but what are your rates on cutting per acre? I've never had a contract on vast/wide open spaces but I have the chance to bid on a large tract of land.....just cut and go.....no edging, very little weed trimming....... By open spaces, I mean over 100 acres....to be cut twice per month in an upscale development. Thanks in advance for any tips/suggestions. P.S. Normal rates are usually $40-$45 per man hour.
There are a lot of variables here. How much trimming with the mowers, equipment type and size, etc. My WAM cover 10 acres per hour wide open and not many turns. Also the cost per hour of the equipment comes into play. That includes fuel, wear and tear, deprecation, etc.
Cutting will be done with 60" ZTRs...... There will be no loading/unloading of mowers while at the job site. To be honest, I really don't know how much acreage I can cut in an hour with the 60" ZTRs, because all my current contracts are residential or many small islands at shopping centers, etc.
If you never have to double cut anything and if you have 0 overlap and the mowers speeds are at the peak then you get those numbers. The truth and reality of this is the 5-6 acres I am said to be able to cut with a 60 lazer are way off I do 2 and I often need to double cut so that is why those numbers are that far off. Now if the quality does not matter and you can hit those 4-5 acres per hour mark then you got 20-25 hours of cutting but I think 30-40 might be a lot more accurate. Then you also have hours of trimming even with very little something that big still has some trim time.
Well Matthew, the Ferris's, eXmark's, Dixie Chopper's, Hustler's etc. forget to take into account we have to stop every once in a great while, turn around, and go back in the opposite direction to where we began our initial cut. Secondly, they tend to forget (putting it mildly) that are obstacles such as trees, plants, pools, kid's toys, etc. that we have to mow around (not over or through). So my point is, their productivity #'s for the most part are grossly exaggerated (to say the least). That is, unless you are mowing along the shoulder of 95 from Boston to NYC (one way).
