Welding Cost

[shortthrow50]

I bought 3 chain hooks to weld onto my tractor's bucket. Not knowing much about these things I was guessing I could get the work done here for $100-$150. I've talked to 3 welders and their prices ranged from $275- $200. Two of them were layed off and were not willing to budge on the price.
Am I being cheap or just out of touch?

wow!!! i live 2 miles from a steel fabrication shop and i just had some 1/2 steel plates custom cut and welded for 30 bucks which took a half hour. Welding a couple hooks to a bucket wouldnt take anymore than 15 minutes.

 

[brain55]

Sorry! Did I hurt your feelings, I was really trying to crush them. If you always wanted to be a welder than you should have dropped the wrenches and become one. I have a tool box too!

Hahaha, it's gonna take a lot more than that to crush my feelings. Welding is part of being an equipment mechanic and I don't go out of my way to take on welding jobs, I do them as they are related to equipment repair. Grab that toolbox and maybe I'll see you on the road

 

[edlegault]

Go to a 4x4 truck shop and buy the bolt-on ones...

 

[yelbike]

Go to a 4x4 truck shop and buy the bolt-on ones...

Totally agreed!!!

 

[Ken45101]

Well I recently had a couple of hooks welded on to a box blade that I've made into a logging winch. The work included welding two I-beams to the box blade plus an angle iron battery bracket. I had everything precut.

Total cost was $30 including welding the two hooks.

Since then, I got my own welder and put some hooks on my B21 bucket. Took about 15 minutes for 3 hooks (that shop charges $60/hr).

I agree that if reinforcement was needed and/or they did finish work (e.g. painting), it would run the cost up but the OP's price is ridiculous!

Even if they had to reinforce the bucket, it shouldn't cost over $100/ materials included.

Ken

 

[deereman75]

If you lived near me, I would do them for free, just for the practice.

 

[J_J]

Just plain common sense would tell you the story. You already know it was a would be rip off.

Some people will take advantage of anybody they can.

You have to know something about the work you are having done, and people.

By now you should have found someone that will do the work and proud of it, very reasonable and charges according to the work being done.

You could buy a Lincoln Toomstone welder and do it your self for those exorbitant prices.

ex·or·bi·tant (g-zôrb-tnt)
adj.
Exceeding all bounds, as of custom or fairness: exorbitant prices.

 

[shortthrow50]

i just cant get over the the amount of money the OP was prepared to pay originally. I would assume people around him have been taking advantage of him for many years

 

[yelbike]

i just cant get over the the amount of money the OP was prepared to pay originally. I would assume people around him have been taking advantage of him for many years

Why would you say something like that? Obviously he knew the price sounded high so he asked the question. He thought it should be $100 at most.

 

[monckywrench]

I work on computers for dirt cheap (for example) but it's not my business so that reflects in the price.

Businesses charge what they charge often because time spent doing one thing could be spent elsewhere. Their overhead including taxes is also no joke.

Of course, the economics of doing things for yourself can be very, very, very good.

The money you save can buy lots of nice tools and equipment even if you mostly just do your own stuff. If you factor in many years of payback, even good commercial welding gear can pay for itself just as mechanics tools do.

It doesn't take very many projects to pay for your machine. Being less-dependant on others and getting what you want when you want it is priceless.