The Life of a Custom Mowing contractor

[Hay Dude]

Back at it with Field Mowing today. Looks like some 5’ tall Johnson Grass. It’ll be 10’ tall in another month. It’s 98 degrees and humid, but the cab is pretty comfy with the AC blastin.

Some nasty stuff….

Done this part.

 

[deserteagle71]

Hay Dude, every time I see the pics you post I'm reminded of how incredibly lush and green Pennsylvania is, compared to Nevada where the only green is an irrigated pivot.

 

[LouNY]

Spring time it greens up nice for a bit.

 

[Hay Dude]

Hey deserteagle71,
My son is in Vegas as we speak with his new fiance’
He just got done 8 days in the Utah mountains, Moab, etc.

 

[sixdogs]

Back at it with Field Mowing today. Looks like some 5’ tall Johnson Grass. It’ll be 10’ tall in another month. It’s 98 degrees and humid, but the cab is pretty comfy with the AC blastin.

View attachment 3835996


Some nasty stuff….






Done this part.

After mowing, your cut areas look so smooth with the mowed grass looking evenly distributed. Does that high grass, especially with all the rain this year want to bunch up in clumps and leave piles oft grass?

 

[hayden]

So a lot of this land sounds like open space that was set aside as part of a housing development, and is now managed by the HOA? It's interesting to look back on this "open space" development concept that got started in the 90s, and now seeing how it's working out. The good part seems to be that there is preserved open space, active hay fields, and a nicer area vs packed in houses.

What are the down sides? You have to deal with HOAs, but are they any more finicky than land owners?

 

[Hay Dude]

After mowing, your cut areas look so smooth with the mowed grass looking evenly distributed.

Thanks. It takes extra effort to stay on top of the blade sharpening and be willing to drive slow enough for a nice cut quality.

Does that high grass, especially with all the rain this year want to bunch up in clumps and leave piles oft grass?

I know what you mean, but no not too much. I find the Deere rotary mowers do a beautiful cutting job. I highly recommend them.

 

[Hay Dude]

So a lot of this land sounds like open space that was set aside as part of a housing development, and is now managed by the HOA?

Most is, but my biggest parcels are privately held. My biggest customer is a super wealthy DuPont family member with 350 acres. The smaller pieces are my HOA customers.

It's interesting to look back on this "open space" development concept that got started in the 90s, and now seeing how it's working out. The good part seems to be that there is preserved open space, active hay fields, and a nicer area vs packed in houses.

What are the down sides? You have to deal with HOAs, but are they any more finicky than land owners?

It all depends on what the HOA Land manager is like. Most of them I get along with fine. Some are irritating. Some think their land is a country club, when in fact its just acres of weeds.

Probably the biggest downside is that they are required to get new bids every 5 years or so, so you run the possibility of losing a contract. Also, with an HOA you have several sets of eyes on you. If they see you doing something they dislike, they may report you to the HOA.

I lost a huge HOA customer because their HOA board requires new officers every 5 years. A new gal took over and she was out to prove she could get cheaper prices than mine, so they dumped me. The previous HOA officers liked me, but this new group was on a mission to save even 5 bucks any way they could. Another one of the new officers was friends with a different local farmer and wanted to get him in on their hay fields, so I was forced out.
I was real upset about it, but that’s life. You want to play this game, sometimes you get the shaft.

 

[Molalla1]

Yep HD, I have a few (very few) HOA's and every time a new manager is elected, installed, they have a friend, relative etc. rebid the project. It all falls to my son since he runs the business now.

 

[Hay Dude]

Back on it again today. (2) smaller HOA’s this time. One is far from home base (about 8 miles).
Looks like we got us a phragmites invasion.

I brought the blower and the grease gun kit with me. You can see both next to the center gearbox drive line covers.

On to the next property. This one is challenging. As one can see, it has a lot of sharp rises & dips.

Looks like we got us an “obstruction” to the back field….