Pasture mowing

For the guys on here that have gotten your pastures mowed or guys that mow pastures for living do you charge by the acre or by the hour I'm starting up a lawn and pasture business but was seeing the rates I got an offer to shred 35 acres that I have to go look at on Monday just what was seeing what prices were.

I paid a guy $65.00 an hour a few years ago to bush hog some really grown up pastures on some steep hillsides. His equipment and fuel. We were both happy With the results I believe.

This Agrilife custom rates may be of interest:

https://agecoext.tamu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/TXCustomRatesSurvey2018.pdf

ccr said:

This Agrilife custom rates may be of interest:

https://agecoext.tamu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/TXCustomRatesSurvey2018.pdf

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Interesting.

TennesseeTuxedo said:

I paid a guy $65.00 an hour a few years ago to bush hog some really grown up pastures on some steep hillsides. His equipment and fuel. We were both happy With the results I believe.

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How many acres what size of cutter did he have. This guy just bought some new land so i told him I come check it out.

Bfields30 said:

TennesseeTuxedo said:

I paid a guy $65.00 an hour a few years ago to bush hog some really grown up pastures on some steep hillsides. His equipment and fuel. We were both happy With the results I believe.

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How many acres what size of cutter did he have. This guy just bought some new land so i told him I come check it out.

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About 40. Some of it was quite overgrown and very steep. I wasn't about to cut it with my equipment.

TennesseeTuxedo said:

About 40. Some of it was quite overgrown and very steep. I wasn't about to cut it with my equipment.

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That Cub Cadet tractor would have a hard time getting over all of it..... :tiphat:

Don't be knocking my baby Deere now, she's a hoss.

I do it to help the neighbors and charge by the hour. Plus any damages are negotiated. Reason is, one never knows what's lurking on/in a pasture that can delay your estimated cutting time and damage your equipment, cost of which would way outweigh the price charged for the service. One big problem is Locust thorns and tires.

Texasmark said:

I do it to help the neighbors and charge by the hour. Plus any damages are negotiated. Reason is, one never knows what's lurking on/in a pasture that can delay your estimated cutting time and damage your equipment, cost of which would way outweigh the price charged for the service. One big problem is Locust thorns and tires.

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What do you charge by the hr

Here the price is all over the place. I had a guy tell me he would do it for $10 an hour if I paid for the equipment rental (skid steer with brush mower). We have some steep areas and to be honest, I am not letting any jo smo that I have no idea on their experience behind the controls of equipment and 'have it.' It's not worth it.

With that being said, the neighbor had some of his done and of course similar terrain and the guy he used charged $75 an hour. I couldn't tell you exactly what size everything was but it was a decent size tractor with batwing. He charged $100 an hour in some places that he rented a skid steer and brush mower to get to. The guy did a good job and does this quite a bit. It 'might' be high but I don't have a lot that needs cleared so I wouldn't have any issue hiring him.

Bfields30 said:

Texasmark said:

I do it to help the neighbors and charge by the hour. Plus any damages are negotiated. Reason is, one never knows what's lurking on/in a pasture that can delay your estimated cutting time and damage your equipment, cost of which would way outweigh the price charged for the service. One big problem is Locust thorns and tires.

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What do you charge by the hr

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Somewhere in here: https://agecoext.tamu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/TXCustomRatesSurvey2018.pdf

You have to figure where you fit in considering what you have to make, what your equipment has to make, fuel consumption, and other related expenses. If I have a lot of prep to get ready to do something special, the setup time is part of the charge. Like my tractors are ready for the haying season. If I have to disconnect that and put on a shredder or such, working alone as I do, it can get to be a PIA. To smooth over the rough edges, charging for the activity helps.

The damage isn't part of this. Just handle it on a case by case basis. With that agreement, the owner has gone out of his way to clean up the thorns and I have had zero thorn problems. :banana: