familyman
Platinum Member
If you're working on finished lawns, forget the ags. A couple of passes, even when things are dry, and the lawn is chop suey. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Using tractor and loader as weekend income
- Thread starter MX5000
- Start date
- Views: 1735
JimMorrissey
Veteran Member
MX,
It depends what kind of work you are doing....You said weekend loader work and brush hogging. The R1s will be great for that. R4s will also work well, but they are going to be expensive...very expensive. I just don't see a time when you'll be driving a MX500 across somebody lawn! But if you happen to need to, then the damage is part of the job. A MX500 with R4s will not be easy on a lawn either.
I think you have a good plan. It will take a bit of time to get established, but once you name gets out and you treat home owners with respect and throw them a bone once in a while, you should do well. Just don't expect anything to happen overnight. Maybe a backhoe is in your future....ever though about getting a L39 for that kind of work /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
It depends what kind of work you are doing....You said weekend loader work and brush hogging. The R1s will be great for that. R4s will also work well, but they are going to be expensive...very expensive. I just don't see a time when you'll be driving a MX500 across somebody lawn! But if you happen to need to, then the damage is part of the job. A MX500 with R4s will not be easy on a lawn either.
I think you have a good plan. It will take a bit of time to get established, but once you name gets out and you treat home owners with respect and throw them a bone once in a while, you should do well. Just don't expect anything to happen overnight. Maybe a backhoe is in your future....ever though about getting a L39 for that kind of work /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
frank_f15
Super Member, Rest in Peace
</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I don't get the 18hr. work days consistently, but I figure if I can do it for another 10-15 years and pay off my mortgage, new Ford F-350, and ATV, and maybe a backhoe if I can get enough tractor work to pay it off, maybe I can semi retire and do loader work to pay for the property taxes, food, and the other bills. )</font>
not to be a wet blanket , but if you do too many 18 hr days and then work the weekends, you won't last 15 years.
not to be a wet blanket , but if you do too many 18 hr days and then work the weekends, you won't last 15 years.
rswyan
Super Star Member
- Joined
- May 12, 2004
- Messages
- 11,428
- Location
- Northeast Ohio
- Tractor
- Kubota B2910, Cub Cadet Pro Z 154S, Simplicity 18 CFC, Cub Cadet 782
</font><font color="blue" class="small">( not to be a wet blanket , but if you do too many 18 hr days and then work the weekends, you won't last 15 years. )</font>
Oh .... I don't know ..... I guess it all depends on how you view what you do for work (regular and extra curricular)
If you enjoy it, it's not such a burden - long days with lots of production and achievement are rewarding (and in more than financial terms /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif)
Personally, I can't stand to sit or lie around, watch the boob tube .... I'd rather be DOING something (... not that there aren't times when I do lie around /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif)
Oh .... I don't know ..... I guess it all depends on how you view what you do for work (regular and extra curricular)
If you enjoy it, it's not such a burden - long days with lots of production and achievement are rewarding (and in more than financial terms /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif)
Personally, I can't stand to sit or lie around, watch the boob tube .... I'd rather be DOING something (... not that there aren't times when I do lie around /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif)
Egon
Epic Contributor
Howard:
Sounds like you have investigated things very well. If you have to switch tires wait till it's necessary or even turn down minor jobs that will not cover cost of tires.
And please - send some of that energy my way. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Egon
Sounds like you have investigated things very well. If you have to switch tires wait till it's necessary or even turn down minor jobs that will not cover cost of tires.
And please - send some of that energy my way. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Egon
I stopped by the town hall and registry and picked up my commercial license plate. I didn't get the farm one this time. I was thinking of taking the tractor to a couple of cookouts this weekend...lol. I can see it now, trying to explain to the nice officer why I'm driving my tractor through town at 2am. Moving at a blistering 18mph., wind in my hair, shivering and eyes watering. Good times!!! By the way, I started work at yesterday morning at 8am. and stopped at home last night for about 3.5hrs (1.5 hr nap) and went back. I just got home at 4pm today. I'm pretty sure my brain turned to liquid sometime last night and ran out my ear. I'm trying to do the math, but my cat's licking his backside and it's distracting me. More to come...
Howard /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif
Howard /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif
I'm going to finally get to use the tractor today. I'm helping the local ATV club do some work on the trails, digging some shallow holes on the trails for waterbars and moving some good size rocks in front of some of the trails. It would have been nice to have gotten some seat time on the tractor before using it in front of a group of people. I did notice when I took the tractor for a quick spin up the driveway a few days ago, that the much higher seating position on this tractor sort of amplified the steepness of the end of my driveway. When I turned around at the end, I sort of felt like it may tip over. I guess I'll just have to get used to it. Have to run.
Howard /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif
Howard /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif
RayH
Banned
I bought my tractor with the intention of using it around the house and when that was finished (never really finished) I would do some side jobs. I also got a 1ton dump and trailer to get the tractor around. Ive been doing mostly grading, lot clean up and leveling. Ive also done some backhoe work with it. There is more work than I want. I reached a point this year where I needed to decide if I want get fully established and get a license and commercial insurance or just give up the side jobs. Considering the small amount of work that I was willing to do with the equipment, I wasnt going to profit much once I start paying commercial insurance and if I had any kind of breakage (you know nothing on a tractor cost less than $300) it wasnt worth me even getting up. I also had an issue with sun poison this year that influenced me.
My personal decision was to give up the side jobs. I work an average of 46+ hours a week at my regular job and I appreciate all the time I have off. While operating the equipment is fun, it looses some of its appeal when you have to meet the demands of other people and the weather.
The one thing I do regret about deciding to give up the side work is the freedom of having an established backup income if I get a wild hair and tell the boss to "take this job and shove it".
This is my personal experience with tractoring on the side. Everyones experiences will be different depending on their situation and priorities. The one thing I think is universal is that if you market yourself at all, youll have as much work as you want.
My personal decision was to give up the side jobs. I work an average of 46+ hours a week at my regular job and I appreciate all the time I have off. While operating the equipment is fun, it looses some of its appeal when you have to meet the demands of other people and the weather.
The one thing I do regret about deciding to give up the side work is the freedom of having an established backup income if I get a wild hair and tell the boss to "take this job and shove it".
This is my personal experience with tractoring on the side. Everyones experiences will be different depending on their situation and priorities. The one thing I think is universal is that if you market yourself at all, youll have as much work as you want.
I've been doing side work for awhile now. No problems yet, but I try not to get in over my head. I get alot of the do it your self people looking for a hand. Spreading loam and gravel. A lot of Rototilling in the spring. Some advise before digging in NH. Call DIG SAFE (even if you plan to dig a couple of inchs the fines are outragous!) and go to there spring contractor class in Concord it kept my butt safe and leagle. I do advertise in the useless leader but only in the spring this keeps me going for the summer. Good Luck. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif
