JD NH & Kubota Question!

[Anonymous Poster]

How do you feel about, or how do handle situations involving use of your tractor to help neighbors? There are some guys that will charge anyone a price no matter what it is. I have property 100 miles from my residence that I'm slowly converting from a very raw state. I've hauled my tractor up there a few times. There's a gentleman about 1000 feet away that has one of the few houses in the area who has a 20-30year old "real backhoe." One time my wife was up when we had to have a load of alder trees hauled out, the log truck couldn't get up our regular driveway and the easier driveway I had dug a 3 foot deep ditch 12 feet across. I have talked to this fellow on many occasions, helped out financially with maintaining the road (which I use about 10 times a year), have called back and forth on when something affecting the area comes up. I've definitely not been a disinterested "newbie" Anyway, he came down and pushed my pile into the ditch so the truck could go over it and told my wife it was a minimium $50 charge. He is semi-retired (an engineer I think )and does jobs in the area.

Where I live is semi-rural (subrural?) most places are on 5-10 acres here where my tractor(s) live. I've tried to be neighborly by lifting something for someone, spending 10 minutes saving someone 3 days of hand cutting blackberry bushes down, spending 10 minutes dragging a railroad tie down someones 1300 foot driveway, digging a hole for a big multihouse mailbox pole, etc etc.

I've done this out of friendship, haven't wanted money for it and wouldn't take it if it was offered (sometimes was).

I know this can get to a point where someone expects you to really WORK (ah can you dig my 200 foot power line ditch) etc, and this would have to be a paid for deal. It is worth it to me to have some give and take in the small things. You know, the "what goes around comes around" sort of thing. If someone's car was broke down would I charge them to get in my $30,000 Tahoe and give them a ride anymore than I would charge them if I used my $30,000 tractor? I don't think so.

This guy charging me $50 bucks for this little thing, well I know it's his right, I had no other choice though as this property is 25 miles from anytown, and the truck was waiting. For some reason I feel rejected, disgruntled, sad, p'od. Now in my urge to cut off my nose to spite my face I'll probably rent a tractor or excavator rather than pay less to him to have something done when I have a real job that needs doing up there and I don't feel like hauling one of my tractors.

I'd just like any of your opinions on how you guys handle the little things. And again, I'm not talking about hey can you mow my field, just the little things. Thanks guys (and gals if there are any!)

del

[email]oldcarparts@mygarage.com [/email]

 

[Bird]

Kinda tough question, del. It depends on so many things, I guess. I do just a little bit of light tractor work for hire, but I've spent a lot more time doing little tractor jobs (as well as other kinds of jobs) for friends and neighbors for nothing, and of course, some of them have help me at times, too.

The way I see it is this; if I'm going to charge someone for a job, I tell them how much before I ever start the tractor. And if someone asks me to help or do a job for them, and I go to do it without discussing price first; I'm doing it for free.

And of course, I expect the same from them, and so far we've never had a problem.

Bird

 

[MChalkley]

Del, I'll post my thoughts, though I'm one of the worst to ask - I'm always getting "suckered" into doing "little jobs" for free that turn into big jobs. I do often volunteer to do jobs that I know beforehand are going to be pretty time consuming, as well, but that's, well, different.

It's hard to tell about the fellow you mentioned, though. Maybe he's like us, only more experienced and therefore tired of doing "freebies". On the other hand, maybe he's a jerk. Until you know which of the two it is, it's hard to know how to react. I know one thing: if you ever tick off (or are ticked off by) a neighbor, it's tough to get back to square one.

I've seldom regretted doing "free" work for deserving others, but I've often been irritated when the same folks later charged me for something of equivalent or less value. Go figure.

Mark

 

[Thomas]

I think we all have been there one time or another Del.

Depends on your thoughts of charging a fair price to accepting a thank you ,its what makes you feel good inside.

My lesson was couple of years ago when I use to plow the snow for my new neighbor.
We had a big snowstorm and his snow blower wasn't working right and they call and ask if I would plow there driveway...so I did.
Than mother nature left her fury shortly afterwards with another good size storm, and they call and ask if I would plow there drive way once again so I did.

One day I stop in Toro dealership to pick up some parts for my father and was chatting with the owner who I know well,
than he ask me to do him a favor and drop that Toro snow blower off at my neighbor house.
Come to find out the snow blower had been repair for almost a month, and the dealer made a number of call inform the owners to come get the blower or there would be a delivery charge, and the last reply was " were in no hurry for we found somebody that will plow our driveway for free".
Yep you could say I was being used and little p.o.ed.
I did finish plowing there driveway which was only 3 more light snow storm for that year,but the following I made no attemp to offer my services,and I will say they thank me everytime I plow.

I been notice there more and more people getting to be little more selfish into todays world,and maybe its not so wise to offer a helping hand like in the old days.

Del, just be yourself and you will sleep easier at nights.
Take Care.

 

[Anonymous Poster]

Thomas...all I was out was $50, you were out a lot of time which is more precious. (Oh and guys the neighbor didn't go ahead and then charge, he said it upfront, he's not a disreputable fellow by any account.) I know how you feel Thomas, in exchange for helping me learn some building skills on a carport I dug a who slug of holes for those "sono-tube" forms in a gravelly area that made the holes end up about 4 x 4 with all the sides sluffing in. I mean a LOT of holes. Guess what, the fellow "forgot" I guess, he was going to help me. I try not to let things like that sour my attitude towards people, but unfortunately it always seems to take about 3-4 thankyous to make up for one "gotcha!" Thanks for the post.

 

[gordon]

Such a fine line on that, yes or no, right or wrong, good or bad. I like to live by--what goes around comes around-- but in this day and age its working less and less.

I guess the good thing for me is that people know I do landscaping and logging on the side so they all know I charge for my services.

Do I do free tractor work, yes quite abit but these are people that I know would do the same for me and have taken their time in different ways to help me out. It gives me a very good feeling to be able to help a friend out.

Have I ever been short-shafted yes but I will say this screw me once and I will remember that for a very long time.
This happened to me one time I was clearing out a drainage ditch with my full size hoe (I have sold this backhoe) and who I thought was a friend came down and asked if I could do a small job shouldn't take but a half an hour he assured me. He asked how much I would charge for that and I said like a dummie no charge. I drove the hoe down the street and he had a short ditch that was over grown so I cleared it out and he was right it took all of a half an hour. Now all done he say's you've ruined my yard with ruts and what are you going to do about it. I told him before I left the street that with the soft ground I was going to leave ruts and I thought he was kidding---he wasn't---. He was going to call a lawyer and so on. I said that I would fix the ruts which I did. I filled them in and seeded them--my wife is very good friends with his wife and I do have to go home at night--- oh yes I also filled his ditch back in as well because I didn't think he should have any ruts in his yard. I would have given a hundred bucks to see the look on his face. This was by far the worst case that I ever had.

Now my neighbor and I get along very well thank goodness I do many small jobs for him and he returns the favors for me all for free of course thats what neighbors are for.

Another thing that I like to do is barter this can work out extremely well at times---but that is a whole different story. Gordon

 

[Anonymous Poster]

>>Now all done he say's you've ruined my yard with ruts and what are you going to do about it...

Thats one of the many reasons why late at night I surf the internet looking for very large parcels of land for sale in Montana...the more people I meet the more land I want surrounding me...that guy sounds like a real jerk, but you handled it more calmly than I would have...

 

[Roy]

I will help anyone for free, at first. Then if they don't reciprocate, it ends. Some people constantly take advantage of people, others help out. Won't charge anyone for helping, I'm not in that business. On one extreme, I have a neighbor to whom I have given him the keys to my tractor and let him go. In turn, he has given me the keys to his truck. We help each other constantly, as needed. Most payment that has ever exchanged hands was a cold six-pack or a free meal. Now, on the other extreme, I have another neighbor who won't help, or lend out, anything. We get along fine, but I just won't lend or assist him. We all make our own beds.

 

[W5FL]

My son and I went out and talked to a neighbor and asked him about how much he would charge to drill 6 post holes in very rock soil that I couldn't dig with my post hole digger. I know he paid $4700 for the rock drill. He wouldn't charge a dime for doing it. Said just call me if you see one of my cows get out! /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif

 

[W5FL]

My dad is always doing too much for free, but one of his neighbors hurt his leg and couldn't get in his bales of hay. My dad took his tractor and stacked round bales of hay that he moved from the fields to the barn two at a time (one on front and one on back) for his neighbor for 4 solid 10 hour days for free. He is 84 years young. Hope I grow up to be just like him! /w3tcompact/icons/smile.gif