Bushhogging Business

[fordman41291]

Hey y'all, hope all is well haven't been on here in a hot minute been real busy with everything. got a few questions every year I run a bushhog business during prime seasons, Spring, Summer, Fall.

Ive heard my prices are too high for the equipment I run which is a Kubota B8200 and a Bushhog Brand 4 footer.

I usually charge 40$ an hour plus a 2 hour minimum. Ive heard some people say thats cheap and others say its high. but I figure 40$ an hour covers my time, gas getting there, and fuel in the tractor and any other fluids i might need?

what would y'all do charge per hour or charge per acre and how much?

Thanks

Ken Klein
LK&W Ag. Property and Land Mgmt. Group.
Murfreesboro, TN 37130

 

[xring100]

That doesn't sound 2 bad considering your covering hauling loading and unloading with the fee. I try to figure about $75 / hour when when working mine. With my 84" Bush hog I can mow most fields at 3.5 - 5 mph covering
2.5-3.75 acres / hr depends on terrain. I've never had problems bogging down my neighbors 7 acre field plus his trails in the woods takes 2.5 hours.
I guess I can understand when they say your equipment is is a little small with only 19hp but seriously you have to make a living and cover maintenance.

 

[fordman41291]

hey man thanks for the input, yeah Ive had one person say i charge too much for the size of my little kubota, but i honestly thought that was cheap for charging per hour, what would you charge per acre?

 

[adventure bob]

Size is irrelevant unless it makes you slower. According to most mowing calculators found on the net, a 4ft deck at 3mph will get you about 1.31acres/hr. 5mph with your deck gets you Aprox 2.18.
So in your business model the judgment of pricing comes from how rough the terrain is.

 

[adventure bob]

Jut went out and looked, field and rough mowing is $40-$50 an hour regardless of part of the country.

 

[adventure bob]

According to the GSA (how the feds buy stuff) field mowing is priced and described as:
Large Natural Fields, Open Spaces and/or Road Right of Ways:
Provide all labor, equipment, and material associated with the Mowing of large natural fields, and
/or open spaces, and road right of ways. All turf grounds shall be policed for trash, litter, debris
and it shall be removed prior to operation. The turf shall be mowed at a height between 3 and 6
inches on a schedule of between 7 and 15 days as requested by client. To assure a high quality
cutting, all mower blades shall be sharpened prior to operation and all mowers shall be kept in top
maintenance condition. Grass clippings from mowing operation shall be allowed to decay naturally
to keep with our environmental procedures. Excessive clippings will be removed only upon
request and as a separate charge. No trimming shall be performed areas shall be left natural.
Prices are based upon referenced areas being maintained within the previous 6 months.
Cost of service = $46.00 per acre per service

 

[RDrancher]

I have my FIL handle all of the brush hogging for us with his 40 hp Kubota and 6' shredder. For straight pastures it's $40 an acre with a $150 minimum. Lots of trees, overgrown properties or junk to negotiate and its a quoted price. There's too many "for beer money" guys around here, that's for sure.

 

[Sammy3700]

I have a 3700 and my buddy has a 3400 we both run 5' mowers and charge 50 a hour per tractor. We normally run together.

 

[fordman41291]

I have a 3700 and my buddy has a 3400 we both run 5' mowers and charge 50 a hour per tractor. We normally run together.

Are those both Kubotas? And how many HP are they? I got a bushhog brand 4ft cutter and does fine whims my b8200 just sometimes it can be a little slow how much bigger of a bushhog can I go with my b8200?

 

[DT86]

There's too many "for beer money" guys around here, that's for sure.

I have been competing against these people my whole adult life. They make it hard to get jobs.

"Jimmy-John up the street did it last year for (insert ridiculously low figure), can't you match that?"

The other ones that make it hard are the people who will drag a disc mower and baler across any field, regardless of lack of forage quality. (add the property owners who think I would just love to do it for the free "hay")

 

[RDrancher]

The other ones that make it hard are the people who will drag a disc mower and baler across any field, regardless of lack of forage quality. (add the property owners who think I would just love to do it for the free "hay")

Or want to split the hay with you...and it's barely cow quality. That's one of the reasons I only baled one season and called it quits

 

[fordman41291]

I have been competing against these people my whole adult life. They make it hard to get jobs.

"Jimmy-John up the street did it last year for (insert ridiculously low figure), can't you match that?"

The other ones that make it hard are the people who will drag a disc mower and baler across any field, regardless of lack of forage quality. (add the property owners who think I would just love to do it for the free "hay")

I just got off the phone with someone who was like that. I usually try to charge by the hour but sometimes I just charge by the job. I think I averaged it out to be 30$ per acre is what u end up charging for the jobs were I charge by the job.

 

[Industrial Toys]

I guess we are all in that same boat. As a technian with a toolcase, I get $50.00 an hour. Show up with a hundred grand of equipment and I can charge $75.00. Makes no sense.

I have a 6200 JD and a 16 foot Bat wing mower that I would charge $75.00 an hour. A small tractor cutting 4 feet at $75.00 an hour seems a bit much, but hey, if you can get it, all the power to you.

I cut ditches at one customer, again with the 6200 and a VanWamel (sp?) Perfect ditch mower. Also charge $75.00 an hour plus travel time. If I hit one nasty stone with those heavy hammers, theres twenty or so bucks gone out of my pocket.

Around here you can hire a pretty big Excavator for $100.00 an hour plus you have to pay transport. Something like that can do an awfull lot of work in an hour and just think of the cost of that machine.

 

[mccash40]

Usually the "for beer money" guys are getting lots of other "freebees" as well. I would say$75 PH is a more than fair price.

 

[Industrial Toys]

What you want is one of those Gigs for the Rich Old Lady, whos husband is always away travelling on business and leaves her with a big wad of cash to look after the place! Talk about over charging AND a happy customer! To her, your 19 HP tractor IS a D9!

 

[xring100]

Are those both Kubotas? And how many HP are they? I got a bushhog brand 4ft cutter and does fine whims my b8200 just sometimes it can be a little slow how much bigger of a bushhog can I go with my b8200?

Usually they quote 5 hp per foot of cut with 16 pto hp your already running almost a foot more BH than recommended. If your already bogging down now, 3.2 hp per foot with a 5 ft versus 4 hp per foot in the 4 ft your talking 20% less power per foot. This is definitely not going to be good. A 6 footer would be plain ridiculous on the back not just for power but size and weight. My buddy has a light 6 footer on his b3030 23 pto and it's over sized looks massive and is okay if it's light field grass but in thicker stuff he's either crawling or leaving a couple feet of overlap.

 

[kevin37b]

Or want to split the hay with you...and it's barely cow quality. That's one of the reasons I only baled one season and called it quits

Like your new avatar . I guess this will have to do until the misses slims down . How old is the hired man ? I enjoy your posts and your intellect . You will love that machine .

 

[LD1]

Lots of these threads come up on TBN about how to charge. And IMO, charging by the hour isnt the best way. ITs fine to have a target, or a $$ per hour number YOU want to achieve, and use that number to factor your price, but I never clue the customer in on this number. First, they will always ask, "how long do you think it will take?" and heaven for bid you go over a bit. And second, cause for most working folk making ~$15-$25 per hour at their "day job" just seem to think that $40 or $50 per hour is obsurd. And third, cause they dont know you or your equipment. If you bid a 10 acre job at $40 per hour, and someone else bids it at $60 per hour but are running a 60HP tractor with a 8' cutter, who do you think is going to get the job? likely you cause you "appear" cheaper. But in reality, the $60 per hour guy could do it cheaper cause he would get done twice as fast.

So whenever I price a job, It is by the job. Just too many variables. Property condition, how dense, obsticals, location, etc. All play a role in how I figure my price. But I do put in my ad that prices are typically between $35 and $50 per acre, and minimums apply. But ultimately, I shoot for $50 per hour from the time I leave my house till the time I am back to my house.

So obviously the guy that is 5 miles away, and has 10 acres of wide open pasture that is smooth and I can go fast, is closer to or under the $35 per acre mark. But the guy an hour away, and only wanting 2 acres done, and is overgrown saplings and briar patches, with lots of obsticals...well he pays more per acre. Likely under a minimum charge. I would figure a few hours to do the job, and a few hours of travel, and just quote him $200. Take it or leave it.

 

[RDrancher]

Like your new avatar . I guess this will have to do until the misses slims down . How old is the hired man ? I enjoy your posts and your intellect . You will love that machine .

Thanks Kevin! The hired hand is my 2 year old. Yep...I'm apparently too dumb to quit.

 

[DDowner]

Lots of these threads come up on TBN about how to charge. And IMO, charging by the hour isnt the best way. ITs fine to have a target, or a $$ per hour number YOU want to achieve, and use that number to factor your price, but I never clue the customer in on this number. First, they will always ask, "how long do you think it will take?" and heaven for bid you go over a bit. And second, cause for most working folk making ~$15-$25 per hour at their "day job" just seem to think that $40 or $50 per hour is obsurd. And third, cause they dont know you or your equipment. If you bid a 10 acre job at $40 per hour, and someone else bids it at $60 per hour but are running a 60HP tractor with a 8' cutter, who do you think is going to get the job? likely you cause you "appear" cheaper. But in reality, the $60 per hour guy could do it cheaper cause he would get done twice as fast.

So whenever I price a job, It is by the job. Just too many variables. Property condition, how dense, obsticals, location, etc. All play a role in how I figure my price. But I do put in my ad that prices are typically between $35 and $50 per acre, and minimums apply. But ultimately, I shoot for $50 per hour from the time I leave my house till the time I am back to my house.

So obviously the guy that is 5 miles away, and has 10 acres of wide open pasture that is smooth and I can go fast, is closer to or under the $35 per acre mark. But the guy an hour away, and only wanting 2 acres done, and is overgrown saplings and briar patches, with lots of obsticals...well he pays more per acre. Likely under a minimum charge. I would figure a few hours to do the job, and a few hours of travel, and just quote him $200. Take it or leave it.

This is how I would price jobs also.
By the time you figure cost of machine and attachments maintenance liability insurance truck trailer you should have enough for a can of beans when done.
As they say, " better to be a idle fool than a busy one"
It May take some time but once your known with the people that will pay a fair price for a job you will have more work coming your way.
Cheers Bob