The Life of a Custom Mowing contractor

[Hay Dude]

Here are my weapons for grass and brush. Someone asked earlier in the thread what I use. I keep both Kombi shafts with me and run whichever one suits me.

The 131 runs strong, but still nice & light. Although after 8 hours, it starts getting tiresome.

 

[two_bit_score]

Stihl 131 waiting for me to pick it up and finish off this swath of cat tails. I hate cutting them down. They are so cool.

What would it hurt to leave a strip of cat tails in that marshy spot? Seems like it would be good to mark it off as a marshy/boggy place. I know you are doing what they direct you to do.

 

[Hay Dude]

What would it hurt to leave a strip of cat tails in that marshy spot? Seems like it would be good to mark it off as a marshy/boggy place. I know you are doing what they direct you to do.

It wouldn’t hurt at all. I think they look nice in the canal, but it’s not really my call.

 

[LittleBittyBigJohn]

I got a 131 a while back. I decided to save the money and not get a Kombi, figured I would never need anything but the tri-blade. I kick myself for that now. I would like to be able to add a pole saw.

 

[Hay Dude]

I got a 131 a while back. I decided to save the money and not get a Kombi, figured I would never need anything but the tri-blade. I kick myself for that now. I would like to be able to add a pole saw.

They are really nice. Guy has one used on FB. Says one year old. Looks great no attachments $300.
They are $479 now With NO attachments!

I’m thinking about buying it.

 

[Hay Dude]

Along with a lot of brush clearing & field mowing, bale loading & trucking is now in the forefront. Time to finally truck these blocks in and get some $$ for them.

getting bales from stacks.

Loading on truck.

 

[Hay Dude]

Loaded up 15 bales on this load. It will be about 13+ tons

Waiting to get on the scale behind “Nightmare” lol

Here’s what one of the bale storage depots looks like

 

[tradosaurus]

Living the dream.

 

[two_bit_score]

How much did it weigh?

 

[Hay Dude]

How much did it weigh?

Nightmare was 32,000 empty.
I’m 20,000 empty.

 

[Hay Dude]

Living the dream.

Up until the bills need paid, yes.

 

[Lineman North Florida]

Loaded up 15 bales on this load. It will be about 13+ tons

View attachment 830919


Waiting to get on the scale behind “Nightmare” lol


View attachment 830920


Here’s what one of the bale storage depots looks like


View attachment 830921

Are the bale storage depot's just hay brokers?

 

[Hay Dude]

Are the bale storage depot's just hay brokers?

No
Thats a mushroom farm hay storage depot.
They will take those bales, break them apart and mix the piles of hay with lime, water, horse manure and poultry litter to make a product that looks kind of like peat moss. This will be spread out a few inches thick in trays in concrete block “barns” that will be the soil that grows mushrooms in. Its a huge business in my area.
I sell to another guy that bags it up into a potting soil. He has 100lb square shaped bags of it piled up to the sky. Rail road cars full of it.

 

[Hay Dude]

I need a bigger truck. That’s my next mission, well, one of them….
I would like to buy a good used tandem and pull a 25-30’ pup trailer with it.

The Ram & the Kaufman work, but I need something super heavy duty that can traverse bad rough country with all these bales. Have my eyes on a 6x6 with a flatbed, but its nearly impossible to find one with a long enough wheelbase for a 25’ flatbed. Of course it will be tagged a farm truck.

Would also like to haul more bales on each load. 16 bales on the Ram/Kaufman ain’t bad, but I’d prefer 20-24.

The investment cost, even on used truck/trailer will be enormous.

Something like this with longer wheelbase:

 

[Lineman North Florida]

I need a bigger truck. That’s my next mission, well, one of them….
I would like to buy a good used tandem and pull a 25-30’ pup trailer with it.

The Ram & the Kaufman work, but I need something super heavy duty that can traverse bad rough country with all these bales. Have my eyes on a 6x6 with a flatbed, but its nearly impossible to find one with a long enough wheelbase for a 25’ flatbed. Of course it will be tagged a farm truck.

Would also like to haul more bales on each load. 16 bales on the Ram/Kaufman ain’t bad, but I’d prefer 20-24.

The investment cost, even on used truck/trailer will be enormous.

Yeah and if it's like my bottom line on hay, the profit margins are slim at times.

 

[Rustyiron]

HD what's up with your fwd International. Winter project?
Are you currently Raming hay out of the field home and later to market? If you could make a conventional 6x4 road tractor work for sales and the Ram for fields with no roadside access to shuttle home. I'm sure you know this especially after your 4x4 single axle search, but sometimes the last little bit of convenience is an expensive step.

 

[Hay Dude]

I have the International 4x4 at work now, but still has a few gremlins. I also need to get commercial vehicle IFTA staickers, GVWR decals and all that other bullcrap. So much to do and now it’s getting dark at 4:30 and cold, too.
Headlights ain’t working (all other lights work) now so gotta dig into that.

It never friggin ends….

 

[Hay Dude]

Back to the highly desired “off farm” work

Weed wacked this pond yesterday. Luckily I had help. Me, myself and I all did it together.


First I got as close as I could with the F. I mangaged NOT to get stuck or put it in the water. Afterall I am a “professional”

Then “WE” weed wacked the rest. My wife always said I could do the work of 3 men….

This is a great customer. They have common ground that needs regular cutting, a 12 acre hay field, fields cut with 15’ mower that cannot be hayed, and the annual pond cut.

All adds up to a decent amount of gross income added to the bottom line.

 

[mrmikey]

That pond is a beautiful site. The three guys did a great job cleaning it up....shound give 'em a raise

 

[Hay Dude]

That pond is a beautiful site. The three guys did a great job cleaning it up....shound give 'em a raise

You know, that pond cutting project actually pays well. All 3 of us made good money
The people who run the HOA think it’s an “impossible job”, so they don’t mind paying well. I appreciate that they think that way

One thing I have learned is if you are ever desperate enough to pursue my line of work, NEVER price ANYTHING by the HOUR.

Always price by the entire job.