The Life of a Custom Mowing contractor

[pmsmechanic]

I can't make out what it says on the hood. What type of tractor is that? I haven't seen very many white colored tractors.

It sure looks like a David Brown. British company swallowed up by CaseIH.

 

[Hay Dude]

Doggone you, Hay Dude...all these pics of the Pennsylvania countryside are giving me nostalgia fits! Next year should be my 60th class reunion; I may just have to drive back there and wallow around in the Pennsylvania farm country for a week or so!

My brother baling hay, 1972:
View attachment 807405

Look at your brother…concentrating on keeping the baler over the center of the windrow…a great capture of the skill and attention required to bale hay. It was harder back then in many ways.

May I ask, is he still with us?
God Bless him!

You want to come back to PA, I hope you’ll come see me.

 

[Hay Dude]

I see another extinguisher on the service truck

Yep, I have them everywhere and pray everyday one never must be used.

 

[deserteagle71]

May I ask, is he still with us?
God Bless him!

You want to come back to PA, I hope you’ll come see me.

He is, and is doing good. He is 4 years younger than me. He just got back from touring Pennsylvania on his Honda Goldwing (he lives near Kansas City).

 

[EddieWalker]

I'm not familiar with David Brown. Thanks for the info.

 

[deserteagle71]

State of the art in 1972...sickle bar mower, behind which was a "hay conditioner" that crumpled up the hay (4' tall timothy in this case) so it would dry faster.

 

[Hay Dude]

State of the art in 1972...sickle bar mower, behind which was a "hay conditioner" that crumpled up the hay (4' tall timothy in this case) so it would dry faster.
View attachment 807464

Thats a really nice set up. So you have the sickle cutting next to the tractor, while pulling a crimper behind the tractor to crimp the windrow you just cut!
That really was state of the at back then!

Another perfect picture deserteagle71 !

 

[sixdogs]

The money is actually pretty good. In my area, there’s not many people who actually work with their hands left. We find ourselves cutting brush covered fences, ponds & other areas about 6 months out of the year. This leaves us 6 months to cut & bale hay.

3 Stihl weed walkers pay themselves off in a few full days of brush cutting

It's not easy being creative and adaptive enough to make a business and income out of thin air. You need to find the situation, locate the customer, convince them you can do the job and then actually perform to the standards presented and turn a profit. Few can do that.
You need the equipment, management, maintenance of it and figure all of that out. Employees and all that goes with it. There's pricing, billing, collecting and knowing which jobs to do and which ones not to do. Which risks to take and which ones to avoid.
Two thumbs up, Hay Dude...

 

[Hay Dude]

It's not easy being creative and adaptive enough to make a business and income out of thin air. You need to find the situation, locate the customer, convince them you can do the job and then actually perform to the standards presented and turn a profit. Few can do that.
You need the equipment, management, maintenance of it and figure all of that out. Employees and all that goes with it. There's pricing, billing, collecting and knowing which jobs to do and which ones not to do. Which risks to take and which ones to avoid.
Two thumbs up, Hay Dude...

Thanks Other than the low pay and lousy weather problems, its a fun challenge and it keeps getting bigger each year. Have to laugh at times and wonder why I‘m doing this, but even on it’s worst days, I’d rather do this than most anything else.

 

[dodge man]

Fire extinguisher needed for a farm environment a really good idea. I live in a farming area and have seen more than one piece of farm equipment sitting in a field burned up. It seems hat balers and combines are the most common.