My Bush Hogging experience

[JoeinTX]

"1. You can kill the tractor engine going through deep ruts and cutting dirt.
2. Watch out for stray concrete chunks. I hit one when I looked at the train going by.
3. A tire and wheel can be hid in tall grass. This will kill the engine also. I thought I had my bucket low enough.
4. I don't know what flying beast stung me, but 5 hours later it still hurts.
5. Deep rut make you go real slow, and wearing seat belt real tight, helps.
6. Tall overgrowth can hide a deep hole very well.
7. Try to talk to the man that did this job last, since he works at said place, he might give better insight than the guy that is paying.
8. I need a bigger tractor...."


A point to gleaned from your post is that many land owners don't always know what is on their property. Many a person will tell you it's fine and clean and no problems.......and then you run over the old tire rim, cistern lip, t-post or discarded wire roll hiding amongst the weeds.
Talking to the guy who worked it last pleads a question or two: Can you even figure out who that was and why aren't they still doing it now?

 

[sandman2234]

The tires stall the engine because the blade's energy is absorbed by the tire instead of hitting it and bouncing off it. A discarded roll of carpet does the same thing, unless it has been in the weather for a while, then it also wraps itself around the blades, making a big mess. The concrete you hit probably didn't stall the engine but it did make a heck of a lot of noise. They have been known to become missles and break out windows nearby. Be careful!!
Around here it is yellow jackets, not bees that give you fits, and they hurt a lot more then any bee I have ever been stung by. Two nests last year. One I took care of around midnight, all wrapped up in protective gear with some 7 dust. The other is still waiting.
More horsepower is great, along with a large cooler.
David from jax

 

[jbrumberg]

sandman2234:

The non-petrochemical/poisonous method to take out ground dwelling yellowjacket hornet nests is to place a clear glass/plastic bowl over their hive hole at night they can't figure how to get out and eventually starve. It has to be securely placed or they will tunnel out. I prefer pyrotechnics !. That really works and the element of risk adds to the excitement . Jay

 

[scott_vt]

Mornin RollTideRam,
Very interesting post ! I was going to post, why are you using such a small tractor to do that type of work, I guess I dont know my JD numbers vert well, just took a look in tractor data and thats a larger tractor your using ! Thanks for posting to remind myself why I dont want to mow 20 acre fields with a 5 ft mower ! Hope the stings go away soon !

 

[joe48]

Very informative story, thanks for sharing.

Now I'd like to know from all the guys that are doing bush hogging, (or used to).
What do (did) you charge? and by the hour or acre?

Did you adjust your rates depending on condition of the ground?

I think it would be very helpful to fellow TBN ers to know what rates are being charged around the country for different jobs.

 

[Flywheel]

I use an LX5 and do 5 - 20 acre places.

I charge $25 - $45/acre. I usually mow in 2Hi at 540PTo

If the land is pastureland that is maintained (grazed, shredded regularly) then that's $25. You add 110 degrees out and the price goes up - mesquites, think weeds rough terrain - price goes up.

Wit all this rain - I've got about 40 acres piled up - so once it stops...I'll be busy....Make sure you set your shredder up correctly, I shredded for a whole year until I got it right. Biggest think I learned this year, is to back ff the throttle when making tight turns - saves a lot of time by making good corners and not overdirving the steering capability - if you turn too fast, your turn will be wider. Also, unlatch your brakes and use the right pedal to make a sharper right turn.

I also remiove my bucket so I can see better - and keep an eye on the uncut portion next to you for stumps, logs, etc.

 

[Tact]

This was about 15 years ago, but at that time I charged $25/acre and I stayed busy. It was a side profession from the police department.
After cutting numerous fields and lots where the owners stated that everything was clear of any problems, there was always stumps, old discarded lawn mowers, chunks of concrete, etc., to be found; tearing my equipment to pieces.
What made my decision to quit was when I turned my tractor over, with me still hanging on for the ride, in a washed out swell(sp), big enough for a cow to hide in. The owner had not cut the land in about 10 years; again stating everything was flat and not a problem. You couldn't have pulled a greasy string out of............., you get the idea.

 

[scott_vt]

This was about 15 years ago, but at that time I charged $25/acre and I stayed busy. It was a side profession from the police department.
After cutting numerous fields and lots where the owners stated that everything was clear of any problems, there was always stumps, old discarded lawn mowers, chunks of concrete, etc., to be found; tearing my equipment to pieces.
What made my decision to quit was when I turned my tractor over, with me still hanging on for the ride, in a washed out swell(sp), big enough for a cow to hide in. The owner had not cut the land in about 10 years; again stating everything was flat and not a problem. You couldn't have pulled a greasy string out of............., you get the idea.

Morning Tact,
Interesting post ! I know alot of us have used the FEL to detect things out in the field, but what you forget is that, a dip or hole can be disastrous especially on a slope !!!

 

[Tact]

Morning Scott!
Back then my Ford 3000 didn't have a FEL, wished it did at the time. That big hole was actually what appeared to be in a flat field. The weeds had grown so tall that it covered the ditch.

 

[sandman2234]

I never thought about having too big a tractor for wide open spaces but it seems a plus for a smaller tractor in the fact that you have to slow down to keep from overloading the mower. That gives you more time to watch what is just ahead of the tractor before it gets to it. Also computes to a narrower mower so that gives you less area to watch at the same time. Maybe I need to start looking for a smaller tractor??
Just a thought for you smaller tractor owners.
David from jax