The Life of a Custom Mowing contractor

[Hay Dude]

I have a customer right now that owes me money for months for hay. Fortunately its not often it happens.

 

[Hay Dude]

Part of the “Custom Mowing” business usually includes haying. In this business, you have a lot of properties that for decades, even centuries were hayed. As new owners come along, the same traditions are carried on year after year. One of those traditions we see here is “if you cut my fields for hay, you keep the hay as payment”. We do a LOT of that. So if they don‘t want to pay for rotary mowing, we cut hay and sell it.

Here a 55 acre parcels we just started cutting with the Massey Ferguson MF7495 and Pottinger Novacat 351 disc mower.
This field is one of the highest elevations in my 400 year old township. Lore has it that while the Battle of the Brandywine raged, the townsfolk not involved in the combat came to the top of this hill and watched the fighting which went on for several days as Washington’s Continental Army battled the Queens Rangers and General Howe of The British Empire.

Really goes through your bones when you are in the cab cutting, thinking of the previous people who were here, what they saw and the hours of sweat poured into what is left of this ancient farm.

The wind was really whipping the grass tops around as deer emerge like ghosts and run off into the nearby tree lines.

If the rain holds off, we will tedder this morning then begin raking & baling today and tomorrow. Weather has been very unpredictable.
I will add more pictures this evening.

 

[EddieWalker]

A little skid steer forestry mowing in some THICK vines and underbrush yesterday.View attachment 804825View attachment 804826View attachment 804827View attachment 804828View attachment 804829

I really enjoy your before and after photo's, but where are the pics of your tractors?

 

[oosik]

It all brings back memories - mostly NOT fond ones. My neighbor to the immediate south is a big rancher. Lots of cattle - many grazing areas. All over this part of the county - and beyond. About fifteen years ago he got into custom cutting. Keeps his very expensive equipment working.

After my almost begging - he let me operate a large tractor and round baler. One day was all it took. The dust, dirt, wind blown trash, etc, etc took all the mystery and potential adventure out of this operation. I've NEVER been so dusty, dirty and choked/stuffed up in all my life. And this was a cabbed tractor.

Granted - by the time its baling time here - our area is dry as a popcorn fart. But I thought a cabbed tractor would have reasonably clean air. Perhaps I'm just more bothered by what DOES make it into the cab.

 

[Lineman North Florida]

I really enjoy your before and after photo's, but where are the pics of your tractors?

I do most of the underbrushing with the skid steer and never really thought about taking or putting a picture of it in the post, I will try to do a little better job and make sure to include pictures of my equipment.

 

[Torvy]

I used to drive for a hay and silage contractor. Lifestylers were a major pita. They don't understand basic math. A 10' tractor does NOT fit a 9'6" gate. (unwritten lifstyler law:all gates will be 10ft)
If there are only proffesional farmer SIZED contractors MAKE SURE your gates fit the machinery(12" - 16')
The smaller the paddock, the less economic it is. Often it is just break even. The money is made on the professional farmers.

Then you have late payers, and beauraucrats demanding to spend your money on thier hobby horses.
Hay Dude is right, about therapy changing to high stress.

Our gates are 16'. Our main gates are 2 - 8' Priefert tubular steel panels. The rest are old-school wire fencing gates crafted from the same materials as the fence, secured with wire loops.

 

[Lastkidpicked]

I always kid around with my customers that once I’m gone, there won’t be anyone to replace me, unless it’s “artificial intelligence”.
It IS the end of an era.

Between the incessant negativity towards farmers, the long hours, the high input costs and the low pay, it’s just not an attractive way to make a living anymore.

I'm very glad you are making it work. Mostly because I enjoy your posts. And I appreciate you being up front about the costs involved.

Here is a perfect example of what we saw this morning at the hay auction.

The kids saw a bunch of fliers stating, "We will haul your hay home for you-- $2 /bale" (Small Bales) We found out the guys placing the fliers were college kids, so good on them for being ambitious.

My first thought was $2 /bale! They are striking it rich!

Our kids got all excited and wanted in on this million dollar idea. Then they started doing the math.

1) Three or four kids hang out until the end of the auction.
2) They use their truck and my gooseneck to deliver 200 bales.
3) They add up the use of the truck, the use of my trailer (I'll donate that)
4) Everything goes smoothly (we know it won't but just for discussion, everything goes smoothly)
5) They pocket $400, which they split up amongst themselves.

But wait!

If they each just volunteer to work a bit of overtime at their regular jobs, they will make that much with no risk and no wear and tear. No worries about flat tires, non working trailer lights, or any of that.

To put a finer point on it-- for some of this stuff, you can't charge enough to make it worth it.

 

[Hay Dude]

Back at it today. Cloudy & cool, but dray with a little breeze. Not the greatest baling weather. Good chance to make some organic feed hay.

Hooked up the tedder about 10:30 and went to town. Man is my back window dirty!

My son got there about 12 and we started raking. He’s doing well with the new wheel rake. The thing is lightning fast.

I started baling after he got a 5 minute head start. Had some problems getting the monitor to “talk” to the baler. Seems to happen about every other baling session. Have to re-boot it a few times.

At 65% pressure, I can make a 1600lb dry hay bale. We were using 75% pressure Wednesday and they were running about 1750lbs.

I was popping a string on about every 4th bale Wednesday and today. Had been using 440 rated twine, but I think it’s been in the baler since last year and may have deteriorated a bit. Not really sure. Had no string popping issues last year with same twine. Have had more than I expect this year.

I switched to the Bridon 550lb rating twine. Hoping that will help. 20 rolls was almost $1,000.
Prices for inputs are insane.

 

[Hay Dude]

Wednesday, First time in my career I had 2 things break simultaneously. On the Challenger, I started smelling diesel fuel. Then it smelled like it was smoking. My fuel return line ruptured and started spraying the upper part of the engine block with fuel. Got it shut down before any kind of fire.
I had no fuel line and had to improvise. found some just slightly larger hose and slit it lengthwise. I wrapped it around the rupture and installed 3 small hose clamps over the hose.

Don’t laugh-it worked! Still holding now.

Jumped back in to start tractor and the reverser wouldnt allow me to move forward or reverse!! Turns out at the same time my fuel line ruptured, a tiny magnetic sensor that senses the position of the emergency brake lever took a dump. It sets off an alarm and renders the tractor immobile so you wont drive with your E-brake “on” and destroy your emergency braking system (very expensive). I had to disconnect the wiring harness from it to finish out the day without an E-brake. No biggie, but i lost 30 minutes trying to figure it out.

Agriteer mailed me the part and I had it on today.

Got home 9 pm tonight, saw my family, watched the Phillies and off to bed. Tomorrow’s another day.,

 

[mrmikey]

Got it shut down before any kind of fire.

That's got to be scary as he77, a fire on a field and machine full of dry fuel. What do you carry for fire control?