Make your living with your tractor?

[MikeFLA]

With the new-look forums, I’m not sure this post belongs here but I’ll try anyway. I own a small business that does not keep me busy full time. The money is good when I have work, so I don’t want to give it up. I have been thinking about filling in down time with tractor related work.

Any insight from those of you who make your living with your tractors would be appreciated.

[Thomas]

Mike,
Up here the guys w/the compact tractors do well in this area for part time fill in jobs.
Rototilling,mowing medium size arces,driveway repair,little landscaping..just need a couple of attachments.
Really not much part time winter work in these parts.
You may want to consider some sort of insurance.[img]/w3tcompact/icons/wink.gif[/img]

[PaulinSD]

My wife and I run a part time commercial mowing business, in addition to my full time and her part time/summers off jobs. We mow for a developer with six subdivisions, totaling 250+- lots, ranging in size from 8000 sf to 1.5 acres. We also mow 4 miles of railroad right of way, and some other industrial sites. My wife does most of the mowing, I help after work and Saturdays. In the spring and fall, we provide lot clean up for the developer, the housing contractors can make a fair mess(read job security) This has worked well for us, the business is steadly growing, and is quite profitable.

Paul

[MikeFLA]

Thanks both of you guys for your replys.

Paul, Here in Central Florida development is big. Lot clean-up is a definite possibility. Obviously a tractor with an FEL is essential but what do you use haul away the debris. Do you have a dump truck or trailer?

[Robert_in_NY]

EZ-dumper makes a hydraulic dump trailer to pull behind your truck that also hauls tractors and skid steers in it when it is empty. The trailer has tie downs built into the deck and the hydraulic system is self contained on the trailer with the battery and hydraulic pump in a lock box at the front of the trailer frame. It cost around $5k-$6k but is cheaper than a dump truck and you do not have to insure it only register it. We have the 610 UDT for our construction business and it cost $4k but it paid for itself in less than a year by removing dumpster cost for our jobs. It has plenty of power and you can also use it if you only want a couple ton of stone or gravel instead of paying someone else to haul it. It is rated to haul 4 ton in the box which will haul most any tractor in the compact class.

<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.ez-dumper.com/>http://www.ez-dumper.com/</A>

[MikeFLA]

Robert,
While you were posting a reply I was on the E-Z dumper website. What caught my eye was a slide in unit for a pick-up truck. Here are the vitals.


E-Z Dumper®

3-ton capacity hydraulic dumper
Heavy duty steel floor
Special Price:
$1875 carry out or $1945 installed.

What I like about this is that I could haul my tractor on a trailer while I had a load of mulch, sand or whatever. Obviously GVW ratings would have to be adhered to. What are the downsides to this that you are aware of.

Mike

[PaulinSD]

I have a '92 C-3500 with a 9' dump bed. We haul all material to any of their roll-off containers in the subdivisions. Saves trips to the landfills. Broken concrete is hauled to my employeers parent company, Concrete Materials, who produces crushed store and rock, redi-mix concrete and asphalt. They crush the broken concrete every spring and use it in redi-mix. I can dump it free, but I charge the developer for hauling. This is not hard work, most of the debris is wind blown paper/cardboard from the construction sites. This serves two purposes: keeps the lots looking nice for prospective lot/home buyers; and keeps the unsold lots free of debris/rocks for mowing. Some areas have a row of lots a block long, we drive down the middle of the lots, and toss stuff in the truck. Offer a service that no one else wants to do, and you can name your own price.

Paul

[PaulinSD]

Here's a pic of some light grading after utilities were installed. The 955 does a good job. Box blade works well for back filling curbs.

Paul

[PaulinSD]

And not to be forgotten, the 1050 at a neighboring subdivision.

Paul

[MikeFLA]

Paul,

I like the idea of hauling to the contractors roll-offs. But I must be missing something. How on earth do you "dump" your truck into a haul off?

Thanks for the pics.