How much is it worth to brushhog 10 ac?

[buckeyefarmer]

I used to do a church lot, 10 acres for $20 hr (machine hr). It probably barely covered my expenses, but I was doing it as a service to them. This was with a 5' hog and my 20HP MF. The first time I mowed it, it had not been mowed in a couple years and had many locust trees sprouting up. Took me 13 hrs to mow it. Every pass around I had to stop and clean the dust out of the radiator screen, or the tractor would overheat. After the initial mowing, it still took about 10 hours (only did it once or twice a yr). If it was not the church, I would have charged at least $40 an hour, as the ground was really rough, and had to be careful of ditches and holes and rocks.
Recently a friend asked me how much to mow his neighbors 80+ acres, I said he couldn't afford me to do it with my 5' mower. The field in this case is light weeds in most places, but I still want nothing of the job, even with my new kubota. Unless I charge about $2000, it's not worth the hours it would puton the tractor. I researched that commercial mowers, mowing along state roads, charge anywhere from $50 - 150 per acre for mowing. This was based on various states that were publishing their mowing contracts on the web. Very seldom were there any lower than $50 per acre. I had a neighbor that did this as a side job. (was a state trooper) He made good money at it, had 2 or 3 big tractors with batwing mowers, etc... just couldn't find decent help to drive them. his workers kept running the tractors into his trucks, etc.

 

[N80]

The going rate around here is about $60 per hour. I would advise that you set your price based on time, not acres. Let them know that your mower is small, give them a rough estimate on time and whatever hourly rate you've set and then let them decide.

 

[flusher]

Last April-May I was getting bids of $50-60 PER ACRE to brush hog my 10 acres that I had recently purchased in the North Sacramento Valley. Admittedly it was mowing season then and the guys in that business were pretty busy, but these prices seemed a trifle excessive to me. Maybe they sensed that I was new to this area and gave me the introductory screw the newby price.

That's when I high-tailed it to my local tractor dealers and finally cut a deal with the nearest Kubota guy for a B7510 HST w/FEL.

Don't even want to think what these guys will be charging when mowing season starts again next month now that #2 diesel is $3.09/gal at Arco.

 

[Deerlope]

If its just grass and weeds I would think that $30 an hour work be fair. If it has any small saplings bump that up to $45.

 

[hrlyeagle]

Just charge by the hour as I do, $50/hr.

 

[Indydirtfarmer]

Don't dwell on the idea of the locals giving you the business as far as the $60 per hour rate. That's about the going rate for smaller to mid-sized jobs back here in Kentucky/Indiana.... ("Small jobs" is anything under 8 hours continuous work to me)

Look at the price of a tractor, mower, fuel, insurance, labor, parts and upkeep, truck/trailer, and all the insurance, license, and upkeep associated with that. Throw in the need to "make a buck" for their time, and $60 starts looking mighty thin....

I've been at it (mowing commercially) for 32 years. I started at $35 per hour (WAAAAAAAAAY back when....) Prices were in the $50/hr range by the late '80's. In that light, $60/hr in 2005 doesn't look so high either.

(Consider that's with 60 HP tractor/7' mower. Able to cut 3 to 4 acres an hour under SOME conditions)

All in all, you're still better off with a tractor of your own, if you plan on continuous upkeep of your property.

 

[Soundguy]

Ditto... 45$ gets you a rickety old ford /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif 3000 and a 5' or 6' mower.. going price is more like 50-60$ per hour for tractor work.. doesn't matter whether it is plowing or mowing.. etc.

Soundguy

 

[rfawkes]

I just quit in the middle of the job mowing brush on 22 acres of steep up and and down hills on a pasture(?) that hasn't been touched in years. My friend was not happy with the time it was taking, and I don't know why I agreed to help him in the first place. I put in 17 hours and got about 2/3 of the job finished. It is hot(100%) dirty dangerous work on those steep hills when you don't know what is the the brush. I hit stumps, rocks, tires, sheet metal, concrete blocks, and whole trees laying under the lush green bushes. I charged $27.00 per hour, and would not do it again for less than $40.00. That doesn't count the new underwear, after almost tipping a time or two.

 

[flusher]

A friend of a friend has called me about brushhogging 10 acres for them. The land is grown up about 3 foot tall. I have a B series Kubota and a 4 ft. hog. I'm sure it will take quite a bit of time. I've kindly mentioned to them they might want to hire someone with a bigger tractor/hog. The insist they'd like me to do it because "they know I do good work."

Anyways... any idea what I should charge to cut 10 acres with a 4' hog?

Thanks.

I have a B7510HST/LA302 FEL and I mow my 7-8 acres of weeds with a 4-ft KK brush hog. For 3-4 foot growth, takes me about 11 hours. I mow slow because my place is flat, but not smooth. And there's always new gopher and fox holes to possibly mess up my front end.

Before I got the tractor, I was quoted $50/acre (not per hour) to mow my weeds. Hence, the decision to buy the tractor.

 

[Farmwithjunk]

I just quit in the middle of the job mowing brush on 22 acres of steep up and and down hills on a pasture(?) that hasn't been touched in years. My friend was not happy with the time it was taking, and I don't know why I agreed to help him in the first place. I put in 17 hours and got about 2/3 of the job finished. It is hot(100%) dirty dangerous work on those steep hills when you don't know what is the the brush. I hit stumps, rocks, tires, sheet metal, concrete blocks, and whole trees laying under the lush green bushes. I charged $27.00 per hour, and would not do it again for less than $40.00. That doesn't count the new underwear, after almost tipping a time or two.

You just can't please some people. Conditions like you described are nerve racking. There's a strong possibility that you'll destroy a mower or cut down a rear tire. That's $100 an hour sort of work.