pricing in the Northwest

[mulchoregon]

The dealer quoted me $160,00 with winch and extra set of teeth.

 

[cbturf]

I just found your thread Oregon. I gave $151,800 for my FTX-140 with no winch and no extra teeth. This dude has some power and you will most likely break teeth before you wear them out so I keep a dozen or so in the truck at all times. I get $200/hour here in Middle Tennessee if I go hourly. I usually charge by tha acre though. The 140 will outperform the RC100 more than 2 to 1.

 

[Kendall69]

I lay it all on the table for the customer - I’m not trying to hide anything.

I say it’s so much an hour, I can do this amount in an hour give or take, and I come up with that figure, by my labor at so much an hour plus machine cost per hour.

I find customers appreciate laying it all out so they understand. We here know about machine cost etc. But the customer doesn’t know the equipment cost 60k, and someone has to make payments on that.

Quoting a flat charge customers just don’t get it - why does it cost soo much.

If you quote by the hour, lets say $200.00 per hour the customer figures “wow, you get $200.00 per hour” - they don’t realize the machine is priced in that.

Sorry to say, buy I have to lay it out like I’m talking to a two year old, but they “get it” that way, and buy because of it.

It makes more sense to them when you explain the cost of fuel, machine rental/payment, insurance maintenance etc. Is included in the “machine” price, you can see the light bulb go on.

In the conversation I get to explain smaller machine cost less, but takes more time, bigger machine cost more, but takes less time etc. Then you can explain whichever way you go it’s still going to cost you x amount.

 

[jmfox]

If it is $200 per hour for a driver and machine worth $60k, what price would you expect the guys with an RTX, valued at 3 times that, should get?

On the average, how long does it usually take you to clear an acre?

jmf

 

[cbturf]

Let me explain myself a little better. I do not charge by the hour for standing material, I bill by the acre for that stuff. If I am grinding a slash pile I go hourly because you never know what you will find or exactly what is in the pile. What if you give a flat fee for a pile that looks like a bunch of 2 in cedar and when you get in you find 12 in oak. Someone asked how long does an acre take...who knows...I have done 10 acres in the past week and each one was different. I have done an acre in as little as one hour when I had blackberries and 1 inch locust, but last week one acre took all day when I was grinding 10 inch hardwood in a "rock garden" broke six teeth in one day. I am assuming that most of you guys are self employed or soon to be when you get your machines so you have either learned already or soon will learn that every situation is unique. If I give any advice at all it would be to be prepared to both eat your hat on a loss and feel guilty for over bidding a job. I did that just two weeks ago, bid $2500 for some grinding that took me two hours. I need the money but I need the sleep worse and gave them a pretty steep discount. The ploy worked because of my honesty I will be working for the guy in the future.

 

[jmfox]

I need the money but I need the sleep worse and gave them a pretty steep discount. The ploy worked because of my honesty I will be working for the guy in the future.

An honest days work has many rewards. That's my experience.

jmf

 

[DirtyWorks]

I bill by the acre for that stuff.

What do yall get per acre, average?and yes I know that they are all different, but that is one of the FAQ that we get everyday!