Applying for a roadside mowing contract requires considerable experience, a knowledge/understanding of those contracts, the right equipment for the job, and a good working relationship between the governmental agency and the tractor mowing services company.

Let’s look at each of those qualifications for government mowing jobs.

Experience:  Not only are we talking about years of mowing experience, but we are specifically talking about years of experience with roadside mowing.  Roadside mowing calls for specific skills which can only be attained through years of practice.  It can be dangerous work.  It is, most definitely, precise work.  And without the necessary experience, it will be very costly work.

A knowledge/understanding of contracts:  One look at a governmental contract for roadside mowing will tell you that “faking it” is not an option.  These acreage mowing contracts are detailed and specific.  They categorize jobs according to general mowing, large machine mowing, slope mowing, intermediate machine mowing, and small machine mowing.  They dictate the frequency of mowing, the mowing cycles, the equipment required, the methods of operation, the limitations of operation, and the quality expected.  They cover the maintenance of traffic within the mowing area. Without a complete knowledge of these terms, one should not even bother bidding on such a contract.

The right equipment:  Roadside mowing contracts quite often require equipment for right of way mowing, equipment for         bush hog mowing for heavy jobs, and small job equipment.  That equipment must be able to mow at the same height consistently.  There must be no streaking or scalping.  There must be no accumulation or piling of cutting.  There must be a smooth flowing transition between mowing of different widths.

A good working relationship:  If, on the off-chance, one wins a bid to do roadside mowing for a municipality, future contracts depend on establishing a good relationship with the governmental workers.  Deliver on promises, meet deadline, and do quality work. That is how subsequent bids will be secured.

On top of all that, liability and safety must be considered, as well as the ability to meet deadlines consistently.

These are not jobs for the weak-of-heart or the unreliable, nor are they jobs one learns on the fly.

The best advice one can give to a mowing company who is about to bid on a roadside mowing contract:  Make sure you are qualified or don’t bother bidding.

One company in the Fort Worth area which is qualified is Keith’s Tractor Mowing Services.  Servicing a seventy-five mile radius around Fort Worth, Keith’s has been there, done that, and continues to secure the trust of all agencies it works with.  That kind of track record only comes from experience!

ABOUT KEITH’S TRACTOR MOWING SERVICES

Keith’s Tractor and Mowing Service is owned and operated by Keith Sturgeon, a life-long resident of Dallas Fort Worth. He has been a successful business person in Fort Worth for more than 20 years. Customers enjoy working with Keith because of his friendly customer service and his outstanding quality of work. Specializing in large acreage mowing, government contracts, vacant lot mowing and channel mowing in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex, Keith’s Tractor Mowing Services is the gold standard in acreage mowing.

Pipeline mowing contracts only go to the most experienced commercial tractor mowing companies. They are simply too important to do otherwise.  When billions of dollars are at stake, as they are in all pipeline undertakings involving vast acreage mowing, only the best mowing companies will ever sign a pipeline mowing contract.

Pipeline construction is increasing in the United States.  It is difficult to go for a drive without seeing oil and gas transportation infrastructure for pipelines as companies rush to keep up with the demand for fuel and the developments in North America (most recently in shale) and in Canada (oil sand deposits).

Large pipeline projects require the necessity to clear a path for those pipelines, clearing unwanted trees, knocking down heavy brush, and eliminating intrusive vegetation along the pipeline route.

In the mowing business it is called Right-of-way (R.O.W.) vegetation clearing.  It enables access to all of the pipeline (miles and miles of pipeline), and it allows enables visibility for proper pipeline management. It is also a safety issue, keeping growth off the top of the pipeline and causing damage to the pipeline.

On paper, R.O.W. projects are fairly simple:  remove unwanted trees and brush to allow the pipeline to become visible, accessible, and visually attractive.  The reality of such pipeline mowing, however, is anything but simple.  This type of mowing requires traversing uneven ground, swampy ground, and stubborn growth on uneven ground.  It is not for the weak-of-heart and it is not for the inexperienced.

Keith’s Tractor Mowing Services understands the complexity of pipeline mowing.

Owner Keith Sturgeon explains:  “You have to be able to adjust to the needs of the job.  You have to have the right equipment, equipment which is efficient, safe, and easily maneuverable over rough land, bush hog mowing for heavy jobs.  In our line of work, safety is the number one concern, so using the right equipment is of utmost importance.  There are pipeline jobs where the equipment operator is all by himself, out of sight, and if an accident were to occur in a situation like that, it could be life-threatening.  So we cross all of our t’s and dot all of our I’s before we even begin a job.  We walk the property in question, we decide on equipment, we map out a plan, and then we execute.”

And execute, and execute, and execute . . . success breeds success in the pipeline mowing business, and word-of-mouth advertising is vitally important.  Pipeline managers learn early on which mowing company can be trusted to deliver time and time again, and in Tarrant County, Texas, that company is Keith’s Tractor Mowing Services.

ABOUT KEITH’S TRACTOR MOWING SERVICES

Keith’s Tractor and Mowing Service is owned and operated by Keith Sturgeon, a life-long resident of Dallas Fort Worth. He has been a successful business person in Fort Worth for more than 20 years. Customers enjoy working with Keith because of his friendly customer service and his outstanding quality of work. Specializing in large acreage mowing, government contracts, vacant lot mowing and channel mowing in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex.

Pasture mowing isn’t all about looking good. There are some very real benefits attached to the mowing of your pasture, as any forage specialist will tell you.

Dan Undersander, a forage specialist at the University of Wisconsin, explains that there are two main reasons why a farmer should mow his/her pasture.

According to Undersander, regular pasture mowing reduces weeds in the pasture. By cutting weeds a little ahead of flowering of the weeds, the weeds are not allowed to spread seeds. Regular mowing also prevents the roots from gaining reserves, which in turn causes the weeds to thin out and eventually disappear.

The other reason for pasture mowing is to help the livestock. Grass needs to be cut as it is producing seed heads. Grass stems, when they dry out, become hard and have a tendency to poke the livestock as they are eating. This, in turn, reduces the amount of grass the livestock will eat.

Locations in cooler climates only grow out once per year, a stalk and head once and not multiple times. In warmer climates, this process is repeated throughout the summer. A good pasture mowing company will understand the effects the climate has on your pasture, and a good pasture mowing company will understand how important it is to mow at the proper height. Many grass species store their energy reserves in the last few inches of the plant, so mowing too short will kill off those reserves and limit their growth.

All of this adds up to one conclusion: whether the farmer mows the pasture himself, or hires a pasture mowing company to do it for him, a knowledge of the area, the types of grasses, and the proper length of mowing are all crucial in insuring that the pasture will continue to have healthy yields of beneficial pasture grass for your livestock.

How to find good commercial mowers in your area? Ask around with local farmers. They will know. They are in business to know. You can also ask around at the local Grange, or at farming supply stores. Again, go to the source for valuable information. People who make their living in farming will have recommendations galore for any farmer asking about reliable commercial grass cutting companies. Mowing services are numerous; good mowing services are in short supply.

And, while interviewing the owners of mowing services, ask about their equipment and their prices. There are only a few reliable commercial tractor mowers on the market. A good mowing company will use one of those tractor mowers. And a good company does not necessarily have the lowest prices. Competitive, yes, but lowest? . . . do not equate reliable with lowest price . . . that is a mistake which could come back to haunt any farmer looking to cut expenses.

In the Fort Worth area, Keith’s Tractor Mowing Services is the company to call for all of your acreage mowing services. One acre or 500 acres, no job is too big for Keith’s Tractor Mowing Services.

Tractor Mowing is different from conventional mowing in several ways.

The name suggests the first difference. Instead of a step-up, conventional rotary mower, tractor mowing involves the use of a tractor to cut grass, mow a pasture, or convert to a bush hog for brush mowing services. We are talking about big jobs, acreage lawn care and pasture mowing, one acre lots to 500 acre lots, certainly not the size you would want to mow using your push mower or even a hobby-riding lawn mower.

Secondly, tractor mowing requires attachments or very heavy equipment. The cutting radius of commercial tractor mowers can range from 3.2 feet to 22 feet in width, and that means one very large mowing attachment or commercial mower, something along the lines of a TORO 5910 or a John Deere 4320. The TORO model is an actual commercial mower used mainly to cut grass and pasture grass, while the John Deer is what is known as a brush hog, capable of cutting small vegetation, bushes, and even saplings, while cutting over uneven ground.

Third, tractor mowing, especially for bush hog attachments, does not cut in a conventional way using sharp blades, but rather it uses heavy, dull blades and centrifugal force to “knock down” thick vegetation while being pulled by a tractor.

The applications of tractor mowing are many. Tractor mowing by commercial mowers is done on many large-scale farms where pastures are used to grow grasses for feed. Tractor mowers are used to clear land, usually after trees have been cut and cleared and the underbrush needs to be removed. Tractor mowing is used on many government mowing contracts for Federal and State buildings or vacant lots, and tractor mowing is used by airports, schools, and large corporations. In fact, chances are excellent that within a five mile radius from where you sit right now, tractor mowing is happening at this very moment . . . cemeteries . . . administration buildings . . . schools . . . farms . . . you are surrounded by tractor mowing opportunities.

Where do you find reliable and trustworthy tractor mowing commercial mowers? Check with the local grange. Check at the local feed store. Ask for recommendations. These people make their living by dealing with people, so it is to their advantage to give good, solid, reliable information when asked. They will be able to point you in the direction of a quality commercial mower.

In the Fort Worth area, though, you don’t need to go ask at the grange or at the feed store, because everyone in the farming and industrial community knows that Keith’s Tractor Mowing Services is the first, last, and only number to call for large-scale acreage mowing. Keith Sturgeon, the owner, has built a reputation upon friendly, quality, reliable mowing service. Whether you are looking to have your ultra-large lawn mowed, or you need your pasture cut, Keith’s Tractor Mowing Services is your best bet, servicing a seventy-five mile radius centered in Fort Worth, Texas.

Overgrown acreage . . . Who ya gonna to call?

Keith’s Tractor Mowing Services!