What Do I Charge for Tractor Work?

two_bit_score · Jul 23, 2011

Yes. Time for an update.

foreman Etexas · Jul 23, 2011

Travis_R said:
Didn't know where else to post this topic. Hopefully it's the appropriate forum...

I'm in South Louisiana and was wondering what I should charge for bush hogging, repairing gravel driveways, and spreading dirt? Also, right before deer season I could bush hog and disk food plots for people. What should I charge?

I have a 38 hp Massey Ferguson 2 wheel drive tractor (with no front end loader), a 5' medium duty Bush Hog, 5.5' grader box, and a 6.5' set of gang disks.

I MUST be fair to people and WILL give them the work they pay for. But it takes money to keep and maintain equipment also.

What is the "going rate" down here?

Thank You!

I would say if you have land of your own that you mow see how much you can mow in an hour and how much fuel you use. Then go from there!! I would rather bid a job if you been using your tractor alot u can figure out what you can do in an hour and what your cost will be.Towing your rig,u should know how much fuel u would use towing it back and forth. If I had to load mine and drive 15mi. to mow 15 ac. (at 2 ft tall)with my 12ft I would charge $400. An easy way I can do it is if it was an hay meadow they would charge a 2 bale minimium so that is 30 bales,multiply that by the cost per bale 28 and it would come out to 850 and I just devide by 2(half the work) $425. I would roughly gross $300,if something didnt break or had a flat. The thing is if they let it get over 2ft just say 3ft (unless its thin)add another $100,get it to were they are not calling you when its terrible and its alot of wear and tear on your equipment,if they dont call probaly a good thing let someone else tear there equipment up.

Duffster · Jul 23, 2011

foreman Etexas said:
. An easy way I can do it is if it was an hay meadow they would charge a 2 bale minimium so that is 30 bales,multiply that by the cost per bale 28 and it would come out to 850 and I just devide by 2(half the work) $425.

Do you think that bush hogging is half the work of cutting, with a moco, raking and baling?

foreman Etexas · Jul 23, 2011

Duffster said:
Do you think that bush hogging is half the work of cutting, with a moco, raking and baling?

Do they bale small trees and whatever crap you can put out there or are there fields clean?
Can you run twice as fast on a hay meadow?
My baler cuts it then comes back and pulls a rake and baler combo.(Thats 2 passes)(didnt say there wasnt more cost involved for them.)Wait maybe thats why I dont charge the same thing!