How much does bush hogging cost in Tennessee?

Bush hogging in Tennessee ran $15 to $75 an acre in a 2023 University of Tennessee Extension survey. The average in that forage custom rate survey was $47.50 an acre. Those are farm rates from hay producers, so treat them as the floor.

Hiring out an overgrown field or lot costs more. National pricing guides put hired bush hogging at $75 to $250 an acre, or about $85 to $180 an hour. Many contractors also set a minimum charge.

These are market numbers, not our price list. For our bush hogging service around Pleasant View, we look at the field and put the quote in writing.

What do published bush hogging rates look like?

The Tennessee survey is small, and 10 responses set its average. UT Extension collected the rates from producers who charged to harvest hay or paid another producer to. It notes the figures are rates charged, not the cost of production.

Tennessee’s survey has no hourly row, so the Mississippi survey fills that gap. Mississippi State gathered it from producers across that state in the spring and summer of 2024.

Is bush hogging priced per acre or per hour?

Both, and the ground decides. One national pricing guide gives contractors a simple rule. Price open fields per acre, and price cluttered or uncertain ground by the hour.

Per acre fits a hay field or pasture that looks the same from fence to fence. Hourly fits ground where tall grass hides rocks and old fence wire. The same guide says rocks and slopes often push contractors toward the top of the hourly range.

Open ground also explains why farm rates run low. The guide says a 6 foot cutter covers about 2.4 to 3 acres an hour in perfect conditions. At $85 to $120 an hour, that works out to about $28 to $50 an acre. Real-world speeds are often slower, the guide adds, and heavy growth draws a surcharge.

Why does a small job cost more per acre?

The minimum does not shrink with the lot. Many pros set a 2 to 3 hour minimum or a flat show-up fee, one national guide says. It pays for hauling the machine in and setting up. It also covers the risk of hitting something that breaks a blade.

Run the numbers on half an acre. At $85 to $120 an hour, a 2 to 3 hour minimum comes to $170 to $360. Spread over half an acre, that is $340 to $720 an acre. Without a minimum, the guide says, small jobs often lose money once fuel and transport are counted.

Travel shows up in one of two ways. Some contractors fold the drive into the minimum. Others bill it on its own, and one national cost guide lists $0.50 to $3.00 a mile.

Pleasant View sits at the center of our service area, which reaches about 30 miles out. We take on jobs from a few hours of machine time up to full-property clearing.

How overgrown is too overgrown for a rotary cutter?

Height is rarely the limit. UT Extension notes tall ironweed can reach 10 feet in Tennessee hay fields and pastures. It still lists mowing as one way to weaken that weed.

Woody stems are the limit. A rotary cutter is built for tall grass and weeds, and it handles light brush. Makers rate their cutters by the thickest stem they can cut.

Fields here turn woody fast. A University of Tennessee wildlife paper lists the trees to watch. Winged elm, sweetgum, green ash, locust and red maple can take over a field quickly. The paper adds that mowing generally makes woody plants sprout again.

Once saplings fill a field, the job moves to forestry mulching. Our mulcher head grinds brush and trees up to about 6 to 7 inches where they stand. It leaves the mulch on the ground.

Smaller thickets are a different job. Briars, privet, honeysuckle and vines on a lot or a fence row fall under brush clearing. Trees thicker than about 7 inches go to another trade, a tree service.

Mulching costs more per acre than a cutter pass. The national pricing guide cited above puts forestry mulching at $400 to $800 an acre. Density sets where a job lands in that range. Our guide to forestry mulching cost per acre lays out those market numbers.

How often should a Tennessee field be cut?

The growing season here is long. At the two NOAA stations nearest Pleasant View, the median last spring freeze falls on April 9. The median first fall freeze comes October 28 to November 1, about 200 days later.

Once or twice a year is the usual rhythm. The University of Tennessee wildlife paper notes most landowners mow in summer and again in fall. Regular cuts keep woody sprouts short, though the sprouts keep coming back.

On pasture and hay ground, timing follows the weeds. UT Extension says clipping prevents seed formation and lets grass grow stronger. It also warns that clipping alone will not reduce the number of weeds.

Fields kept for wildlife call for a different calendar. The UT paper calls summer and fall mowing the worst times for wildlife. Summer cuts destroy nests and often kill fawns and young rabbits.

The paper’s advice is late winter, just before spring green-up. That leaves winter cover standing and stays ahead of nesting. For birds that nest in fields, that season starts in late April to early May.

A skipped year makes the next cut slower. One national cost guide notes light grass costs less to cut than dense brush or saplings that need more passes. Leave a field long enough, and it becomes mulcher work.

What should you check before the cutter starts?

Look over the field for anything the blades could hit. Old fence wire, tires, rocks and low stumps hide in tall grass. Near Pleasant View, the most common soil holds chert gravel in its top layer, NRCS soil data show. Cornell University’s small farms program warns that a rotary cutter can throw rocks more than 300 feet.

Flag well heads and survey stakes before the cut. Then tell us when the field was last cut and how a machine gets in. Gates and soft spots on the way in change the plan. Winter and spring are the wettest seasons here, so soft ground matters most then.

How do you get a written quote for your field?

Every number above is a published market figure or simple math on one. We price each field after we see the growth and the ground, and the quote comes in writing.

For a pasture or an overgrown lot, read about bush hogging for fields and pastures. You can also call or text (931) 265-1151 and tell us about the ground.