I have a new customer that I started mowing for today. When I get there I also tell them I do Holiday Lighting, they are more than likely going to buy about $8,000 worth. Then he tells me he has some land he needs shred and told me I could do it if I wanted. I told him sure I would love to. He takes me out on his Ranger and its dang near 100 acres. He says "just start when ever" How long is it going to take to shred 100 acres? Im guessing I will probably use a 8' maybe 10'. Anyone ever cut this much? He never asked a price, he just told me to do it.
TexasFire221
I think that's what we all call "mowing" or "Bush Hogging". Unless you're talking about a high speed mulcher?
I guess Texans use different language around here. We call it shredding, and yes with a tractor. I was figuring on 2 weeks, maybe a week and half with 12 hour days. He has a wildlife exempt tag for it so only grass can be mowed. We have to leave all cactus and ground cover as in mesquite. Im thinking of charging by the hour instead of by the job. He really wasnt concerned he just said start next week if you want.
Two weeks sounds like a heck of a long time. Back when I was mowing pastures in the 80's on anything 40 acres and up was 7.00 an acre [and farm diesel was 60 something cents a gallon] and 100 acres with out a lot of obstacles would just take me a couple of days. For the pasture mowing I used a 2010 JD Row Crop and a 10' drag Bush Hog mower. Just thinking out loud, but why would he just not get someone to bale the grass. If it was good grass he could try to get someone to do it on the halves or even give them the hay.
Now back to watching my beloved Aggie's getting their butt kicked by themselves and the Hog Heads.
Now back to watching my beloved Aggie's getting their butt kicked by themselves and the Hog Heads.
It would take me about 10 hrs. at 7 mph with this, it will take over twice as long with an 8' rotary cutter and smaller tractor, probably in the 24 hr. range. I would mow it for a $1000.00 but there is a great deal of difference in riding in an A/C cab with an air ride seat and stereo, you aren't even tired when you finish.
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If I pull a planter or drill I can carry 400 gallons of spray solution to broadcast a grass and broad-leaf herbicide behind the implement. This tractor pulls a 6 row no-till planter or a 15 no-till drill or the rotary cutter it is hooked to. I had just finished chopping 200 acres of corn stalks.
This tractor is 225 hp and pulls a 550 bushel grain cart or a 12 row planter. It will pull a 30' rotary cutter, she has the power.
Yea the more I think about it 2 weeks is a heck of a long time. As said before he has a permit for the place so there are rules. He can only cut certain times of the year and all the grass cant be cut. It has to be cut in rows. I am a firefighter as well so yes the prescribed burn would be much faster and look alot nicer!
prescribed burn?! I was thinking just drop a match and haul ass back to the station for a truck cause its gonna go quick.. :laugh:
I like that picture, it reminds me of a large group of bulls standing there looking down in the pasture at a herd of 150 heifers. One young bull says, "look at that, lets run down and get us one of them" and the old bull looks over and says, "lets just walk down there and get them all."
What he's trying to tell you is...
The homeowner said he had no concerns about money.
But what he means is he had no CLUE as to your hourly rate so if you were thinking 2-3 weeks, he was thinking 2-3 days (at the MOST)!.
Either way, it doesn't matter, not to scare you or talk you out of the work but I
would highly suggest you better clear that price with him before you start.
Else it could be trouble...
Now for the question of the year...
Do you own any such kind of equipment?
LOL!
You can roughly add or subtract 17% for every 1 mph up or down.
5' cut @ 6 mph @ 85% efficiency = 3.09 ac per hr
6' cut @ 6 mph @ 85% efficiency = 3.71 ac per hr
7' cut @ 6 mph @ 85% efficiency = 4.33 ac per hr
8' cut @ 6 mph @ 85% efficiency = 4.95 ac per hr
10' cut @ 6 mph @ 85% efficiency = 6.18 ac per hr
12' cut @ 6 mph @ 85% efficiency = 7.42 ac per hr
15' cut @ 6 mph @ 85% efficiency = 9.27 ac per hr
I wouldn't tackle this unless I had a 12' bushhog with 80 to 100 hp. Probably take 33 to 40 hours. Too bad it is not a hay field. I am guessing it is just weeds?. People around here bail hay for free and sell the hay. Good for you if it is just weeds. That is if you can get the right equipment so it can be profitable and reasonable. All depends on what the customer is willing to pay and how much time you have
These are factors that can make the above figures accurate or inaccurate:
How much HP your tractor has.
The contour of the land. Is it a rough ride? Hilly?
How high your tractor sits for comfort.
Trees to go around?
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