Have a friend who recently purchased 10 acres of land and about 8 of it is all overgrown grass and light brush. Was farm land until a few years ago. He asked if I could run my flail mower around and knock it all down for him. Wondering how much time you think that would take and what a fair price to charge him is. Have a B2601 with a 53" Betstco mower. Could grab a 6' brush mower from another friend, but don't want to borrow equipment if I don't have to. It is relatively flat and nothin larger than about 1" on it. Mostly about 2' tall grass.
Estimated time to cut
- Thread starter RVS PERF
- Start date
I mow 8 acres with a ~47HP Ford and 7 foot flail mower. If I can get to it before it gets too tall I can go in 3rd gear at a fairly good speed. Even then it takes me a good 6-7 hours. If I let it go at all like it is now due to so much durn rain I will be cutting in 2nd or 1st or cutting it twice and it ends up being a two day deal.
Go cut a 1/2 acre then take the time it takes times 20.
Go cut a 1/2 acre then take the time it takes times 20.
North Idaho Wolfman
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It's pretty hard for us to be able to give you an answer on this because it really depends on exact conditions and how fast you'll be moving.
Take a run mowing for a set distance and figure out of long it takes you to cover that distance.
Then you will have a basis for how long it will take.
Then you will need to decide what your time and equipment costs will be.
Just remember any damage to your equipment or yourself, and is 100% you.
So a $100 mowing job could cost you thousands if you hit something or something just randomly breaks!
Now unless you have a business liability policy, doing damage to someone else's property, person could very well bankrupt you!
Doing something as a favor is completely different matter than doing it for a profit, it shifts the liability back onto the owner of the property.
So why not leave it up to your friend to compensate you if he wants too, worse case scenario he'll be a jerk and underpay you.
Bingo.It's pretty hard for us to be able to give you an answer on this because it really depends on exact conditions and how fast you'll be moving.
Take a run mowing for a set distance and figure out of long it takes you to cover that distance.
Then you will have a basis for how long it will take.
Then you will need to decide what your time and equipment costs will be.
Just remember any damage to your equipment or yourself, and is 100% you.
So a $100 mowing job could cost you thousands if you hit something or something just randomly breaks!
Now unless you have a business liability policy, doing damage to someone else's property, person could very well bankrupt you!
Doing something as a favor is completely different matter than doing it for a profit, it shifts the liability back onto the owner of the property.
So why not leave it up to your friend to compensate you if he wants too, worse case scenario he'll be a jerk and underpay you.
I never take any of my equipment off of my property.
SDT
Poohbear
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So he has 10 AC and no kind of equipment but wants you to take the chance on tearing up your equipment or worse you. It's time he gets mowing stuff, imho. Heck we have rental places with tractors/mowers.
Now, I don't want to sound like a cheap stingey jerk as I have used my tractor thru the years to help friends & sick neighbors . I just think land owners should have equipment or hire full time operations.
Now, I don't want to sound like a cheap stingey jerk as I have used my tractor thru the years to help friends & sick neighbors . I just think land owners should have equipment or hire full time operations.
Charge him enough he won't want you to do it! Saves a friend, saves your chance to damage your equipment.
Russell King
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The same company betstco sells large pull behind flail mowers that have gas engines on them.
Less than $2000 if I recall
Maybe your friend should invest in one of those?
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Less than $2000 if I recall
Maybe your friend should invest in one of those?
Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
Charge him on a time and materials basis and agree not to exceed a limit price. If he doesnt like that he can always buy or rent a machine himself
Friends don't charge friends in the first place. They do it gratis and if the friend wants to compensate for say fuel, that's fine but charging is not acceptable in my view.
A good rule of thumb on time required to mow/plow a field/pasture is MPH X width of implement/cut divided by 10 yields acres per hour covered which allows for a operator's liquid break or 2.
johnjk
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I am doing roughly 9 acres with a brush hog once a year and that is a good 6hrs at a minimum. The first time I did it, It took me a lot longer not knowing what was hidden. Granted it had not been knocked back in over 8yrs, so I was dealing with field olives, remnants of logging, rocks and other junk that was left . I took the time to collect these larger obstacles and create a burn pile. For a good part of the first day, I had my brother in law with me. One of us would walk ahead and look for obstacles while the other ran the tractor. Now with knowledge of the ground, I can set my speed, sit back and enjoy a cigar and some music. That first cut took me around 10 gal of fuel. My annual full cut now is around 8gal. With the rain, I don't think I will get it in this summer. Maybe fall if it drys out.
Costs? That is on you. If my brother in law needed it done, I would not charge. If a friend from work wanted it done, probably fuel and a few good cigars.
My new neighbor wanted to borrow my B with the brush hog to go clear some property he was flipping. Told him no way. Easy way to get an out and not make it you saying no is to just tell them that your insurance policy does not cover your equipment being used off your property.
Costs? That is on you. If my brother in law needed it done, I would not charge. If a friend from work wanted it done, probably fuel and a few good cigars.
My new neighbor wanted to borrow my B with the brush hog to go clear some property he was flipping. Told him no way. Easy way to get an out and not make it you saying no is to just tell them that your insurance policy does not cover your equipment being used off your property.
If you're in a conversation (with a friend) and a task is brought and discussed and you offer to help is much different than a friend contacting you asking you to do a task. If what you say Flip is how you handle things you can never work for a friend...only strangers. Seems odd to me.
Why don't you come and cut, rake and bale my hay field and let me determine if/what I will pay you.
Same applies to me. equal distance. You can come here. Problem is, it's wet. Bring your RV. You can park it out back, even have hookup's and a dump station.
I said if doing it for a friend, let the friend determine what, if any compensation would be. Friends don't charge friends, last not around these parts.
I always help my neighbors because if I need assistance they help me and I never ask for compensation and neither do they.
I'd say it'll take you around 20 hrs on the good side with no problems.
Pay, that would be determined by what type friend.
Friend that you just know, I'd say tell him what full price is by the hr and after you see what you've got yourself into after the job is done decide if he gets a price break.
ex. $100 to show up and $50 per hr.
Now if it's a true friend I'd probably be talking something like the amount of cold beer you'll need.
Pay, that would be determined by what type friend.
Friend that you just know, I'd say tell him what full price is by the hr and after you see what you've got yourself into after the job is done decide if he gets a price break.
ex. $100 to show up and $50 per hr.
Now if it's a true friend I'd probably be talking something like the amount of cold beer you'll need.
I agree with Flip on this. I would not charge my friends for helping. I have spent a lot of hours helping friends and a thank you was satisfaction enough. Maybe your friend could rent a tractor and you all could mow together saving time.
How is that possible?
My very thirsty L6060 burns about 5 gallons in about three hours when working hard.
SDT
I believe that was sarcasm, he would charge $60 per hour.
Also, I think bulldog hit the nail on the head as far as the original question.
I like helping others so I do things for people all the time. Fuel is usually all that I require. A few years ago I was clearing snow at my ex in laws. It was a lot of snow for us, 10-12” or so. As I was leaving I saw their neighbor trying to shovel their way out. It took me 5 minutes but would have taken them hours. The Mrs. came outside about the time I was done to offer me money. As she stood on the porch her robe blew open. Let’s just say the headlights were on***128563;***128563; that was payment enough.