What Is A Good Bid??

Bryce Frazier · Jun 6, 2014

Well, the neighbor just contacted me. He said that he wants me to bring my Ferguson TO-30 and mower down, and mower a littlel grass for him. Basically he is working on the property, and has about 4-5 acres of hay that he just wants mowed.

It actually used to be a hay field, and is surprisingly flat/smooth. It isn't any kind of grass that I would want for hay, so he just wants it mowed so that it doesn't go crazy!

What is a good price/way to get paid? By the Acre, Hour, or should I just give him a bid!?!? I personally would like to get paid by the hour, because I really don't know how much property is there for sure, plus it is mostly a bunch of little spots. Would $25 an hour be out of line??

Let me know what you guys think, I have about 3 miles to drive, oh which he will be charged for... Bryce

Brendon Warren · Jun 6, 2014

I wouldn't think 25 an hour would be out of line. 15 for the tractor and 10 for you. Pretty cheap if anything.

oldtanker · Jun 6, 2014

I charge 50 an hour with a 2 hour minimum, cash on completion. Mostly cause I don't want to do it. But if someone has the money....

Rick

big jt · Jun 6, 2014

Bryce

I attached the custom rate results I use in such cases. For mowing it is a bit subjective, size of mower etc.

Might be better to add up the tractor rental rate and your wage and a bit for the mower also.

For mowing they are saying $25 to 55 per hour. To figure out the other way multiply the HP of your tractor times the rate per HP HR, add your wage etc.

If you are charging by the hour just figure from the time you leave home till you get back.

jt
Iowa State Custom rates

DeltaRed · Jun 6, 2014

$25.00 per hr includeing bath way travel time is VERY fair.

Bryce Frazier · Jun 6, 2014

Alright, good to know.... This guy is a doctor, and he just basically says get it done and give me a bill, so I think that if $25 an hour is very fair, I am the ONLY one around that would do it, and I think that because of that I will probably ask $30. I know the guy, and he won't think twice about it, I just wanted to make sure that I was being fair!!

He has about 25 acres of fields, all in about 5 acre sections. They were originally cleared in the late 1800's, and were part of a home stead. Our neighbor farmed it up until the 80's, then retired. (This is the same guy that I got all of the antique tractors/equipment from)

Most of the fields are partially over grown with trees and stuff, but the Son wants it all cleared, and this summer he is working on it. HE want's the get the AG Tax Exemption, and I told him that I would possibly be able to farm it. He basically said that he thought that it would be really, really awesome if his dad's farm was kind of put back in use, using his restored equipment of course!!

He said that I could do it for free, and that the only way he would benefit from it would be the tax exemption. I thought that was a REALLY good deal on my part!!! Not sure if it will go through, but if it does, I may being putting up a LOT of oat hay next year!!

Thanks again for the info, I appreciate it! Bryce

Billy NY · Jun 6, 2014

Some customers get put off by an hourly price, some don't, so it may be a safe bet to take the unit price, what you need to cover the operating costs, fair profit and overhead. Look at the job carefully, allot a safe number on the time, multiply by your unit price, the "rate" if you will and give em a lump sum price. Some jobs are safer on time and material basis, so if you have a trusting customer, and they see you are honest, and that the hours on site match what it took to complete the job, you should not have any trouble, but make sure the rate is fair and you are making a little profit, fair, but still profitable. Some may think you are going slow to make more hours, so a lump sum, carefully figured, the unit price/rate has to be accurate on your end, don't ever short change yourself, I'd rather skip a job, than underbid it.

Eldon (WA) · Jun 6, 2014

I get $75 an hour for cutting, but I cut close to 3 acres an hour. There used to be a lot on CL wanting to cut for $50 an acre, not so much any more. You have to be competitive to stay in business around here.

Chris(WA) · Jun 7, 2014

What would it cost him to rent a tractor/mower, have it delivered and picked and hire someone to run it? That, plus the time to coordinate it all, is what it would cost him to do it himself. That is what I based my charge on when I was doing it. Actually I just charged the rental and threw in my time as I really enjoyed the tractor time.

Stumpy(NH) · Jun 7, 2014

What are you mowing with? For $25 an hour I'll sit home and not wear out a mower, burn gas, and be tied up for hours.

You have a chance to get land for no rent. That changes everything.

Just for grins, I shoot for 40 to 50 an hour with a six foot hog and a 40hp tractor. Keeps me real busy besides a full time job. I quote jobs. period. I don't deal well with a landowner asking me to please hurry up. Part of the draw for me is mowing with my old tractors. The plus side is no payments on equipment, the down side is they are old. Don't cheat yourself, figure breakdowns.

On an acre an hour figure with light grass, an 8N and a five foot hog. A gallon or more an hour. say 4 acres.

4x25=$100
5 gallons of gas. $3.60=18.00
You net $82 for a half a days work. Is it worth it?

You decide. Don't take this wrong, just my opinion

Stumpy

Traditional Farmer · Jun 7, 2014

No matter what you charge look the place over real close before you start for hidden obstacles
in the grass like rolls of wire,a well,scrap steel etc.

Donald Lehman · Jun 7, 2014

$50 per hour would not be out of line. Personally, I wouldn't do it for less than that. Unless, as stated below there are some mitigating factors.

FBH44 · Jun 7, 2014

A "friend" of mine asked me to bush-hog some ground, couldn"t get anyone else, he said. Sure, be glad to help, I showed up and started in and after about the 3rd or 4th huge limestone rock outcropping hidden in the tall grass, I called a halt. He said "Yep, everybody else said the same thing..."
My buddy.

NNP · Jun 7, 2014

friends, neighbors, family, I quote a price for the total job, never hourly.
Getting paid by the hour makes it a boss/employee kind of thing,
which can turn out badly among friends.

Mowing a field on a hot day and I take a break under a tree to have a beverage,
getting paid by the job, if my field owner friend sees me, he'll just join me.
Getting paid by the hour..........maybe not

bison · Jun 7, 2014

(quoted from post at 21:08:02 06/06/14) Alright, good to know.... [b:5a4758934b]This guy is a doctor, and he just basically says get it done and give me a bill,[/b:5a4758934b] so I think that if $25 an hour is very fair, I am the ONLY one around that would do it, and I think that because of that I will probably ask $30. I know the guy, and he won't think twice about it, I just wanted to make sure that I was being fair!!

He has about 25 acres of fields, all in about 5 acre sections. They were originally cleared in the late 1800's, and were part of a home stead. Our neighbor farmed it up until the 80's, then retired. (This is the same guy that I got all of the antique tractors/equipment from)

Most of the fields are partially over grown with trees and stuff, but the Son wants it all cleared, and this summer he is working on it. HE want's the get the AG Tax Exemption, and I told him that I would possibly be able to farm it. He basically said that he thought that it would be really, really awesome if his dad's farm was kind of put back in use, using his restored equipment of course!!

He said that I could do it for free, and that the only way he would benefit from it would be the tax exemption. I thought that was a REALLY good deal on my part!!! Not sure if it will go through, but if it does, I may being putting up a LOT of oat hay next year!!

Thanks again for the info, I appreciate it! Bryce

it him hard,..he does it to you.

greygoat · Jun 7, 2014

How many gallons of fuel do you use, in an hour,
and how much does that cost...plus your time...
plus wear and tear on the equipment ?

ericlb · Jun 7, 2014

i use a ford jubilee, which should have similer fuel usage to your to-30 , around 1 gal per hour, i charge 35 per hour 2 hours minimum [ transport time] if im doing a field i havent been in, and the material being cut is so tall or thick that i cant see the ground, i ask the owner / user of the field if there are any iron obstructions in the field, if so find them and flag them, if he says nothing is in there, and i then hit the old well head or pipe post cut off that he forgot to tell me about the repairs to my equipment are on him

Don-Wi · Jun 7, 2014

You gotta remember the price of fuel, grease, and oil too. $25 our even $30 won't do it for me. I charge $70/ hr to cut with a 9' haybine. I'd probably similar with a brush hog if I had one. Similarly I charge $1 a bale to drop on the ground, and I have a minimum charge for those really light fields.

Rule #1- don't sell yourself short. One small breakdown will eat all your profit and then some.

Donovan from Wisconsin

Don-Wi · Jun 7, 2014

You gotta remember the price of fuel, grease, and oil too. $25 our even $30 won't do it for me. I charge $70/ hr to cut with a 9' haybine. I'd probably similar with a brush hog if I had one. Similarly I charge $1 a bale to drop on the ground, and I have a minimum charge for those really light fields.

Rule #1- don't sell yourself short. One small breakdown will eat all your profit and then some.

Donovan from Wisconsin

Don-Wi · Jun 7, 2014

You gotta remember the price of fuel, grease, and oil too. $25 our even $30 won't do it for me. I charge $70/ hr to cut with a 9' haybine. I'd probably similar with a brush hog if I had one. Similarly I charge $1 a bale to drop on the ground, and I have a minimum charge for those really light fields.

Rule #1- don't sell yourself short. One small breakdown will eat all your profit and then some.

Donovan from Wisconsin

Bryce Frazier · Jun 7, 2014

I would be mowing with either a 2n or a TO-30 and a 5 foot SICKLE mower, not a brush hog.

He actually has a 30 horse Kubota, and a 5 foot JD Brush Hog, be he is so busy ( and rich, doctor ) that he just doesn't want to deal with it. He is a really nice guy, and he flat out told me "Don't feel like you have to do it just so that you can farm it next year, if you have the time, great, if not I'll find someone else!"

I owe the guy a few "Hey thanks's" and he just wants ME to do the job, mainly because I have done stuff like this for him before, and he would just rather pay me a few bucks..

He actually told me that "Our corporation (family) would be interested in paying you $1500 a year to plow snow, and mow the little fields 2-3 times a year" I said that was WAY too much, and that I would rather just have a few bucks for each job..

I think I will ask $40. It would be fun for me, good deal for him, AND it is right beside a REALLY busy road, and that would be good advertising for me...

Bryce

David G · Jun 7, 2014

I really do not believe in doing field work by the hour, but think it should be by the acre. There can be to much of a difference in equipment, my dad got burnt by hiring a guy by the hour that did not have adequate equipment.

What Is A Good Bid??

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Well-known Member

Similar threads