Combine hire 400-500 acres

[Hummin-Cummins]

Looking for suggestions for combine hire for 400-500 acres next season.

Rape, wheat and spring barley, so a 3 -4 week season for the acreage unfortunately

TIA
H-C

 

[d williams]

Looking for suggestions for combine hire for 400-500 acres next season.

Rape, wheat and spring barley, so a 3 -4 week season for the acreage unfortunately

TIA
H-C

Where in the country are you what's the split of crops do you own a drier

 

[cotswoldcs]

I'd be interested to know what can get and what you have to pay for this. We've just changed our combine after 10 seasons but are harvesting a bit more than you. Have wondered what hiring might cost but feel purchase is the right decision for us.

 

[David.]

Can you not just buy a decent Claas 108, NH tx36 or similar? Wont cost much more than a season's hire. I appreciate its not for everybody....

 

[RAF]

Morris corfield

 

[Badshot]

When I looked at hiring the cost was prohibitive for small acres, it was going to cost the same as getting a.contractor in, then I'd have had to fuel, insure, put bum on seat, plus paid someone to cart, wasn't worth it for me.
Unless you can find someone local to do bits here n there (unlikely) it will be costly.

 

[Jetemp]

Screams contractor or joining forces with a neighbor to me tbh!

James

 

[Jetemp]

Sorry should add a bit of meat to my comments. I don’t think you will be able to hire fuel operate a combine for less than a contractor. At least a contractor would give you 100% known cost, will it be cheapest? Possibly/possible not but you will know your harvesting costs more or less as you putting the crop in the ground. 500 acres would also give you a fair bit pressure to apply to a contractor!

James

 

[Dan Attle]

we looked last year similar acrage and brought one hire is nearly the cost of owning it and once its paid for you only have to maintain it which will be far less than hiring

 

[cotswoldcs]

Bought a brand new small combine in 2009 for £87k. Did 10 season with her which cost a total of £5,656 in repairs & servicing. Sold for £45k after harvest this year. Not worked out labour, fuel and insurance but pretty happy with economics. You don't have to be doing big acres to justify a combine in my opinion.

 

[Hummin-Cummins]

Contractor isn’t really an option as all of our local chaps are up to capacity unfortunately.

 

[Daniel]

Bought a brand new small combine in 2009 for £87k. Did 10 season with her which cost a total of £5,656 in repairs & servicing. Sold for £45k after harvest this year. Not worked out labour, fuel and insurance but pretty happy with economics. You don't have to be doing big acres to justify a combine in my opinion.

This is my theory, although sub 1000hrs rather than new, how many acres/year?

 

[YELROM]

Bought a brand new small combine in 2009 for £87k. Did 10 season with her which cost a total of £5,656 in repairs & servicing. Sold for £45k after harvest this year. Not worked out labour, fuel and insurance but pretty happy with economics. You don't have to be doing big acres to justify a combine in my opinion.

Have you replaced it with a new combine again?

 

[cotswoldcs]

No have bought a low houred 4-5 year old machine. Have gone bigger however so couldn't justify new. Have gone from a New Holland 15' cut TC5070 to a 20' CX5090 Lateralle 4WD. Cutting approx 540 acres

 

[MrNoo]

We are 550 here and have always owned our own combine, hiring would be more than the finance costs and it is not all dead money, you have something to sell or trade in at the end of the day. I did some contract cutting for a chap, his bill would be £12-18k depending on his cropping, he could have bought a nice Tx34 for 2 years worth of contract cutting costs.

 

[Brisel]

https://www.aphltd.co.uk/

Or talk to a neighbour about sharing a machine. I'm sure there's spare capacity locally.

 

[Farma Parma]

ive been in this same position as my acreage is in this same category
APH told me 8 years ago 600ac was the min they advised to consider Hiring a Combine
so i went looking at the contractor route & had several choices locally so could have picked from them
but in the end my neighbour who was helping us anyways suggested if he bought a bigger machine could he have
all my cutting to which i said yes no probs.
And here we are some 7 harvests later no issues at all.
works really well yes i have to pay the going rates there is no getting away from that.
But you dont run a combine for nothing.
That & Spraying is the only jobs now dont do.
use another contractor for some hedge cutting also.

So if you cant get a local contractor interested it leaves you with the can i afford to HIRE one poss not or
take the chance & buy one & run it etc etc (Good Luck) there is no way thats right for everyone

Lastly is the Farm your own or rented?? makes the choice easier thats all iam a Tenant myself

 

[Foxcover]

No have bought a low houred 4-5 year old machine. Have gone bigger however so couldn't justify new. Have gone from a New Holland 15' cut TC5070 to a 20' CX5090 Lateralle 4WD. Cutting approx 540 acres

So about £18.50 per acre in maintenance and depreciation for the little machine before labour, fuel and insurance.

 

[Mr Charisma]

My tuppence ,,,,,,, only buy a combine if you have the manpower to run it,
If you buy then buy one big enough ,
Whatever anyone says rotaries in the wrong conditions can be a 'little' bit harsh on the straw , but if you chop then it doesn't matter .
If you go in with a neighbour then make sure you get a good agreement ,

I do my neighbours heavy cultivations drilling .and combining , rough figures are 800 acres are mine and 400 for him
So to be fair to him for every 2 days combing / cultivating / drilling I do at home I then give him a days combining or whatever , I charge him a good price , he pays his bill within the week of receiving it and it all works very well , he's happy and so am I .

 

[An Gof]

So about £18.50 per acre in maintenance and depreciation for the little machine before labour, fuel and insurance.

Have i missed something? was £8.82 per acre when i worked it out