I Brush Hogged 49 Acres with a Compact Tractor - Here's What I Learned
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 20 ส.ค. 2021
- I Brush Hogged 49 Acres with a Compact Tractor - Here's What I Learned
I used my John Deere 2038r and frontier RC2072 bush hog to mow a huge cattle ranch. This was not the ideal machine for this size property. It should have been mowed with a batwing bush hog.
I still learned a lot about keeping the tractor from over heating and also finding out how many acres I can mow per hour with a compact tractor. This let me figure out how much to change per acer.
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Thanks for watching
Friend, it's called a Brush-hog. Not bush-hog, unless Brush-hog is a trademark of a brand. Which I don't think it is.
Thanks
@@davidbruin4381 it’s called a rotary cutter
@@davidbruin4381 brush hog is a name brand rotary cutter.
Bush hog is a well established and has been around for at least 60 years.
Life is a learning experience. The problem is, by the time we've got it all down pat, it's almost over. Same thing with bush hogging. I enjoyed the video. Thanks for sharing.
Well said.
Thanks for watching and for commenting
Ain’t that the truth!
@Jeremiah Madsen Humans are created in a way that make mistakes. And it never ends. History repeats itself too
I'm 36 and that's something I'm beginning to realize.
As someone who loves mowing. I'd jump on this in a heartbeat. Maybe a double cut too. I feel at peace when I mow.
There's a big difference between mowing and brush hogging 40 plus acres like that. No thank you.
I have had people ask me “why don’t you pay someone to do that?” The answer is not about money! It’s because I find peace and quiet doing it. I can get into the dark spaces in my mind and work it all out while the tractor buzzes along.
I've learned a bit from this I bought 7.5 acres of overgrown land and I am purchasing my first tractor in 2 days and I am going to brush hog for the first time so reading some of the comments and watching and learning has allowed me to plan and prep for my task at hand thanks all.
Thanks for watching
Don’t go back and forth brush hogging just go in loops. Takes more time to turn around than it does to just make a loop
agreed, every time that mower is not cutting , that's wasting time. I cut forward and backward, backward when rounding out the corners or around trees.
Thanks for sharing.
It was 49 acres with a 6 foot bush hog And I had maybe 1% of that in the video so I used every different mowing pattern there is.
Thanks for watching
@@RockhillfarmYT don’t be defensive. The dude is just trying to help.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on it. I didn’t think I was being defensive. I said thanks twice in my reply
I try to give an honest response to every comment on my channel, which is quite rare on TH-cam. Most channels stop replying once they gain traction
I have over 500 videos and this video alone has 684 comments. Probably 200 of those comments are recommending the best cutting pattern.
I don’t say thanks just to say it. In general I appreciate the feedback I get but I also wanted to share that I didn’t cut the entire property with the pattern shown in the main part of the video
Thanks for watching
@@RockhillfarmYT awesome thanks for explaining yourself. Impressive resume as well.
something that might help you that my uncle always used with a bush hog. Try using a big thick chain as your top linkage, it'll let the bush hog flex over hills instead of coming off the ground. play with the length untill you get it like you want, and you can twist the chain to tighten it up.
A lot of people have suggested that but I have not tried it yet
Thanks for the tip
That's what I use on my 1940 9n and 4 foot rotary cutter works awesome when going over uneven ground which I have a lot of!!
Well 49 acres is a whole lot of work for a small tractor like that. So I got a lot of respect for your work ethic.
As someone else mentioned, I also keep two sets of bushhog blades available, and swap them out every 50 hours or so. I do sharpen them, but achieve a cutting edge that's about 1/16" thick so as not to chip the metal off so easily. A "sharp" blade definitely makes a significant difference cutting grass and light brush. The blower is definitely your friend. I use one every time I do any cutting before putting the tractor back in the barn.
A sharp edge blade will make a knife edge cut on a sapling and can result in a tire puncture the next time mowing. A flat 1/16 or so edge will result in the “stump” shattering and will not cause tire puncture and will still do an excellent job at cutting grass.
I like what you did there on the price. I catch myself doing this often. I inherited a Kubota L3010 when my father in law died. My first reaction was to sell it and pocket the cash, but it had sentimental value to my wife, and I thought having a tractor was cool, especially a free one. So I bought a 5 foot Titan Brush Hog for it, and I use it to keep up the land that surrounds my property and help neighbors with theirs as well. I normally say $50/hr for machine time, but I rarely end up charging that full amount. The satisfaction of helping my neighbors goes a long way, and I am fortunate enough to not be doing this for a living. It is basically "beer money" for me, so everyone wins. Thanks for making this video, it was very cool to see, and I learned a thing or two!
Pretty much how I feel about it.
Thanks for watching
Eric Pigg, I'm in need of a new neighbor and you fit the qualifications, are you available to interview? Feel free to drive over with your equipment so it doesn't miss you while out and about......
Good job, money isn't everything.
Thanks
I have the same bush hog(mine is a tarter yellow factory 2nd) and I always keep the wheel down more and use my 3pt arms to pitch the blades lower in the front. Pulls a lot easier that way and if you're around a lot of mole mounds or other obstructions, it's easy to raise the lift arms to clear.
4 Most important tools when using a Brush Hog over a large area: 1. Angle Grinder to sharpen the blades. 2. Needle Scaler to Clean the underside of the deck. 3. Grease Gun Ear Buds with an Audio Book
Good tips. Thanks for watching
If you cut for a few hours you don't need a needle scaler. It will shine the bottom up pretty good!
Keep your ears open to listen for unusual noises.
This made me appreciate my full cab with heat and air conditioning on my LS XR4145HC. I do 65 acres for my hunting club and its long hours.
Yes sir. That would make all the difference
Thanks for watching and for sharing
I would like to offer some advice to you fellow brushhoggers. Don’t waste time in your turns, just come out a little wide like your turning in with a trailer and keep going forward. Don’t turn around and come back the same way you just came. And look at your field and try to get the straightest rows possible when your blocking it off. Do all of this and I know you will get them fields cut a lot quicker. On the height of the cut I think them wirey weeds you were in cut best on the lower side, but if you have good grass and have cattle in the pasture try to cut it higher. Thanks for sharing your videos and keep them coming please.
I brush hog 20 acres pasture in Oklahoma for two summers now. Using 1940’s era ford open operator station tractors and being from Michigan I found edging in daylight setting up for night mowing was the best way to go for heat issues and a light fog really cuts the dust down. Going through other people’s tall grass risking equipment damage on hidden “treasures” lost in the grass may not be worth the risk for you, but a good set of round LED’s up front and off the back of aimed down and out does go a long way for visibility compared to stock tractor lights.
Yeah, I have four sets of LEDs on my rops pointed forward backward and to the sides.
This job is in Oklahoma as well so small world.
Thanks for watching and for sharing your story
Brock, this is great video! You're killing it man! It's awesome to see how your channel has grown this past month! Keep up the great work!
Thanks a lot. I appreciate it
I enjoy your videos as well and think it’s just a matter of time before your channel sees another boom in growth.
You Are already doing really well
I hear you on your mentality of thinking of others when you are setting your pricing. I've often lost money on jobs to do just that. But it was a great experience for you to learn what you need to get in the future and no doubt will help you moving forward. Thank you take care
Thanks
That is my mindset. If you’re doing these jobs all the time you need to be more profitable but it’s a learning curve too
Nice setup, All the little issues usually happen when trying to figure stuff out. Thank You for making the video!
Thanks for watching
Kudos to you for helping your neighbor on the price. However, I must say that in the long run you are hurting yourself by not charging a fair price for yourself. By the time you account for wear and tear on your equipment, not to mention a ruined tire, you are probably losing money. Again, I understand the desire to help but I’ve been there and done that and you can’t do it long term. This is coming from someone who’s owned his own business for 22 years. We enjoy your content!
I appreciate you watching and I appreciate your feedback.
I think there is a line you have to draw whether you’re in business or you do tractor work every once in a while and that determines how generous you can be.
If you’re really in business you have to be more profitable.
That’s where I’m going. I also started off not knowing what I was doing and didn’t want people to pay for my learning curve
He’s making the real money on TH-cam I think
I treat TH-cam like a full time job with almost 300 videos in the last year which is kind of a grind that usually pays me minimum wage. but overall I enjoy it
This specific video has earned more than the bush hogging did
Thanks for watching
Came to say the same. Way too little money even disregarding wear and tear.
I was thinking of getting out of trucking and staring a dushog service,, something new for me
I used to do this for a living, compact tractor work...I figured out real quick that you have to price by the job, not by the hour...because you can never figure in all the down time. Sometimes you win, sometimes you loose, most people do not want to pay by the hour and it scares them off.
I agree with everything you said. I’ve been doing these tractor jobs for the last year averaging maybe one job a week.
I started off charging super cheap rates as I gained experience. Now I’ve been gradually increasing the prices
Stump grinding seems like the best moneymaker for me right now.
Thanks for watching and for commenting
With a good damage clause in your contract and proper pricing you should never lose money EVER. I do $15/foot of bushhog/hour in Alabama and I refuse to even offer by the job rates. I request they flag any obstructions I may encounter, if it's not flagged and I hit it they pay me for every hour my tractor is down and the cost of repairs.
You have great patience, I worked 12 hour days in shorter weeds but had 100 HP,air conditioner and radio.
Yeah, it definitely would’ve been nice to have air conditioning for this job
Good job, we got alot of rain this year so getting stuck is a big problem
that would’ve been a problem in the spring but it’s been pretty hot and dry around here lately.
Thanks for watching and for commenting
Good things come to those who do good things. You’ll benefit someday for being a good guy in this instance.
Thanks
Nice job w/ this video...very informative and an honest appraisal regarding the " Value" of our time & equipment.. We all need to think about ourselves , even when our hearts are out there for our fellow humanity .
Thank You for that
p
Thanks for watching and for sharing your thoughts on it
Great video, my biggest problem I have in the fields is keeping the screen clear in front of the radiator. In really dry season I'll have to clean it about every hour or it will start to overheat and the tractor will automatically depower itself. Also whenever possible as you're well aware of trying to keep the wind in front of me are on the side and set up the mowing path that way of course the terrain can make up its own rules.
At the end of the day he HAD to have I done. Period. You HAD the JD.. dont be afraid to have someone pay for your time/gear. Time is money. Don’t allow people to push you over because of your big heart.
Good video. My only piece of advice from a firefighter in a rural area is to be careful with the grinder. It doesn’t take much to light up a field like that and burn it all.
Yep, one of those BTDT things and agree with your conclusions. A few friendly suggestions that have served me well in my 60+ years; go with a slip clutch, watch your overlap, it's usually more than you think and eats up time. Normal suggestions on set-up are 1 1/2 to 2" lower in front (there are exceptions which you will learn with time. Hydraulic top link with float valve. "Sharpen" as per manual, usually squared off leading edge. An air compressor and special nozzle is better to clean your radiator etc. with leaf blower when you are away from shop. Best wishes.
I appreciate all the suggestions
Thanks for watching
It looks to me that he does have a slip clutch. If its properly adjusted it should have slipped first to prevent the shear bolt from shearing.
Good stuff. My 5' BH runs CCW too... the right side 'forward sweep' region of the blades lines up with the right tractor tires on my compact (already mashing grass forward) and is essentially uncut (even with new blades). For a decent look, I have to overlap the right tires into the previously cut path. I think he's got the same issue.
Hell of a job brock! You are a hard worker for sure and use that tractor for what its meant for! Im fully with you on the desire to help others out, i dont do side work with the tractors, ive got enough but if someone needs help i dont mind, usually try to barter something out of it.
That’s my mindset about it. If you do too many jobs at some point you have to make sure you’re getting a return for the depreciation on the tractor but if it’s just here in there I don’t think of it that way
Great suggestion about routine cleaning
I had a rented Kubota over heat and I was not doing what I cleaned off the screen
It definitely helps. Thanks for watching
I felt your pain here! I’ve always been able to handle the heat but the dust is rough, it makes a job miserable. That was a big undertaking but you did a great job!
I’m the same way. I prefer the heat to the dust so I was running with the cab doors on until it was like an oven
Thanks for watching and for commenting
As someone who cuts hay and silage for a living in Scotland I can categorically state that sharp blades make a significant difference both in the amount of fuel used per acre and the forward speed at which it is possible to travel. Cutting grass a very clean cut will encourage new growth however if you want to set weeds back smashing the stem remaining rather than slicing them will subdue them. For your information the following charges are usual over here in Scotland and relate to contractors using appropriate equipment, grass mowing for hay or silage heavy crop 15 bales silage to the acre is about 15 dollars an acre, pasture topping/chopping with a flail is about 18 dollars an acre.
Thanks for sharing
.
Thanks for watching
I have a Bobcat 5550 compact tractor, & I LOVE that thing. I run an 8ft bush hog on the back of it, for my cleared 40 acres. It might take a little longer than a winged bush hog, but it does alright for what I need it to do.
Thanks for sharing
nice video. i like that you show everything including what doesnt work or what was annoying.
I try to keep it as real as possible
Thanks for watching
Hey Brock,
Great video, thanks! 👍🏻.
I mow with flail mower about 1' off the ground and my grapple 3"-6". It acts as a feeler, if you find something you can pick it up and remove it. Works for me.
Your sheer bolt,.... Check the gearbox oil type and breather, you might need a slight change. Long running will heat up gears and cause resistance therefore breaking the bolt. Rotate the PTO manually by hand with wrench or pry bar when cold, then compare when gearbox is very hot. If there's more resistance, you've got a temperature issue.
Good luck my friend and keep the good content coming please! 🙂
Thanks for all the information
It is easy to get lazy on maintenance
It's not laziness at all sir, that's not you from what I have seen. IMO you're the opposite.
It's just real world adjustments that might be necessary. This has kicked my but already and I share my learnings. A different oil for hotter conditions or adding larger breather/ dust blocked breather for the gearbox above and beyond the OEM manufacturer might be necessary in effort to run it cooler.
Just a thought.
Excellent video and insight. I did my first bush hog job 2 weeks ago in very similar conditions of grass and dust. This was in central Texas in August and was a 22 acre job. I did it in about 8 hours but on a Ventrac 4500 with 72" tough cut deck (rear discharge). That deck is out in front of the tractor which has its advantages (can see better and cut up under trees) and disadvantages (dusty). I had to blow out the deck, air filter, and radiator every 1.5 to 2 hours. $50 to $75 hr is my rate depending upon topography and grass height.
Thanks for the info.
I love the ventrac but I could see where it would get even more dust in your face
You available in Lorena?
@@jarretttownsend5390 Lorena like south of Waco?
@@tazmankb26 correct
@@jarretttownsend5390 how can I contact you?
efficiency is everything, sometimes I split fields up so I can turn around quickly and drop the implement again.
Thanks for sharing
@@RockhillfarmYT I enjoy your content a lot I come from a small farming family. We had 40 cows and a bunch of Ford tractors. Thanks for videoing your adventures
This machine is doing good cutting great sounds strong
Dude, my eyes got itchy just watching. LOL. Great job and excellent learning experience for you on equipment productivity and pricing.
That was the job that wouldn’t end.
Thanks for watching and for commenting
@@RockhillfarmYT Haha, I’m sure!! I had a similar situation at smaller scale with a guy that wanted me to rototill a full 5 acre garden with a tiller on my 1025R. I turned it down. I really wanted to help him out because he couldn’t find anyone else, but couldn’t find a way to make it work for both of us.
Yeah, that’s a lot of tilling with a small tractor
One thing to think about while grinding the blades you were under the bushhog without blocking it up. If the hydraulics
were to fail hope you have good life insurance for the family. Be safe young man
Thanks for the reminder
And eye protection... Those sparks looked like some were shooting back back towards you.
Thanks
I feel you on that tool-size match. When I was 12 I got a job to cut a softball field that was about 18" high with a 20" lawnmower... it-was-a-very-long-week... fortunately they didn't need it bagged ;) this was the summer man walked on the moon the 1st time I think...
People with property are by and large pretty well informed, they should want to help you as much as you want to help them and pay you what’s fair to you both👍🏻🙏🏼😇🇺🇸
Thanks for watching
Before the first use of the year, loosen the spring tension on your slip clutch and let it slip a little to knock off any rust. Then retighten , you might count bolt threads or measure .They will seize up with time . Then you won’t shear bolts.
Thanks for the tip
another thing ill have to find a video on.
I have a video on how to slip a slip clutch
Brush Hog Maintenance - Slipping the Clutch, Changing Blades, and More
th-cam.com/video/08L-MTc2SjA/w-d-xo.html
Looks like you forgot to do that 8 months ago 😂
Yeah, the day after I broke that bolt I learned how to maintain a slip clutch. #notacoincidence
I have found it easier to hog in reverse around the trees.this was a very good education to us who are just learning. I have been 55 per hr. With 2 r hr. Minimal for me that's covers fueling up.
Yeah, I started at around $40-$50 an hour and after thinking more about all the hidden cost like the insurance I now carry, I went up to more like 65 to 75 an hour.
People still tell me that’s too cheap but I just can’t overcharge people in good conscience
I did back the bush hog under the trees as much as possible
Thank you for watching and for sharing your feedback
@@RockhillfarmYT if people tell you its too cheap, how is that price overcharging them? You gotta make it worth your time or you may as well just pay them to let you do it. You never leave a job thinking to yourself… hmmm I should’ve charged more.
49 acres of land WOW ! Cool tractor good job 👍
Another place to blow out is between the radiator and the cooler under the hood. It gets a bunch of build up of grass. I have had that problem with my 3033R.
Swap in new blades, look at the bevel on the new blades, and make sure you’re sharpening the correct side of the blade. You can build up low/damaged spots on your blades with nickel rods with the arc welder to save a lot of grinding and extend their life.
Thanks for sharing
I agree, looked like he was sharpening the wrong side.
In my maintenance experience, a shear pin needs to be of brass, as it will break away before mechanism damage takes place, also they are usually secured with a split pin or spring clip as access is often constricted. Grinding excess metal from the cutting edges can imbalance the blade thereby putting extra strain on the spindle bearings. Pack lots of grease into the castor wheel bearings to prevent dust ingress. Hope you don't mind this friendly advice. An interesting and informative video. Cheers.
Thanks for watching and for commenting
I wouldnt make it 100 yds on my 39 acres with a brass shear pin. I use low grade bolts. They'll shear in tall grass if I'm running too fast!
I thought a grade five bolt was pretty standard
@@RockhillfarmYT grade 5 is the standard for shear bolts.
Thanks
for some weird reason I love the sound of bush hogs now if you had a 15 ft batwing on your tractor, I would be in heaven listening
Run what ya drug brother! Nice video. Thanks.
I've got a 50 acre farm that has about 15 acres to hog 2-3 times per year. I'm running a 10 foot hog and it takes me 4.5 hours with an 80 HP tractor. This parcel is rough and hard to mow. I had a cab tractor at one time but like the 6610 Ford. I want a 15 foot bat wing but the cost is prohibitive. Nice rig. Thanks for the videos.
Thanks for sharing your experience
The 50' batwing is too big for an 80HP tractor. found that out the hard way
Good job. Just a couple things I’ve learned over the years of bush hogging for what it’s worth, raise your bucket on your loader, it will help keep your radiator grill cleaner of dust and grass. Also if you raise the front of your bush hog then the back it gives you more of a mulching effect and it’s less stress on the equipment and i think gives a better looking finish product. Best of luck in your future endeavors.
Thanks for sharing
I considered that with the bucket, but I normally keep it lower hoping the bucket finds rocks or any other debris I might run over
Understand completely about keeping the bucket low especially on a new and unfamiliar piece of ground.
I always keep my bucket lowered to find rocks. It has saved me many times over.
I do roll my bucket back so if I hit anything the bucket will raise instead of getting hooked.
Thanks for the tip. That’s pretty much what I try to do
There seems to be a piece missing from your mower at the top link.
There is about a 7 inch link on most top links connections on the mower that will allow your mower deck to stay level as your tractor dips up and down little unlevel areas.
Your mower doesn't have that. For the money you have in that machine the dealer should provide that.
It will make a big difference on how your mower / tractor handles and mows.
Best Wishes! M.H.
We have to keep up 40 acres 9 months of the year in the deep south and we finally invested into a 20’ batwing cutter after a long time using an 8’ cutter. Just took so much time and fuel with the small unit.
That batwing should pay for itself in time saved
Thanks for watching
You own the little tractor that could! Good job.
Thanks for watching and for commenting
6ft bush hog might be a little large for that size tractor. If you used a 5 ft you could maybe go faster to cover more ground quicker then then the extra 1 for wide. Also may be a cleaner cut and less drag on the tractor. I run a 6ft on my 50hp tractor.
Good stuff. I have 10 acres and I can mow faster with my zero turn 60" deck then my compact Yanmar 1500. But the brush hog beats the zero turn any day for the thick growth and tall 2-4 grass. Tractors definitely have their purpose. Great vid. made me think differently about the wear and tear on my machine.
Thanks for watching and for sharing your experience
I probably have around the same amount myself. If I keep it mowed I can do it with my 61" Bad Boy Outlaw XP. If I don't I'll still go around the trees with the Bad Boy and sometimes even the weed eater then take the tractor and finish mower to the rest of it Mine started as woods so it's been a long process to get it in the condition it is now. With some dozing also. I still have a lot of work to get the way I want it.
@@flash1259 wish I had a dozer and a big backhoe. I need to take out about 50 sweet gums in one area and I don't feel like cutting them down and then trying to get rid of the stumps. With a backhoe I could take them out tree and stump and all. Be nice to have a meal as well to use some of that lumber for fence post or something
Yeah, I would agree. We started mowing more of our property with our zero turn than our tractor.
Misery is doing this sort of job with an old Ford 9N...during Summer....in South TX. You can hard surface your shredder/cutter blades with a stick welder.
Thanks for sharing
Good information brother and nice job on mowing that acreage and keeping those radiator fins clear in jobs like that are what keep that engine running cool .
Thanks for watching
With my woods brush hog, I’ve found an extra set of blades is helpful. Keep one sharp as a back up. I was always told brush hogs mow with force, more than the sharpness of the blade. But like you said, I think it helps a lot more. Also, I’m really surprised how well your Deere held up with that much dust and debris without over heating. It’s a testament as to how well these tractors can hold up with proper preventative maintenance.
Thanks for sharing
Sharpen blades for grass, leave then dull for brush so they bust the brush and don't damage tires.
Thanks for the tip
I appreciate this video. Im going like how hard could a task like this be? I totally underestimated the skills needed to do a good job and maintain the equipment as you go. I am totally not ready for anything like this. Will have to learn!
It was a big task and probably should have been done by A larger tractor. But I got it done.
Thanks for watching and for commenting
That hydraulic top link is slick. Been considering getting one myself.
Wow
Unbelievable with the incredible discipline and requiring the ideal equipment needed for what is obviously a laborious job and that dust .... jus dealing with the dust and heat and busted tire, Kudos to you bro👍👊👏
This was not the most fun job I’ve done
Thanks for watching
In the long run you’d probably be better off with no cab glass at all, let the breeze blow it away. The windscreen trapped dust in the cab area. Sucks about running over the rake those things tend to eat into your profit. Blowing the dust off frequently was a good idea, did you blow the air filter out as well?
So really early in the morning and late at the evening I was able to fully enclosed cab and keep all the dust off me but most of the day it was too hot for that.
Running my fans definitely just sucked dust in to the cab. I found the backglass helped because a lot of the dust was coming in from behind especially if I stopped or backed up
I didn’t blow out the air filter although that probably would’ve been a good idea
Thanks for watching
Girlfriend: "Did you just watch 20 minutes of a guy brush hogging?"
Me: Um....yeah.
Girlfriend: "WTF?"
Me: No idea, but I did it.
Do you mean you don’t watch tractor videos every day?
Yep that sounds about right.
Outdoors with the Morgan‘s is the one that gets me. I watch all their videos and sometimes they really aren’t about much of anything but I’ll still watch again tomorrow
Rockhill farm I’m sure my recent OWTM binge is the reason the TH-cam algorithm put your video in my suggestions. Great work, enjoyed the video!
Welcome to the channel
I’ve been watching outdoors with the Morgan’s for a long time.
Thanks for watching
Here in Hawai'i (Big Island), the build up of the dead grass on the grill is a huge issue that you need to watch for. Overheated my 2025R once... now I cut and clean every hour to avoid this.
Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for watching. I really appreciate it
Great content. My main question is why in the hell would you mow 49 acres? What kind of time would you need to maintain that? Why wouldn't you invite someone to come and hay it a couple times a year? Keep up the great work
I hear that. I live on 20 acres and we have someone come hay part of that.
This is not my property. An older gentleman ran cattle on it for the last 30 years and they’ve moved and they have an open house this week
Thank you for watching and for leaving a comment
.....clearly, your ability to watch and comprehend are somewhat compromised..... your comment/question, by its it's very nature, presupposes the 49 acres are his and/or there is no time line for completing the job; this was a one time only don't care who does it gotta have it done yesterday job.....c'mon, do the work.
There is a difference between weeds and hay. Cows don’t like weeds you have to burn off that field of weeds and sow it with hay
@@ackack612 He said no such thing ... are you Too literal to think that 'you' could be a third party usage? 🤨Perhaps it depends on where? you're from...
As a guy that Bush Hogs professionally, get a bigger tractor with a cab! Time is money, you waaaay undercharged on that. I wouldn't have touched that property for less than $3750 minimum. If the property owner doesn't want to pay that, I don't need to mow it. Let someone else have the headaches for no profit. If you are good at something, never do it for free! I have several tractors, one is your size. I only send it out on smaller fields. 5 acres and under. Takes too long with a smaller tractor but it accents the bigger tractors. Your cutter has a shear bolt, not a slip clutch. It is either or. You have to figure in tires and repairs into your prices. That tire repair probably cost at least $150. So $750 minus $150.......no bleeping way. You can make good money bush hogging, you just have to charge what you are worth.
Thanks for sharing
What state are you in to charge those type prices?
Cost of living is a big consideration. I’m in rural Kansas and you can buy a fairly nice house for $40,000
Around here the going rate for tractor work really is around $65 an hour. That’s what other guys are getting
If you can get that, good for you. 3750 is 75/acre. I'd be around 2k or 40/acre. I don't like working by the hr, but when I have to I charge 100/hr. That's with my little kubota b21/6' bush hog. I had a friend that just passed that had a newer deere 310 backhoe he was charging 165/hr. I'm in ct.
$3,750 to brushhog 50 acres? Holy fuck
Great advice. Thanks man!
Lots of good feed there
I guess it really depends on what type of ground you're working on and if you're familiar with it or not. I rip through an acre in about 20 minutes with a 38 horsepower and 6ft cutter, but it's basically flat ground that I would normally cut with a finishing mower if it was maintained.
Thanks for sharing
The pace that you described would be 3 acres an hour.
I was getting 2 or 2 1/2 acres per hour depending on if you Count the entire time I was there or just when the tractor was running
Each situation is different, old beat tractors get $35/acre, big tractors with 15’ cutters get $125/acre plus moving fee.
I run tracked skid loaders for 50/acre.
Since I carry a grapple bucket, grading bucket, and pallet forks I get more work while I’m there. Nice thing about the loaders are they don’t get stuck, they chew up smaller trees, and people appreciate the tree lines being sheared.
For that size tractor I would probably stick to 10 acres and under and try to be around $65/acre. It’s a niche that most guys use unreliable junk and the big guy doesn’t bother.
As someone watching who has a JD2320
• Nice to know it’s capable of doing the job (I don’t have the windshield)
• I wish the grill had a better set up for all the dust that kicks up - seems to be a common issue with JD
• Good to see you did not get hurt and was safe for the tire repair incident and with all of the obstacles there
• Your hourly rate has to be about $50 an hour to do justice to yourself - it’s nice to help someone like this, so they owe you a favor
All the best and God Bless. 🙏❤🇺🇸
Thanks for sharing your thoughts on it
I went from a Ford 1600 to a JD 3720 with a cab and AC. Mow a bunch of swamp and trails. Now I really don’t care how hot or dusty it is. Totally worth the extra money if you are a warm weather place.
Thanks for sharing
That isn't dust. It's pollen from the ragweed you're mowing. That was a pitchfork you found with your tire. Amazing how you can do that much work on only a gallon an hour.
Thanks for Watching and for sharing your thoughts on it
Done my fair share of field cutting with various size cutters. I personally wouldn't even consider cutting that amount of acreage with a 6' cutter and compact tractor. A more realistic cutter would be something like a Woods BW-12 and a tractor of atleast 50-60hp minimum.
I've never had any problem with grinding away on my blades if it meant I could get a good clean one pass cut. I sharpen blades lawnmower blade sharp for cutting thick hay-field grass-weeds ect. If you grind a 1/16 blunt leading cutting edge on the blades it helps extend the time before resharpening. Basically the blades get sharper for a period as that blunt 1/16 blunt edge wears away. I'll sacrifice blade life for a good cut anytime. If I see stubble sticking up after a pass then what's the point really. I also like my cutters set to level as much as possible so the advancing and retreating blades are working on the same job (i.e. level cut).
Wind direction must be considered in dry-dusty conditions. A handy pole of some sort and wind streamer is a bonus. Always better to cut crosswind and plan every 180 turn-around upwind. Sometimes that means turning hard left for a bit at end of pass then hard right upwind so that you roll out 180 degrees lined up for the next pass (or vice versa). As much as possible (if not dusty/windy) cut in large circles to minimize wasted time doing straight line passes and time eating 180 turns. Go back at end and clean up missed corners.
Lubricate everything repeatedly with a handy 1 gallon pump up sprayer with heavy gear oil and diesel mix. Yes just spray the stuff all over everything (and I mean everything) that moves-turns or grinds together if you want stuff to last. Your drive line and attach points will thank you. Sure...of course... everything will get gunked up and grimy but that's what pressure washers are for.
Always keep a leaf blower (I use a backpack blower) around and occasionally blow off all the grass from around everything (including the most important thing... radiator and/or radiator grass screen). I've even been known to blow out my outer air-filter element if things were bad enough.
A small ice chest containing some frosty adult type beverages is also good idea when possible.
HAPPY CUTTIN ! 🌾🌾🌾🚜
Thanks for all the tips
I used the leaf blower about once an hour to blow everything off
As mentioned in the video i tried to turn this job down but he couldn’t find anybody else
Thanks for watching
thank you einstein !!!
Many of the larger tractors have reversible clutch fans. on the tractor, that way when they are haying or working other dusty crops the tractor will automatically reverse the the clutch fan blowing all the crap out keeping the tractor running good. I have seen some farmers take the factory fan off and put two electric fan on the out side pushing the air out blowing the air out.
That was very informative. Thanks for sharing
Thanks for watching
Wow! That job would have probably taken me two weeks to get done with my setup. I have a John Deere 1023E and Frontier RC2048. It great for trimming and smaller areas people with larger equipment wouldn't want to mess with, but it would have no business in a field of this size. I had someone try to hire me to mow about 15 acres one time with mine, but I turned it down. I love watching your channel for lots of reasons, but one is I think the 2038R would be a great upgrade for me in the future. So it's nice to see what you are able to do with it. Keep up the great content. I'm one of your earliest subscribers!
Thanks for sharing about your tractor and what you do.
This job was really too big for my tractor as well. It wore me out over four days but they Needed it done by today and couldn’t find anyone else
Thanks for watching in for commenting. I really appreciate it
Sure thing, if you watch Tractor Time with Tim you may have seen me and my tractor before. I was one of the guys that was in the recent videos showing how to add the power beyond kits and the Summit Hydraulics rear remote setup to the 1 series. I had the older version 1023E. I just bought the grapple add on kit from Summit. I'm now looking at grapple options. I'm strongly considering the Wicked 50 from EA with the long bottom or the Wicked 55. I'm having trouble deciding which grapple style is right for me. Long bottom or rake style bottom. Any thoughts on this would be much appreciated. I haven't found many good videos highlighting the pros and cons of the different grapple styles. I wish you could get your hands on something like a Wicked 55 to compare to the long bottom style of grapples you have.
I did see that episode
Great job capitalizing on that opportunity
I think the Artillian Build quality is fantastic. Both of the Grapples I have used were this style so I can’t compare the 2 types.
I would not trade my Artillian Grapple for an ea Grapple
I find fire works well for clearing acreage quick but there's a very good reason my wife keeps hiding the matches on me. Cheers, great video.
I’ve got a little 3038E at work that we use just to move about 22 tons of gravel per week. I wouldn’t dream of running a bush hog that size behind it! I pull a tiny 5 foot bush hog behind it at times and it gets a shocking amount of work done. I guess I learned our little tractor is more capable then I had assumed.
Rule of thumb is generally 1 foot of brush hog for every five PTO horsepower. Which gives you a 6 foot brush cutter
You are really wasting a ton of time on your headland turns. You really need to skip cut in parallel strips that way you are always turning into the next bite. And snaking thru the field. Also on the dust problem, always start super early with the heaviest dew or better yet cut it all at nite when the dew is falling. I cut 90% of my stuff at nite. It’s also much easier on the tractor temps
Thanks for sharing
I used a couple different mowing patterns but didn’t try that
That's real good advice. I will use it on my own property. Thanks
Wow did that cut nicely! Great work! 49 acre is a lot for a 6 foot
Yes sir
Thanks for watching
I've been doing it with my Cub cadet 25 _42 lawnmower.
Thanks buddy..
Thanks for watching
Good video. I saw the bearing on that C4 lat was humming. I saw you got that changed out. It made a difference.
Thanks for watching
I’m actually not sure what you’re referring to so it would be nice if you don’t mind elaborating If you saw some thing that I didn’t
Always sharpen on the top bevel of the blades only and leave a 1/16" flat or blunt edge which is much more resistant to damage.
I love how he was just like "yeah"
Exactly.
Thanks for watching
I have that same issue of chaff building up on the grill and needing to keep an eye on my vehicle temperature and stop to clear the grill. It took me a long time to figure that out.
Once I got the routine down of stopping about once an hour and hitting with the leaf blower, it wasn’t that big of a deal but the first couple times it was frustrating
There's some lovely drone shots in this piece. Great video.
Thanks
U the man, and yes it’s difficult to charge people what is a lot of money but nicer people have got to be charged more or you won’t be able to fix your toy when it breaks, and they break, keep great videos coming.
Thanks for watching and sharing your feedback
Love it his 1 word summed it all up "DAMNIT" Yeah
That was great
I have an open cab Fiat 650 tractor with a 7 foot flail mower, I find that staying upwind is the best policy, I can mow 2 hours straight then stop for a break n grease machine, then back into it. Not much of a dust problem that way, I rarely get caught in a dust/clippings cloud 👍
You’ll get there bud. 👍🤠
Thanks for sharing
I got a property with about 40 ac of weeds and bought a compact tractor with a shredder. I had the grill and radiator getting stopped up constantly with pollen and dust as you found out. I finally got some filter media and strapped in front of the grill as it was easier and faster to shake off than to get compressed air out in the field. Also I found if I rolled my bucket down where the blade was inches off the ground the 'funneling' effect would push the pollen down and I could go longer between stops and still let me know if there was rocks or logs in the mess. I just wish I would have found your video before I went through it. Wish I had a full face filter mask too. It was brutal.
Man it's been super dry where I live in n.c. I mowed yesterday with my scag tiger cat 2 and every right hand turn filled my eyes, nose and ears with dust. We have had a little rain lately but that southern sun dries it up fast
Yeah, without a doubt the dust was the worst part of this job
I like it starting up sounds cool .
I like that sound too. Thanks for watching
The hydraulic top link is great, however I encourage you to try a length of chain for a top link when using big deck rotary cutters! It will stop the binding action that happens when your tractor and cutter pass over a lens shape on the ground. Brush hogs attempt to do this with the swiveling yoke the top link pin connects to, however it only adds a wee bit of slack range that will only be useful on the flattest of fields. using chain will also smooth the ride as the tractor wont be getting knocked around by the cutter constantly going back and forth from being a cantilevered load (tail wheel in the air) to top link pushing into the tractor. The tail wheel will stay engaged to the ground without compressing the top link. Just make sure that your cutter prop shaft is not to long to absorb a tighter angle between Tractor and implement. Long and wordy sorry, try this I really think you will like it! Good luck thanks for sharing!
Thanks for the suggestion. Several people have told me that and I’ve been meaning to give it a try
Heck yea brother I like this video! I’m subscribing. I think you’re a cool guy. Very informative and even showing the breakdowns to give the full scope of what it’s like owning equipment. 👍👍👍
Awesome
I try to mix information with entertainment hopefully
Consider installing a fan like a radiator fan just below the ceiling of the cab. It will keep you cooler AND blow the dust off of you. I put one on my open station canopy for this. Reason.
I’ve got two of them actually and I really appreciate it most of the time but in this case it almost felt like it was blowing more dust on me
I ran them anyway way because at some point the heat is worse than the dust
Thanks for watching
Lol I love the repair guy. “………..damn.”
Tractor Work Tuition, doing a job to gauge future jobs on. I rarely do bush hogging jobs, but actually did one today, sort of a combo of jobs, but it's the first day I wish I had a 5' cutter instead of a 4'. Also first time I wished I'd had a grapple. So true when doing work for others. There has to be a value proposition on both sides. That is also a crap ton of bush hogging for your tractor and you, but you were paid some money and to a lot of experience, in some ways more than you maybe wanted, but that's how it goes sometimes. Great video Brock.
This was definitely a tough job. The dust was brutal. I’m looking to really expand my tractor work. I have been undercharging as I gained experience, but it’s time to start charging more
Thanks for watching and for commenting
@@RockhillfarmYT You definitely hung in there on the job, it did look brutal. Mine is just a side hustle for sure, if I ever went to full-time, here in Florida, I'd have to get a 3R with a cab. I couldn't handle the heat and sun all day, every day without some protection of the sun and some A/C. You do excellent work and I like how you explain the "less attractive" aspects of the jobs too.
I think if you pretend to be more skilled or experienced than you are people can see through that
I’ve only been doing two or three paid jobs a week ama mostly doing my own stuff but I’d like to pick a lot more up. Probably run some ads