How much is it worth to brushhog 10 ac?

[AlanB]

Bush hogging can be a mess for sure, when you start tearing up equipment, or other peoples property, the profit goes out of it real fast. We tend not to advertise bush hogging, and it is something that we occasionally do for regular customers or freinds. It just get's ridiculously expensive when things start going wrong..... Back tractor tires are not cheap when you need to replace them.....

We bid out at about $60 an hour, assuming that we have the right equipment for the job, but we are usually just telling the folks a price to do the job, and making a best guess (and adding a little extra) as to how long we think it will take to do the job. We also figure in load and travel time.

Sure, we get some guys that say they are going to go do it themselves when we quote $120 to level out a little dirt pile in their back yard or whatever,,,,, then they go try and rent a tractor and start figuring out what it costs and what it takes to make it happen.

As to your basic question, it depends an awful lot on the lay of the land, and how long I guess it will take us. How much travel time / distance there is between us, how high it is, and how "trashy" I think it will be or how much damage I anticipate to my equipment. There are certainly jobs out there that are just not worth doing.

 

[scott_vt]

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.

Well Ron,
I do my 10 for free And after all the stuff Ive run into on my property Im not sure I would do outside work honestly Break a blade or worse, just doesnt seem worth it to me ! I try and break the job in half and alternate the mowing every few weeks, or prolong the fun, whichever way you want to look at it

 

[NHTC30]

Hello all,

I have been reading on here for a while, but have never posted. I have a New Holland TC 30 with a FEL, box blade, tiller and durablade that I bought specifically to do small jobs spreading dirt, tilling gardens, spreading gravel, etc.. I teach World History at the local high school and work with my tractor during the summer. Right now I'm just trying to make enough to make my payments, and hopefully in 5 or 6 years, I'll retire from teaching, and be able to work year round with my tractor.

The reason I posted here is that I have noticed that some of you mention that you charge by the tractor hour (assuming that you mean the number of hours that you put on the hour meter on your tractor). I was told when I bought my tractor that unless you are running at a certain rpm (540 pto rpm), that the hour meter wouldn't be correct. I do a lot of jobs where I never hit that, mostly front end loader blade work. I charge by the clock hour, not the meter.

Rick Griffin

 

[sandman2234]

NHTC30 ,
The hour meter for the engine should be running off the electrical system, not the PTO. If yours is hooked to the PTO, and requires exactly 540 to keep accurate time, your going to have a problem charging by the hour, and will need to bid your jobs by the job, not hourly.
Welcome, and hopefully your not getting your leg pulled too often.
I grew up across the state from you, in SW Arkansas. Gillham/DeQueen to be a little more exact.
David from jax

 

[NHTC30]

I don't think the dealer was pulling my leg. He knew why I had purchased the tractor, and told me the hour meter wouldn't be a good way to charge for work, that it wasn't accurate unless you run it at about 2000 engine rpm (where the 540 pto rpm mark is) and that I should go by clock hours instead, which is what I do. Plus, there are times I have to get off the tractor and rake or use the shovel to smooth some things out, so the tractor isn't running then. I charge 40 dollars an hour from the time I unload until I load up. Most of the time when I am using the FEL or pulling with the blades, I use the foot throttle, and run at whatever speed feels comfortable and doesn't lug the engine, so I don't hold steady at anywhere near the 2000 engine rpm mark.

 

[Farmwithjunk]

I don't think the dealer was pulling my leg. He knew why I had purchased the tractor, and told me the hour meter wouldn't be a good way to charge for work, that it wasn't accurate unless you run it at about 2000 engine rpm (where the 540 pto rpm mark is) and that I should go by clock hours instead, which is what I do. Plus, there are times I have to get off the tractor and rake or use the shovel to smooth some things out, so the tractor isn't running then. I charge 40 dollars an hour from the time I unload until I load up. Most of the time when I am using the FEL or pulling with the blades, I use the foot throttle, and run at whatever speed feels comfortable and doesn't lug the engine, so I don't hold steady at anywhere near the 2000 engine rpm mark.

Go by the clock. Most tractors use a type of hour meter that registers engine hours @ given RPM, be it when PTO is at 540 or simular situation. If 540 is achieved at 2000 RPM, running for one hour (time on clock) at 1000 RPM, you'll show 1/2 hour on hour meter.

 

[lawn_king]

Tractor rates vairy state to state. we would charge $1000. for that job.

 

[Farmwithjunk]

Tractor rates vairy state to state. we would charge $1000. for that job.

You'd keep the engine hours down to a minimum here in Kentucky. 10 acres of ROUGH mowing priced at anything over $350 would get an outburst of laughter. $1000 would get you chased outta town. At our current rates, there's dozens of guys advertising in our local classifieds looking for mowing work.

 

[Gatorboy]

Tractor rates vairy state to state. we would charge $1000. for that job.

Too bad you wouldn't get the job. This isn't lawn care for a 10 acre yard -- it's acreage mowing with a brush hog.

In fact, I'm going over to my property this morning to mow my top 12 acres. It will take me less than 2 hours -- you mean I could actually get paid $500/hour to mow up in Mass? Goodbye software engineering, hello Mass Mowing!

 

[Dargo]

You'd keep the engine hours down to a minimum here in Kentucky. 10 acres of ROUGH mowing priced at anything over $350 would get an outburst of laughter. $1000 would get you chased outta town. At our current rates, there's dozens of guys advertising in our local classifieds looking for mowing work.

It is the same in S. IN. However, it seems that a lot of guys are trying to make some money to pay for their batwing cutters and competition is fierce. If it was an area relatively clear of obsticles, I'd bet I could get it done for $150. Heck, they'd have it done in an hour.