May have to sell...

[AKfish]

Good Luck with your job and decision. I may be in the same boat soon, we'll see. At least mine is paid for and doesn't affect the monthly bills.

Rob

Sorry to hear that things are beginnin' to get close to bein' just like you hear on the news..

Along the line of the OP - gotta add in likely $100-150/month for insurance and there's some additional expense for transport, etc.

But, with a size-machine you've got - there's alot of folk's that are lookin' for someone to help with that 1-2hr project. (Might be a number of new garden plots springing up with the economy, too.)

Best of luck.

AKfish

 

[JOHNTHOMAS]

In my neighborhood if someone shows up to do backhoe or tractor work they stay for a few days. Everybody in the neighborhood that wants some small job shows up to get their job done. Usually jobs to small to pay someone to drive to their job. $50 to $100 for 30 to 45 minutes work is reasonable here. Especially if someone wants a digging job done and they can't do it. No one will come for that amount but while your there you can afford to do it for that. Pass flyers out in a neighborhood a few days before your going to work there. It sort of snow balls and they even tell their friends in other neighborhoods about you. Think this is an opportunity to pay for your tractor and supplement your income

 

[CurlyDave]

JOHNTHOMAS has given me an idea.

Next Saturday put your rig and implements on a trailer and park it outside a local Home Depot or Lowes. Put a sign with rates and your cell phone number and see what happens.

Borrow the trailer if you don't have one.

Insurance is a good point, and you will need it the second you actually start working for someone, probably at the point where you drive off your own property heading for a job. OTOH, I don't think you need it just to solicit work. I would just not have my sign visible until I actually had the trailer parked, and then put out the sign. Not much chance of a big liability claim against you if you are just parked by the side of the road. Take the sign down before you go home.

My point is that if there is a market for tractor services you will find out in one or two weekends, and you can even make appointments to do work and then get the insurance before you leave your house for the job.

The tractor on a trailer is a big visual attraction for anyone who might need tractor work done, and the box store is going to concentrate likely customers for you...

 

[coreshot]

JOHNTHOMAS has given me an idea.

Next Saturday put your rig and implements on a trailer and park it outside a local Home Depot or Lowes. Put a sign with rates and your cell phone number and see what happens.

Borrow the trailer if you don't have one.

Insurance is a good point, and you will need it the second you actually start working for someone, probably at the point where you drive off your own property heading for a job. OTOH, I don't think you need it just to solicit work. I would just not have my sign visible until I actually had the trailer parked, and then put out the sign. Not much chance of a big liability claim against you if you are just parked by the side of the road. Take the sign down before you go home.

My point is that if there is a market for tractor services you will find out in one or two weekends, and you can even make appointments to do work and then get the insurance before you leave your house for the job.

The tractor on a trailer is a big visual attraction for anyone who might need tractor work done, and the box store is going to concentrate likely customers for you...

Not bad, Dave.

 

[kthompson]

Wal Mart is also another place. They sell garden supplies to homeowners. See if any of those places have a bulletin board to put up flyer with tear off phone numbers on it. You may find some companies who do the work you are looking for might throw a bone or two your way due to job size or their cost to do the job.

You may be safe without liability insurance (not recommending that) but you sure need to be sure you are covered for hauling the rig in case of accident. Ask your auto insurance company on that.

Don't miss the weekly ad papers or even Craig's list. Of course you need a decent business card with probably cell phone on it. You should have an idea if business license will be required and what would trigger that requirement and of course the cost.

 

[JOHNTHOMAS]

Keep an eye out for a tiller. Small gardens are a big thing and becoming bigger. Will be alot of work in the spring for anyone that will do small garden tilling. That's another one of those when they see you doing the neighbors come do theirs or coming to a certain neighborhood on a certain day just to do small garden tilling.

 

[RobJ]

In my neighborhood if someone shows up to do backhoe or tractor work they stay for a few days. Everybody in the neighborhood that wants some small job shows up to get their job done. Usually jobs to small to pay someone to drive to their job. $50 to $100 for 30 to 45 minutes work is reasonable here. Especially if someone wants a digging job done and they can't do it. No one will come for that amount but while your there you can afford to do it for that. Pass flyers out in a neighborhood a few days before your going to work there. It sort of snow balls and they even tell their friends in other neighborhoods about you. Think this is an opportunity to pay for your tractor and supplement your income

Remember before you just start digging you need to check and be checked for underground stuff. Or it can turn and easy C-note into a nightmare!

 

[coreshot]

Keep an eye out for a tiller. Small gardens are a big thing and becoming bigger. Will be alot of work in the spring for anyone that will do small garden tilling. That's another one of those when they see you doing the neighbors come do theirs or coming to a certain neighborhood on a certain day just to do small garden tilling.

Yeah, that's what i was thinking of looking for. In the past, I've had buddy's who own dump trucks give my name and number to people they have delivered to. They call me and I go out and move the load off the street to their backyard or wherever. I wouldn't mind doing more of that.

 

[LBrown59]

Next Saturday put your rig and implements on a trailer and park it outside a local Home Depot or Lowes. Put a sign with rates and your cell phone number and see what happens. Borrow the trailer if you don't have one. Insurance is a good point, and you will need it the second you actually start working for someone, ...

I'd have to borrow something to pull the trailer with also.

 

[LBrown59]

I saw your other thread where you mentioned how much you got out of your 22, that's what got me thinking. I could definitely find $400/month worth of work for it, assuming I have time to do any with hunting for a new job to tide me over until the economy recovers and I get back to the trains.

At 50 per hour it only takes 10 hours a week to pull in 500 bucks.
That breaks down to 2 hours a day 5 days a week.

I'd love to find a 10 hour a week part time job that paid 500 bucks .