Pictures from a skid steer mowing contractor

[workinonit]

Do you have those 2 mulchers on the payroll?

 

[Hay Dude]

Yes sir, an operator who keeps his machine moving steady and gives you the actual time that he is billing you for can accomplish quite a bit in a 4 hour window and his price sounds very fair, here in my part of Fl a machine of that size would start at $250 per hour, most guys with the mulchers will only bid by the acre or by the job.

Mulching is definitely an upcharge from bush hogging.
I consider mulching to go much farther than bush hogging. It cuts the material down to the dirt and turns it into fertilizer. It can cut roots at the surface, too.

I rent a friends CAT 297 with mulching head and typically charge about $2,000-$2,500 day.

 

[ddbackhoe]

I rent a friends CAT 297 with mulching head and typically charge about $2,000-$2,500 day.

View attachment 808196

You guys need to be extra careful with those mulching things. One of the local guys had his arms raised, cutting down a tree and the ssqa plate broke. The head rotated forward and ate the tracks and front idlers before he got it shut down. Had to throw away his pants too.

 

[Fixastuff]

The guy near me charges $250/hr for mulching. Not sure what machine he had its always out working.

 

[Fixastuff]

The guy near me charges $250/hr for mulching. Not sure what machine he had its always out working.

I looked at renting one for a week and by the time I factored in diesel(not sure what it burns/hr but I'm betting it's thirsty) and rental I'm not sure I could do it much cheaper myself. Of course then I couldn't do other work and I'm sure it takes a little time to get proficient with it. So $250/hr seemed very fair to me.

 

[Lineman North Florida]

View attachment 808184

Do you have those 2 mulchers on the payroll?

There are 28 more of them hid out in that sudan not counting the yearlings and the bull, and actually now that calf prices are back up those girls are on the payroll.

 

[Lineman North Florida]

Mulching is definitely an upcharge from bush hogging.
I consider mulching to go much farther than bush hogging. It cuts the material down to the dirt and turns it into fertilizer. It can cut roots at the surface, too.

View attachment 808197





I rent a friends CAT 297 with mulching head and typically charge about $2,000-$2,500 day.

View attachment 808196

Is that a drum mulcher or disc mulcher that you are using? With the carbide teeth rows on the bottom of my blade carrier I can do about as good a job as a disc mulcher after I back drag over what I have cut, but I haven't seen anything that tops a drum mulcher for a finished product.

 

[Lastkidpicked]

So several people said they enjoyed my pictures from some of my forestry mowing jobs, so instead of cluttering up hay dudes thread I will post in this thread.

Thank you for posting your pics and your experiences, Lineman.

And @Hay Dude I'm glad to see you posting over here. I enjoy the back and forth on your thread, and will continue to watch both.

Your generosity with your time and information is very much appreciated. Thank you from all of us.

 

[Lineman North Florida]

Well dodged the rain yesterday morning, it rained within about 1/2 mile from the field where I have the hay cut down, so I went and did a little dirt work job for a rock driveway and came home fluffed my field and then hooked to the baler and baled a small field that my neighbor had ready and had a bearing on 1 of the belt rollers go out so to the barn to tear it apart after it cooled down, by the time I made it back my neighbor had it mostly ready to get the belt roller tube out so we did, everyone was closed so waiting here this morning to see if anyone around here has one, we will see.

 

[LD1]

Im $100-$120/hr with my MX and 8' twin.

Clearing with a SS is a whole different ballgame.

There is sorta a competitor here that uses a tracked SS and front brush cutter.

In reality....we rarely overlap on jobs. I want the big open areas and have been cut within the last year or two. Pastures, unplanted fields that have became housing lots, etc.

I shy away from anything that has alot of saplings or brush. My mower only "rated" at 1".....and a 8' mower with the tractor....not very maneuverable. And I probably would have avoided the job in the first pic.

But get on a 5-10 acre open field and a SS is not very efficient at all. Slow and a rough ride. A job that would take me an hour or two at the most is gonna take a SS half a day.