What's a good hourly rate for a 55 hp, 4wd tractor, with FEL?

[screamin400]

I get hired to move back snowbanks. Typically I blow the banks away from the road so the homeowner does not have to pay for removal. I am 200 for the first hour and 100 an hour after that. Most jobs are 200. A one hour job with hauling there after loading and unloading is 3 hours. I am not getting rich.Yes I am legit and claim it and am insured.

 

[BrokenTrack]

A great place to start is with the State Department of Transportation where you are from. For most states, they publish their rates knowing other municipal agencies contract work out based on these figures. They do this by the size and type of tractor, and the hourly rate of the equipment operator. This will get you the rate for your sized tractor for your area.

For instance in my town we just adopt "State of Maine Department of Transportation Rates", so whether patching roads, or operating a 200 horsepower bulldozer, the rate is dictated by an agency that adjusts the costs based on cost per hour.

 

[BrokenTrack]

This is delicate terrain. Hopefully we are all thick skinned enough to not take offense.

No way in God's Green Earth I would do custom work for $50 an hour. I'd have to research the project completely before I'd commit to $75 an hour. One stupid human trick and all profit would be gone for the day/week.

Hopefully we all realize that at $60 an hour you are making $1 a minute. How much damage can you do to your tractor in a minute??

The problem is not in your rate, but in your way of thinking on this as you are factoring in emotion. Actual operating cost for a tractor is no where near $75 an hour; here in Maine it is calculated at $37.50 an hour with an operator getting $18 an hour. Those are not my calculations, but by people who calculate in both the obvious and hidden costs too. (My calculations show the rate would be $56 an hour not including a transportation fee).

That may seem low, but you are basing your rate on FEAR and not solid averaging. Yes, it is possible that damage to your tractor may occur while working it on a job, but that is fear; averaged out over several jobs a tractor will not sustain a lot of damage, and that is where the money is made.

Fear is emotion, and if a tractor owner cannot pull that out of the cost, then they are going to price themselves out of a lot of jobs too. For me that is fine, I did not buy a tractor to work on other people's projects, I got all I can do on my own farm. But if a person buys a tractor intending to do custom work, they MUST understand the difference between the Law of Big Numbers (averaging) and emotional attachment.

 

[ovrszd]

The problem is not in your rate, but in your way of thinking on this as you are factoring in emotion. Actual operating cost for a tractor is no where near $75 an hour; here in Maine it is calculated at $37.50 an hour with an operator getting $18 an hour. Those are not my calculations, but by people who calculate in both the obvious and hidden costs too. (My calculations show the rate would be $56 an hour not including a transportation fee).

That may seem low, but you are basing your rate on FEAR and not solid averaging. Yes, it is possible that damage to your tractor may occur while working it on a job, but that is fear; averaged out over several jobs a tractor will not sustain a lot of damage, and that is where the money is made.

Fear is emotion, and if a tractor owner cannot pull that out of the cost, then they are going to price themselves out of a lot of jobs too. For me that is fine, I did not buy a tractor to work on other people's projects, I got all I can do on my own farm. But if a person buys a tractor intending to do custom work, they MUST understand the difference between the Law of Big Numbers (averaging) and emotional attachment.

No emotion or fear here. Pure logic.

 

[4570Man]

No emotion or fear here. Pure logic.

Not really. It doesn't cost anywhere near what some people claim here to operate a tractor. Sure it's possible to bust something and cost a couple hundred dollars but that averages out over the life span of the machine. If you're only doing a couple hours of work a week the money invested in the machine isn't hardly fair. Your couple hours a week all by its self is a loosing deal and you clearly own the tractor for different task. If you have a nice paying full time job than quite the tractor work. You can't expect a $50 dollar an hour operators pay and $50 dollars an hour for tractor wear and tear. The made up salary here is 104,000 a year before taxes or overtime. You're probably not interested in the $100 here and are playing on your tractor because it's fun.

 

[Rock Crawler]

I have a good full time job. I do done side work with my tractor because of exactly what you mentioned, it's fun. And on top of that fun, if I can put $138 a month in my pocket from the side job that I did in a single day during that month, the tractor made it's own payment! Then I get to work it on my property "for free" the other 29 days off that month.

If it breaks, I'll fix it. I'm not doing anything on the side that I'm not already going to be doing here. Also, if I thought the thing was going to break every time I use it, I wouldn't have bought it. Like my cars and trucks, things wear, things break and when they do... I fix them. Not a big deal.

The tractor is a toy. It's not a means of making a living in my situation.

 

[Cobble]

I have a good full time job. I do done side work with my tractor because of exactly what you mentioned, it's fun. And on top of that fun, if I can put $138 a month in my pocket from the side job that I did in a single day during that month, the tractor made it's own payment! Then I get to work it on my property "for free" the other 29 days off that month.

If it breaks, I'll fix it. I'm not doing anything on the side that I'm not already going to be doing here. Also, if I thought the thing was going to break every time I use it, I wouldn't have bought it. Like my cars and trucks, things wear, things break and when they do... I fix them. Not a big deal.

The tractor is a toy. It's not a means of making a living in my situation.

I'm in the same situation, only my payment is twice that. I use it on my own personal farm, but I have a full time job in private forestry, on contracts that are utilizing the same equipment i have now. I figured it would be easy to make the $ 351/ month payment and still work around the farm too.

 

[ovrszd]

Not really. It doesn't cost anywhere near what some people claim here to operate a tractor. Sure it's possible to bust something and cost a couple hundred dollars but that averages out over the life span of the machine. If you're only doing a couple hours of work a week the money invested in the machine isn't hardly fair. Your couple hours a week all by its self is a loosing deal and you clearly own the tractor for different task. If you have a nice paying full time job than quite the tractor work. You can't expect a $50 dollar an hour operators pay and $50 dollars an hour for tractor wear and tear. The made up salary here is 104,000 a year before taxes or overtime. You're probably not interested in the $100 here and are playing on your tractor because it's fun.

Every bit of that paragraph went over my head starting with not really.

 

[rustyshakelford]

I charge based on what it’s worth to me. I have never put pen to paper and figured depreciation or maintenance. When that comes due I pay it and go on. If I come across some really great people that are down on their luck but need some help I wouldn’t hesitate to work for free even if it costs me money for fuel. If you’re doing this for a living to provide food for the table and you’re on here asking prices you have bigger issues I’d think. Charge what it’s worth to you, you need a tractor anyways so it’s a bonus

Brett

 

[LiveDog]

This is a very poignant/timely conversation for me... I have a new KUBOTA 4701DT with all the best implements... I was thinking of charging $50/hour for custom work but will increase it to $75/hr. + mob/de-mob based on what I am reading...