# How Much Should I Charge to Cut a Field?



## Hugh

My neighbor has 6 acres in mixed grass hay. He had it fertilized a few weeks ago, and with several days of rain the tallest grass is now about 4-5 feet. He is sort of a "user" type, but I do like him. He has borrowed my bailer in the past, asked me to grade his road, etc, and I've done this at no charge. Now he asked me to cut his field and he insisted on paying me. I asked him to put a number on it and he came up with $100. I know this is job to take at least 3 hours, maybe 4. He says a friend of his cut it in the past for $100, and that this guy loaded his swather on a trailer, cut his field and reloaded the swather, brought it back all for a $100. I told him that was a great deal and he ought to use him again, because I wouldn't want to do it for a $100. I have a nearly new Kubota and a new Vicon 7' disk mower. Question: what would be a fair price to charge?


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## 8350HiTech

If you're next door and the mower is already hooked up, $100 ($17/acre) wouldn't be out of the question. I'd probably charge $25/acre in that situation though as a sort of penalty for small acreage. Your local conditions will vary.

Some may disagree, but as a sometimes user of custom services, I don't care if it takes you X hours because you have small equipment. That's not my fault. Unless your small equipment somehow is better at meeting the clients' needs or is the only equipment willing to take on the job, you're going to have to compete on rate with bigger operators.


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## NewBerlinBaler

If I were to do any custom mowing, I'd charge $45/acre (sounds like a better deal than $50/acre). I think it's fair price to both parties.

Gary


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## 8350HiTech

NewBerlinBaler said:


> If I were to do any custom mowing, I'd charge $45/acre (sounds like a better deal than $50/acre). I think it's fair price to both parties.
> 
> Gary


This is a joke, right?


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## discbinedr

$15 an acre would get it cut here. Competition is stiff.


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## discbinedr

Unless the ground is rough and the field odd shaped I don't see why it should take more than 2.5 hours.


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## Nitram

Last yr was $12 acre cut $4 rake acre and $15 per bale 5x5.5 this is primarily 20 acre field and larger. That is Here and the grass ain't 5' neither.


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## Hugh

I have a 44hp at the PTO tractor with a mower that calls for a minimum of 45hp, so I strain a little and can't cut at 7MPH like the big tractors. I didn't ask to cut his field, and I don't need the money. He asked me and he came up with the $100 figure. If I could find someone to cut my place for $17 per acre I would have never bought a $9000 disk mower.

The big problem in my mind is that last year, he borrowed my bailer a couple of times to bail his field. I seeded alfalfa in June. We had sort of an unwritten understanding that he could borrow my bailer and I could use his sickle bar mower. All along he was saying that he was buying a used disk mower that "we could use" from a guy he knows. When I got ready to cut in September, he says, "The sickle bar needs work." At this point I bought a new disk mower.

I'm thinking it probably costs at least $20 per hour to run a tractor and mower. Fuel + wear on the equipment, I could be wrong.


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## discbinedr

$20 per hr for tractor and mower plus $20 an hour for labor x 2.5 hrs = $100


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## 8350HiTech

In order to take four hours with a 7' mower at a meager 80% efficiency, you'd have to travel at 2.2 mph.

It sounds like you're kind of fed up with the situation. Just skip the mowing job.


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## luke strawwalker

Don't quite see what the problem is... You're not willing to do it for $100 bucks, and evidently he doesn't want to pay more... You told him you wanted more or he could get the other guy... But evidently the other guy isn't tripping over himself to come do it either...

Now with the sorry about the sickle mower, sounds like he didn't fix it, knowing you'd want to use it and figured he'd make you fix it to use it... Now he wants his hay done cheap after you went and bought a $9000 disk mower... I wouldn't pay his game... Guy sounds like a mooch...

That's EXACTLY why I don't borrow equipment, and don't ask me to loan you any equipment... I don't loan stuff out, because it comes back broke or isn't there when I need it... Neither a lender nor a borrower be...

When I did custom work, it was for the price *I* felt was fair... I didn't put up with guys trying to "Jew me down" on the price... Either your willing to pay it, or not, no skin of my nose either way... I told you what I wanted, either pay it or quit wasting my time and yours both... Had plenty of business so I must have been doing something right...

Later! OL JR


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## ARD Farm

Then there is...Whats lurking under the grass that you cannot see that your disc mower will.....

Stuff hidden in the grass can (and will) ruin your day.

Why I use my old (but reliable as a rock) JD Sickle Bar Moco on alien fields, especially first cut. It ani't fast but it can eat a rock or a log and just burp.


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## ARD Farm

I just passed on a nice 10 acre job right around the corner because my memory can't remember what is in the field that might cost me money. Told the owner to find someone else (gonna be hard, I'm about the only haycutter around here).


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## Hugh

Yeah, he may be a mooch. He invited my wife and I to dinner with he and his wife, to "the best steakhouse in Montana." I told him we didn't need to go to a fancy place, but he insisted. When we got there his wife ordered only a salad, and he said that he "wasn't that hungry," and ordered something other than a steak. Strange situation. If he was poor or in a bad situation, I would mow his place for nothing. It is the sneaky way he goes about the whole thing. Thanks everyone...


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## ARD Farm

Hugh... I'll be out in Montana to get my own 'steak' on the hoof.


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## mlappin

I charge between $13.50 and $15 an acre for mowing depending on the field and the owner.

$6 acre for each time it needs tedding.

$6 acre for raking.

$9 a bale for 4x5's plus the cost of any Hayguard used.


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## treymo

Just get over there, cut it, take your 100$, and hope he tells his friends what a good job you did. That's why I don't turn much if any work down, word gets around when you get picky and that might hurt reputation. $14/acre here. I could have that done in 30 minutes or less.

Trey


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## Colby

I would charge him by the hour. Around 70.00/ hr. If it was a bigger job, 17.00 and acre here


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## 8350HiTech

Oddly, I got asked tonight to mow a similar sized field for an Amish neighbor. I told him $20/acre. I'll take $100 for a one hour job and be quite happy with it.


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## Hugh

My situation is that I have a small tractor, a Kubota MX5100, which is 51HP and 45 PTO HP. I think it would take about 3 hours and a lot of strain on my rig to cut this guy's 6 acres that is about 5 ft tall and growing at 2 inches per day. If I had a 350 Hp tractor and a 12 ft. disc mower that would run through his place at 10 MPH and 1 hour to cut, $100 would be OK with me.


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## deadmoose

Hugh said:


> My situation is that I have a small tractor, a Kubota MX5100, which is 51HP and 45 PTO HP. I think it would take about 3 hours and a lot of strain on my rig to cut this guy's 6 acres that is about 5 ft tall and growing at 2 inches per day. If I had a 350 Hp tractor and a 12 ft. disc mower that would run through his place at 10 MPH and 1 hour to cut, $100 would be OK with me.


You do not need to defend yourself. In many places $100 is more than fair. If you want more, name your price. If he doesn't want to pay you do not need to cut. Can't say I blame you.


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## Hugh

deadmoose said:


> You do not need to defend yourself. In many places $100 is more than fair. If you want more, name your price. If he doesn't want to pay you do not need to cut. Can't say I blame you.


Dead Moose, good thinking...


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## SwingOak

mlappin said:


> I charge between $13.50 and $15 an acre for mowing depending on the field and the owner.
> 
> $6 acre for each time it needs tedding.
> 
> $6 acre for raking.
> 
> $9 a bale for 4x5's plus the cost of any Hayguard used.


A timely topic for me as I may be doing some custom haying near my farm. Any thought on cost to charge per small square? Hay has been selling around here for about $3/bale.


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## ARD Farm

SwingOak said:


> A timely topic for me as I may be doing some custom haying near my farm. Any thought on cost to charge per small square? Hay has been selling around here for about $3/bale


Michigan State does a yearly custom rate chart for all types of farm operations. I use their rates when I do a custom job. They even have a fuel calculator.

You can go the their website www.msu.edu and search for it.


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## Thorim

Sounds like you really don't want to do it so politely tell him no or since it sounds like he may ask to borrow your baler after you cut it why not give him a price for the whole job cutting raking/tedding, baling......


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## SwingOak

I found the USDA published rates for Wisconsin. Thanks for the tip ARD Farm!

http://www.nass.usda.gov/Statistics_by_State/Wisconsin/Publications/custom_rates_2013.pdf


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## Tim/South

Thorim said:


> Sounds like you really don't want to do it so politely tell him no or since it sounds like he may ask to borrow your baler after you cut it why not give him a price for the whole job cutting raking/tedding, baling......


And when he asks to borrow the baler, tell him it needs repairs.

When I do not want to do a job for someone I politely tell them I do not have the time. None of us needs to defend our gut feelings on things. More so when we sniff some manipulation in the air.


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## Hugh

Tim/South said:


> And when he asks to borrow the baler, tell him it needs repairs.
> 
> When I do not want to do a job for someone I politely tell them I do not have the time. None of us needs to defend our gut feelings on things. More so when we sniff some manipulation in the air.


Tim, your, "sniff some manipulation" hit the nail on the head.


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