Lol get a pole hedger have someone in a golf cart or on a big enough mower drive and the other hedge it real low. I've done some weird slopes like that. After you are done rake it all up

 

If your mower won't handle the first cut, I'd find someone to cut it with a tractor and brush cutter (bush hog). You can go in behind them and get it worked down with your regular mower. Chances are the cost will be less than purchasing something just to get this cut the first time, and if the job, for some reason, (like the owner only agreeing to monthly mowing), doesn't work out, you haven't bought a piece of equipment for a one time job.

Also, theoretically, any mower will cut anything, given enough time and sweat, but if your walk behind isn't up to the job, a Lawnboy certainly isn't going to be either. Best of luck.

 

If your mower won't handle the first cut, I'd find someone to cut it with a tractor and brush cutter (bush hog). You can go in behind them and get it worked down with your regular mower. Chances are the cost will be less than purchasing something just to get this cut the first time, and if the job, for some reason, (like the owner only agreeing to monthly mowing), doesn't work out, you haven't bought a piece of equipment for a one time job.

Also, theoretically, any mower will cut anything, given enough time and sweat, but if your walk behind isn't up to the job, a Lawnboy certainly isn't going to be either. Best of luck.

Thanks, I'll probably just use weed eaters then and get a lawn boy for after we cut it down. I'm estimating like 15-20 man hours and theyre letting me do the job and bill after and if it's to high then they will find someone else but if I can do it for $500-$600 they'll have me do it more often. They're are trustworthy or I wouldn't do it like that
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15 to 20 man hours with weedeaters and a lawn boy or maybe an hour with a tractor with a bush hog .

30 ft wide by 1000 ft long is about 3/4 of an acre .

 

If you have an extended reach hedge trimmer then just use that to get it cut down at first. It would go by a lot faster like that compared to weedeaters then if you wanted you could go over it with a mower to get it chopped up
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Walk behind weed eaters are not very good. You can buy a medal blade designed for your weed eater to cut through heavy grass and overgrowth. You could rent a walk behind brush-hog. That should handle the job. If you invest in a extended hedge trimmer, you will reap the rewards on this job and future jobs.

But, i'm the type that likes excuses to buy a new toy.

 

I say a couple of gallons of gas and one match. You'll be done in ten minutes flat. But on a serious note I say brush hog tractor. That sounds like a lot of weed whacking

 

If your mower won't handle the first cut, I'd find someone to cut it with a tractor and brush cutter (bush hog). You can go in behind them and get it worked down with your regular mower. Chances are the cost will be less than purchasing something just to get this cut the first time, and if the job, for some reason, (like the owner only agreeing to monthly mowing), doesn't work out, you haven't bought a piece of equipment for a one time job.

Also, theoretically, any mower will cut anything, given enough time and sweat, but if your walk behind isn't up to the job, a Lawnboy certainly isn't going to be either. Best of luck.

X 2...
Stan

 

Looks like a job for the SLAM! Just want to see someone actually try this thing

 

It has too be done in a few days and there is more to it then just the ditch, that's just the majority. I don't have a contact for bush hogging and don't want to test someone out on this job. I have an extended reach hedge trimmer, but don't want to dull the blade out. I'll bring it though just in case.

The ditch part is under an acre. I'll rent a billy goat walk behind brush cutter and that should save a decent amount of time. I'm buying a lawn boy on Craigslist for $200 and will do the parts in the ditch that my stander can't get to after its cut down. I'll have me plus 2 helpers so ill make about $300 profit in less than a days work. Thanks guys.
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It seems everyone is missing the part where you said the bank was 30 degrees. That's getting too steep for most CUT's with bush hogs to do sideways safely, or any Z either.

Go buy a couple Stihl FS240's (FS 250 if you can find one) or FS130's and you and another guy can cut that down in fairly short order, even with just trimmer line, but the grass blades or three bladed polymer heads will do it even faster, and those trimmers will not even blink at that kind of cutting.

Heck, even the FS90 will do that kind of stuff pretty quickly with the grass blade. I do stuff like that with mine with Gator Magnum Super Twist .095" line.

You can rent a walk behind sickle cutter too.

 

Why not just rent a walk behind brush cutter. Like a DR brand or some other. I don't think that would take long at all.
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I have learned to ask these questions before agreeing to do the work.
Biggest reason is what kind of estimate this must be based on...
Unless you've had this customer for like 8 or more years...
Because most people will not simply "pay whatever it takes," even if they said they would.
As in how are you going to get paid without a clear idea as to how much it's going to cost?

Once you get your costs straight and you understand how much it's going to come to, I would call the customer and make sure they're all right with the total. Otherwise you could be into some $800 job and leave the bill and then the customer calls you all upset talking about "Oh Nooo I thought it was going to be like $100 at most" or some such surprise and believe me it doesn't get easier from there.

That's what I would do before I would start ANY of the work, figure out what to do, how.
Get your costs together, figure out a total for the estimate.
Then call that customer and clear it with them.

NEVER start ANY work without the customer's FULL INFORMED Consent.
Not unless you are willing to do it for free.
That is a rule I live by.

 

I have learned to ask these questions before agreeing to do the work.
Worse still is what kind of estimate this must be based on...
Unless you've had this customer for 8 or more years...
Most will not simply "pay whatever it takes," even if they say they will.

So once you get your costs straight and you understand how much it's going to come to, I would call the customer and make sure they're all right with the total.

He (one of the companies employees) said they would pay at least $500-$600 it's for a company that's subbing it out. So there charging the developer or contractor even more. I would make decent money at $400, so if i rent a walk behind and shave 2-3 man hours and a lot of back aches all be looking pretty good. Well only get faster at the job too.
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Looks like a job for the SLAM! Just want to see someone actually try this thing

cool...ever use one

 

Sounds like a crappy job to take on. Stuff like that always takes longer and is a lot worse than what it seems until you get in there. If their subbing it out why not sub it to a guy who bush hogs especially someone with a extended hydraulic bush hog. Instead of a guy with some weedeater? If I was you unless your starving if rethink that whole idea. If you got hedge trimmers that are angle adjustable then that's your best bet. I use mine every year doing shooting lanes when I can't get a tractor in there. don't rent anything unless you have nothing because bye the time you rent and pay helpers all you got at the end of the job is nothing if not owing money to someone. Is it an acre or a quarter mile of ditch bank? Remember this, if there subbing it out then more than likely you want get called back
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It seems everyone is missing the part where you said the bank was 30 degrees. That's getting too steep for most CUT's with bush hogs to do sideways safely, or any Z either.

Go buy a couple Stihl FS240's (FS 250 if you can find one) or FS130's and you and another guy can cut that down in fairly short order, even with just trimmer line, but the grass blades or three bladed polymer heads will do it even faster, and those trimmers will not even blink at that kind of cutting.

Heck, even the FS90 will do that kind of stuff pretty quickly with the grass blade. I do stuff like that with mine with Gator Magnum Super Twist .095" line.

You can rent a walk behind sickle cutter too.

Hey Ridin'...whazzup?
My opinion was based on the fact that more times than not, people seem to over estimate the actual degree of slopes. That, and the fact that the OP is confident he can use a stander after the initial cut.
Stan

 

yeah, rent a bush hog. I Like the Billy Goat one. Its probably 50 bucks for a couple hours and all you do is walk really slow while it eats up whatever is in front of it

 

Hey Ridin'...whazzup?
My opinion was based on the fact that more times than not, people seem to over estimate the actual degree of slopes. That, and the fact that the OP is confident he can use a stander after the initial cut.
Stan

It's a 30 degree slope. I can't use the stander on all of it. I should be able to do most of it with it though after its initial cut. It's a quarter mile length of drainage ditch. The total area is about an acre. I'm only
Doing one side of it too. A walk behind brush cutter and two guys weed eating Should finish it in and 1.5 hours (4.5 man hours) the other acre I have to mow is flat and will take the same time as the ditch due to more weedeating and cleanup. (4.5 man hours) total job time 9 man hours. I always over estimate and add profit, so I figure about 12 man hours total with the walk behind cutter.

Doing it with weedeaters will probably take 9 man hours on the ditch and 4.5 man hours on the other acre. 13.5 total hours. So I would overestimate to about 16 man hours.

On a jobs that I don't normally do I always add a fudge factor to make sure I don't screw myself.

$500-$600 for 16 man hours is good and $500-$600 for 12 man hours- rental is even better.

I don't understand why everyone is so quick to doubt others. We're all professionals here. If for some odd reason I don't make money with that price, then It's a lesson learned and I don't do it again.

I'll let yall know after I take care of it Monday or Tuesday.
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Looks like a job for the SLAM! Just want to see someone actually try this thing

Love the suit and tie look when doing yard work.:hammerhead:

 

This one even comes with its own kickass theme song!:usflag:

 

Not sure whats more weird, the fact that the guy with the scythe easily beats the powered machine or that this is an actual game at an event somewhere!?

 

It's a 30 degree slope. I can't use the stander on all of it. I should be able to do most of it with it though after its initial cut. It's a quarter mile length of drainage ditch. The total area is about an acre. I'm only
Doing one side of it too. A walk behind brush cutter and two guys weed eating Should finish it in and 1.5 hours (4.5 man hours) the other acre I have to mow is flat and will take the same time as the ditch due to more weedeating and cleanup. (4.5 man hours) total job time 9 man hours. I always over estimate and add profit, so I figure about 12 man hours total with the walk behind cutter.

Doing it with weedeaters will probably take 9 man hours on the ditch and 4.5 man hours on the other acre. 13.5 total hours. So I would overestimate to about 16 man hours.

On a jobs that I don't normally do I always add a fudge factor to make sure I don't screw myself.

$500-$600 for 16 man hours is good and $500-$600 for 12 man hours- rental is even better.

I don't understand why everyone is so quick to doubt others. We're all professionals here. If for some odd reason I don't make money with that price, then It's a lesson learned and I don't do it again.

I'll let yall know after I take care of it Monday or Tuesday.
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Yep, your right about the $ part. There's an old saying "a lesson learned hard is a lesson learned well".....but maybe that won't be the case. One thing about it, you'll know after the 1st time. :drinkup:

Let us know. Stan

 

This one even comes with its own kickass theme song!:usflag:

lol hilarious!

 

What was I thinking? Use a hover mower!