Hedge cutting rates

amadfarmer

Member
Im just working out costings of cutting hedges on 150hp tractor with 6.5m hedge cutter with a 120cm head plus a front mounted flail topper . And the price i have as a figure seems to be a fair bit more than the local rate. what is the current going rate that is being payed. (Red diesel at 60ppl). The NAAC rate is at £38per hour (Red diesel at 50ppl)
 

Ali_Maxxum

Member
Location
Chepstow, Wales
Still farting about at £30/hr. Does my f*#king swede in. When are rates EVER going to go UP! They've sat idle for what, 10yrs?

Contracting rates are pathetic, going out with 100k+ of kit and getting 30-35/hr at best. Local plumbers/sparks on up to £200/day.

Thank god deep down I love the job because some days it makes you want to scream.
 

nick...

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
south norfolk
I do very little for others now as they think you can trim round their small holdings for nothing.still owed for what I done 2/3 years ago and despite asking ive given up.one cheeky barsteward still has the audacity to ask me to do his again despite not paying.got a couple like that.and another calls to see me on the same day to pay up.id charge a minimum of £35/40 an hour depending who it is.takes a while to put cutter on and of which they think you do for free.often get house owners asking if you can trim their garden hedge on road boundary maybe only 30/40ft long and give you a tenner and think they are paying you a fortune.
Nick...
 

Werzle

Member
Location
Midlands
Still farting about at £30/hr. Does my f*#king swede in. When are rates EVER going to go UP! They've sat idle for what, 10yrs?

Contracting rates are pathetic, going out with 100k+ of kit and getting 30-35/hr at best. Local plumbers/sparks on up to £200/day.

Thank god deep down I love the job because some days it makes you want to scream.
The trouble is farmers havent seen an increase in there prices so why should you? The fact is most jobs could be done with cheaper kit. The farmer shouldnt have to pay more just because his contractor likes new expensive toys. Our trimming was done perfectly for yrs by an old boy with his 2wd david brown ,now its done with 120k's worth of kit but still the same job
 

acorn

Member
Livestock Farmer
The trouble is farmers havent seen an increase in there prices so why should you? The fact is most jobs could be done with cheaper kit. The farmer shouldnt have to pay more just because his contractor likes new expensive toys. Our trimming was done perfectly for yrs by an old boy with his 2wd david brown ,now its done with 120k's worth of kit but still
the same job

You had best buy a Davy Brown and cut your own hedges then!!!

Some day you will have to replace said Davy Brown.....
 

amadfarmer

Member
Well that’s ok when you can get hold of machinery that cheap. When putting on average of 2500hrs a year on a tractor. That David brown will be worn out very quick and won’t do half the work you could get done with a modern machine. And then it would also take you a lot longer to cut the hedge because you would have to run a smaller cutter, so more hours to pay for more ££££ the customer will have to pay When you run a 1.6 head. Will need a tractor minimum 5 ton to cope and enough ponies to drive it. 90hp just won’t handle that too well. I’m pretty sure most people don’t want to pay 100k for a tractor but the prices are going up all the time. My last tractor I could have bought 3 at new price in 2003 to the one I have just purchased of the same capacity. Use on average £9.20 in fuel along per hour. And we also all have family’s to look after so we do need to make money at the end of it all
 

Deutzdx3

Member
Or farmers would buy their own machine.

Or that!


What’s the point in working all day then realising after costs you’ve earns£60- £80 for the day. Unless you love it and don’t have a mortgage and kids to pay for. Had a lorry driver down delivering a while back from Watson machinery who had left farm Work to become and hgv driver as pay was so bad.
 

Werzle

Member
Location
Midlands
Or that!


What’s the point in working all day then realising after costs you’ve earns£60- £80 for the day. Unless you love it and don’t have a mortgage and kids to pay for. Had a lorry driver down delivering a while back from Watson machinery who had left farm Work to become and hgv driver as pay was so bad.
I feel your pain but theres always somebody to take your place.
 

Flat 10

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Fen Edge
I do very little for others now as they think you can trim round their small holdings for nothing.still owed for what I done 2/3 years ago and despite asking ive given up.one cheeky barsteward still has the audacity to ask me to do his again despite not paying.got a couple like that.and another calls to see me on the same day to pay up.id charge a minimum of £35/40 an hour depending who it is.takes a while to put cutter on and of which they think you do for free.often get house owners asking if you can trim their garden hedge on road boundary maybe only 30/40ft long and give you a tenner and think they are paying you a fortune.
Nick...
I'd do a garden hedges as you describe for £20 up front all day IF i'm there already with the trimmer. Not to travel there and put it on, they are 2 very different things.
 

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Red Tractor drops launch of green farming scheme amid anger from farmers

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As reported in Independent


quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

read the TFF thread here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/gfc-was-to-go-ahead-now-not-going-ahead.405234/
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