The Life of a Custom Mowing contractor

[mrmikey]

Not being the farming type as I can barely grow weeds. I've never heard of a mole cricket but they sound nasty

 

[K5lwq]

Dad and I thought we had found the solution to the mole cricket. We accidentally spilled some surfactant and used the water hose to dilute it down. All of a sudden I saw a bunch of mole crickets floating in the foam.

I started picking them up and piling them up on the driveway. It looked like the surfactant was killing them. So we proceeded to do another area and sure enough I picked up hundreds of them. So we moved to another spot and got set up and I looked over at my pile of crickets and they were all gone!

Turns out they would play possum and go back into the ground after a while. So we did another small area and I cut all of the crickets in half. That worked but sure was labor intensive. Lol

 

[Hay Dude]

Steep Ground!
Cut this place last week. Probably my steepest with a 15’ mower that we cut.

When descending the hill, you feel like you are standing on the windshield.

 

[RjCorazza]

I wonder why it is that pictures NEVER adequately show how steep an incline is? They appear steeper in real life, and like a cliff while on a tractor.

 

[tradosaurus]

Yeah, on the weed whackers, I keep hoping to find another option. They work, but my shoulders (specifically right shoulder) isn't what they once were and it takes a physical toll on me far out of proportion to the amount of work getting done.

I just haven't seen "the one" for an option I could go with.

I don't mow for a living but the push weed eater sure is easy to use around my pond.
Cub Cadet ST 100 Wheeled String Trimmer

 

[tradosaurus]

Not mowing , but another little small job spreading a dump truck load of fill dirt for a 12' by 40' portable shed

Maybe start your own thread? This is Hay Dude's territory.

 

[tradosaurus]

Steep Ground!
Cut this place last week. Probably my steepest with a 15’ mower that we cut.

View attachment 803395


When descending the hill, you feel like you are standing on the windshield.


View attachment 803396

I've enjoyed reading this thread and am envious of your job. I look at tractor work as therapy.

 

[bearthebruce]

I've enjoyed reading this thread and am envious of your job. I look at tractor work as therapy.

I'll second that... Next week I have 24 hours of mowing to do... Therapy. Away from all the distractions of other life and focused only on "gitter dun!"

@Hay Dude , don't know if my hills are as steep as what you showed, but, I have a pretty steep 15 acre meadow to mow. There is one particular spot where if I am not gentle in my turn, I begin rolling over on my smaller machine. I keep my loader on and down to help with more weight out front as that brush hog on the back is a load.

 

[Lineman North Florida]

Maybe start your own thread? This is Hay Dude's territory.

How about I just add a few mowing pictures from a little job this morning.

 

[Hay Dude]

I've enjoyed reading this thread and am envious of your job. I look at tractor work as therapy.

Thanks! I will keep coming back and posting new updates.
Probably best to keep it like that. I agree that tractor work can be like therapy. You get to operate machinery in some pretty nice scenery.
However, when it becomes a paying job, with customers to deal with, deadlines, invoice collection, fuel and repair bills, it loses the therapeutic feeling and becomes more stressful.

I still like what I do, but the hay farming part is really tough. My guess is when I’m on my way out-probably to be replaced by someone from a different country or some kind of computerized robot, I will drop the hay farming part and only offer field mowing services. That might be a kind of nice way to enjoy it again.

 

[dodge man]

I can tell by the picture looking up at the house how steep it is. I’m guessing you don’t cut that after a rain.

 

[Lineman North Florida]

A few more pictures of today's 10 acre mowing job, landowner was very happy.

 

[dirttoys]

Thanks! I will keep coming back and posting new updates.
Probably best to keep it like that. I agree that tractor work can be like therapy. You get to operate machinery in some pretty nice scenery.
However, when it becomes a paying job, with customers to deal with, deadlines, invoice collection, fuel and repair bills, it loses the therapeutic feeling and becomes more stressful.

I still like what I do, but the hay farming part is really tough. My guess is when I’m on my way out-probably to be replaced by someone from a different country or some kind of computerized robot, I will drop the hay farming part and only offer field mowing services. That might be a kind of nice way to enjoy it again.

Isn't it weird to know you are the last of something? I am not all doom and gloom on the future, but, it sure seems like the younger folks will have less choices on how to make a living than we did.

Best,

ed

 

[Lineman North Florida]

A little skid steer forestry mowing in some THICK vines and underbrush yesterday.

 

[mrmikey]

That looks sweet. Something I wish I had was a flail mower, I've got a bunch of woods back of my place just screaming for a mowing LOL

 

[Lastkidpicked]

Isn't it weird to know you are the last of something?

There are not enough people like @Hay Dude to go around. Here's what's happening around here:

Older farmers are retiring, and they've been haying 10, 20, or 30 acre parcels for neighbors. Once they retire, we find there is no one, and I mean NO ONE to take their place. You just cannot find a person to come and bale small acreages.

End of an era.

 

[Mtsoxfan]

One reason is there is too much easier money to be made.

 

[two_bit_score]

Great thread!

 

[Hay Dude]

There are not enough people like @Hay Dude to go around. Here's what's happening around here:

Older farmers are retiring, and they've been haying 10, 20, or 30 acre parcels for neighbors. Once they retire, we find there is no one, and I mean NO ONE to take their place. You just cannot find a person to come and bale small acreages.

End of an era.

Well thank you.
I always kid around with my customers that once I’m gone, there won’t be anyone to replace me, unless it’s “artificial intelligence”.
It IS the end of an era.

Between the incessant negativity towards farmers, the long hours, the high input costs and the low pay, it’s just not an attractive way to make a living anymore.

 

[redman135]

I used to drive for a hay and silage contractor. Lifestylers were a major pita. They don't understand basic math. A 10' tractor does NOT fit a 9'6" gate. (unwritten lifstyler law:all gates will be 10ft)
If there are only proffesional farmer SIZED contractors MAKE SURE your gates fit the machinery(12" - 16')
The smaller the paddock, the less economic it is. Often it is just break even. The money is made on the professional farmers.

Then you have late payers, and beauraucrats demanding to spend your money on thier hobby horses.
Hay Dude is right, about therapy changing to high stress.