Thanks mate that's exactly what I was thinking to nothing ventured nothing gained
Contract spraying business start up .
- Thread starter Precision specialists
- Start date
Because I would still need to buy a tractor also
grainboy
Member
- Location
- Bedfordshire
I don’t really think someone who is offering £80 k of work is going to be happy with a £2k sprayer do you ?.
- Location
- Lincolnshire
Do make sure your insurance covers things like clearing up pollution. My biggest fear was always stuff like a wheel coming off and a 4000lt tank of nasty going all over the place. I used to put about 15000ac through my sprayer a year. Ffs make sure the Aircon works.
I could sell you a nice trailed Chafer. Then you can hire a tractor for a year. Sprayer won't depreciate. Could use the tractor for carting etc out of season......
grainboy
Member
- Location
- Bedfordshire
I don’t quite understand the equation of modern machines per ha,
On a large farming company, whom I do other work for, they Farm approx 18,000 ac, 3 years ago, they were running 3 Houseman Merlins, now similar acreage, they run 3 X 6000 lit Self propelled capacity sprayers, surely they should now be running two machines .
On a large farming company, whom I do other work for, they Farm approx 18,000 ac, 3 years ago, they were running 3 Houseman Merlins, now similar acreage, they run 3 X 6000 lit Self propelled capacity sprayers, surely they should now be running two machines .
ridger
Member
- Location
- Tyrone, Northern Ireland
It pumps stuff out of the nozzles same as a new one
ridger
Member
- Location
- Tyrone, Northern Ireland
16000 for tractor
Get what your saying but self propelled is more suited to the business
- Location
- Lincolnshire
It's beet, potatoes, veg that knacker it. 18000ac cropped might be 150,000ac spraying a year. 40ac an hour is what I aimed for. So that's 4000hrs of spraying. Or 9-5 every day for a working year for two people. Plus maintance. Obviously a big chunk of grass, spring barley would cut that down.
- Location
- Lincolnshire
Yours or theirs?
- Location
- Easter ross
had the same problem, wanted to go tractor and trailed or mounted unit as it would’ve helped me but customer wanted self propelled So gotta go self propelled or they’ll just get someone who has.
There's
- Location
- South Wales UK
Are you an owner operator ?
- Location
- Lincolnshire
I am a farmer, and previously a contractor for 15 years. I've run both 24m trailed and self propelled machines as an owner. The trailed will do more work, be comfier on the road, be cheaper to fix, and hold its value better. On non spraying days you can go do some work like hedge cutting with the tractor.
I only keep the sp because I don't own a tractor now. Hence trailed is for sale.
- Location
- Easter ross
You’d do a lot worse than look at a multidrive. Last machine I had,brilliant for covering large distances quickly (43mph) think mine did on 46” rowcrops. Bloody comfy and pull like a train on steep stuff. Previous to that had house ham AR’s which were decent but slow on the road and only ever one wheel motor which cost £1200 so not too bad.
I'm not to bothered about road speed to be fair rather comfort and reliability over anything.but not a bad shout none the less
ridger
Member
- Location
- Tyrone, Northern Ireland
I hate spending money, I'd hate having a self propelled sprayer parked up a lot of the year. I keep a tractor on row crops, spray whatever has to be sprayed in the spring, plant potatoes, back on sprayer for few months then on potato harvester
Shropshire Farmer
Member
- Location
- Shrewsbury, Shropshire.
Rule of thumb you need £2 for the machine £2 for your labour and £1 for insurance, maintenance etc. I was doing 18000 acres at £4.50 acre with the customer putting the fuel in. £24k finance changed sprayer every 2 years. Kept sprayer in warranty so kept the maintenance to around £1000k a year. Machine insurance for sp would be around £10 per £1000 value. Product and public liability was around 10 pence per acre covered. 10 million public liability and 20 million product liability. Also covered for crop damage and stewardship damage etc. So around £30k to do the 18000 acres. Some years it was 14000 acres others 20000 acres. Work on 7 passes for autumn crops and 3 for spring. If you can get liquid fert in the mix it helps and also spuds but you’ll wear the machine out sooner. It’s probably the most profitable contract job around. However you’ve got to jump at weekends, late nights and early mornings. You need an understanding wife !!! This season would have reduced your passes significantly. What are you left with a good wage.
So say 6000 Ha contract, work on 5000 Ha for your figures. You could justify a £100000 machine over 5 years. Remember products are disappearing and potentially your customer may move to more mechanical and cultural control in the future so will reduce your passes through the crop. Also buy a machine that will sell if you decide to pack in. Bateman or Sands will always sell.
So say 6000 Ha contract, work on 5000 Ha for your figures. You could justify a £100000 machine over 5 years. Remember products are disappearing and potentially your customer may move to more mechanical and cultural control in the future so will reduce your passes through the crop. Also buy a machine that will sell if you decide to pack in. Bateman or Sands will always sell.
Ian01
Member
- Location
- In the East
If bateman go for the vg voom, even if only 24 meter. One of the better paying contracting jobs, no soil engaging parts helps this alot! Yes u may chuck a wheel motor or two at some pojnt, but other than that, mainly just pins and bushes. A decent annual overhaul, which is pretty simple to do yourself, and there is nothing wrong with running a high houred machine and will give you cheap spraying. Good luck?