new to the site, need advise!

[scagwildcat]

hi everyone, thanks for having me on your site!
for years now ive been wanting a tractor for my lawn care co. ive been doing things the old fashion way. i find myself leaving $ on the table by doing things this way. most times i sub it out, but lately the guy i sub to thinks every thing is worth 1mil. $. last week i had a walk way with about 5 feet of slush/ice on it. my blower could not move it, nor my truck, i called him and he told me that for less then 250 he couldnt do it. (its about 1.5 miles from his shop) now im stuck, so i waist 4 hours with a shovel, to keep my client happy!
Now that you know what im dealing with, i can explian what i would use it for.
Im looking at a kubota b7610 with a loader/hoe to move soil/mulch maybe some light landscaping. i havent advertised for these services, but people ask for them once in a while, i mainly stick with lawn mowing. also would help me with mulch.
ive talked to many people i know about this, and half say get it, and the other half including the guy i sub to says dont get it , YOU WILL BE PAYING FOR SOME THING THATS GOING TO SIT MORE THEN WORK! so i dont know, what do you all think? would it be worth it? i live in ct. im wondering if there would be work for this thing. i wa just thinking that by getting it, i know i have it when needed, i dont have to wait for others then just rob my $. i thought of renting one, when needed, but i work solo, and would do the tractor work on sat. so it wouldnt make sence to let a machine sit all week and pay for it, nor will it make sence to rent a machine for a day, (if the rental co. has one that day) just to clear some snow for two hours.. sorry guys, im wrote a book, i dont know what i should do! thanks for your input...

 

[Bird]

Welcome to Tractorbynet. Glad to have you join us. I'm sorry I don't have an answer for your questions. Obviously some people make good money with their tractors, but many do not. And probably only someone in your immediate area would know what the market would be like there.

 

[Fjord]

hi everyone, thanks for having me on your site!
for years now ive been wanting a tractor ...

Maybe that's your answer right there. I don't expect to make any money with mine, but when I was looking I tried to justify the cost with how much I'd save over renting or hiring out the work.In the end there was no way it made sense from a $ point of view but I got it anyway because that's what I wanted.What if having the tractor saved you from a debilitating back injury from shovelling too much? That would be worth something. Just trying to help you with justification for getting what you already know that you want.

 

[mainiac]

I started out with a B7500 part time and now I run a property care business full time. I now mow, care take empty houses, and do light excavation. I couldn't picture having this business without a tractor. With it, I have a backhoe, grader blade, landscapers rock rake, rototiller, and field and brush mower. I charge $40/hr(actual time not tractor hours)for my tractor work and was able to put on just over 200hrs on the tractor alone last year. Now I am getting into low impact logging to fill in the winter months.

By having my tractor, I have been able to take on big paying jobs and what is beyond the tractor's capabilities, I sub out to the guys with big equipment and then come in to do the finish work.

Love my tractor!

Hope this helps.

 

[unit40]

I think getting a tractor for you would be great. Think of all the things you could do with it. Since you run a lawn care company, you could get a pto spreader for applying fertilizers. How about a PTO sprayer ? A belly mount mower with a bagger in case one of your units breaks down. You could now aerate your customers lawns with a powerd unit. You could spread loam and mulch, move heavy ball and burlap trees for planting. I suggest getting a tractor with a quick removable loader and removable backhoe. and I wouldn't get anything too big either. Compact and maneuverable but with enough power to do the jobs. I would look at the 35 HP range.

 

[Egon]

Make up a plan which would utilize the tractor more and then see if you can find customers. Lots of planing first.

Wish you well in your endeavors.

 

[MarkV]

but i work solo, and would do the tractor work on sat. so it wouldnt make sence to let a machine sit all week and pay for it, nor will it make sence to rent a machine for a day, (if the rental co. has one that day) just to clear some snow for two hours.. sorry guys, im wrote a book, i dont know what i should do! thanks for your input...

Welcome to the forum. I’d have to ask myself how much more work could I get and how long it would take to pay off the equipment. If you would not use it more than if you were renting then there would be a long pay back time.

Another consideration is that if you are going to run a legit business you need to consider insurance cost. A tractor and particularly a backhoe can do a lot more accidental damage than a shovel to a client’s property. Landscapers insurance for a tractor isn’t too bad but when you add a backhoe you need contractors insurance and that is expensive. Backhoe’s break water lines, gas lines and fiber optic lines so I can understand where the insurance company’s are coming from.

Good luck and again welcome to the forum.

MarkV

 

[scagwildcat]

thanks for your replies, i looked at the b7610, i took my truck with me to see if this machine would load the truck, my side boards are off at this time because of my sander. what i did was mark on the head board were my sides go. the machine lifted up that high but i wasnt able to get close to the truck, the grill of the b7610 was about two feet away from the truck bed due to the sand being in the way. i was wondering if anyone uses a ramp/ rd ties to get the tractor up more? i was told by the dealer it will work, but its a pain!
i like this tractor for the fact that its big enough to get the job done, the price i think is a good deal, its a 05 tbl 100hrs for 15,900. also wanted somthing that would fit into gates.. but still would load my truck at a job site...maybe i just want to much . lol my truck sides are 70 inched from the ground, the tractor lifts 69.7 i could take off the top board wich is 12 inches .
it would leave me with about 58 a diff. of 11.7 inches from the top of the sides... what do you all think? i was thinking of making ramps that i could take with me, 6 to 12 inches high to help loading the truck, but what im affraid off is that once you get the tires started on the ramps would they slide forward? its happend to me before with my mowers...

 

[unit40]

I know this is a tractor site, but ever consider a bobcat? You can rent a backhoe plus other attachments for one if you need it, plus they are more maneuverable. They will lift plenty high, and are enclosed with heat when your doing snow removal. Unless of course you plan on taking advantages of all that a tractor can do regarding lawn and landscaping work with the rear hitch and mid and rear PTOs. Almost forgot, here in Mass you need a hydraulics license if your running machines that lift up to a certain height.

 

[Timber]

Welcome aboard,
Well I do have some thoughts on what your looking to do. We do have quite a lot of landscapers and lawn care people hear. Lawn King comes to mind. He can really give you some working input as to what your looking to do. Really think the backhoe in you purchase as well as your business. They are an $8000 dollar attachment. I would go the extra $600 for the B7800 or even better for you the B3030 with a cab and screw the Backhoe. Spend you money on your 3 point attachments that will make you more everyday and sub you trenching work. The liability and equipment is probably a hassle you don't need. I know we would all like a back hoe but when it comes down to numbers setting up a nice tractor with a tach-all, tooth bar, rear remotes, Cab with AC and heat and a couple of implement's and a 30 horse 4 banger might be the way to go in a lawn care business. If I only new then what I know now

 

[daTeacha]

If you get serious about expanding your overhead to include a tractor, look at the CNH products, too. The loaders have long curved arms that give more reach and lift height than a standard design loader on a similar size tractor. This has disadvantages, too, like anything else.

 

[scagwildcat]

thank you all for your advise.
i just got home from the new holland dealer, i picked up a 01 tc21 with a 756c hoe and a 7106 loader on it, it seams to be able to load my truck, it has 180hrs on it, for 18k out the door.every thing else i looked at for that price had 1000 hrs on it. I have been saying what if this and that for a long time about a tractor, this morning i just said the heck with it, ill never know unless i try! now i just hope the second thoughts get out of my head lol ... i just got off the phone with a friend of mine, well i thought he was, he was telling me that i would be lucky to get $40 PER HR. with a machine that size ? atleast my back will feel better lol....

 

[HighLoader]

Congradulations on the tractor purchase! I have a New Holland TC24DA (for sale) and it is a great tractor....I liked it so much I bought it's big grother a TC40DA a few months ago. You will be amazed at all the things you will be able to do with that tractor. I only do work on my own properties and have saved myself thousands of dollars doing it myself. You should have no problem getting $40 an hour even though it is a smaller tractor. And I agree about a tractor being a big back saver! attatched is a picture of rocks I dug out with the TC24DA.

 

[Timber]

You know that was just a nasty thing for a friend to say. I don't know what it is with some people that have to try to bring you down when your on a high. That was spiteful and clear jealousy. Friends seem to have to do that for some reason, They don't like it when someone moves to the next level in there world. Your tractor is only going to make you money, not just in revenue but in the time it takes you to get a job done. Things that take days will now take hours and Time is money. I can clear and acre of brush in about 2 hours. push over trees and pull out the root ball. When it comes to burning tractors are the greatest fire tenders. Don't ever let your buddy sit in the drivers seat just tell him you know were he can get 1 just like it. You just stick with us kid, Now lets see some pictures

 

[Fjord]

Hope you have as much fun making a living with your new tractor as I do just playing with mine.I predict that the "second thoughts" will leave your head whenever you're in the seat.( and if they do creep back in it will only be briefly when you have to make a payment ) Congratulations on your decision.

 

[scagwildcat]

thanks for all the nice things said, this site is great with great people on it! i will post pictures as soon as i can, i should get it mon. or tues. next week!

 

[daTeacha]

scag -- If you're wondering about what people will pay or not, try giving quotes for the whole job instead of an hourly rate. If you find the clients jump on your bid right away, it's a sign you may be a little on the low side. If you find yourself losing jobs to other people, it's a sign you're on the high side. Either way, you'll quickly find out what to charge and what doing a job will cost you.

I can't see that the tractor is going to be anything other than a lot of help for your business. With one that size, you can do some of the mowing work, too, maybe even hiring some help to run one machine while you run the other.

 

[Farwell]

I didn't read all of the posts to see if a tax advantage was mentioned. You should be able to write of your new tractor as a business expense.
I went for years wanting a tractor and now live in a place where I can use one and I love it. It is amazing the things you can find to use a tractor for after you own one. If you can afford one go for it, I don't think you will be sorry.
David B

 

[CurlyDave]

...i just got off the phone with a friend of mine, well i thought he was, he was telling me that i would be lucky to get $40 PER HR. with a machine that size...

You can get whatever people are willing to pay you for using the tractor -- he may only get $40/ hr for his, but I can think of many situations where I, as a customer, would be willing to pay more than the "going rate".

If I have an ongoing business relationship with someone who regularly does my lawn care. He knows exactly what I want and can do it with few instructions. If I hire an outside person, I first have to go through the interview process, show him the job (which means arranging to be home when he shows up -- not at all easy), and then I have to explain the job to him when he gets there & watch him do it so I get what I want. I usually would want to get two or three bids. All told, I might put 6-8 hours into it, for a 4 hour job.

I would easily pay someone I know and trust more. Maybe $50 or $60. Just because I would save the interview time, the job description time and I have an ongoing business relationship with him. I am more likely to get it done correctly the first time, and if I have to have something fixed, I know when he is going to show up. A lifetime of experience has taught me that if a contractor doesn't do something right, he will always tell me he will come back to fix it, but a small fix goes to the bottom of his priority list and it could take years.

 

[scagwildcat]

CURLYDAVE,
thats just it, my clients trust me, they even send me christmas cards, i treat them all like they were family,they help put food on my table, so when they need some thing im there right away! i was getting sick of not being able to get a job done when i told the client it would be done due to some one else not being on the ball so to speak, i am a little bit reluctant about digging work seeing that ive never done it before, but just like my girlfriend was telling me, i didnt know what i was doing 10 years ago when i bought my first scag, now its second nature! live and learn.