Tractor per hour rate?

[MrSteve]

I was wondering if anyone could give me a per hour rate (tractor clock) for tractor work? The wife wants me to do some work for a few people (and others when the work comes along) that she knows and we need a way to charge them, but I have no clue, well I guess I do, I have heard $65.00 is a good place to start while the tractor is working. I am sure this could be a “Where do you live” type of thing, I live in west central Florida.

One other thing, what would be the charge once you get of the tractor? Say like I was setting up a fence, did the holes for the fence post on the tractor and now I would have to set the post and hang/nail the fence.

 

[slowrev]

I would charge hourly rates for mowing and plowing , etc.
The fence job should be a per job bid or a per ft type of bid. Whether you use the tractor or not on the fence job is up to you.
Ben

 

[AndyMA]

While $65 /hour seems to be a going rate around here for machines your size around here, no one I know charges on a "tractor clock" basic unless I misunderstand you and you are refering to a normal 24 hour clock. I would also suggest that billing on a per hour rate is a tough way to make any money. I would suggest charging on a per jog basis where you (and your customer who will have a fixed price quoted) will make out better. Also remember that unlesss you purchase liability insurance you will have no coverage should you damage property or cause injury while working. Good luck

Andy

 

[MrSteve]

Thanks... What I was saying about "tractor clock", meaning going by the hour meter of the tractor, in other words if I turn the tractor off to say have lunch, I would not charge for that time when the clock wasn't moving.

BUT I see both of your points about charge by the job and not time, insurance and and so on. I guess I have some big learning to do right from the start. I can get allot of info from here and what I have done at home, like for bush hogging I know it takes me about 1hr per acre, but it is doing ground work that I have no clue how to charge for and also putting up fence. Yes I have put up about 2000ft of 3 board fence, but I never watched the time it took to do it.

Please keep the thoughts coming... Thanks again.

 

[6or7dazeaweek]

Mr Steve: Have you watched TV lately? Have you seen those commercials that say "If you've been hurt, injured, damaged in any way, we can get you money?" I do believe that you need a liability policy in effect before you commence work on anyone's property...even if it's a relative's property.

I've got a standing appointment with my insurance agent just as soon as I decide what tractor I'm getting. Watchword of the day is C.Y.A.

Good luck...I'm sure there's lots of $$ to be made out there but you have to spend some first, and that's part of the cost of doing business.

Jon
/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[MrSteve]

Oh that is understood. The wife has already been looking into $1,000,000 of that Ins, I think it was something like $1,200 per year, I could be wrong on the total amount of coverage, lol I know there was allot of 0.

 

[LarryRB]

Rates per hour and bid per job is really a very fine line. Now my neighbor, likes to bid per job. I don't.. We have so much rock, boulders, hidden ledge, that by bidding per job, then running into a major rock ledge or something else, and there goes the bid.. I charge per machine hour at the job site plus hauling. If I run into something hidden, at least I'll get the hourly rate while working the problem...

 

[flusher]

Depends on the type of tractor work. Digging and moving stuff with a tractor I would think is usually charged by the hour. Plowing, tilling, mowing etc. usually would be charged by the acre.

Before I got my B7510HST has May, I received bids for brush hoggin my 10 acres that were in the $50-55/acre range. Which is one of the reasons I bought the Bota.

 

[cag]

I use my tractor commercially, when I quote a job I try not too do it hourly, unless it's specify by the costumer ,I have a 3hrs minimum charge, liability insurance at the coast of 1300 a year, don't leave home without it, sometimes I have to compete with other quotes, so I try to be flexible and honest with customer and usually end up with the job, you treat people right and you always have work for your machine...cag

 

[swiftboot]

Hi Steve, never met a man that had enough money, however, your rate per acre for mowing would depend on the type of material to be mowed. Just topping off a level improved pasture in the spring, i suspect you could do with little effort and not much abuse of your equipment. On the other hand if you were doing some more virgin mowing of a field that hasnt been mowed in several years, bull holes, and growed up pretty well, it may take quite a bit longer. There is also the 4" well hidden just below the tops of the brush (that no one knew about) can be a real surprise. You will also have to have a radius you work or perhaps charge milage to distant areas, ergo, a minimum amount just to load and go there. To supplement your tractor income you might contact some of the "hay contractors" and work out a deal for you to use your tractor. The fence building would surely be on a per job basis. btw, i live over in sumter. good luck to you, chuck