Rotary Cutter Acreage per hour question

[Arc weld]

I've done some landscaping and commercial mowing. When cutting tall grass and weeds in a field you've never been in, all bets are off. Mowing a lawn is a lot easier to give a firm price. You can see everything. I didn't have too many problems charging by the hour. If you have the right equipment for the job, then it's fair for both parties. Very similar to drilling post holes with a skid steer. The place I rented the auger from is very experienced in skid steers and they said to charge by the hour for post holes. You can seriously under price yourself if you charge by the hole because of soil conditions. Sometimes you don't make much because you can do 50 holes an hour but the customer is paying a fair price for your time. You charge by the hole and get sticky clay that has to be manually cleaned off or the auger gets stuck and you might be lucky to get a 10 holes an hour. With mowing a strange field you never know what to expect either. Once you've cut it, then you can give a more firm price. Do you think the customer is going to tell you or remember the roll of barb wire or big rock laying in the tall weeds from 10 years ago. A lot of custom work is by the hour to make it fair for both parties. What if you cut the field and have to go over it a second time because it was too tall to do in one pass. I always walk through a field to see what I might encounter but if it's 1/2 an acre or more, there's no way to see everything that might cause problems.

 

[irsmun]

I agree Arc Weld. The problem with bidding by the hour (unless the customer expects it) is that it can create distrust. I mean, its like I have a blank check in my hand to write on his account. Even if I am trustworthy and quick, the client doesn't know that, if we have no history together. Better a happy repeat customer than an unhappy one. I think the only professional way to handle it is to sharpen my estimation skills and give the landowner a solid number. Even still I would generally bid an initial cut alone and quote a set recut price afterwards.

Thanks for everyone's input. I am going to use the 3 acres an hour as a general rule for estimation purposes on the 8' cutter. As an aside to the question I had about HP ratings on the cutter, an email from the dealer said it was rated at 35-65 tractor HP not PTO HP. That means this tractor is sufficient for this cutter in tractor HP and it does meet the minimun for PTO HP as well.

 

[Complete Turf Care]

I do some commercial cutting with my tractor. I have a New Holland TC45 which is 45 hp, with a 6' cutter. I would say that I average about 1 acre per hour. Sometimes more, and a few times less.

I think that 3 acres an hour with your cutter might be a little high.

What I have done with new customers to help me get the job is I will give them a maximum price.

For example, if I think the job will take 10 hours, I tell them $650 maximum, even if it takes me 12 hours, and, if it takes less than 10, I will only charge for the actual hours. Sometimes the customer will go along with this plan.

I have been doing this for a living for 11 years now, so I've gotten pretty good at it.

Also, keep in mind that when cutting a place that has not been cut in a few years, there will almost always be something hidden out there.

 

[irsmun]

Thank you CompleteLawnCare. I think thats valuable advice. There is no substitute for experience. I'm on first year of experience with the bushhogging (what do you really call it? Bush Hog is a brand). I will learn fast.

 

[Complete Turf Care]

Thank you CompleteLawnCare. I think thats valuable advice. There is no substitute for experience. I'm on first year of experience with the bushhogging (what do you really call it? Bush Hog is a brand). I will learn fast.

Glad to help steer you in a direction. I remember when I first started, I had a really hard time getting anyone to give me any advise.

"Bushhogging" is probably the most commonly used term, but I've heard it called 'clipping' and 'shredding' too

 

[sd455dan]

I've done some landscaping and commercial mowing. When cutting tall grass and weeds in a field you've never been in, all bets are off. With mowing a strange field you never know what to expect either. everything that might cause problems.

Isn't that the truth, we did a 12 acre?? property that had not been mowed in over three years (also new field to us)

We hit large pieces of broken concrete, and at least 5 truck tires ( Now those do make a racket) and then the rotted fence posts and 6 x6 s-also lots of tansy-

I wish we were averaging the MPH that most are talking about but for us it didn't happen... even though we used 2 tractors with 5 and 6 foot brush hogs . and @ or above 40 hp ptos

this was our last mow, I think the biggest problem is mowing a (NEW to you field) and any that have not been mowed at least once every year. my:2cents:

 

[ksbrdmkr]

Think about double mowing really rough fields. hitting the steel post, fire wood, rocks and hedge post slip out from under the mower better with a tall cut. If the customer wants a lower neater job charge for it.

 

[Arc weld]

You could give a maximum price or you could have a cost plus contract to cover any hidden obstacles that will slow you down or damage your equipment. If I was looking at cutting a field that hadn't been cut for a year or more and the customer wasn't at all flexible on the price or was trying to dictate what I should charge, no matter what, I might walk away from the job. In my experience most people have enough common sense to realize it's hard to give an exact cost for a job they've neglected for a long time.

 

[Chilly807]

This thread reminds me why I don't mow for money, unless it's a friend that just wants to cover my costs on fuel.
Sean

 

[classacthollow]

That program (freemaptools.com) is great! thanks for the posting, I just mapped out all my pastures and it told me a lot about my farm.

8ft pull-type and 64pto figure around 3/3.5acres,an HR,as stated above is pretty close,in good conditions. I use freemaptools.com" area calculator",type in your city state(may take zip),then hit the sat.view(zoom in),mark your pins(gives you acreage),cause the pasture is always smaller when you ask.