Do any of you guys mow highway or interstate right of ways on contract? If so I would like to hear some pros and cons. Any constructive comments would be appreciated. My partner and I are thinking of submitting a couple of bids this coming up season. We both have farmed for ever but have never taken on anything like this. thanks in advance.
- Thread starter Fudpucker
- Start date
Most right-of-way mowing is done by the counties around here. A few years back, a neighbor of ours got a contract with a couple townships to mow them. Bought a large tractor with a hydraulic boom mounted rotary hog. Costs of operation, maintenance and repair ate him up. Next season he was outbid by a guy with a couple small tractors (one was an 8N) - they didn't last the season. So after doing all the hard work, beating up his machine, and cleaning up a lot of previously poorly maintained right of way, he lost his shirt. Not recommended way to make a living.
Jim in Ma.
Well-known Member
BTDT - sharpen your flat tire skills. around here you would need to run at least 1 small rear rotory and 3 bat wings. The hardest part is finding help that will not beat the equip. into the ground. Do the powers that be expect you to cut behind guardrails and trim around signs?
I ran 60 to 70 HP tractors with filled front tires $$$ but no flats with them. Ran the rears at about 30 lbs. and that helps repel the glass and dabris you will drive over.
Good Luck.
I ran 60 to 70 HP tractors with filled front tires $$$ but no flats with them. Ran the rears at about 30 lbs. and that helps repel the glass and dabris you will drive over.
Good Luck.
I know a guy in Ky. who does this(mow) He also bids
the snow plowing. Plus he bids power lines. Seems to
do real well. Has a nice hunting cabin. Think he
uses 6430 JD's and 15 ft JD batwings. I guess the
big deal is if you can spray around sign's bridge
rails etc. If you have to weedeat them calls for a
lot of help or hard work!
the snow plowing. Plus he bids power lines. Seems to
do real well. Has a nice hunting cabin. Think he
uses 6430 JD's and 15 ft JD batwings. I guess the
big deal is if you can spray around sign's bridge
rails etc. If you have to weedeat them calls for a
lot of help or hard work!
NYS DOT has relinquished some of their highway mowing to the private sector, I see some new compact tractors, rotary cutters, nothing big or specialized, like what most regions have, with rotary cutters on booms, flails on same, and batwing mowers etc. for a couple of years now on smaller arterial highways, not sure if it all will go to public bid, but like the others said, that lump sum had best be figured right or it has the potential to be a loss.
not done here in nm, its all either state or county equipment and employees, and their right touchy about it, some areas even have huge signs stating " do not plow or plant in road rightof ways, some farmers had been placing their crop rows right up to the pavment on state hiways, lol
Anonymous-0
Well-known Member
You need to get a long enough contract(at least 3 years, preferably 5 years) so that you can justify buying new or almost new equipment to do the job. You need to buy heavy duty machines as well or you'll be constantly fixing/replacing them. Some farmers will bid on cutting ditches in their neighborhood so they can bail the cut grass. Mowing Highways and Interstates is another ball game. If it rains and is too wet to cut, you better have some extra power on tap to be able cut the tall grass when it dries up enough to cut.
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