Pictures from a skid steer mowing contractor

[Fixastuff]

In my opinion you have to worry about repair costs you’re either not working efficiently or you’re not charging enough. You have to charge enough to repair and enough to replace the machine when the time comes. Downtime is the only thing I worry about when an essential machine breaks down.

 

[4570Man]

yeah.. I got stuck one too many times with tires in mud. Never even been close to getting stuck with the tracks. But they now need to be replaced .. Im guessing 3K for new ones. Tires would be 600 ish. .. Pay to play. .. I think I got 400 hours out of this set.. They still have tread but the splits in them are pretty bad.

400 hours out of a set of tracks is pretty rough. The 75 on the concrete had 1100 hours when I sold it and as far as I know they’re the original tracks. The 90 has 1100 hours and as far as i know those are the original tracks. Those tracks are pretty slick. I expect the last owner were using that machine for snow removal on asphalt. The 75 on the trailer has around 300 hours and we bought that machine new so I know those are the original tracks.

 

[4570Man]

yeah.. I got stuck one too many times with tires in mud. Never even been close to getting stuck with the tracks. .

I’ve got the track machine stuck a couple times but it takes a lot more than just looking at a wet spot like the wheel machine. My 90 that weighs a ton more on 450mm tracks actually floats better than the 75s do. That picture with tracks in the dirt is my friends 75 on regular tracks vs my 90 tracks.

 

[Lineman North Florida]

Considering the heat, humidity and rainfall, how long those plants re-grow??

It will be good for the rest of this year, but if not maintained or sprayed will be back needing attention within 2 years. I have some customers who are really good about maintaining the areas that I have cleared for them but most will be asking me if it's always this hot out here and are the bugs always this bad? I know for sure that me or someone like me will be going back to those.

 

[Lineman North Florida]

This week I have been doing a little tractor work, bush hogging a 12 acre area and the customer wanted a couple of different areas tilled up and 2 different types of bahia planted, so I took care of that to and rolled the seed in with my small roller, now he just needs some rain as it is extremely dry here.

 

[EddieWalker]

Is that sand that the grass is trying to grow in?

 

[Lineman North Florida]

Is that sand that the grass is trying to grow in?

More or less, but Bahia will grow just about anywhere as long as it can get a little water along and along until it gets established, once established it is extremely drought tolerant.

 

[paulsharvey]

More or less, but Bahia will grow just about anywhere as long as it can get a little water along and along until it gets established, once established it is extremely drought tolerant.

But, it takes Forever to get established from seed... The TiftQuik variant is suppost to get going much faster, but ita also $300/50#

 

[Lineman North Florida]

But, it takes Forever to get established from seed... The TiftQuik variant is suppost to get going much faster, but ita also $300/50#

I've had very little problems getting it established, although IMHO it is quicker to take in the fall of the year when weeds and other grasses are on the decline and are not competing with it, planting this time of year will require keeping the weeds mowed so it doesn't get shaded out. I can get the Tif-Quick or the UF Riatta from my source for about $150 per 50lb bag, both are hybrids and you can't tell them apart.

 

[paulsharvey]

More or less, but Bahia will grow just about anywhere as long as it can get a little water along and along until it gets established, once established it is extremely drought tolerant.

In North FLa, basically all roadside right of ways are either bahia (generally Argentina or Pensacola) or Bermuda. I would say, its probably on the 80% bahia. Although FLa gets a pretty decent ammount of rain over a year, there are periods where it can be 3+ weeks without rain. Mostly spring.