Tractor Work Quote

[Triple Creek Reaper]

I need some advice from people that know tractor work and food plots. I meet a local up at our lease in GA this weekend to get some quotes on providing tractor work for our food plots. We have six (6) plots (+/- 0.5 acres each) that were existing but have grown over, looks like they haven't been touched in well over a year at the least and are very thick with vegetation.

Let me run these #'s by everyone to see what they think. This guy is running a +/- 65 horse Kubota with 6' implements

Labor: $90/hour
Bush Hog: 1 hr / 0.5 acre - this seems way too much time to me.
Disc Harrow: 2 hr / 0.5 acre - even cutting in 2 directions this seems way too much time to me

Recommendations received for finishing the plots:

4 bags (30 lb) of fast acting lime/0.5 acre
4 bags (30 lb) of fertilizer/0.5 acre
1 bag (50 lb) Rackmaster Spring Mix/0.5 acre

I can price these out myself just looking for proper ratios, etc.

Any and all feedback is greatly appreciated.

[vonnick52]

I have no clue as to the going rates etc....but I think you could probably buy a small tractor with a bushhog and discs for what it would cost to have that guy come out two or three times.

[Iluv2hunt]

90$/hr is rape. You can rent a tractor and keep it running all day for much less than that

[Triple Creek Reaper]

I figured once he gets the heavy lifting finished we could take care of it moving forward with 4 wheelers ourselves. But your right, I could afford a pull behind mower and small disc at his current quoted prices.

[M12Gunboy]

It depends on how overgrown it is chief? Do they have sapplings growing in the old plots? $50 an hour for just running the brush hog over grass and weeds under 4' is about right and the same with the disc but as soon as it's any heavier, has brush or saplings it's $100 an hour. I used to get that regularly and normally had work with the 40 hp Kubota 4x4 lined up two weeks out.

[M12Gunboy]

90$/hr is rape. You can rent a tractor and keep it running all day for much less than that

We used to rent medium duty equipment before I bought that Kubota, and that was the reason we bought it. Most of the medium duty rentals would last less than a half day under heavy work. They don't maintain that stuff very well, that was our experiences with three different rental companies including Bobcat of Orlando. Unless times have changed I wouldn't rent anything medium duty for something requiring more than 3 or 4 hours.

[Triple Creek Reaper]

90$/hr is rape. You can rent a tractor and keep it running all day for much less than that

I did some looking around and found this:

Sunbelt Rental Services out of Jacksonville

35 hp Tractor $265/day
Rotary Cutter $102/day
Rotary Tiller $63/day
6' x 18' trailer $70/day
Bush hogging $437 - 1st trip
Tilling $398 - 2nd trip
Total: $835 - Not including gas for tractor and truck to pull it up there - It would take 2 trips about 2 weeks apart to allow the bush hog cutting to start to decay before tilling.


1,200 lb Lime/ 720 lb Fert/ 150 lb Seed +/- $660 Retail

[Iluv2hunt]

I guess we just got lucky then. It was a few years ago. It was like $350 for the weekend and they dropped it off/picked it up. All we had to do was provide the diesel for it

[treefarmer]

Triple Creek Reaper,
I need to come out of retirement and get in the food plot preparation business. As a kid in Orange County, we got $6.00 an hour to disk or mow with an old 8-N Ford, of course that was over 50 years ago. We supplied the tractor, implements, fuel and operator for $6.00 per hour.

The quotes may be in line with today's economy but they seem very high to me. Here is how you might figure what can be done in an hour, and these numbers are not based on anything but common sense: tractor ground speed might be 5 mph, so a 5 mph x 5280 feet=26,400 feet x 6 foot (width of implement)= 158,400 square feet or 3.6+/- acres worked per hour. These numbers don't take into consideration turns at the end of the food plot which takes away from the straight line calculation, but if it takes 2 hours to double cut a half acre something is wrong! Hourly wage, off-road diesel cost, equipment depreciation, transportation cost, it all adds up but at that rate he will make several tractor payments off your 6- half acre food plots. Was the guy you talked with by any chance wearing a bandana over his face?

I would shop around, surely somebody will beat the $90 per hour price. Treefarmer

[davedirt]

I was in the business 30 years and if he does not charge you for the road trip to and from you better jump on it. I talked to a guy that ran a skid steer with tracks and his rate just to mow brush was 900.00 for the day. Fuel is over 3.00 per gallon for off road maybe more. you can rent some worn out shizt and do it your self and you can see what that cost+ if that guy breaks his, its on him. That is why I have my own disk and pull behind bush hog, cultipacker and drag home made. I just like to do it myself kind of gives you a good feeling when you do it yourself. The price is based on how far and availability and how remote. Tires are not cheap and when you poke a hole in one it cost a lot of money. This is just my thoughts and don't intend to piss anyone off.

[eaj1010]

Pm me your info! I am a sales rep for sunbelt rentals in PINELLAS park! I may be able to help you in Georgia, n Florida or any where we have a location.

Eric

[M12Gunboy]

As we discussed on the phone, I'd try and make a deal with the guy to bush hog it all for a set price and outline what exactly he is gonna do for you. i.e. everything will be chopped and cut to less than 4-6"....

[sam03]

I was quoted $1500-2000 to mower and disc up an acre dried up pond in Alachua County.



i did a a large section with a push mower and walk behind tiller and than the rains started and now its a pond again...

[davedirt]

Those dry ponds look good when there dry. If you disk that sucker and it rains you have a rice pattie, you need to plant something that can take standing water.

[Triple Creek Reaper]

Another question, are you guys cutting your lime and fertilizer in at the same time? We are planning on using fast acting lime this time around.