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trbomax
Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 133 Starvation Lake, Mi
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2005-04-26          110376

Has anyone done field mowing for hire ? Not as a real business,just as a suppliment to your real income.I'm just wondering if it would be a way to help work off the cost of the equipment.

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dsg
Join Date: Jun 1999
Posts: 528 Franklin, Maine
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2005-04-26          110377

Yes, and there is always someone that will do it cheaper.
You should keep in mind when you hirer out that you are wearing your tractor out, So just doing it too supplement your payments is not replacing the cost. Remember joe down the road just paid $3500. for his old tractor & bush hog and you paid 12 to 15K for your's.

David ....

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kskwash
Join Date: Jun 2004
Posts: 58 Texas
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2005-04-27          110398

Yes, I cut fields to help make the payment on my tractor and equipment. I cut two lots that are approx. 2 acres each. They pay $140 each, and I cut them once a month. This almost makes my payment, and when I pick up another lot as a favor to some friends, I use that money to pay for the oil, filter, diesel, etc. I do not think that I would recomend doing it full time, but to only put 4 hours a month on the tractor and brush hog, and it almost makes the payment, I would say that it is worth it. I do have some people call me that want me to cut there lots, and the grass is over my head, and I pass up those. The lots that I cut are about knee hi and do not put much strain on the engine. ....

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plots1
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 563 mo
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2005-04-27          110404

Cutting in unknown area's can take a toll on your rig, might want to walk around some to see if you can find any hidden objects or ditches before your tractor does. some times on larger area's that seem silly but it could keep your life and machine safe. ....

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trbomax
Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 133 Starvation Lake, Mi
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2005-04-27          110410

I dont need to cover a payment,but now that I'm retired,I can just about do what I want when I want and the machine does sit idle a lot.I more had in mind something to do,and pick up some mad money too.I know what you mean about hidden hazards. I did a nieghbors lot last year and it had some high berms that the grandkids created running thier dirt bikes.Under 2' of grass I had to find them the scary way!At 140 a lot what does that work out to per hr ? Hourly is about the only way I can see to price it. ....

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StephenR
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 230 New Tripoli, Pa.
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2005-04-27          110412

kskwash,
You get $70/acre?!?! Wow! Around here it's only about $10/acre. ....

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kskwash
Join Date: Jun 2004
Posts: 58 Texas
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2005-04-28          110485

Yes that is correct. I live down in south Texas ( south of Houston) and there is a lot of land down here. Most of the people buy the lots to get away from the city, but they do not have the equipment needed to take care of it. On the average, I get $70 for the first acre and $40 to $50 for each addition acre. The two lots that I cut on a regular basis, are actually owned by the apartment complexes next to them. They buy the extra land with intentions of expanding at a later date, but in the mean time they need it cut. It is very true about the hazards that you can not see. I would recomend walking the lot before you cut. I would have hit something everytime, if I did not check first. ....

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runshort
Join Date: Mar 2005
Posts: 3 Central TX.
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2005-04-29          110494

Prices seem to vary greatly on mowing in different areas of the country. We perform these services for friends and people we personally know to pick up some extra cash. If you can not make a reasonable profit on your work it's not worth the risk you are taking. We have found that most land owners have no idea of what is on there property. Kskwash made an excellent point on personally walking the work area before you start. If the grass and weed growth is high and thick you cannot see what is below it without walking the area before starting. Pricing depends on how long it will take you and your equipment to do the job. And yes there is always some one willing to do it cheaper. Do yourself a favor when this happens and just walk away from it. Good Luck! ....

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Murf
Join Date: Dec 1999
Posts: 7249 Toronto Area, Ontario, Canada
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2005-04-29          110496

If all you are looking to get is some pocket money and seat time there are better ways to do it.

A retired fella near me hires himself and his CUT out to the local township a couple of days a week. He does various things, cutting road-sides, grooming ball diamonds, bush-hogging the 'naturalized' portions of parks, etc.

Since he is not competing with farmers willing to work for very little money, he is instead replacing a unionized worker using very expensive equipment, he can charge a fair price for his and his machine's time.

It is a good relationship for all involved, the municipality gets a good employee and doesn't have to pay benefits, find something for him to do in the off-season, or worry about, and the retiree gets a good part-time income and some seat time.

Ask around, try the local governement and bigger companies, landscaping and contrating, they might want someone to help with the workload in the summer.

Best of luck. ....

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trbomax
Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 133 Starvation Lake, Mi
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2005-04-29          110499

I thought about that,but if you are working for a person or place that cant just pay cash,how does this affect insurance ? ....

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Murf
Join Date: Dec 1999
Posts: 7249 Toronto Area, Ontario, Canada
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2005-04-29          110503

It's a popular, wrong, but popular, notion that working for cash is better since Uncle Sam doesn't get a slice of the pie.

In reality nothing could be further from the truth.

As a small business, almost anything you spend money on is an expense. Keep the receipts. At the end of the year the expenses will certainly come to more than the amount you have earned. This is called a loss only to the Government.

This loss can be applied directly against the owner's personal income tax to offset taxes payable.

It works like this. Over the course of the year let's say you paid out $10k in income tax, out of salary, pension, whatever. However the small company you own & operate "lost" $10k over that same year. Voila, you apply your loss against your income tax, the result is that the Government says you have over-paid your income tax and gives you a BIG refund cheque. That refund is in most cases pure profit since the money that came in paid most if not all the expenses.

In effect you are making a lot of expenses which you would have had to pay anyways, deductible when they weren't previously, on top of that you have gotten your hands on a slice of your taxes already paid as offset for your tax 'losses'.

Best of all, it's all legit so you don't have to fear audit or anything else.

Best of luck. ....

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StephenR
Join Date: Feb 2002
Posts: 230 New Tripoli, Pa.
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2005-04-29          110507

That sword cuts two ways Murf. ....

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Murf
Join Date: Dec 1999
Posts: 7249 Toronto Area, Ontario, Canada
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2005-04-29          110508

As my Grandpa used to say....

"There ain't nothin' for nothin' in this world." ....

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trbomax
Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 133 Starvation Lake, Mi
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2005-04-30          110526

I know what your saying,but, as a business owner/operator since the early 70's,and still haveing rentals,I can tell you that as a new or small business,the gov. will only allow you to declare a loss for 2 consecutive years without scrutiny.If you already have other forms of business endevors,they WILL look at what your doing.Some times your better off to just do it and not get greedy. ....

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Murf
Join Date: Dec 1999
Posts: 7249 Toronto Area, Ontario, Canada
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2005-05-02          110602

I agree with what you say, but for the sake of others feel I should clarify things a bit also.

Certainly there will be 'scrutiny' if the venture has losses beyond what they feel is normal. However, if you don't go crazy claiming expenses that are ridiculous, and everything is done properly there is nothing they can really do.

I have a small company that operates this way myself.

The tax people told me that since my other businesses were profitable I should close the losing one and blend it into one of the others. I said no. They got quite firm about it, said they would disallow it and refuse my tax return. I asked them, in writing, if they found anything wrong with the financial statements after auditing the business, they replied "no" but insisted they were not prepared to allow me to run a business at a loss forever. I wrote again and this time stated that since they found nothing wrong but were still prepared to 'force me' to close the business I was prepared to issue a press release detailing how the government was forcing a small business to close since it was not profitable, and pointing out that apparently then only the government itself was allowed to run a deficit.

Two days later I got a phone call from the NEW person assigned to my file, they stated everything was in order after the audit and they considered the matter closed.

Best of luck. ....

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AnnBrush
Join Date: Mar 2004
Posts: 463 Troy OH
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2005-05-02          110615

Murf, you are a brave man - taking on the IRS. Most would prefer to fly under the radar. Good Luck. ....

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Murf
Join Date: Dec 1999
Posts: 7249 Toronto Area, Ontario, Canada
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2005-05-02          110617

Ann, I'm Canadian so it's Revenue Canada not the IRS, but they both have the same mentality and try the same crap.

Besides, when you're right it's easy to be bold.


Best of luck. ....

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moparmudder
Join Date: Apr 2006
Posts: 15 New berry Fl
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2006-05-03          128825

does any one do mowing for hire in florida? if so how much do you charge? thanks ....

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Art White
Join Date: Jan 2000
Posts: 6898 Waterville New York
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2006-05-04          128892

Depending on when it needs to be mowed, Florida isn't my favorite area but I might be available, what would you pay and does it come with room and board for two? ....

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kthompson
Join Date: Oct 2005
Posts: 5275 South Carolina
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2006-05-05          128901

Insurance? Cash?

Being paid in cash will have no affect on insurance or the risks you are taking. If you are "contracting" regardless of how you are being paid you are taking on risk. If you are hired by the hour that sometimes keeps the risk on them as that gives the impression of employer employee relationship.

Mowers can and do damage by throwing items. The rough cut ones more so.

....

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DenisS
Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 367 NJ
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2006-05-05          128904

Isn't it funny how you can make up a tractor payment by mowing a couple of 2 acre fields, but couldn't dream of getting the same kind of money cultivating 4 acres with whatever crop you can think of? In effect, you get paid more for keeping land from growing things than if you produced something. ....

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SG8NUC
Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 579 g
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2006-05-05          128928

Horse Farmer

Farm living is the life for me, what a concept. My uncle has been getting paid to not plant his own fields, my gov. at work. He leases them to someone else and they pay him also. ....

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brokenarrow
Join Date: Jan 2004
Posts: 1288 Wisconsin
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2006-05-05          128934

If your lucky enough to be one of the 'few" who own and have paid for most of their bills already then it doesnt take much. My friends who are full time farmers are funny folks. The ones who live "small" and do not have high rent payments (meaning also equipment) are living life to the fullest. Fullest meaning enjoying every day in the sun,rain,snow etc while also having the time to enjoy fishing hunting etc. The "Other Ones" constantly talk how there is no money in the farms, cant understand why they are still in it, and last but not least complain all the time about the spoiled folks that work in factorys and offices. LOL Funny how two of a kind can have such different out looks on the same life style.
Anouther lady I know has 44 cows (milking) she swears that since all her bills are paid she can live a decent life on just the farm income. She bar tends at a corner establishment part time a couple days a week to make her vacation money. She is one very happy farm lady, and that comes "right from that horses mouth" LOL. ....

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CajunFrog
Join Date: May 2006
Posts: 2 South central Louisiana
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2006-05-29          129981

I live in south central Louisiana. Most of those that advertise for bush hogging or mowing of large fields do it by the hour. Average rate seems to be around $25/hr with 2 hour min. A compact 25-35hp tractor with a 5-6' mower should be able to do close to two acres per hour. If I figure my Jinma 354 consumes at least 2 gal of diesel per hour thats $5 per hour in expense just for fuel.....so the potential profit is slim. But someone who paid $4000 for a used tractor & bush hog rig can do it and come out ok and thats who you are competing against.
K ....

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