TAAAA - DAAAA

[DirtHauler]

No biggie.........but on 08/27 @ 10:15 am PST my Kioti hit 2000 hrs. No "major" problems to speak of so far other than @ 1650 hrs. = replaced clutch (for the fun of it) and at 1916 hrs. replaced broken left front wheel bearing and seal. And I noticed that it's starting to use oil ( it had "used" a little more than a quart in only 161 hrs.....no leaks) so I'm wondering how many more hours I can put it before I need to do a rebuild or valve job! Any guesses?

Pic of wheel bearing;

 

[MotorSeven]

WOW...2 grand...congrats!

How long did it take you to put on those hrs? My DK40 only has 520ish hrs in 3 years. But now that we are haying 40+ac, the hrs are going to rack up.

 

[dennis52]

From his Public profile looks like DirtHauler has done about 900 hrs over last year. Must be working hard or maybe retiring hard like me!

 

[DirtHauler]

WOW...2 grand...congrats!

How long did it take you to put on those hrs? My DK40 only has 520ish hrs in 3 years. But now that we are haying 40+ac, the hrs are going to rack up.

I bought my CK30 new in Feb. '06. I do high weed mowing/rototilling. The "season" starts around here about March goes to maybe the end of October/November. I run the "little puppy" 7 - 10 hrs. a day, 6-7 days a week !

 

[Highbeam]

What is high weed mowing? A specialty service for lawns that haven't been mowed on time? Do you mow marijuana?

 

[joe48]

I bought my CK30 new in Feb. '06. I do high weed mowing/rototilling. The "season" starts around here about March goes to maybe the end of October/November. I run the "little puppy" 7 - 10 hrs. a day, 6-7 days a week !

Dirt,
I'd like to compare notes on what you charge in Calf, vs. what I charge in upstate NY.
Do you charge by the hour for bush hogging or by the acre? Do you charge differently for box blade york rake or bach hoe work.? (I have a CK20HST)
I typically charged $30/hr from 05 till last year then I upped it $50. Also if I get a sense that people are uncomfortable with an hourly rate, I give a NOT TO EXCEED estimate then always come in with final bill for 10% less, makes them happy, makes me look like a hero too. I've had people tell me I don't charge enough doing it that way, but if I give an hourly rate then their imaginations run wild and it scares them.
Joe

 

[DirtHauler]

Dirt,
I'd like to compare notes on what you charge in Calf, vs. what I charge in upstate NY.
Do you charge by the hour for bush hogging or by the acre? Do you charge differently for box blade york rake or backhoe work.? (I have a CK20HST)
I typically charged $30/hr from 05 till last year then I upped it $50. Also if I get a sense that people are uncomfortable with an hourly rate, I give a NOT TO EXCEED estimate then always come in with final bill for 10% less, makes them happy, makes me look like a hero too. I've had people tell me I don't charge enough doing it that way, but if I give an hourly rate then their imaginations run wild and it scares them.
Joe

I charge by the hour ($50) whether it's "brush hogging", flail mowing, rototilling, box blading or bucket work and I charge an equipment haul in fee. My competitors and "gypsy mowers" are getting any where from $85 - $125 per hour. Charging by the acre is is difficult out here too many variables and, believe it or not, people under estimate the amount of land they have, example: A guy calls me and tells me he needs some mowing done on vacant land he has a weed abatement notice on, O.K., it's an acre. I give him a rough price with out seeing it based on his description, he says fine, do it and bill me. I show up a few days later at said place and guess what, it's actually 4 acres!! Guess who lost!

 

[DirtHauler]

What is high weed mowing? A specialty service for lawns that haven't been mowed on time? Do you mow marijuana?

I don't know about up in your state, but down here if you get any where near those "cash crop" gardens...........you get shot.....no questions asked! Besides, they're all in state parks and I don't mow parks. Have a friend who bought surplus park land, I had me haul his 'dozer up so he fix the road into his land, he was gonna spend the week end there. Called me that night to come up the next day and get the 'dozer, he'd found a "garden" on his land a dozed it down and wasn't sticking around for the out come!
As far as over grown lawns go, I've cut a few of those too, mainly in the spring when it's too tall and thick for their lawn tractors.