90$/hr is rape. You can rent a tractor and keep it running all day for much less than that
We used to rent medium duty equipment before I bought that Kubota, and that was the reason we bought it. Most of the medium duty rentals would last less than a half day under heavy work. They don't maintain that stuff very well, that was our experiences with three different rental companies including Bobcat of Orlando. Unless times have changed I wouldn't rent anything medium duty for something requiring more than 3 or 4 hours.
90$/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
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
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
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.
