Large Job

[Dodge Truck]

I got a call the other day for a land clearing opportunity. Its about 9 acres of mostly brush and some trees nothing very large.
I am going to use a bobcat with the forestry attachment and a few chainsaws for the trees.
It was a hay field 25 years ago so the trees on it aren't very old or big.
I was thinking about bidding it at 20K with an estimated time of a week to do with four guys. what do you think.
Just wondering what others charge around the country per acre of heavy brush with minimal trees?
Thanks

[Dodge Truck]

Here are some pics

[Lawnworks]

Are you renting the equipment? By forestry mower, do you mean the type that has carbide teeth on the roller that mulches? Why not use a bush hog/brush cat?

[Dodge Truck]

The bobcat forestry cutter/mulcher, yes the teeth. renting the attachment yes.
A brush hog wouldn't be very effecient

[andrewcarrigan]

do u need to burn or remove what you cant mulch,if we would charge 1800-2300 per acre. by the pics it looks easy your cost should be no more than 5000. good luck!!

[Dodge Truck]

no everything is just being piled on site (makes life easy) they want to burn it so its not my problem. Yes my cost are under 5K. Just wanted to hear what others charge, I was very much inmline with you. Anyone else?

[Picasso]

that should not take a week to do at all and around here 20k would be laughed at. 10k would be high for me. but if you can get it and its not up for bid get 20k then

[Dodge Truck]

well on part of it there are a lot od trees but in general its heavy brush and its on ahill
for here its probably low

[Lawnworks]

Sounds high for here as well, but I imagine that New England market might be totally different. What is your machine charge per hour and manual labor per hour? and how many hours are you thinking?

Another question... why do you need four guys... limbing trees? I was under the impression(and from the work I have seen) that forestry mulcher could mulch everything up to 8-9" thick? Also are they wanting you to mulch into the dirt or just above the dirt?

[Picasso]

i can rent a larger machine for 150 an hour and do that job in less then 10 hrs by myself. if it were in michigan i would make a lick on it for 5k.

[PlatinumLandCon]

I'd be at $10-12k. 20k is nuts.

[Dodge Truck]

you're saying you could clear 10 acres in 10 hours? I don't have a picture of the other end where the trees are, if i did you guys would change your mind.
The 3 extra guys are for the trees at the other end and perimeter(can't see them in the pics)

also if you mulch the thicker trees the teeth have a tendency to wear out fast, it can only really do those sparingly to be effective.

[Picasso]

yes i could have that done in 10hrs with a hydro ax and a tushhog 9000 on it no problem, i don't worry about mulching any size tree when the teeth are meant to grind sub grade in the dirt and rocks. that machine is meant to push over a 18'' tree and gring right up it.

[Dodge Truck]

well then more power to you, I can't do an acre an hour

[hoskm01]

a tushhog 9000



You cant talk about those kind of toys on here!

[KTO Enterprises]

I'd be at $10-12k. 20k is nuts.

Dude have you never used a mulcher? Mulching is worth 2500 per acre.

[mowingguy]

Dodgeman, sub it out to a land clearing company. They can do it for a fraction of what you would spend on rental. -SL

[Dodge Truck]

i don't want to sub it, rental is like 2K i doubt they would clear 10 acres for 2k

[KTO Enterprises]

I was going to say this, some may not believe me but here it goes.

Using a mulcher head on a traditional skid steer is very bad on the hydraulics. We have a company here that uses gyro trac machines, the company that revolutionized the industry. The companies that use bobcats and ASV's usually burn the machine up before the 350 hour mark.

[Dodge Truck]

well good thing it isn't my machine.

[hoskm01]

well good thing it isn't my machine.

Thats the ticket! Knowingly ruin someone elses stuff. Good way to make a name for yourself and have a healthy business relationship.

[Dodge Truck]

I'm not going to ruin it just use it.

[Lawnworks]

Well good luck to you... let us know if you get it. Then some pics and how you came out would be great!

[baddboygeorge]

Go rent a big skid loader with tracks an in 3 days flat you will be finished an burn all the debris. I did a job last winter it was less than an acre but covered with extremely large hardwoods , I did the job for 7 grand, hauled all the logs to the mill an made another 7 grand in wood ,all the slash got burned. easy job with big rewards !! I would do that job for 13,500 an walk away with 12000 in pocket no problem!Good luck oif ya have any other question feel free thanks George

[Ramairfreak98ss]

I got a call the other day for a land clearing opportunity. Its about 9 acres of mostly brush and some trees nothing very large.
I am going to use a bobcat with the forestry attachment and a few chainsaws for the trees.
It was a hay field 25 years ago so the trees on it aren't very old or big.
I was thinking about bidding it at 20K with an estimated time of a week to do with four guys. what do you think.
Just wondering what others charge around the country per acre of heavy brush with minimal trees?
Thanks

Is this flat land or it looks very hilly?

I had bid out something similar but 3~ acres full lot renovation, just weeds basically, that wanted a nice looking seeded lawn, and an area with big trees and tons of briar bushes at 9k for everything. They guy honestly thought i could do it all for 3k lol. The area of brush removal was 75'deep and about 200' long. Id say 9 acres by this picture would deserve 20k easy.

[Dodge Truck]

yes very hilly, i considered that when pricing

[Ramairfreak98ss]

i can rent a larger machine for 150 an hour and do that job in less then 10 hrs by myself. if it were in michigan i would make a lick on it for 5k.

but would you actually offer a 5k price for bid? People can go out and buy their own plants and install them for a new landscape job, but do we charge them 1k in supplies and $50 in labor? We charge for a 5k job then.

I know in NJ, machines to handle that arnt easy to come by even at the big rental shops.

And the bigger thing in this job is what is left when done. Just to chop it all up and leave it as such or is the cleanup involved? That can eat up a lot of extra hours once your done with that machine.

[Ramairfreak98ss]

yes i could have that done in 10hrs with a hydro ax and a tushhog 9000 on it no problem, i don't worry about mulching any size tree when the teeth are meant to grind sub grade in the dirt and rocks. that machine is meant to push over a 18'' tree and gring right up it.


With a 200k+ machine, im sure you could get the job done in 10hrs. lol, but how many of us own one of them? I dont know of a place in central jersey that woule even rent out something that large... better yet, youd need it delivered or transported on an 18 wheeler truck and maybe with a wide load permit, at least in jersey. That can cost 1k by itself.

[Ramairfreak98ss]

I was going to say this, some may not believe me but here it goes.

Using a mulcher head on a traditional skid steer is very bad on the hydraulics. We have a company here that uses gyro trac machines, the company that revolutionized the industry. The companies that use bobcats and ASV's usually burn the machine up before the 350 hour mark.

why is that? are the heads more demanding than the larger skid steers high flow hydraulics can push? whats burning out the high flow hydro pumps themselves? Im sure it all depends on how big of tree/brush that your chopping, trying to go through huge trees, yeah it probably puts excessive wear/tear on it.

[teejet]

Looks like a job for an excavating company to me.

[KTO Enterprises]

why is that? are the heads more demanding than the larger skid steers high flow hydraulics can push? whats burning out the high flow hydro pumps themselves? Im sure it all depends on how big of tree/brush that your chopping, trying to go through huge trees, yeah it probably puts excessive wear/tear on it.


Its the fact that the same hydraulic pump drives everything on a skid steer. On a purpose built machine like ah gyro track there is an independent drive pump for the cutter head and one for the rest of the hydraulics.