how much to charge for mowing a pasture

[BrianL]

The way I figure basic cost for my personal use:

Tractor(6000hr rating) depreciation/hr $20
Shredder dep(4000hr rating) $5/hr
Service(oil, hydraulic fluid & filters) $600 every 200hrs: $3/hr
Tires set of 4 approx every 700 hours $3-4000: $5/hr
Fuel use 5 gallons/hour(shredder or harrow): $15
Repairs..????? $-$$$$

[kcmarullo]

I charge $100.00 an acre because I don't want to do it.

[kkp005]

Just be careful of what’s all out there…. I’m sure you’ll be told there’s nothing but grass.
Don’t find out the hard way that there’s old gates laid over, chains, scrap, t post, rolls of old wire, etc..

[SaltwaterSlick]

Yea, and if there's deer in the area, sheds have ruined a lot of tractor tires over the years...

[tps7742]

I personally would not quote him a fixed price. I'd quote him a cost/hour and tell him you'll mow it well and as fast as you safely can to protect his property and your equipment... Also might tell him he's responsible for any repairs to your equipment caused by debris unseen in the pasture (cut tire, broken/sheared blade or pins, etc)...


Now if the guy is a friend/neighbor, might be different, but just hiring me n my equipment out, I'd make sure I was covered... Start with you tractor full of diesel and end with it full of diesel and charge him a fuel charge would be acceptable (especially if you give him a low rate)

This pretty much covers everything you need to consider when/if you bid it. Good advice from a been there done that it sounds like.

[OldRiverRat]

Thanks guys, I think I have a feel for things
The pasture is clean, the guy that has been mowing doesn’t want to do it anymore and this is a pasture that belongs to family so I’ll consider that as well. I’m thinking $35 acre is a pretty fair number
I make a little money and it’s probably about as good of an offer as they will get.


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[justindiehl7]

I charge $100.00 an acre because I don't want to do it.

Exactly, everybody cutting the market down. Work all day and have a breakdown and lose money. Mowing yards is about $60 an acre but the equipment cost is 1/10th of a batwing. It doesn’t make sense to me.


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[jerp]

Just today we paid a guy $60/ hour to knock down an overgrown pasture. We decided our budget was $600 so we just said do as much as you can in 10 hours. He was pretty close so travel charge was negligible

[Quackerbox]

Saltwater has good advice.

I was quoted 265 flat for 2 acres then 75 an hour for the same property. But this was something a 50" ztr could knock out

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[BTLowry]

I was approached by neighbor to mow about 3ac of their place

Told them $300 first time and we would negotiate the 2nd time if there was one.

They acted shocked at the price. I told them I knew for a fact that there was all kinds of crap to tear my stuff up and that I would not do it period if they were not neighbors (at the time I wanted to buy their place if they sold so I was trying to keep on their good side) and that I could do $300 worth of damage in 50' easily if I was not careful and went super slow
After I mowed the first time they agreed $300 was fair. I didn't tear anything up but I found some stuff the hard way.
I now get $150 twice a year to mow it and I have moved or marked 99% of the hazards.

If I had a flex wing I would start at $80/hr and go from there based on what I knew about the property.
Tractor to run one is minimum $50K and the mowers are at least $12-15K

[Razrbk89]

Man, it sounds like I could get rich bush hogging down there…

[lovemylegacy]

not sure about today's rates, but it equated to $1 per minute in the past around north TX

This, is your minimum

[RattlesnakeDan]

I get $150 for first acre and then $50/acre after that. That is with a compact tractor with 5'shredder. I get calls for large jobs and tell them they can get it done cheaper by someone with a large setup, usually $40/acre for the big units around here.
I run over stuff everyday because of doing residential overgrown lots and subdivisions where people chuck everything from boards, concrete, branches, extension cords, you name it, you have to watch the ground every second around fences and edges. Did a small lot in town for a friend the other day for $50 to help him out, cost me $250 and half days labor. T post got wrapped around my blades and broke my pan, I didn't tell him about it, just suck it up and move on.

[cva34]

If ya ain't gota haul/load/unload ,price can be a little cheaper

[DEADEYE1]

Mower

You are talking about 3x mower. So about 100 an hour.

he said he was running a 15 footer