How much $ to get a field custom brushogged?

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I looked through the archives and can't seem to find an answer. We are trying to restore our future farm that has sat idle for 15+ years.We have several fields that need brush hogging to get them back into use.We plan to relocate there in 3 to 4 years. We have been quoted $50.00 an hour . Is that a fair price? Each of the 3 fields is about 4 - 5 acres. How long will it take to do a field that size? Thanks for any help.

-- Kate Henderson (Kate@sheepyvalley.com), April 27, 2002

Answers

Kate:

$50 per hour sounds awfully high to me unless the fellow has a big tractor and a l5 foot batwing mower. Also to be taken into consideration is "just how thick and how heavy is the brush on your place? Trees or shrubs? Sumac or oak?"

If I were you, I would find a farmer with a big tractor and get a bid for each field, not by the hour, and get more than one bid. If the fellow can do a field in an hour and a half, $50 per hour is not bad. If it takes him all day, you won't be happy.

Mac

-- Jimmy S (Macrocarpus@gbronline.com), April 28, 2002.


Yes that price is highway robbery ! I could do them all in one day with ease. Remember though--I don't get down to move things. I don't like to open and close gates. I don't do any trimming and the price is 80.00 a day

-- Joel Rosen (JoelnBecky@webtv.net), April 28, 2002.

Ask around to find out what the going rate is locally. You have to remember whoever does it has not only the travel time, but wear and tear on their equipment and bushhogging a field which hasn't been done recently is rough on equipment and operator. When I have a dozer come in to push out creek gravel the cost is $100 per hour. A per hour charge is reasonable in that the operator can only make a guess as to how long it will take.

-- Ken S. in WC TN (scharabo@aol.com), April 28, 2002.

I guess it must depend on where you live. Around here, $50 an hour is a bargain because it is extremely rare to be able to find anyone to do it! Everyone is just too busy and just doesn't do it anymore, so anyone who does gets high price. Also, keep in mind the time of year. If it is haying or planting season, most people are tied up with that and it will cost you the big bucks that time of year.

-- Karen (mountains_mama2@hotmail.com), April 28, 2002.

I would put an add in the local paper. You may get better price. Happy Future, Jim

-- Jim Raymond (jimr@terraworld.net), April 28, 2002.


I'd charge 25/hour with a 5ft bush and 50HP tractor or 35hr with a 8ft bush hog and 95HP tractor.As to how long long it would take if the lots were wide open and had been cut over every year or so I could cover 4 acres an hour with the bigger tractor but if they are small fenced in lots that takes more time and the longer its been since it was ct and the bigger trees would take more time to bush hog.If its been 15 years since it was cut over you're probably going to have to use the chain saw on some of the growth.

-- Gary (burnett_gary@msn.com), April 28, 2002.

What is in the fields and how tall is the grasses? Have any trees grown up in the field? In 15 years I would have bet there has been some. What are you going to do with those? If the grass is high and if it hasnt been touched in many years that may be a fair price. I would not be a good price if it was just a managment cut. His may have to take it very slow since whats on the ground is unknown. I would personally prefer a fixed price or at least a cap on cost.

I would also shop around, put an ad in the local paper asking for someone to bush hog. Depending on when you needed it done, you might find a farmer to do it. Spring is a bad time to find one, but there might be some who seed early ready for some spare money. I personally wouldnt use a "lawn care" company, they are usually more expensive than the farmer down the road.

-- Gary (gws@columbus.rr.com), April 28, 2002.


The guy charging $80 a day is going to lose money by the time he does his maintenice and pays for fuel etc.

-- Mel Kelly (melkelly@webtv.net), April 28, 2002.

Depending on where the land is at, for 15 years of growth that might be a good price. It might be better in your case to get a set price rather than hourly, or an hourly with a set maximum cost at least. No idea if it's an option where you're at, but have you considered burning? Some areas don't prohibit this. You can safely do that in some cases if you plow the perimeter, have 4-5 people with you and pick the right day to burn.

-- Dave (multiplierx9@hotmail.com), April 28, 2002.

I have done brush hogging for 27 years now for the oil patch and for local people that have big lots or fields and my prices start at $45.00 per hr, with a 2 hr min and $65.00 per hr around high pressure lines and I am as cheap as there is here in the part of the Texas Panhandle. To get your car worked on here at the local dealerships is $65.00 per hr, plumbers get $45. to $55. per hr so I don't feel like I am charging to much. Most mowing rigs get at least $55. per hr in this part of the world.

-- Bill Porter (porboy298@yahoo.com), April 28, 2002.


Kate If you are talking about 3 to 4 years before moving there , I would go in with roundup or that type spray and spray it first. Kill everything off.Then go in this fall or next spring and plant whatever grass you want in it. After that just spray for weeds. Rog

-- Rog (zipsmykat@aol.com), April 28, 2002.

We pay $50.00 to have our neighbor (farmer) mow 8 Acres. He does it about every 4-5 weeks. Takes him about 2.5 hrs. We have a lot of trees in our pasture too.

-- Cindy (ilovecajun@aol.com), April 28, 2002.

Cindy is right in the ball park. My tractors and equipment are paid for so out of 80.00 a day than 60.00 is profit. Plus it is a tax free profit !

If you wish to pay someone else's loan payment on their tractor than feel free to do so. There are theives in every business. Myself, I sleep like a baby and my customers just love me !

-- Joel Rosen (JoelnBecky@webtv.net), April 28, 2002.


Joel, I question your economics, you have to figure in wear and tear on your equipment.Now if you're only going to custom bush hog for 10 hours a year it hardly matters but if you put 300 hours a year on your equipment then it does.Say the life of your $15000 tractor is 3000 hours then your cost per hour just for replacement of that tractor when its worn out is $5 an hour not counting regular maintence tires fuel etc. Then count the life of your bush hog also if you do very much custom work you're going to need a business license and liability insurance.Also if you're bush hogging trees and bushes over 2 years old you're going to have to do alot of repairs over the long haul.So with about any new rig you're looking at $10 to $15 per hour at the very least total operating cost and probably more when you add in the extra repairs.

-- Gary (burnett_gary@msn.com), April 29, 2002.

The tractors are paid for but I still get to deduct the hours of use off my taxes to cover maintainance. I cover all those little side jobs under the farm and call the money pocketchange. These people are just asking for bushhogging --it ain't like I'm pulling a 16 row plow !

-- Joel Rosen (JoelnBecky@webtv.net), April 29, 2002.


Joel:

No wonder your neighbors love you - you are basically working for free labor. I estimate $10 per hour for fuel, oil and equipment wear and tear to be within the ballpark for my Ford 4000 with a 6' bushhog. Thus, at $80 for an eight-hour day, you are just recovering your expenses with nothing really being pocket money since you will eventually have to put it back into the equipment through consumables or future repairs/replacements.

I rather like Joel Salatin's philosophy of using $25 per labor hour net return to determine whether or not to do an enterprise. If it doesn't return that amount, they stop doing it.

Your time is worth something, even if the alternative is just watching the talking heads on TV.

-- Ken S. in WC TN (scharabo@aol.com), April 29, 2002.


Liability is the really big issue.If your bush hog picks up a rock and hits the neighbors kid in the eye guess who is going to owe the big $$$$$$$$? Farm liability insurance won't pay if you are doing custom work in most cases.

-- Gary (burnett_gary@msn.com), April 29, 2002.

Last summer I paid $20 an hour for that kind of job-and he didn't get down and move anything, etc. We are fairly level though.

-- Anne (HealthyTouch101@wildmail.com), April 29, 2002.

Liablity ? "It's funny that only the white man wants a piece of paper to insure his credibility, and only than so he can use it against you"

I'm here to tell you--the person that ask this question was an honest soul ! I gave her an honest answer ! Who is anyone to question someone else's prices ? Especially you, Ken ? You never did an honests days work in your life ! Who does your work for you ?

-- Joel Rosen (JoelnBecky@webtv.net), May 02, 2002.


Anyone know what is the definition of "...an honest day's work..."? Is the opposite "...an dishonest day's work..."? Can anyone go an entire lifetime without doing "...an honest day's work..."? Is work as honest if done mentally rather than physically? Is working as a civil servant or in an office as honest as work covered by a labor union contract at union wages? Is a doctor's work as honest as that of an electrician or plumber? Is the work of a religious person who has taken a vow of poverty more or less honest than a CEO of a Fortune 400 corporation? Is securing a financial future through a stock market portfolio as honest as working 40+ years and then retiring on Social Security? Is retirement under civil service or a private retirement plan, such as IRAs or 401Ks, more or less honest than Social Security? Is a plumber with an assistant any less honest than a farmer with hired farm help? Is it dishonest to hire someone at say $7.00 per hour to do work, say housekeeping, during a period when the person hiring them may be earning $50 an hour?

Sorry Joel. I've honestly earned everything I have. Nothing has been handed on a silver platter to me. And, by the way, I've pretty well stopped doing custom farm work. The expenses involved don't justify what can be charged. If you want to work at breakeven or less, that is your choice. I chose differently.

-- Ken S. in WC TN (scharabo@aol.com), May 02, 2002.


i pay someone $20 hour to bushhog my fields.. the guys i pay make lots of money they work full time at this. both of their wives stay home with the kids. they travel 35 minutes to get to my house.. they make better money than i do at those rates.. but i live in ms. wages are lower herebut so is everything else. i good job many men have is 20 -25 thousand dollars a year. this is for afamily with one income. but living expenses are much lower.. where ken is from i would need to make 10 times more in money to live.. my aunt lives there .

-- ma perry (kernnlove@pop.netzero.net), May 02, 2002.

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