# Disk mowing?



## av8tr72 (Oct 11, 2021)

I’m just curious. I already have a tractor. Getting all the equipment to make hay just wouldn’t be feasible for me. If I where to get a disk mower to cut hay, would that be something people would hire out. Basically a way to make a little extra money, would someone with a mower and tractor be able to find some extra work? 


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## Hayjosh (Mar 24, 2016)

You could,, but the second you hit a hidden stump or fence post in somebody’s overgrowth makes it a really expensive venture.


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## av8tr72 (Oct 11, 2021)

Hayjosh said:


> You could,, but the second you hit a hidden stump or fence post in somebody’s overgrowth makes it a really expensive venture.


Yeah. Unfortunately that could happen at my place. With my luck probably will. 
I was just curious if there was a demand for people that just mowed the hay. 


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## 8350HiTech (Jul 26, 2013)

Totally depends on your local demand. There either is a market for it or there isn’t.


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## av8tr72 (Oct 11, 2021)

I’m in north Texas. Looks like there is quite a bit of haying going on up here. Trying to get my land producing decent hay. It’s just not big enough for that large of an expense to buy all that machinery. 


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## Hayjosh (Mar 24, 2016)

av8tr72 said:


> I’m in north Texas. Looks like there is quite a bit of haying going on up here. Trying to get my land producing decent hay. It’s just not big enough for that large of an expense to buy all that machinery.
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


You won't be able to justify that expense with custom mowing either then. Either you spend your time doing your own hay, or spend all of your time mowing somebody else's hay, or spend your time doing your hay and not somebody else's hay until you're done with your own, and then people are unhappy. Either way, you can't charge what you really should to make it worth it (because nobody would want to pay it). 

So in summary, at $21/acre (if you can get that in your area for unconditioned mowing), it'd take a lot of acres (because you have to pay for fuel and wear and tear as well) to make anything meaningful to helping with the cost of a mower. Good used deals can be had if you are patient and constantly looking.


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## Tx Jim (Jun 30, 2014)

I also live in N Texas. I've had hay custom mowed for me as low as $10 per acre by a neighbor with his tractor & cutter that was retired & just wanted to get out of the house. I've also paid as high as $30 per acre if hay was above average in thickness. I agree with Josh that those hidden obstacles can randomly raise their ugly heads.


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## av8tr72 (Oct 11, 2021)

I wasn’t looking to do it full time. I was just wondering if people had large acres of land to hay they hire out some people to help mow it down to go faster. 
Make a little money with my tractor. 

Might not have been the best idea. 


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## RockmartGA (Jun 29, 2011)

You could put your name out there and see who bites. Maybe do a couple of fields and decide if it is worth your time.


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## the farmer 3 (Jul 12, 2021)

there is a retired farmer here that advertises to do bush hogging and rototilling .

I talked to him this summer as he was trimming the rough edges on a field that I cut for neighbors.

he said he gets 85$ an hour and has lots of work


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## av8tr72 (Oct 11, 2021)

the farmer 3 said:


> there is a retired farmer here that advertises to do bush hogging and rototilling .
> 
> I talked to him this summer as he was trimming the rough edges on a field that I cut for neighbors.
> 
> he said he gets 85$ an hour and has lots of work


Interesting. Thanks for the info. 
Guess I’ll have to fish around. Didn’t want to sink a lot of money into equipment to just sit around and look pretty. I have a shredder. That’s about it as far as mowers. 


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## Sterling6.7 (Jul 11, 2017)

If mowing is how you want to spend your time, I would buy a small rotary or flail to make your money off of. Then use the HUGE (not really) pile of cash you earn to buy the disc mower you want. You can brush hog all year round and have the time you need to do your own hay.


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## SwingOak (May 19, 2014)

I get more contract work tedding than anything else. Dairy farmers around here usually chop their hay or make wrapped round bales, so it's not worth it for them to have their own tedder. But when they want to make dry large squares they call me to ted.


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## the farmer 3 (Jul 12, 2021)

I was visiting another farmer friend of mine and I noticed he had a brand new 3pt rototiller.

he said he did 3 jobs putting in food plots for deer hunters and paid for the tiller .


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## av8tr72 (Oct 11, 2021)

Perhaps that’s the better route. I have a shredder, start there. Might be more opportunities for that than cutting hay. When I make that pile of money, . I can invest in something for hay if that opportunity arises. 


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## Hawkins2015 (7 mo ago)

My $0.02, if someone is wanting hay mowed, they are also looking for someone to ted/rake/bale it too. And would prefer to get the same person.

The only way I could see that operation working is if you could get in with someone who already has an operation going and wants to make mowing go faster, which you've already stated. 

Could work, just need to find the person.


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## av8tr72 (Oct 11, 2021)

Hawkins2015 said:


> My $0.02, if someone is wanting hay mowed, they are also looking for someone to ted/rake/bale it too. And would prefer to get the same person.
> 
> The only way I could see that operation working is if you could get in with someone who already has an operation going and wants to make mowing go faster, which you've already stated.
> 
> Could work, just need to find the person.


Yeah. That’s what I was wondering about. People cutting larger acres looking for help getting it cut faster. Guess it’s not too common. 


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## calico190xt (9 mo ago)

My son did pretty well custom round baling only for a few years. Lots of guys can buy a mower and a rake, but the round baler is a much bigger expense. You do need a bigger tractor for most round balers. 

You might consider that as a first step but I would talk to some potential customers about the reality. Possible that people in your neck of the woods do all of it themselves or need the mowing and the raking done as well.


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