Price per acre - bush hogging

[Farmwithjunk]

It has been a while since anyone has asked about current bush hogging pricing. The new growing season is upon us and I am starting to get calls for "How much to..."

What are others charging for bush hog jobs? I know, a lot depends on location, terrain, obstacles, etc., but what do you charge for a plain vanilla job (say 10 acres of flat land with no obstructions, 15 miles from your prking place)?

- Jeremy in Kentucky

A one time cut? Or 3-4 times per season? Has it been cut in recent years? Heavy brush? Or just "tall grass"? What size equipment are you using?

That's 1-1/2 to 2 hours with equipment we're using, not including haul time. Jobs that small pay a premium for transport cost.

Probably looking at $300 to $450 for repeat cuts, in clean conditions, depending on location.

 

[LoneCowboy]

I agree, about 400/450 bucks or so here too.

flat land, what a concept, never seems to exist around here (Floridians may have different problems. )

 

[Farmwithjunk]

I agree, about 400/450 bucks or so here too.

flat land, what a concept, never seems to exist around here (Floridians may have different problems. )

We have flat ground here too.

It may be VERTICAL, but it's flat

Just got off the phone with a rep for a homeowners association with 22 ten acre tracts to be mowed 4 times this summer @ $380 each per cut! All reasonably level, no obstructions, no exposed rock, not the first tree in the way, and payment upon completion.

Wish they were all so nice!

 

[jmfox]

Thats 22 times 4 times $380= $33,440.00

Is that your cut?

jmf

 

[Farmwithjunk]

Thats 22 times 4 times $380= $33,440.00

Is that your cut?

jmf

My cut, less expenses. (insurance, fuel, operators salaries, hauling, equipment cost, and 4 postage stamps )

 

[pitt_md]

Flat ground with no obsticals? My pastures grow rocks every year. No such thing as a clean field around me. Had a neighbor ask me to cut down about 20 acres of small brush/tall grass. I went to take a look and found 6 different box springs/matteres sets, scrape iron, two engine blocks....
I just told him I couldn't help him.

 

[jmfox]

Flat ground with no obsticals? My pastures grow rocks every year. No such thing as a clean field around me. Had a neighbor ask me to cut down about 20 acres of small brush/tall grass. I went to take a look and found 6 different box springs/matteres sets, scrape iron, two engine blocks....
I just told him I couldn't help him.

Mowing should not be confused with salvage and land reclamation.

jmf

 

[MrJimi]

I wish that some of you lived in NorthEast Florida, I have a few that could use some clearing

 

[john_bud]

Flat ground with no obsticals? My pastures grow rocks every year. No such thing as a clean field around me. Had a neighbor ask me to cut down about 20 acres of small brush/tall grass. I went to take a look and found 6 different box springs/matteres sets, scrape iron, two engine blocks....
I just told him I couldn't help him.

Heck, At the price of scrap iron today, you might make out better just cleaning out that junk!

 

[firemanpat2910]

Heck, At the price of scrap iron today, you might make out better just cleaning out that junk!

or at least that would help defray the cost of the 4 stamps

 

[Farmwithjunk]

or at least that would help defray the cost of the 4 stamps

You bought any stamps lately?

 

[WarrenF]

We have flat ground here too.

It may be VERTICAL, but it's flat

Just got off the phone with a rep for a homeowners association with 22 ten acre tracts to be mowed 4 times this summer @ $380 each per cut! All reasonably level, no obstructions, no exposed rock, not the first tree in the way, and payment upon completion.

Wish they were all so nice!

I cheer and applaud you FarmwithJunk. It tickles me no end when I hear stories about those who quietly and consistently go out and do what they love. What is even more thrilling is that they usually make their love into something quite profitable. WOW, ONLY IN AMERICA.

 

[john_bud]

You bought any stamps lately?

Or sold any scrap iron?

Last time rusy iron was moving this fast it was being melted down for Sherman tanks!

jb

 

[GaryCrowell]

Or sold any scrap iron?

Last time rusy iron was moving this fast it was being melted down for Sherman tanks!

jb

No kidding. Yesterday I took a 16' trailer load of scrap iron to the scrap metal place, I expected to get about $50 for it. I almost fell out when they weighed me out and gave me $217.10 for it. But then again, pulling around the corner to the truck stop and filling up with $4 a gallon diesel took some of the joy out of it.

 

[skidsteer.ca]

We charge $85 per hour on small jobs, $75 on more then a 8 hour day, plus travel.
I don't do enough of any one type of mowing to charge by the acre. The jobs varry too much, rough, soft ground, 1/2 of what we do is atv trails for hunting propertys, often on the frost in the spring or fall when the snow is not to deep and the mud holes are frozen.
You not going to get much more then that around here either. There is not the volume of work to pay for high maintenance,high end new ctl skid loaders and grinding equipment in this market.
Ken

 

[firemanpat2910]

You bought any stamps lately?

Im saving up to by a whole book. I must be gettin old I still remember mailing bills with $.13 STAMPS

 

[schmism]

i was considering 40-50/hr with an avg of 1 acre per hr with my TC33 and 5' mower.

remember to look at the acres per hr also.

one guy charging $80/hr but cuts 2 acres/hr is the same as me.

Ill cut "smoke'n deals" for neighbors i dont have to trailer up for.

generally im going for knee high weeds/grass in areas that were previously (or will be again) pasture, in the smaller 1-5 acer sizes that fit my equipment well and the bigger guys dont want to fool with.

 

[john_bud]

Hey Schmism,

I just noticed that you are outside of STL. Years ago I used to live by the airport and work at the Pfizer plant in East St Louis. (fun place - not!)

jb

 

[LoneCowboy]

i was considering 40-50/hr with an avg of 1 acre per hr with my TC33 and 5' mower.

.

it simply isn't possible to make money at $50/hour
Your costs are in that range. (before taxes you have never heard of wipe that out too) I've done more than a couple analysis on that, feel free to search for them.
here, I just did it again

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/showthread.php?p=1375097#post1375097

Oh sure, you might think you are making money
til something breaks, or you have to go replace your tractor because it's gotten old and you realize you don't have that money saved up. (you haven't accounted for depreciation)

You simply aren't accounting for everything, much less an actual wage.

 

[schmism]

it simply isn't possible to make money at $50/hour
Your costs are in that range.

My costs? or your costs?

Ive followed your threads closely Lone....Im understand at how you break down your costs.

I would say the biggest difference between me and you would be our equipment. Yours being brand new (or relatively) with payments.

All of mine is used. My brushhog i use is a $250 jobber off of craigslist. Even if it fell off the back of the trailer and got wadded up in a ball by a passing freight train, replacement cost for a similar unit is of little concern. should something break on the tractor, i dont have to load it up and take 2-3 hrs out of my day to haul it to some craptastic dealer for warenty work. I just buy the $30 hose or ______ part and put it on myself.

Shure my time is worth something, but i spent the same amount of time fixing my tractor as you did running yours back to the stealer to have them work on yours. so IMHO its a wash. (with out all the stealer aggravation)

And at the end of the day, the more you make the more they take. So it might be a wash at the end of the day, so what. What else would i be doing, sitting around reading the newspaper or swat'n flys? Or i could be out enjoying doing what i do.
Im not depending on it for a lively hood. As such it affords me certain freedoms im shure you dont have.