Help with tractor expense

[caterpillar guy]

For the quotes you are getting and are offering you could spray it off with cross bow and 24D and kill all the broad leaf plants then would just have the grass to deal with and this would leave the grass for soil erosison control till you got the bigger stuff trees or brush cleaned up .then you can mow or spray for the grass if you want it gone also. OR you can spray it all off in one trip and watch it wash away if you want. All of this done for the dost of the mowing and a lot less hard on the equipment. Cost would be approximately 30.00 per acre for spray plus application. v

 

[flying belgian]

You have a lot of quotes here but I have no idea what you are cutting that is 3-7 ft high. Grass , weeds or trees ? Don’t think you will be cutting 7’ trees for sure or grass. Get it swathed and baled or put some cows in there. , but still guessing on what you’re talking about ???

I'm guessing he is exaggerating the height of this if it is grass. Few grasses grow that tall. Canary and phalaris are 2 I can think of but don't phalaris only grow in swamps?

 

[Texasmark]

Couple of additional problems:
Operator can't see what's in front of him. Pastures acquire unwanted discards over the years.....main concern would be old barbed wire rolls discarded after a fence replacement....common practice around here.....rains cause small creeks to form whereby front tires of tractor can fall into the ruts...front air inlet to the radiator screen will probably fill up with crud and will need cleaning out often.

Second, being what it is, as described, I really doubt that one could get a clean cut the first time around, may do it with the second, or might take the 3rd to get all the stubble from the previous cut miss(es) cut down.

I have 7 tractors hooked up to normally used implements.....working alone at 84 one needs some help somewhere. The only one I would use on that job is a 50 HP Ford 3910 with a 6' drum mower...suffering through the first round and then the tractor's path is clean and the operator can maybe see ahead for any hazards.....plus the drum like the disc, won't leave the "missed stubble" like is common with tall, thick stemmed, grasses.

In short......I'd decline the job.

 

[Ozlander]

I'm guessing he is exaggerating the height of this if it is grass. Few grasses grow that tall. Canary and phalaris are 2 I can think of but don't phalaris only grow in swamps?

3 to 7 foot sounds like Johnson Grass which is easy to mow.

 

[Levibooty]

I apologize to everybody because I am the owner of the MF 50 and I mowed this mans property three times. I wanted to see things from the other perspective to see if I'm way off base so that is why I reversed the roles in my original post. I hope I did not offend anybody. Only once was it 7' tall but I had 54 hrs and close to 40 gallons of gasoline total into it. I had permission to shoot my rifle on his property and agreed I would cut his property for a very fair price. My stupid mistake is not getting the price set before I did it. He says it is only worth $350. I feel stupid for thinking we would come to reasonable agreement. I asked for a flat $1000. I've been told that is very fair. I feel very stupid for trusting this man but I just wondered what others thought. If I'm wrong I want to know.

 

[NY 986]

I apologize to everybody because I am the owner of the MF 50 and I mowed this mans property three times. I wanted to see things from the other perspective to see if I'm way off base so that is why I reversed the roles in my original post. I hope I did not offend anybody. Only once was it 7' tall but I had 54 hrs and close to 40 gallons of gasoline total into it. I had permission to shoot my rifle on his property and agreed I would cut his property for a very fair price. My stupid mistake is not getting the price set before I did it. He says it is only worth $350. I feel stupid for thinking we would come to reasonable agreement. I asked for a flat $1000. I've been told that is very fair. I feel very stupid for trusting this man but I just wondered what others thought. If I'm wrong I want to know.

Since you have been over the ground in question the risk is fairly minimal. If I were you I might consider the job with a change. I would mow with a sickle bar mower where there is no gear box to worry about failing. I would still charge 1,000 dollars.

 

[flying belgian]

I apologize to everybody because I am the owner of the MF 50 and I mowed this mans property three times. I wanted to see things from the other perspective to see if I'm way off base so that is why I reversed the roles in my original post. I hope I did not offend anybody. Only once was it 7' tall but I had 54 hrs and close to 40 gallons of gasoline total into it. I had permission to shoot my rifle on his property and agreed I would cut his property for a very fair price. My stupid mistake is not getting the price set before I did it. He says it is only worth $350. I feel stupid for thinking we would come to reasonable agreement. I asked for a flat $1000. I've been told that is very fair. I feel very stupid for trusting this man but I just wondered what others thought. If I'm wrong I want to know.

Oh wow! this changes everything. So this ground has been mowed regularly? And you know there are no surprises in there. I would rent a disk mower to hang on the 50 and go mow it down myself.

 

[Levibooty]

No there were surprises! Barbed wire but the woorst was sinkholes. He had hired it mowed before and did not mention anything about sinkholes. The ground had not been mowed for years lots of johnson grass, and thorn bushes.

 

[Jim.ME]

You mowed it 3 times in one season for $350 and it sounds like you got shooting/hunting permission as well. In any case, not agreeing on a price before starting leaves you in limbo as far as I see it. Prices have gone up and he may think $350 is good because he paid less than that in the past. You fellows have to work out the price and since the work is done you don't have any leverage. A fair price will be one that neither of you are happy with at this point. How much do you value the right to shoot/hunt on his land? You may have to chalk this up as a lesson learned and find a different hunting spot.

 

[JIM MN]

To get a fair price for everyone, go to your states county extension office and get a copy of farm custom rates to charge for different farm jobs for your county. From the Farm Business Management rates sheet, look up all the jobs involved, make a contract, total charges, and agree on and both sign? You should be able to agree on a fair charge.

 

[Levibooty]

I'm resigned that my trust in people will cost me. I just think 54 hours of a tractor, fuel, and operator mowing 7" weeds and thorn bushes is worth more than $1,000. Since as someone pointed out I have no leverage. BTW Jim.ME I did not hunt on this property, it was just a place to shoot.

 

[Jim.ME]

I'm resigned that my trust in people will cost me. I just think 54 hours of a tractor, fuel, and operator mowing 7" weeds and thorn bushes is worth more than $1,000. Since as someone pointed out I have no leverage. BTW Jim.ME I did not hunt on this property, it was just a place to shoot.

Hunting or shooting, my point is you had some personal use of the property, which does have some value. The owner pays taxes and carries something for insurance I am guessing. Same idea as people who ask and hunt on my land. They get free use of land they don't own so they don't have to pay taxes on it or carry insurance in case something happens.

It is unfortunate you fellows didn't work out the fair price before you did the work and incurred the expenses you did. About the best you can do now is lay out your case with your time and expenses and see if he will give any more. Get the Farm Business Management rates to help back your request.

 

[ss55]

I don't know but I would cut and bale it for free if I got the hay. I would ask around if anyone wanted to cut and bale. no cost to you and they win.

If it is more weeds than grass it might not be worth hauling home.

 

[ss55]

I have a friend who own a MF 50 and a 5' bush Hog who has offered to mow about 10-12 acres for me. It has grown up and is 3-7' in height mostly flat with some hills. What would be a fair price for both of us to mow this down?

Your local extension service should have a range of what farmers charge for different field operations in your state. If your state does not have an extension service most Midwest states do have one.

 

[ss55]

Your local extension service should have a range of what farmers charge for different field operations in your state. If your state does not have an extension service most Midwest states do have one.

2025 Iowa Farm Custom Rate Survey | Iowa State University Extension Store

Buy 2025 Iowa Farm Custom Rate Survey at ISU

shop.iastate.edu

 

[cjunrau]

I'm resigned that my trust in people will cost me. I just think 54 hours of a tractor, fuel, and operator mowing 7" weeds and thorn bushes is worth more than $1,000. Since as someone pointed out I have no leverage. BTW Jim.ME I did not hunt on this property, it was just a place to shoot.

The guy that said $4400 was spot on. less than $100 an hour and you might as well not do it. Lesson learnt I guess. I have done those things before. Makes for bad friendships.

 

[JIM MN]

Spot-on ss55

 

[Deere combine]

I have a friend who own a MF 50 and a 5' bush Hog who has offered to mow about 10-12 acres for me. It has grown up and is 3-7' in height mostly flat with some hills. What would be a fair price for both of us to mow this down?

30$ an acre

 

[flying belgian]

30$ an acre

Did you see the part where its only 11 acres? So at 30 thats only $330 We've already established that $350 is ridiculous.

 

[Levibooty]

Did you see the part where its only 11 acres? So at 30 thats only $330 We've already established that $350 is ridiculous.

Especially since I mowed it three times! LOL