I hate mowing new fields

37chief · Jul 27, 2017

Looked at a mowing job last week. I noticed a lot of cut off trees, leaving a 3 inch stump in tall grass. The owner said he will stake the stumps. He should have said I will stake most of them. I did the job today. I did hit a few. Lost some fail mower blades. The day started out bad also. On the way, I had a flat tire entering the freeway on my trailer. I heard it let loose. About a mile up the freeway there was a small dirt section, with just enough room to get far enough off the road. Anyway I got the job done, and got back home. Stan

Eldon (WA) · Jul 27, 2017

I hear ya, I'm to the point where I pass on a lot of new jobs unless they are old hayfields. Pulled into a 20 acre field last week where owner said only a few rocks along one fence. Made two passes and saw enough bowling ball rocks scattered around as well as chunks of wood, logs, boards and who knows what...that was enough, I loaded up and left. Sometimes you have to cut your losses. 8 acre new field in the morning...whoopee!

Bob · Jul 27, 2017

THANKFULLY, I've never done custom acreage mowing, except for a friend or two, so I probably shouldn't comment here, but, WHAT THE HECK... Is there any reason (when mowing for clueless yuppies) that you can't agree beforehand that they are responsible for any damage to your equipment from obstacles or junk on their property? In a commercial scenario, they'd have to put up some money in advance to cover your losses from cleaning up their property. IMHO, you and your equipment deserve better than to work for someone that can't understand that.

37chief · Jul 28, 2017

He happened to be there when I hit one stump, and saw me picking up the pieces. He gave me an extra 50.00 My mower has the worst blade hanging arrangement of any mower I have seen. I have another I will have working next year, with D rings held in by a bolt. Stan

ohiojim · Jul 28, 2017

it sure is amazeing the stuff you hit in a field that they say has nothing in it but grass, I've hit piles of posts, rock piles, and cement blocks to name a few...then you get the " oh yea, I forgot about that"

kcm.MN · Jul 28, 2017

Bob -- To answer your question, the amount of damage is not always quickly apparent.

As for the other posts, it kinda surprises me that someone would accept a new mowing job of that type without using a brush cutter with stump jumper - something specifically designed for that purpose. If all you have is a finish-type mower, even if it "can" cut tall grasses, then need to stick with jobs that you know have no stumps, rocks, vehicle engines, downed power poles, etc. etc. etc.

With a brush cutter, after making the first pass, you know where any potential problems are, and whether to accept the job again, and which mower to use again if you do accept.

Two Dogs · Jul 28, 2017

I read a lot about people running over junk in a field where the owner assured them it was clean. I would make them sign a paper stating they were responsible for any equipment or tire damage before I turned the ignition key. TDF

showcrop · Jul 28, 2017

(quoted from post at 03:23:26 07/28/17) Bob -- To answer your question, the amount of damage is not always quickly apparent.

As for the other posts, it kinda surprises me that someone would accept a new mowing job of that type without using a brush cutter with stump jumper - something specifically designed for that purpose. If all you have is a finish-type mower, even if it "can" cut tall grasses, then need to stick with jobs that you know have no stumps, rocks, vehicle engines, downed power poles, etc. etc. etc.

With a brush cutter, after making the first pass, you know where any potential problems are, and whether to accept the job again, and which mower to use again if you do accept.

KCM, you may want to go back and look at a few of 37 Chief's posts.

Geo-TH,In · Jul 28, 2017

Stan,
I only mow my stuff. I know where the stumps are and still damage blades. So don't feel so bad. If blades lasted forever, they wouldn't sell new ones.

Look at the bright side, you didn't damage the gear box.
geo.

Steve in VA · Jul 28, 2017

My next-to-last was a pile of wire tomato cages. A real nightmare to cut loose. My "last" was the engine block that I saw at the last moment. "oh yeah". I'm out of that.

Mike M · Jul 28, 2017

I'm surprised you have that much trouble with the flail mower ? I had a couple of Ford ones and seemed like I could hit stuff and not have damage ? Got into some barbed wire that shut me down though and broke the belt. Unlike the bush hog type that throw stuff. Dad quit mowing for others when he hit a T post with the brush hog type it had a really thick deck but that T post chunk shot up through the steel deck and whizzed by his head !

Part Time Pete · Jul 28, 2017

The unknown can really put you on pins and needles. I was mowing a new piece last year that was left fallow for five years after oats. I was driving along, thinking it was pretty safe, when the tractor just stopped, with the back wheels spinning. Turns out I had driven up on a stump, and all four wheels were off the ground. I had to go get another tractor to pull it off - never thought I would have to worry about a stump in the middle of an oat field
Pete

keh · Jul 28, 2017

Never have started cutting for the public. My own fields cause me enough trouble.

KEH

kcm.MN · Jul 28, 2017

Thank you Showcrop, I did as you suggested. I see that Stan already has a rotary cutter, and has been on other jobs with concrete blocks, rocks, stumps, and all out there in good ol' California.

....I guess my next step would be in rigging up some sort of front-mount monitor that would warn me of underlying obstacles, or to maybe invent something so that if the mower is about to run over an immovable object, that hydraulics raise the cutter to avoid damage - something along those lines.

We have a few rocks here (mostly between my ears :shock

, but nothing like out there! Is mostly nice, flat land with no real surprises....other than those danged water traps!

Please forgive my post earlier (and probably this one also). Have been up most of the night with a lot on the mind...not to mention one very hurting ankle!

JML755 · Jul 28, 2017

I don't do mowing for others, but even on sections of MY property that I've been in before, I'll slow down when I get into an area that is so thick I can't see very well what's ahead of me. A couple of times I've encountered stuff that I say "now I remember, that old [insert obstacle name] was there last time" So I wouldn't take anyone's word that " it's clear". For the most part, fields I do once a year aren't so thick that I can't see a pallet or big rock or something else laying in the field. Mostly what I run into are big branches and I've had to replace a few shear pins because of them but figure that's what shear pins are for.

Even on fields you've mowed for others in the past, I can't imagine you could remember every stump, hole, etc. out there. So I don't think this problem applies to "new" fields only.

Ellis Kinney · Jul 28, 2017

I very seldom mow for other people. I will mow for my brother, mainly because I feel obligated to do so. Found an old box springs on his place once. No damage, but some time with the smoke wrench. My neighbor down the road has a backhoe, and I pay him the going rate because it is easier and cheaper to dig stumps than repair equipment. Ellis

kcm.MN · Jul 28, 2017

Definitely not only to new fields. Lots (possibly "most") of fields in this area have rock piles in them. If left for a few years, there'd be no possible way to know they're there until you're on top of them!

Dave O'Brien · Jul 28, 2017

I don't do custom work, But I did find an OLD rusted off T-post with the rear, filled tire on my 806 last year that must have frost heaved over the previous winter..... That wasn't as bad as the section of woven wire in a huge clump of multiflora rose...

37chief · Jul 28, 2017

My flail mower has a very poor way of holding blades. A rock, or stump will pull the blades right out. Stan

Eldon (WA) · Jul 28, 2017

That is why I like the Allis 175D and 8' bush hog. I stand up when I mow, and get a good view of what is out there. With the power director hand clutch that runs in oil, I can feather it and use it like an automatic transmission to inch my way along when I come to a heavily overgrown area in an unknown field. I sweep the area for obstacles on the first round, mow about 7 feet from the fence as I have found that is where you can run into stuff and there is only one way out...come back at the end and finish off along fences just in case. I watch the uncut area next to me for stuff I might hit on the next pass and make a mental note of the location. This mornings field was not bad, but ground squirrels and badgers sure had built a lot of castles out there....luckily it was sandy ground and other than the dust it wasn't so bad. Over 300 hours mowing this year and no problems (knock on wood)!

David G · Jul 28, 2017

I would tell them upfront they will pay for any damage due to hitting things .

Eldon (WA) · Jul 28, 2017

(quoted from post at 19:12:03 07/28/17) I would tell them upfront they will pay for any damage due to hitting things .

I just figure it as a cost of doing business. What do you charge for a chip in a blade, how about running a T-post thru an old tire? You can't expect them to buy you a new tire... That is one reason I run old tires and a bush hog. If you think you can just ride around and make money, custom work is not for you.

Eldon (WA) · Jul 28, 2017

The competition's mower lol!
https://spokane.craigslist.org/grd/d/landpride-mower/6235337840.html

I hate mowing new fields

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