MechE1
Silver Member
- Joined
- Sep 4, 2013
- Messages
- 196
- Location
- Urbana, Il
- Tractor
- Ingersoll 448 with 42" tiller and 60" deck. John Deere 3046R, cab, T&T, H165 loader with 4and1, 60D Autoconnect, 72" boxblade, 59" snowblower
I cannot attest to clearing roads. However, About 15 years ago I bought a 59” Deere blower and cleaned out a condo association for a few winters, with a contract, and tried to pick up what I could on the side. I’m just a bit north of where Olympus is from. It would be very difficult to earn enough to justify such an expense as these areas typically do not have that many great snowfalls in a single event. Most people (who are not up to the challenge of clearing their own snow) will drive over anything less than 4-5 inches in depth (or whatever they can get away with). In the lower-lower 48 most of the time you may have a whole week to wait until the drive thaws out, so a lot of people do nothing. Indeed, this has been a winter far from normal in that aspect. The people that are really concerned about having their driveways clear (AKA ****, like me), typically already have their own equipment and just enjoy getting out and clearing snow on their own. It’s quite difficult to find those people that need clearing and are willing to pay for it when the large snows happen, which is infrequent where we are. Are those people out there? Yes. Are these people going to sign a contract before snow flies? I doubt it. Are you going to call on each of these clients or wait for them to call you? If you already have a full time job, and a few contracted areas to clear (like the road), it’s unlikely you will as be motivated to find them as you are now.
I have a career and for me it was a hobby more than anything. If clearing roads and drives is your passion, then I’m guessing you would already be in that business. If you want to treat it as a hobby, then protect yourself and your equipment (and others’ as well) by insuring yourself (and your families well being). Talk what you want about insurance (and who has what and what the risks are), but would you risk losing everything you have because of a mistake? Note that this does not have to be your mistake for you to be liable in this era. We all like to think that bad things do not happen, but it does every day. To think otherwise is irresponsible, and to ignore it is arrogant, and to go through with it without protection is being reprobate.
Buy what you can afford without the extra income. If you make the extra income, great, have fun with the cash. If you are anything like me and as some of the others that have posted, you will not want to get your nice equipment all nasty because you wanted to make a little extra cash.
I gave up after a few years and I broke even with the blower purchase at best and that’s okay as I did not have to rely on that income to pay for equipment or other costs. It’s ironic that I’ve been having these same thoughts, as I am getting ready to purchase a new CUT with cab. It seems like easy money, even with the expenses. There are two very wealthy subdivisions near me but I would have to run my tractor on the road 1/2 mile to get there. I would make a few thousand dollars, at best, per year. After reading this thread, I’m pretty much talked myself out of pimping my equipment out to clear snow to earn extra cash. I’m okay with the insurance costs and other costs, that’s no problem, but I’ve been waiting a long, long time to get a nice CUT that I plan on having forever, most likely. I’m not going to risk it for a few grand of “extra” income.
I hope this helps.
I have a career and for me it was a hobby more than anything. If clearing roads and drives is your passion, then I’m guessing you would already be in that business. If you want to treat it as a hobby, then protect yourself and your equipment (and others’ as well) by insuring yourself (and your families well being). Talk what you want about insurance (and who has what and what the risks are), but would you risk losing everything you have because of a mistake? Note that this does not have to be your mistake for you to be liable in this era. We all like to think that bad things do not happen, but it does every day. To think otherwise is irresponsible, and to ignore it is arrogant, and to go through with it without protection is being reprobate.
Buy what you can afford without the extra income. If you make the extra income, great, have fun with the cash. If you are anything like me and as some of the others that have posted, you will not want to get your nice equipment all nasty because you wanted to make a little extra cash.
I gave up after a few years and I broke even with the blower purchase at best and that’s okay as I did not have to rely on that income to pay for equipment or other costs. It’s ironic that I’ve been having these same thoughts, as I am getting ready to purchase a new CUT with cab. It seems like easy money, even with the expenses. There are two very wealthy subdivisions near me but I would have to run my tractor on the road 1/2 mile to get there. I would make a few thousand dollars, at best, per year. After reading this thread, I’m pretty much talked myself out of pimping my equipment out to clear snow to earn extra cash. I’m okay with the insurance costs and other costs, that’s no problem, but I’ve been waiting a long, long time to get a nice CUT that I plan on having forever, most likely. I’m not going to risk it for a few grand of “extra” income.
I hope this helps.