part-time-Farmer-NC
Gold Member
- Joined
- Oct 7, 2024
- Messages
- 352
- Tractor
- Kioti DK45Se
I am sure that will most likely be the case for me too. But I can't see much difference in volunteering somewhere vs doing free work, pays the same. 
The Side Jobs Thread
- Thread starter jk96
- Start date
- Views: 4896
My day was the same today. This was a non paying brother in law project putting a small wall up, not really a side job.
Yander
Veteran Member
- Joined
- Jul 9, 2022
- Messages
- 1,916
- Location
- Ohio
- Tractor
- Mine - Yanmar SA425 - Kubota G6200 GT. Wife's LLC - Massey Ferguson 1750M - JD 3010, All Diesel
I've turned down work lately. I can't even get all my own crap done. Grandkids are not always going to be small.
I'm enjoying them while I can.
I'm enjoying them while I can.
ToBeFree
New member
Between chores around the house and volunteer stuff side work is a no no. I am working on getting in some leisure time - for me! 
I use to do power washing full time and it was a very good business to be in. I had lots of customers including national chains, government buildings, and tons of residential . Went through a divorce and wanted away from her so desperately that I handed absolutely everything over to her and walked away. Now I am doing it as a part time gig with plans to go back full time eventually. That "eventually" may be sooner than later, as I am pretty sure we are about to go through a massive reduction in force here at work that will happen in June. I am also planning to offer maintenance/repair services including electrical, plumbing, carpentry, etc. I have some good ideas here that I believe will bring me several customers. We'll see what happens...
groundcover
Veteran Member
Divorce is expensive because it's worth it . You won't have any problem keeping busy !
If you really need to get out swing by this way, I could keep you busy !
"Princeton can use a guy like Joel."
Risky Business (1983) clip with quote "Princeton can use a guy like Joel." Yarn is the best search for video clips by quote. Find the exact moment in a TV show, movie, or music video you want to share. Easily move forward or backward to get to the perfect clip.
www.getyarn.io
Finished this one up today. 8 hours of machine time. About 1.25 acres cleared that had been neglected for quite a few years. Cleaned up about 450 feet of fence line then 1 acre of pretty much an overgrown mess. A lot of large deadfall that had to be moved, piles of dirt, and a lot of 5" to 8" trees. The owner wanted to be able to maintain it with his tractor and brush hog when I was finished. I cut the small stuff first. Fence line was easy and took care of it in just under an hour. The rest of this ground was a mess. Piles of dirt with trees growing in it. Large deadfall limbs and trees mixed with scrub brush. The ground was so uneven it was hard to get the cutter flush with the ground which would have left a lot of stumps. I ended up using the tree puller and pulled almost all of the trees and piled them. Luckily we can burn here with no permit so after the owner gets the piles burnt I'll swing by with the tractor and push the edges in so he can get the rest burnt up. Finished up grading out the uneven ground and piles of dirt after pulling trees to make it easier for him to cut with his tractor. I used my tractor and rake to cleanup a lot of the trash left from what I did cut with the CTL. A lot of the big trees left standing really need to go but the owner didn't want them taken down. Several are in bad shape.
Fence line before cutting
After
Here's what a lot of the rest of the area looked like
Finished pics
Fence line before cutting
After
Here's what a lot of the rest of the area looked like
Finished pics
Attachments
Last edited:
Usually word of mouth. This one was actually a relative of my brother-in-law who was talking to him about needing some ground cleaned up. If I'm looking for another one sometimes I'll post some before and after pictures of a previous job on my Facebook page as well.
I prefer to bid by the job, if I want to take pictures, run GoPro cameras, drone etc I can do that. I can also work a little slower Be a little more careful and not worry about the clock or the owner watching the time. I do hourly as well if that's what the owner prefers. If working hourly I charge $175 per hour based on machine run time. I have a $500 minimum per job and that includes three hours of machine time. Usually only take those if they are not time sensative and try to stack two of those in the same day. This job the owner basically told me he had $1500 to spend, detailed what he wanted, and told me to do what I could. Would have been $1400 billed hourly but I'll come back with the tractor and help get the piles burned up so he will come out ahead.
BackRoad
Veteran Member
Lady next town over had a septic system put in, they used some poor - full of rock - excuse for topsoil. She asked for a quote to remove the rock so she could get grass growing and be able to mow it. I quoted it at 4 hours.
It was bad, more and more rock just kept coming to the surface as I worked it. 8 hours later, including finally using a hand landscape rake on part of it, I finished up.
Lady was sweating bullets that her cost was double what I quoted, but I honored the original quote. Funny, in that she later tried to contact me for some more tractor work...but I just couldn't afford to do any more work for her...it cost me too much!
That event burned me from doing any more paid work. I've continued to do a fair amount of gratis work for church and neighbors, but can stop at any point if it starts getting crazy.
Before and after photos of my money losing adventure!
It was bad, more and more rock just kept coming to the surface as I worked it. 8 hours later, including finally using a hand landscape rake on part of it, I finished up.
Lady was sweating bullets that her cost was double what I quoted, but I honored the original quote. Funny, in that she later tried to contact me for some more tractor work...but I just couldn't afford to do any more work for her...it cost me too much!
That event burned me from doing any more paid work. I've continued to do a fair amount of gratis work for church and neighbors, but can stop at any point if it starts getting crazy.
Before and after photos of my money losing adventure!