hours (I dont tell the customer this), I will price in the $300-$350 range. If I get done in 5 hours, good for me. If It takes me 7 hours, well....the price is still what I quoted.

The ONLY jobs I dont lay eyes on are the ones that are ~1/2 acre or so. Because even if it is the WORST possible scenerio, it is still going to be under my $150 minimum. And I usually tell them customers that I am comming with a 4x4 tractor and FEL, and that if it only takes me 15 minuts, it there is anything else they want done while I am there.....That they have me for 3 hours minus my drive time. So if it is 30min one way, they got me for 2 hours. If they just want bushhogging done and it only takes me 15minutes, thats even better.

 

[Mark Page]

According to the speed chart on the fender I'm mowing at 4.5 mph. I can go faster and still get a good job with my 7ft. Woods finish mower. If I gear up the ride gets too rough. High range 1st gear works well at 2000 RPM.
The mower weighs 800 lbs. which I think help.