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Field Mowing as a Business

Steve in IL

Steve in IL

Member
Folks - Several of you run a business of mowing pastures and such. Ive been thinking of the same, but really struggling on the full view financial model. We already own 4 tractors with various sized brush mowers (15 foot, 7 foot, 5 foot, 4 foot). Thinking of also buying a tractor with a Alamo side brush mower. It would be great to use around the farm. But if I could make a business out of mowing with these various mowers, I think the financial justification would be considerably different.

Any thoughts? Any comments on what per hours charge is acceptable, and fully supports the business effort? I dont really like working for cheap!

Thanks.
 
Your county Ag Extension office should have custom work rates available for the normal type pasture mowing.
If you have an Ag Credit office near you, they would have similar information.

The side brush mower is not really farm equipment but based on purchase and operating cost, you
should be able to price it based on a comparable horsepower tractor with mower - at least on an hourly basis.
 
I second the concern of hidden hazards and equipment damage. Hayfield mowing might be OK, but stay out of highway sideditch mowing.
 
I would also raise the concern of field hazards and its effects on profitability. I wish such a business was remotely feasible around here. I could stand to make some additional income but too many people out there willing to do jobs for pennies above cost. Can't compete with people who got a settlement for early retirement and then run out and buy a new truck, tractor, and mower. Same story with general contracting, fencing, landscaping, etc..
 
I mow miles and miles of hyway ditch. Been doing it for 50 yrs. Not once have I gotten a flat tire. Beer cans and diapers are the only things in hyway ditches and they don't cause flats. Oh and deer carcass but them you can see and go around. $75/hr.
 
A local implement dealer in Southern Illinos rents a side arm tractor mower for $1300 a day or $2200 a week. It is always booked a year out especially August-November by local towmships.
 
Add up your costs, include a wage for your operator hours and include repairs and periodic replacement of your equipment. Make sure there is enough left over that you get a return for running the business. There may not be that much left after expenses, most people underestimate their expenses.
 
I don't think I would start out buying a bunch of different stuff. Mow with what you have already. If you own tractors already, you know what to expect as far as break downs, and fuel usage. Check on liability insurance, that takes a big chunk of profit. I pay under 900.00 a year. When I started mowing I put out a few signs. Go to real-estate offices drop off a few cards. advertise on craigslist. Most people I work for don't want me to charge by the hour. I make much more by just bidding the job. As for pricing. Here in S California on the west coast I don't do much for under 125.00 hr. with my 7 1/2 ft mower, or 6 ft. Stan
 
Only brush hogging that goes on around here is the state and county boys mowing roadsides. State and counties own thier own equipment, and have thier employees do it. Townships don't mow thier roadsides, and an independant guy would have trouble finding a job around here.
 
Most of our local government agencies have their own crews. Utility companies sub out right of way cutting but it goes to large companies that can gurantee timely service. I cut pastures and land for individuals using a ford 4000 and 6 foot cutter. Around here typical cost is $40 - $60 per hour for 5 and 6 foot cutters. Same cost for other tractor work like box blading drives, plowing, etc.
 
Check on liability insurance, that takes a big chunk of profit.
It takes about 1 month's rent to pay my business insurance.
Property taxes takes more than 2 months rent to pay.
So for me 3 out of 12 months. 25% is shot.
22% federal taxes, almost 6% state and local income taxes on profits.
That sucks. I'm not a tax cheat. I'm not a cash business. Rents are paid with check or money order and deposited in business checking account.

I have no plans to expand my rental business?? Just the opposite.
You may be working for the insurance company and IRS.
 
Try it , sounds like a way to use idle machines . I cant see paying new tractor pricing. Unless it used 24/7.
Suggestion ,that would be a great one for using autonomous tractors
 
The state of Texas contracts all rite of way mowing. The county I live in doesnt do very good job of mowing ROW, county 500 ft from me has own mowers. When have plenty of rain there is plenty of people with N fords and all way up to new Kubotas, JDs mowing privite lots.
 
Interesting to see how things vary across the US and Canada. Where I am at the state, county, and township have their own equipment for mowing. The inactive cemeteries get mowed by the townships but that may be a town by town decision. Boils down the same that it is pretty difficult to make it in such a business. Heck, even the auction business is overmanned around here. And now there are a couple of fancy operators in a business not long ago where you made very little if you were honest. A lot of outside money is being invested in these businesses.
 
How did this become a discussion about roadside mowing?

There are more things than roadsides that need to be mowed.

One of the issues you run into is that customers will automatically think that you're trying to shaft them no matter how little you charge. If and when someone comes along that charges $1 less than you, they will drop you like a hot potato and go to that guy, regardless of the level of service you provide.
 
I have done some field mowing for approx. the last 35 years . I did it as a side-line using what equipment I had. With the equipment you already own it sounds like you have plenty of equipment to start with. For the last 25 or so years due to time constraints I basically did the mowing for the same regular customers year after year, all within tractor driving distance as opposed to transporting the tractor to the job. Mostly a couple places with unused horse pastures and small fields. If you get into doing things on a commercial scale you will need insurance to cover this type of operation. I always charged travel time one way and also would advise against taking jobs where you will be trying to cut stuff at the limits of your machinerys limits (tall brush, real wet areas in a wet year etc,). These jobs can become unprofitable real quick. Hourly charge will vary greatly based on such factors as insurance costs,transportation costs etc. which may or may not apply as well as charging more for a real large machine like your 15 footer. I would start out slow and work close to home if possible to keep the overhead down. When I started I would charge $25-30/hr for a tractor with a 5 ft. cutter. Now I figure $60-70/hr for the same size outfit. As others have mentioned there are often people who will work fairly cheap so depending on your area it may be hard to get much work if you have to compete with them , although in my experience they come and go so if you can get some regular repeat customers that is your best bet as opposed for chasing around after work.
 
Depending where you are at roadside mowing is perhaps the biggest area of need in terms of mowing but certainly not in NYS.
Around here there are no fields that need mowing. Certain farmers will work ground that should be left to the woodchucks and other
critters of the woods because it is not productive in the least. The stubborn guy that did not want his ground worked years ago is
long gone. Whoever is there now will either rent to his neighbor or find somebody 10 miles away if he does not get along with his
neighbors. Around here there is no money to be made in such a business. Again, I would say that all these businesses have too
much competition that is well funded. Some guy hoping to come up by the boot straps is not going to make it 95 times out of 100.
 
I will second what NY986 says about fields in NY. I'm even guilty of it myself, now that the cattle are gone, I am eyeing the open section of the lower pasture as a potential hay field.
 
I do some custom brush hogging with a 100 HP tractor I paid $900 and a 10ft hog I paid $700 for both have paid for themselves long ago many times over.So basically all I have in a job is my time and some fuel.I can under price the guys with the fancy equipment and still make way more than they do,and be able to pick the jobs I want and don't want.
 
Just the opposite in my area farms have been broken up into lots 5 to 25 acres and most owners build a house use maybe 1 or 2 acres and hire someone to brush hog the rest several times a year.
 
I do a little custom mowing and tilling just to help curb the cost of my equipment. The biggest thing I've learned is to look at the job then give them a price. What people describe over the phone is not always accurate. I run newer equipment and figure with the idea of making about 100 dollars an hour doing what I do unless your a neighbor. friend, or regular customer.
 
My hat comes off to these guys, especially the ones who mow the old rail road bridges with the steep banks. I don't know how the tractors stay on the ground and the drivers stay in the seat....
 
If there are a lot of absentee landlords in your area, you might check if there is a market for mowing CRP acres and farmsteads. I know one guy who mows around hog confinement buildings and mows residential yards for the elderly (beware, some elderly can be very picky and fussy, LOL).
 
Actually there is a lot of that type of properties in my area of Central NY too and that is where the work is for field mowing. These parcels are not usually something that is good farmable land due to being broken up by fences, having areas of trees or just single trees throughout, not having good access for large equipment (maybe have to drive across lawn or get through fairly narrow gates or openings, some parts may be steep or wet, just too small of a parcel and/or the owner does not want a lot of modern farming practices in their extended back yard (herbicide use, liquid manure etc.) Not a lot of large farmable parcels that owners want to pay to be mowed, either they rent them out as NY986 mentioned, or let the weeds and brush take over.
 
40 odd years ago, I did some field weed mowing. I would look at what a person wanted done, determine in my mind how long it would take me and gave them a $ figure based on what I had decided for me was a fair hourly rate: man, equipment, fuel and travel.
I also did some garden plowing. Again, look at what they wanted and give them a number.
One time a woman called wanting to know how much I charged. I said that I would look at what she wanted and give her a price. She was insistent so I told her that I don't leave the yard for less than $25 an hour. She said the guy last year did it for a six pack. I told her that I would stay home and buy my own six pack.
BTW, I no longer have a plow or a bush hog.
 
I have a lot of new neighbors moving in and have no equipment, nor expertise as a farm occupant. I do odd machine related jobs for them. I work by the hour for mowing and most other tasks. One customer is having me develop a hay field (from a horrible weed patch) for him which is also by the hour plus materials.

This summer it got the first cutting of hay which was sparse being a newly developed field. Rather than the normal per bale rate I charge, I cut, teddered, raked, and baled it by the hour since the yield in no way would support the normal per bale charge. Have no problems. They are happy to have someone do the work for a reasonable fee. My fees are structured to my time, fuel, and equipment wear and tear.
 
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