There's No Way He Cleared His Land Without A Plan! Helping A Stubborn Neighbor!

[@MrJwh3000]

It takes me 3 hours to cut two acres with my 48" zero turn and honestly I need a bigger one. No way in heaven or earth is he going to cut all that unless he plans on living on his own mower for the rest of his life. Advice him. That's all you can do. Hello from Greenville SC.

[@d.a.tsun5104]

We have about 2 acres too here in CA but not all of it is mow-able, but it still takes my husband min. 2 hrs on his mower (he used to do it with push mower too, poor guy). But if that's all he has and that he can afford to pay someone else, what can you do?

[@rossnolan2883]

Wow 😊😊

[@Clawson_customs]

I built my own drag like that with a I beam and miner bits for a coal miner. But mine is like 12 feet wide so it makes it a lot quicker

[@Mr.musiccraft]

Love watching you work looks fun.👍😄🤣

[@petermavus4131]

Clearly a good neighbor

[@keylargo2001]

Make a deal with him to allow you to seed it and get the hay off it. The hay you would get off it along with one of your other properties should produce enough to carry you through the winter.

[@holdenv8superstar]

I like your idea but it’s not viable financially & as a business venture.

[@farmingforfunandprofit940]

He has tried producing his own hay, it didn't pan out, His media income and area availability at low prices affords him not having to deal with making hay

[@make725daily1]

Your resilience is truly inspiring! 💪 -- "The journey to accomplishment is often fraught with setbacks.."

[@benmccollam3013]

Yeah mowing that'll be like painting the golden gate bridge. As soon as you're done it's time to do it again.

[@lordchaa1598]

Welcome to my hell that I inherited from my grandfather. He gave my mom land, but gave my cousins and uncle all the equipment. Obviously we weren’t farmers before this and I couldn’t talk my parents into buying a bigger tractor then the LX2610 we ended up purchasing. 90% of my week is cutting fields and grass with a 60 inch belly mower. I’m trying to grow Blue mountain tea, but I’m not able to devote the adequate amount of time into it, in order to produce enough to make the 52 acres I have to upkeep profitable. I’m at my wits end and ready to just throw in the towel and leave.

[@TerrorTubbie666]

"I just love to ride my zeroturn! Alll dayy lloooonnnggg..." 😂😂😂

[@duck-n-cover477]

A lot of people just don't understand that a fine grade isn't quick, isn't easy, and isn't cheap. It gets exponentially more challenging the finer you want it done.

[@mgeiger72]

Tub o towels are awesome. Been using them for years thanks to your suggestion.

[@jedadruled984]

Dis is amazing.

[@gregburkhomes]

72" deck on a Ventrac would be a great way to cut after it grows in.

[@toolmantim613]

Josh, sometimes you just gotta let people learn their lessons. He will quickly find out that he can't mow all that with a 42" mower. Yes he should seed it but again, let him make his mistakes. You have told him and that is all you can do. Charging $100 an hour to do what you are doing is being a good neighbor. Thanks for the video! I'm kinda your neighbor. NC also. Take care!

[@duck-n-cover477]

He's going to get weeds, briars, scrub pine, cedar, and Sumac. He also needs a soil test and to spend some $ to get it right for grass or cover crop. There are still lots of rocks and trash. Needs some hand work too. Drag harrow is a good next step toward a good finish. Grade, rake, harrow, hand clean and screen, repeat.

[@philliplucke1339]

Good price and being a good neighbor

[@kevinward4271]

Doing a good job there, but try running your top link in the higher hole it will stop your leveller rake rocking back over centre and tipping forward

[@johngoodwin8889]

I would disc it with drag behind. Will level it good before the rake

[@JohnR9965]

Tub of towel has refills in a bag. Cheaper refill. Keep the plastic container and put it in it.

[@terresiagregg9326]

Awesome job Josh

[@hvnfun8601]

When a man “thinks something is true”, he is the only one who can change his mind- but experience will guide him.

[@kaytod]

Years ago when brushy and scrub forested ground was cleared for pastures, I had used an old field cultivator initially. The early field cultivators had very close dimensions on both the shank spacing and the rows of shanks. When compared to the more modern variations for crop land working, they were less than stellar as they wouldn't allow any old crop residue to flow thru without plugging. However, when used following a clearing project, they worked reasonably well. It would level the land somewhat makeing it smoother for the tractor to go over, and their inability to flow residue made them great for gathering roots and other debris. Most of them can be easily picked up for scrap metal prices if you were going to do this often. The unit you used would be far better for final leveling and your harrow for the top finish as you have already shown here. All the best.

[@hanke2588]

s Sounds like he wants champagne with a beer pocketbook.

[@frankwrogg2515]

Reminds me of space balls and combing the desert 😂😂😂

[@TheCritterWindow]

There is a guy near me that planted wildflowers and cut paths throughout. Looks nice.

[@jimsullivan7639]

Poor neighbors suck, but you have to admire him for getting started.

[@susanmcconnell6041]

I just left a previous comment, but just remembered. I had gotten a couple quotes from professional lawn care companies, and they both said $450 to $500 for my 4 acres, considering trees, gardens, pond berms, structures, etc. Mowing each week would be a rich person's wallet. Instead, I invested in a bigger machine for myself. Josh, you need to charge more.

[@sumnerkinney2166]

It is his business what he does and how he does it. We pay $90 here in midcoast Maine.

[@chrissheathewoodguy]

very under impressed with that thing.. I think a traditional rake and box scraper would have been much better for that job.. what's with the free floating top link cylinder?

[@larryparish5984]

Mowing all that with a zero turn is nuts unless you just have nothing else to do with your life & really love sitting on a mower day after day.

[@joesoutdoorexperience]

Hey Josh $100 an hour that’s a deal! If he is retired and plans on mowing with a 42” mower. He will never get bored start on Monday finish on a Saturday take Sunday off start all over again on Monday💪

[@winterhorse290]

Hyd top links should be on EVERY tractor!

[@brycecronin9099]

100hr is an absolute steal of a deal

[@FarmallFanatic]

Rock rakes have come a long way 😮

[@nanderson1084]

He should definitely put down grass seed

[@charleswilliams1270]

I mow about 10 acres with my 60" zero turn. it takes me 2 long days.

[@StoneyRidgeFarmer]

lol...you need a 72 inch cut or a batwing zero turn...have you seen those! Toro has one that's awesome!

[@JAKE3914]

Hi Josh. $100 an hour for equipment, fuel, AND an operator!!! SCREAMING bargain!!! Hey neighbor. . 15 ft. batwing for mowing!!

[@bcgrittner]

Would I seed that property? Yes, absolutely. Damn the cost. It will pay for itself.

[@kevinbrewer2141]

Love watching the TR3 . It would take forever to mow with a 42" cut. I cut with a 72" 3pt finish mower, and I don't cut that much .

[@richardwilkens4577]

Maybe a 6 or 7 foot finish mower behind a small tractor

[@taurota1554]

awesome content as always.thanks for sharing and taking us along

[@terrypomatto907]

Josh, the answer to a Zero Turn mower is what is his position in life. He could use mower with the 42" cutter if he was retired and wanted something to do every couple days. If he has a full time job, I would agree that it is a NO WAY endeavor. Not sowing grass seed would be a big error, erosion would be a #1 mistake.

[@justinmallory11]

I hope you post a video next summer when you come back to bushhog all the weeds that will come up if he doesn't seed

[@farmboy4012]

Looks like you are getting it done, a wider harrow will level the ground better.

[@davekoch1184]

I just paid a forestry guy with a skidsteer and 3,000 pound mulcher to spend 8 hours knocking down and grinding up over a dozen Hawthorn trees at $250 an hour. $100 is cheap.

[@kurtsimmons1587]

Josh, Shawn from Spencer lawn care has a program he mentions on his channel . It gives the price of what you should be charging for stuff like that. I just watch his channel so I know how to take care of my lawn better than I do. I don’t know if this is something you are interested in or not. With the cost of diesel you definitely need to keep that figured in for sure let alone your equipment. Could you imagine what his rental price would be if he did that himself?

[@eweandmeranch4024]

We have 30 acres and no tractor. Just a mower. However we don't mow it all at once. We mow after the sheep where needed. It's the difference in thinking. Everyone wants giant expensive equipment and buildings. Then you are working to pay for those things rather then them working for you. It's not with it but everyone likes toys!

[@farmingforfunandprofit940]

We use a 12ft DO-All That has Chopper blades in front, Followed by S tines with sweeps And a 4 section spike teeth mounted on heavy angle iron dragging the rear.....The spike tooth harrow collects the roots etc. which you can raise the machine and deposit on the ends of the field... Our Zero Turn M665 Deere cuts about 5 acres 2 times a month from Apri to Frost and has for the last 23 years

[@yvonnejohnson1557]

I think he's going to be buying a zero-turn every other week

[@birddogbriar4335]

I have a 60" Spartan zero turn and only have 2 acres. I can be on and off in 45 minutes. He needs to up his game for that much acreage. And as far as what to plant, if he doesn't want to maintain it, he should look for some native grasses and flowers to plant. Probably about the best thing he could do for the ecosystem.

[@ClickinChicken]

It's honorable that the attachment is used for the neighbor. Helpful: You use the equipment you have. yeah, agree with other guy, and I'm not a rancher, but get hay feed off it if you can. The guy should put a huge tall net on one side and set up several batting cages (American baseball) on the other! WOOO! yeah grass, Kentucky bluegrass!

[@roycebraman4311]

You can get a really smooth surface with your tools, but if it is not seeded it is going to just wash away and get all rutted up and he will never be able to mow with a zero-turn after years of trying to let it naturally fill in

[@MrBoiler09]

harley rake probably cut time in 1/2

[@scottsmith6846]

Hey Josh. Thank you for the video and I think that's a good price$100 an hour and as for your machine when you went to go Rev it up you said whatever was there one away well it could be the spark plugs maybe you need new ones check them out woo

[@farmingforfunandprofit940]

Diesels don't have spark plugs.........

[@dennisembry3161]

It’s worth every bit of 100 hour as far as mowing it with the zero turn he’s got more time than money,grass seed for sure

[@MrBoiler09]

I know use what u have!!!!

[@David_Ely]

The smoothing out would easily be a $600 job but probably more plus any damage to the equipment since it's rough grade with objects sticking out. As for grass cuttinng 9 acres, we do $75/acre on pastures.

[@williamgaines9784]

I am sure that price is within a certain radius from your base of operations. Per acre is a better method than hourly in many cases.

[@Art-ot2jn]

Pla t with buck wheat and native grasses and soya beans mixture all hr going to do own is grown weeds

[@lordchaa1598]

You have to put some sort of seed down, or the next rain will turn it right back to what it looked like before you did anything.

[@ronevans852]

Well I have about 10 to 14 acres to cut out of 22 acres, I use to cut with bushhog but sold tractor. And now I cut with zero turn 61 inch. Take me about 3 or 4 days I only cut for maybe two or three hours. Getting to old to do anymore. I did have a guy come by and give me price he said he would need to put 3 mower on it 280 to 350 dollars to cut all in one day.

[@FarmallFanatic]

Oh, yeah, $100 an hour is a steal.

[@markfields8092]

I would of planted a cover crop. Something to pull nitrogen into the soil and protect from erosion and build the soil and not mow it. The next year I would plant grass. Leaving it blank it will grow into weeds.

[@terryknesek6922]

$100 an hour is a neighborly rate for sure

[@roybrochu5409]

Need to use a power rake on a skid steer

[@christiantinker]

I think you priced it about right I wouldn't done it any cheaper it needs seeding and brushhogging when it grows

[@charleswise5570]

100 dollars an hour is a steal. Lawn care is a dollar a minute/ 60 dollars an hour. With your equipment and time. That's a really good deal. Ask Stan, he'll say the same thing.

[@WalterGregory-c6j]

He needs to fence it and run cattle.

[@jerimahjohnson8698]

Windex and a rag to wipe off the grime and for sure blood from a cut.

[@dallaspointon6212]

1 to 2 acres maximum for a 42 & 48”. My Ferris 400s 48” cuts my lawn so quick around house. Rest of the 152 acres is cattle and slasher country

[@1guyin10]

He should be able to make a deal with someone who puts up hay to get it cut and baled regularly.

[@jerryhubbard4461]

For future grass cutting, the guy could find and old 3000 Ford tractor with a 5 foot mower on back. Total cost less than $4,000. All he will lever need for a place no bigger than that. Back in the day when I was on the farm, we had about 125 acres of pasture and 100 acres in trees. We had a 2000 Ford diesel and a 990 David Brown. Those two tractors did the job. The Ford would pull a two blade bottom plow and the DB a four blade. We had some great soil and about every four years we turned the soil then put a disc on it. Grass came up like a pro. We did not have many animals. 4 cows and at times 6 horses. Cows for the table and horses for the hell of it. Fun to ride. A 2000 Ford would be a great machine for the nine acres. 42 inch cut, his a.. would be as the old timers would say, shucks after that adventure. Live and learn.

[@evg0015]

The top link is in the wrong hole!

[@stevenaltman8013]

Looks like a little added weight to tht rake would work wonders!!

[@bradhensley1134]

That land will never re-seed itself from bare ground. If he doesn't seed it, that land will be an eye sore for decades

[@robertkoons1154]

You've got to have a cover crop unless you want to deal with erosion. More expensive to fill gullys after they occur. Wouldn't a different rake throw the trash to the side? I wouldn't want the glass, brush and rocks in my pasture. Keep the grazers (sheep, goats, cows, horses)safe from nails, glass and holes which can hurt hooves.

[@ronthacker211]

I now back to acres to mow. Years ago my question was: Mow it or Grow it? So, I plowed and tilled and planted 25000 sq ft of garden plots, cutting my mowing work, but increasing my garden/farming work. Now much older, I'm down to 2500 sq ft of garden (manageable). I went from a 48" riding mower, to a 54" riding mower. Now I have two 60" Zero Turns and mowing about 4 acres. AND, I just priced a 72" at $13,000. NOT going there.

[@morganvass2930]

You still have the john deere. You should make a video about it,has been a while.

[@curtwinkle2010]

Definitely, invest in some pasture seed… Maybe get some sheep to maintain it once it grows in.

[@hapnewsom9217]

I gave up trying to convince folks that they're wrong about anything. Let him discover for himself what he can and can not do. THEN make it worth your while to do the work that is needed to be done. the only other thing I insisted on was put it all in writing. You may honor your handshake even when it costs YOU money....other folks may not honor theirs.

[@andrewshullick4319]

Two things you can do with it 1 is hay or two put cows on it or 3 have you cut it for 100 a half hour awesome video 📸

[@charleslynch908]

2.5 acres per hour. As a lawn care provider, I would be at roughly 900 weekly or 1250 bi-weekley. Probably take the crew 4-5 hours, longer if all that debris is there and probably cut to 5 inches. A wide area mower at 80k would handle that in a little of 1.5 to 2 hours.

[@mariannasorensen2986]

In my experience, weeds come up first on bare land.

[@dewaynewhitney5703]

The average around here is a minimum $100 per acre for just leveling.

[@douglasjackson1998]

Interesting choice of tools. Wouldn't the 55 hp machine have been capable, and cheaper to run? I couldn't identify anything the TR3 did that your landscape rake wouldn't have done just as well.

[@stephenreese5921]

His land is his decision. If he doesn’t watch and learn from your videos, leave him to his own decisions. Just as you make decisions for your land. As the old saying goes, you can lead a horse to water but, you can’t make him drink!

[@Legendary_UA]

The guy needs a Ventrac with a 96" phail mowing deck

[@Art-ot2jn]

The lands of the Netherlands and the surrounding .lowlands were replanted I to pastures by my heritage family before the Iron age with no draft animals or plow even in France

[@floridaguy1133]

I own a lawn maintenance company and when I get large properties I charge $100 minimum per acre to mow them

[@scannfamily4863]

We purchased 15 acres in February. The property had sat empty for 10 months and previous owner's just cut the bare minimum like around the house and outbuildings. I had gotten two quotes from two different people asking them to knock all the tall grass down, clean up all the downed trees and it was going to cost about $2,000. I lucked out and ran to a friend I went to highschool and he offered to come out and get things cut down. I was mowing on a garden tractor with a 48 inch deck and only cutting about 3 acres. I was mowing 3-4 days a week until I hit a shotgun shell, blew the mower blades off, ripped a whole in the deck and embedded two blades in a tree. Mower deck was a total loss. Two weeks later we broke down and bought a 60" zero turn mower. It did coat us but I haven't ever been so happy. I now cut almost 10 acres in about 3 days with 2 days of weedeating. It's aparent that your neighbor has no idea about the time it takes to maintain that amount of acreage. He/she has a huge wakeup call coming. As for letting it come back naturally. Nope no way, I would definitely plant a cover crop. I had let our acreage come back naturally and I regret it. We have an invasive vine/weed that taking over our property. Our friend said to treat it and plant a cover crop of some kind after he comes out to till the area up. He had told me that he generally would charge $65 an hour and would eat the cost of gas, but he isn't running a huge tractor. I didn't feel comfortable not paying him what he was worth. So now we're bartering time at each other's properties. His mower quit, so he will come pick up our zero turn and mow his yard. I have gone over to help in their garden several times because his wife had surgery and is laid up for 4 months. Long story short, I wouldn't mow that amount of acreage with anything small than a 60 inch mower deck. Thank you for sharing your day with us. Much Love from our family to your family 💞

[@ralphwoodard609]

I agree with you on the hundred dollars an hour Josh. It’s more than fair to him and you. 42 inch mower? No

[@JIMROESKE-y8r]

Tractor with a six foot deck to mow that

[@mikedavis2969]

👍

[@williamgaines9784]

I would have started with the drag harrow. If it was smooth, a 42" cutter could do 9 acres it in about 5 hours if he could maintain 5mph: 9 acres is approx 396,000 sq. ft.(rounded acre up to 44,000 sq. ft.); 5mph is 7.33 feet/second; his cut width is 3 feet(allowing 6 inch over lap, 42"=3.5'), so he cuts about 22 sqare feet/second; there are 3600 seconds in an hour, so he can cut 79,200 sq ft/hr. 396000÷79200=5. If he lets it grow back naturally...1. It won't be smooth long because of erosion. 2. A lot of shrubs, trees, and woody brush will emerge which will slow his mowing speed considerably. He should at least plant a cool season annual grass now to stem erosion and suppress weeds and he can mow that every week.

[@jerryhubbard4461]

How much gas would that take William for one cut?

[@HarrisonCountyStudio]

@williamgaines9784 Excellent work my friend… I would have guessed at least 2 acres an hour; based on how the greens keepers mow the fairways at the cow pasture where I golf. ✌🏽

[@williamgaines9784]

@@jerryhubbard4461 i do not have his mower's stats outside its cut width. It may not be able to make that speed even. That was an estimate that it could be done in a day on the cut width at the speed estimated. It would also need to be cut frequently, so his one day a week would be spent mowing.

[@GM6.7]

To level that area you cant go wrong with 1500$ you gotta remember that fuel and wear and tear is nothing when you shell out the cost and you dont actually own and maintain the equipment. Dude is going to have to dump atleast 30k on his own tractor. Which is well worth it imo

[@scottbehr5690]

He can mow that with a 42" mower....mower wont last long and it will take hours....but he can do it. I cut 4 acres with a 54"..but it takes 2 hours.

[@kdegraa]

The rake does a good job but I think a much smaller tractor could pull it and use less fuel doing it.

[@StoneyRidgeFarmer]

yep...however the rake is a cat 2 implement...the only machine I have over 60hp is this big fella

[@kdegraa]

@@StoneyRidgeFarmer fair enough and most probably it was the most comfortable tractor to do the job in. In regards to your question $100 an hour is a very reasonable price.

[@ericsautos]

He should seed it and put some straw on top to protect the seed until it grows

[@StoneyRidgeFarmer]

man...to straw this amount of land would take 500 bales....I would seed the part closest to the house at a bare minimum but he didn't want to do it

[@bay9876]

How much to rent the machine and rake for the day and then add in what you think your time is worth. This is a reasonable number for the neighbourly convenience.

[@lovelylisawarriorqueen7923]

You made it look good, it's too bad he's not going to plant some good seed after all that work.

[@duck-n-cover477]

Anyway, he'd probably try to seed it with a tiny Scott's speader ftom a big box store, eh?