The Life of a Custom Mowing contractor

[Hay Dude]

Wow, what a day HD! Yes, you have to feel sorry for the dog owners . . .

I’ve had some real crazy days lately. I don’t know what it is about the farming/custom mowing/property maintenance life.
I think you get to know people through the land they own & cherish. It means a lot to them.

 

[Molalla1]

I’ve had some real crazy days lately. I don’t know what it is about the farming/custom mowing/property maintenance life.
I think you get to know people through the land they own & cherish. It means a lot to them.

HD, you are spot on. People that prefer to live let's say "out in the boon docks" have a different mine set, they get married to the land. Others because they prefer less neighbors . . . or both .

 

[Lastkidpicked]

I mean brakes on the axles. No net wrap on a large square baler, just 6 strings.
Bigger balers have hydraulic braked axles, which are activated by my tractor’s brake pedal. Very similar to a truck.
My aft rear axle also steers to increase maneuverability. You can also lock it so it won’t walk when baling across a hill.

Thank you for that, Hay Dude.

It's great to come on these boards and learn new things.

 

[EddieWalker]

Sad about the dog. Especially that it was so close to their house. It really makes me wonder what happened?

 

[Hay Dude]

Yeah really strange. Dog missing for 4 weeks, then returns and dies maybe within last few days…

 

[Up to the Axles]

I still like what I do, but the hay farming part is really tough.

At a certain USG location in the {very} general region around DC, there's large fields on all sides around the buildings. (To keep prying eyes at a safe distance....) A mentor of mine, now a tenant at Arlington, was in charge of it in the 1970's-80's.

He initially hired a farmer nearby to cut it, but even then, that was surprisingly expensive. So he made a deal with the farmer. The farmer provided 3-4 horses at a time, and they did most of the 'mowing.' He paid the farmer for real mowing when needed. Unlike the farmer, they did not require a security escort.

It was sorta weird to be there in a classified meeting on some technical issue, and hear unexpected noises, such being one or more 'mowers' outside the window, working away.

 

[workinonit]

@Hay Dude - appreciate you sharing the details. Really enjoy reading your thread.

I live in Montgomery County - but do my tractoring in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Southwest VA. Sorry you had such a bad day on your birthday.

My wife is from that area. All of her family still lives there. Jonesville/Pennington Gap area. We go up that way a few times a year.

 

[Hay Dude]

My wife is from that area. All of her family still lives there. Jonesville/Pennington Gap area. We go up that way a few times a year.

We talking Montgomery Co, PA? Or a different Montgomery Co?

 

[workinonit]

I was referring to where he has his farm/tractor play land in Virginia. You don't run into many people familiar with that corner of the world. Gorgeous part of the country though.

 

[dodge man]

Haydude you have a picture eating hay out of a small green structure. Is that a deer stand? I’ve seen people around here do the same thing. Do you pick it up somehow and set it over a hay bale?