The Life of a Custom Mowing contractor

[Hay Dude]

This is why I respect you, @Hay Dude
It's easy to do it in early spring, and when you are fresh at it.
Harder to do it when tired.

Definitely respect your hustle, and thank you for being generous with your time to share your experiences with us!

Thanks. I love it, and it’s because it’s challenging.
People tell me I can’t do something, it’s like rocket fuel for me.

 

[Hay Dude]

How often do you have to change your blades? Do you ever sharpen them?

I’d say 3X per year. Now if I get into some rough crap, I will sharpen before I get back onto a customers grass.
CX-15 blades are really tough. Hold an “edge” well. Stand up to 3”+ material, then cut grass. I highly suggest Deere rotary cutters.

 

[Hay Dude]

More drenching thunderstorms last night here in “coastal” PA. Flash flooding in my back yard.
I think I saw a couple dolphins swim by.

 

[Molalla1]

I’d say 3X per year. Now if I get into some rough crap, I will sharpen before I get back onto a customers grass.
CX-15 blades are really tough. Hold an “edge” well. Stand up to 3”+ material, then cut grass. I highly suggest Deere rotary cutters.

x2 on the Deere cutters HD . . .

 

[Hay Dude]

A few from a few days ago. Under the power lines, on flood plain.

Barely dry enough to bale, but the baler showing plenty of dust.

 

[sixdogs]

How old is that baler and how many bales has it made?

 

[Hay Dude]

How old is that baler and how many bales has it made?

2014
~25,000
It has a lot more years on it than bales through it
2000 bales/yr is low

 

[Complete Turf Care]

@Hay Dude Whatever happened with the truck you were looking to buy?

Should I buy this truck?

It’s gotten more strange. So the seller said they would only share title pictures with my bank. He did share a picture of the title and a picture of the VIN in the trucks door jamb. However on the picture on the VIN number on the trucks door jamb, the sticker looks like it was ruined. Then...

www.tractorbynet.com

 

[rontaki]

@Hay Dude Whatever happened with the truck you were looking to buy?

Should I buy this truck?

It’s gotten more strange. So the seller said they would only share title pictures with my bank. He did share a picture of the title and a picture of the VIN in the trucks door jamb. However on the picture on the VIN number on the trucks door jamb, the sticker looks like it was ruined. Then...

www.tractorbynet.com

Did you bale on it?
Sorry, sorry, couldn't help it.

 

[Hay Dude]

@Hay Dude Whatever happened with the truck you were looking to buy?

Should I buy this truck?

It’s gotten more strange. So the seller said they would only share title pictures with my bank. He did share a picture of the title and a picture of the VIN in the trucks door jamb. However on the picture on the VIN number on the trucks door jamb, the sticker looks like it was ruined. Then...

www.tractorbynet.com

Its a long saga. Seller didn't want to put truck title in his name until I promised to buy it. Probably didn't want to pay the tax until he knew he had it sold.
He dragged his feet for a month.
I lost track of it.
He reached out to me last week and said someone's coming to look at it the 11th.
That was the last communication.

I still want to buy it.

 

[Hay Dude]

Back at it today. I lucked out last night and the usual nightly traunch of thunderstorms missed us.
I was able to do some morning hay mowing, then shot back to another field and got raked up about 2PM. Today it’s about 85* and partly sunny.
This field has 2 ponds nearby and seems like its always wet, especially on the lower side near the woods.
I teddered it yesterday, but decided not to rake the soft mushy areas.
Just not worth the mess of getting stuck for an acre of hay.

You can see the one pond. The headlands next to the waters edge are on mush.

Now in the baler.

Still a long ways to go to get caught up. Hard to believe I had 500 made at this time last year.

Tomorrow after church, I am going to try to get another field cut.
I’m sensing the end of first cutting is coming soon, but hate to jinx myself.

 

[Hay Dude]

I got a call from a Customer yesterday wanting to know about the availability of hay.
I told him I don’t yet have anything to sell him of quality I would stand behind. Most been rained-on.
He said he wasn’t sure with all the rain if there would be hay available and the cost would be high.
I said you bet it could to be high….this could be the great hay price “reset” all hay farmers have deserved for decades.
I sure hope so. These cheap-azz horse owners have been screwin hay farmers forever

 

[Peter 315]

I got a call from a Customer yesterday wanting to know about the availability of hay.
I told him I don’t yet have anything to sell him of quality I would stand behind. Most been rained-on.
He said he wasn’t sure with all the rain if there would be hay available and the cost would be high.
I said you bet it could to be high….this could be the great hay price “reset” all hay farmers have deserved for decades.
I sure hope so. These cheap-azz horse owners have been screwin hay farmers forever

Your a funny guy..

 

[scootr]

I got a call from a Customer yesterday wanting to know about the availability of hay.
I told him I don’t yet have anything to sell him of quality I would stand behind. Most been rained-on.
He said he wasn’t sure with all the rain if there would be hay available and the cost would be high.
I said you bet it could to be high….this could be the great hay price “reset” all hay farmers have deserved for decades.
I sure hope so. These cheap-azz horse owners have been screwin hay farmers forever

In the 80s and 90s we paid $6-7 for a 3 string 110 pound bale of horse hay. Today that bale is $20-25. Who's screwing who, really?

 

[Hay Dude]

Your a funny guy..

Troll another thread.

 

[Hay Dude]

In the 80s and 90s we paid $6-7 for a 3 string 110 pound bale of horse hay. Today that bale is $20-25. Who's screwing who, really?

What did a house cost in the 80’s compared to now? 1/4 of todays prices?
College for kids? In the 80’s it was $5,000/year to go to Penn State. Now its $40,000.

I bought a new 4WD diesel F-350 for $19,500 in 1990. Today is $90,000.
A farm tractor in the 80’s was $45,000. Now its $300,000.
A rotary hay rake was 2 grand….now it’s 12 grand.

Yeah scootr. Lets talk about whos screwin who….
I’m in the hay business. Stay in your lane. Don’t tell me me about hay prices.

You’d have to be a lunatic if you think hay prices have kept up with other prices.

 

[LouNY]

Plus being California, how far did the hay have to travel, how much did the water cost to irrigate that hay.
Then is that Alfalfa, Timothy or grass hay.

 

[scootr]

What did a house cost in the 80’s compared to now? 1/4 of todays prices?
College for kids? In the 80’s it was 4-5K a year to go to Penn State. Now its $40,000.

I bought a new 4WD diesel F-350 for $19,500 in 1990. Today is $90,000.
A farm tractor in the 80’s was $45,000. Now its $300,000.
A rotary hay rake was 2 grand….now it’s 12 grand.

Yeah scootr. Lets talk about whos screwin who….
I’m in the hay business. Stay in your lane. Don’t tell me me about hay prices.

You’d have to be a lunatic if you think hay prices have kept up with other prices.

Be nice. I just feel that hay has exceeded the market value. I don't keep horses any more. The high cost of quality feed is just one reason. If you don't like your chosen path choose another. Have a nice day.

 

[scootr]

Plus being California, how far did the hay have to travel, how much did the water cost to irrigate that hay.
Then is that Alfalfa, Timothy or grass hay.

California grows LOTS of grass and hay. Much of the Alfalfa is exported. Timothy has always costed double. I always preferred a grass hay mix. I don't buy it anymore so I have no dog in this race. Just saying it has tripled in price since 1990. and I'll bet that Timothy or Orchard grass is $30 a bale.

 

[Hay Dude]

Be nice. I just feel that hay has exceeded the market value. I don't keep horses any more. The high cost of quality feed is just one reason. If you don't like your chosen path choose another. Have a nice day.

Be nice?

Hey man, you came in implying I’m screwin horse owners….remember you said “who’s screwin who”?
I don’t appreciate that. I’m selling hay at lower than sought prices partly because every clown and their mother with a hay baler and 20 acres sells hay for $4/bale for beer money. You don’t know what I sell hay for, do you?

Don’t tell me to “have a nice day” then stick your little stiletto in my back…Come on man…... I like my career path. I don’t want to change it. I just want hay prices to be reflective of the input costs plus a reasonable profit.