Pasture Aeration

[JimRB]

This is the one I want. I would have to save for a while.
2012 First Products Aera-vator Landscape/Sod | FIRST PRODUCTS, INC. TIFTON, GA

 

[treekatie]

What about how much to charge per acre? And Jim you right that's WAY out of my price range, and I don't even see a price!

 

[RDrancher]

I rent a core / spade unit from the local Kubota dealer. It runs about $160 per day. I charge by the hour for the tractor with one hour move-on / four hour minimum and split the rental cost. Sometimes I drop the move-on charge if its close. I always try to put together at least a couple jobs at a time to make it a day.

Brushogging runs form $30-$35 per acre around here. I charge $35 for existing customers and $50 an hour for new fields. I figure 1.5 acres per hour and aerating takes about the same time as shredding if that helps.

 

[Cantoo]

For that many acres, you would be better to buy an old one if you can't rent one. RD rancher is right on the time being close to bush hogging but fuel usage and the chance of damaging the machine would be way less so adjust your price accordingly.
They also make tow behind ones that have a hand operated hydraulic pump to raise and lower them, depending on your property type if you don't have a tractor you could tow it with a truck.
The aerator type are pricy, the one I had was the slicer style and I wasn't impressed with it. 4" wide and tuff looking but everything worked, bought for $500. Sold it for more.

 

[treekatie]

OK so this is what I ended up doing. He wants about a 3 acre tract disced up for a garden. $325 for that. The other 20 acres of his place he wants aerated, I found a used aerator that needs some welding repairs for around $600. So I'd end up starting off almost $300 in the hole with an unknown piece of equipment I may never end up using again.

Told him that the best I could do is straighten up my discs and aerate it with those for $25 an acre. That's $500, but if he wants me to do both I'd do it for $800 even. We'll see. Does that sound reasonable? I don't think I can do it for much less.

 

[RDrancher]

If you can do it in a day or even two it sounds pretty good. $800 cash sounds even better.

Depending on what type of aerator that is the price sounds good. I have a handful of customers that I aerate for twice a year, so purchasing one that sits for 350 days a year isn't worth it for me.