Is $300 to much for mowing 20 acres?

[Charlesaf3]

Its supply and demand, simple economics. And marginal value of money comes into it. Here in Mass we have a lot of people, with a lot of money, and not a lot of tractors. Not a huge need for tractors either, but when people do need them they have to pay someone like Lawn King what he wants. And since he's buying his house and groceries up here, he has to charge more to cover his costs.

Sure, you could make a killing by coming up here and staying in a cheap motel (costs just over $100 a night), but you'd have trouble finding customers without living here... We all wish we could buy our stuff at southern prices, and get paid mass wages.

As an example, a guy pushing a lawnmower here makes $30 an hour. Usually around a $100 to get a small lawn mowed.

 

[JimR]

Yup, It sure is expensive here in Ma. for anything. I bought my tractor in Vermont and saved a lot of money on it. A few weeks back I mowed a big field for my neighbors down the road. I charged them $45.00 an hour. There is NO landscaping business anywhere in MA. that would have done this job for anywhere near that price. My friend quoted me a price of $100.00 an hour to do that same job with his 60 Horse tractor and 6 foot deck. I did it with my 27HP tractor and a 5 foot brush hog deck. He told me I was nuts to do it that cheap. Next year these folks want me to keep the fields cut like a lawn. They don't care what the cost will be. They do not want it to get overgrown again. I have ripped out bushes in the fileds, knocked back the edges and taken down many trees over the last few months for them. I told them I will have to start in early spring and will give them a price after I see exactly how long it takes to mow with normal grass height. I told them it will have to be mowed at least every two weeks to keep it low. What it boils down to is the simple fact that you can't work for nothing. If your tractor breaks down you are screwd, period. Give the rich guy a fair price to do the job. If he refuses, so what. There is no sense in working for nothing. I bet he's telling all his rich buddies that he suckered somebody to mow his fields for next to nothing.

 

[Desygityaso]

HAHAHAHAHAHAH Hello there folks. I loved this discussion we are having here. Is a price too much? Well. The sole purpose of a business is PROFIT. a business can survive with a lack of everything EXCEPT profit. If anyone thinks you can actually charge too much for your services then you have never learned to calculate profit and loss. The day when you think you have charged too much will easily dissapear in the presence of a bad day. Bad day is that day when someone cuts you off and you flip the equipment to avoid killing them. Bad days is when your helper decides to drop regular gas in a $1200 chainsaw. Or when you have to pay workerscomp a $5,000 fee for just in case. Anyways you get the idea. If you want to live good, you have to charge properly and very profitably. If you want to dress nice on your days off. Eat real cuts of meat. If you want to avoid your A/C going out on a road trip with family, transmission leaving you on the highway to disneyworld. Live in very desirable neighborehoods (Mass) then you have to make alot more profit then say, someone who doesnt mind hitting the starter with a hammer before getting down the road, no ac roll the windows down, who needs shiny paint on there truck. lol Also guys it is just plane smart to get more money for less work PERIOD. A highly intelligent businessman does exactly that. If you live substandard, SHAME on you. If you want to live like a modern day man, then act like one. People who have a "problem" charging right are weak. They charge what they are worth. I believe I am the best you can find to do a job for you, therefore my price is at the top of the list. Well guys gotta go, I'm charging a the richest company in america (has been my customer for 10 years) $3000 for 6 hours worth of tree removal. Good Luck God Bless and MAKE MONEY !!!!!!

 

[DGelding]

Wow, A dug up thread from 4 years ago. Being a newbie myself here I must say that this is an interesting post. Time is money no matter what you do for a living. Making a profit is called survival. Ripping people off is a sword in your back. Charge what the market can bear for your area. No matter where you are someone is bound to undercut you no matter what. That is unless you are the only one in the area doing that particular kind of work. Making $3K in six hours doing tree work is not too much considering that you have to pay a crew, own a boom truck with a box, chipper, stump grinder, possibly another chip truck, $3 - 5K invested in chainsaws, liability, disability, health insurance, 401K, and all the other taxes and fees that need to be paid to run a private business.

 

[lawn_king]

Well its been 3.5 years since i posted in this thread and guess what, the job is still worth a grand! Insurance cost have gone up, diesel is running well over 3 dollars per gallon & im now running a kubota GL 3540 hsdc with a landpride rcr 1860 rotary cutter. Thats a $25000. tractor on a $4000. double axle trailer being pulled by a $45000. dumptruck. How do you charge $300. to cut 20 acres and make money?

 

[scesnick]

Well, since this thread has risen from the dead, I will chime in and say I did NOT cut this field since. But, I am a firm believer in carma and as usual carma came back and bit this guy square in the butt.
I mowed this guys field the first time with a little Yanmar 2000BD with a 5ft. brush hog. He LOVED that little tractor and tried to talk me into selling it to him. Well, I bought a new tractor ( Kubota MX5100) this winter and had my Yannie for sale. I was asking 3k for it but this guy came to look at it and didn't realize who I was. SO when he asked how much i would take for it I told him 5k !! lol.. He didn't buy it of course but I sold it a few days later for $2,800. Then, my buddy who lives by this guy, told him I sold it a few days later for half what I quoted him and he let him know why!!!!
carma is a wonderful thing !!!!!

 

[jenkinsph]

I have been in a few businesses where some people get involved for fun. Cabinetry comes to mind, it takes a lot of equipment and expertise yet there are so many hobbist in woodworking that it makes it harder to make a living.

Tractors have a similar following as should be apparent here, LawnKing is competing with others out to make a fast buck on the side most likely with out insurance and business paperwork, overhead and fees.

Plumbing and HVAC doesn't seem to have that problem though, very few people aspire to being a plumber, so it does pay better.

 

[scesnick]

I have been in a few businesses where some people get involved for fun. Cabinetry comes to mind, it takes a lot of equipment and expertise yet there are so many hobbist in woodworking that it makes it harder to make a living.

Tractors have a similar following as should be apparent here, LawnKing is competing with others out to make a fast buck on the side most likely with out insurance and business paperwork, overhead and fees.

Plumbing and HVAC doesn't seem to have that problem though, very few people aspire to being a plumber, so it does pay better.

So, If you want to mow fields, make cabinets or weave baskets for money it should be your full time profession? Not just for some extra spending money?

BTW, I installed my neighbors heating system ( wood/coal boiler with domestic heating coil) But it wasn't very fun.

 

[jenkinsph]

So, If you want to mow fields, make cabinets or weave baskets for money it should be your full time profession? Not just for some extra spending money?

BTW, I installed my neighbors heating system ( wood/coal boiler with domestic heating coil) But it wasn't very fun.

Not at all, but you do have to be careful about what profession you choose.

 

[mustangsallysdad]

My buddy knows a guy who has a field that is between 20-22 acres. He asked me if I wanted to mow it last year. I did mow it and when the guy asked how much I told him $250. He got all bent out and asked if I was going to bail it also. So, I said o.k., $200. He reluctantly paid me the $200.

Now, this year he called me and asked if I wanted to mow it again , I told him that since the price of diesel has went up so much I would have to get atleast $300 to mow it this year. He said no way.

It took me 2 full days to mow this field and about 20 gallons of fuel. It is on the side of a pretty good hill also. That is less than $15 an acre not to mention trailering my equipment up to his place and the wear and tear. Now, If he was not " Well Off " I would have probably just done for what he could pay me ( I have done that before for people) But this guy has 3 Cadillacs, Giant house and a big ol' John Deere. I guess he is just too lazy to mow it his self.
Am I being unreasonable or is he just one of those guys that wants something for nothing ? What would you guys charge to brush hog this field?

If I were you and didn't need the money...I have a couple of $300 words for people like that!

 

[Big Bri]

Well, since this thread has risen from the dead, I will chime in and say I did NOT cut this field since. But, I am a firm believer in carma and as usual carma came back and bit this guy square in the butt.
I mowed this guys field the first time with a little Yanmar 2000BD with a 5ft. brush hog. He LOVED that little tractor and tried to talk me into selling it to him. Well, I bought a new tractor ( Kubota MX5100) this winter and had my Yannie for sale. I was asking 3k for it but this guy came to look at it and didn't realize who I was. SO when he asked how much i would take for it I told him 5k !! lol.. He didn't buy it of course but I sold it a few days later for $2,800. Then, my buddy who lives by this guy, told him I sold it a few days later for half what I quoted him and he let him know why!!!!
carma is a wonderful thing !!!!!

Good for you! ! ! Carma is Great.

On the cutting topic a lot of guys i know have a min. charge of $200 for the first hr and $60 to $100 each hr after that. The first 200 pays for the trip there and back. They feel as if that its not worth loading the tractor for less than that

an old saying my grandpa would say was "i can get up and go to work for you for free, or sit at home for free. . . i think i'll sit at home"

or one day when i had first started my fence company he was helping out, we were talking about how much i charged for the job,(way to little) he looked me in the eye and said "boy you would have made more money today if when you woke up you lit a $100 bill on fire and went back to bed" i'm laughing right now thinking about it.
good luck

 

[lawn_king]

I know that cost of living is much lower in other areas of the country, however $300. to cut 20 acres, well i guess i would call that a nice gift & leave it at that!

 

[jenkinsph]

I know that cost of living is much lower in other areas of the country, however $300. to cut 20 acres, well i guess i would call that a nice gift & leave it at that!

I would not assume that most goods including tractors and fuel are cheaper in other parts of the country. Some things are cheaper but not many.

The property owner is looking for a deal, and I wouldn't be a taker or sucker.

 

[The Haymaker]

I do it only for the pocket change and enjoyment, and quote 55 an hour. I won't get rich, yet if someone gripes it's too much I just mention what it would cost them for the equipment to mow their own field. :laughing:

 

[MNBobcat]

I mow 15 of my acres every 2 weeks and it takes me less than 3 hours. So figure 4 hours for the 20 - 22 acre field and at $300 it comes out to $75 an hour. Factoring in your fuel and wear and tear, that's a very reasonable price. I'd stick to your price and if he doesn't want to pay it then he can find someone else to mow it.

You can't make him pay more because you don't have the right equipment and it takes you 2 days to mow it -- but your bid is right in line with what I think anyone would have to charge to make anything.

 

[Gale Hawkins]

I have estimated bare bone cost to be $25 per acre to mow and that is zero for your labor. There will be that iron stake in a rear tire if you do enough custom work. It sounds criminal to some but $50-$75 an hour is required in some cases.

Some people are just wearing out their equip but that is OK if that is what they want to do I guess. I do some things without charge. Monday I pulled some scrap metal out of a common ditch for my neighbor to sell because she really needs the money due to poor management.

Do any of you charge a min charge or a trailering charge, etc?

I am not good at it but one needs to look at "added value" for the customer.

Who posting here keep your real cost for working for yourself under $50 per hour just for equipment? It can be done but not if trading every 4-5 years.

 

[GreatWhitehunter]

I charge $85/hr (2hr min) and $50 transport fee. I have no issues getting work. I also have insurance which most guys don't. I always make sure the customer is happy with the job before payment. Most of my lots are 3-5 acre's and pricing is highly regional.

Matt

 

[Dead Horse]

$65 an hour for a 6 foot bush hog, $110 and hour for a 10 footer. If I cannot drive the tractor there, it does not go. And at those prices, after all costs are figured in, I am lucky to be making a $15 hour wage.

Most people who have to hire out that sort of work have zero idea what is involved with getting it done, and they also do not begin to comprehend the cost of the equipment.

 

[Gale Hawkins]

Equipment Rental, Rent | Sunbelt Rentals

Look at the tractor and implement rental rates for your zip and see what they think just the equipment is worth per hour. There are delivery fees, etc too but these base rates are informative when "renting" your equipment out with an "operator".

 

[DGelding]

Equipment Rental, Rent | Sunbelt Rentals

Look at the tractor and implement rental rates for your zip and see what they think just the equipment is worth per hour. There are delivery fees, etc too but these base rates are informative when "renting" your equipment out with an "operator".

You mentioned a good point here about what it costs for a rental unit. I did some checking on this and found out that a 40 horse tractor with a 5 foot deck rents for just over $300.00 a day plus delivery. I'm sure there must be a charge for damaged items too if it should happen. The bottom line is that you MUST make a profit regardless of the job that you are doing. Otherwise, your working for free. The only way that I would not charge a decent price is if I didn't have any work, really needed the money and others were willing to do it cheaper. The yearly maintenance on the tractor is not cheap either. Just think of what one rear tire would cost to replace if you tore one up on an iron peice left in a field.