Contract spraying business start up .

[Ivorbiggun]

Take a tip from someone who has to cover 16000 ha/40000 ac a year on liquid fert/spraying and don’t take on to much work or you’ll never be at home.

 

[Chae1]

Was speaking to a friend who's pricing a new wheeled digger. Big Cat digger equal sized wheels. All buckets included 70k.

He can go on hire to local authority steady work all year round, no weekends 8 hour days for over £30/hour. Digger won't even be running much of the time. Farm works pretty much a waste of time in my opinion and his digger puts it into perspective.


How many hours will it take to spray 40k acres? You would get £15/hour to drive one? Then buy a villa and spend the winter in marbs.

 

[cricketandcrops]

Good luck with the venture, ignore the negativity, nothing ventured nothing gained.......if it doesn’t work you tried, better than in 5 years saying “I wished I’d had a go”

 

[grainboy]

Good luck with the venture, ignore the negativity, nothing ventured nothing gained.......if it doesn’t work you tried, better than in 5 years saying “I wished I’d had a go”

Its not negativity, he asked the question, he got answers, from members who have been there and got the tee shirt,
Crack on,
but, mainly the cost of agricultural machines now days, will cripple any fledgling contractor, why do you think initially, that there is a tenuous promise of work been offered, I doubt if the potential customer is doing it as a favour,

 

[Ivorbiggun]

Few more tips for you.
Buy the best sprayer you can afford, it’s going to be the most important thing about your business.
If you buy one that’s done 5000hrs and you have a good supply of work you may clock up a 1000 hours a year on it, so in 3 years time it’ll be On 8000 hrs and costing you a fortune to keep it going.
You'll soon lose customers if it’s In the workshop and their desperate to get spraying done.

Keep it steady, 12/13k for average type of spraying, drop it down to 10 if spraying for black/rye grass, you’ll do a far better job and get a far better reputation than some of these hero’s spraying at 18k.

When working out a rate to charge don’t forget you’ll need a lot of cleaner, all clear or equivalent, Again you’ll soon lose customers if you harm their crop.

Buy yourself a good alarm clock, you’re going to need it.

Spraying can be the most rewarding job on the planet if it’s done right, but when the fun stops stop

 

[Ivorbiggun]

And another one that all sprayer drivers on here will agree with is.
Never ever plan anything else for the weekends, you can guarantee the weather will be sh!t during the week, but weekends it will be perfect for spraying.

 

[Al R]

Good luck with the venture, ignore the negativity, nothing ventured nothing gained.......if it doesn’t work you tried, better than in 5 years saying “I wished I’d had a go”

I wish I’d done it in 2014 when I was offered a lot of good contracts and wasn’t happy where i was.
I had it all lined up, everything in place ready to buy the machine and I went and told an aged contractor (Who I’ve known my whole life) about it and he said he’d halve his rate to make me go bankrupt

3 years since I last sprayed and it’s the only job I really enjoyed and could definitely do every day! I still look at what SH sprayers and what specs are for sale now. There’s quite a few lovely RB35 with high specification and VG36 booms and around the £70-80k mark.

 

[Chae1]

I spray about 600ha not 6000ha and I'm fed up of it! Should get finished t2s in spring barley next week and that will be gate shut. I always enjoy it at start.

This would have to be one of best spray seasons I have had. Weathers been completely onside. Have managed to spend decent spray weather weekends with family and leave it till Monday. Not many late nights/early mornings.

 

[Jim75]

And another one that all sprayer drivers on here will agree with is.
Never ever plan anything else for the weekends, you can guarantee the weather will be sh!t during the week, but weekends it will be perfect for spraying.

Youre not wrong. May Day bank holiday for me was always a breakdown of some kind and pacing about waiting on bits when it’s peak workload

 

[quattro]

I have a guaranteed contract from one farm large growers you see that I know very well and I know the work is guaranteed. I'm only looking at a 5000hr machine as it's a good baseline to start with and everyone has to start somewhere. Yes I looked at leasing a 4 year old machine but it just wasn't practical so I thought spend 60k get something half decent and take it from there

I know a few who started on their own and done very well ,go for it you’ve very little to loose
you’ve been doing the job and know the score

 

[Precision specialists]

I know a few who started on their own and done very well ,go for it you’ve very little to loose
you’ve been doing the job and know the score

Thanks appreciate it

 

[ajd132]

I spray about 600ha not 6000ha and I'm fed up of it! Should get finished t2s in spring barley next week and that will be gate shut. I always enjoy it at start.

This would have to be one of best spray seasons I have had. Weathers been completely onside. Have managed to spend decent spray weather weekends with family and leave it till Monday. Not many late nights/early mornings.

Spraying always more enjoyable when crops look good, few bits this year I havnt enjoyed going over.

 

[snarling bee]

Spraying always more enjoyable when crops look good, few bits this year I havnt enjoyed going over.

Combining could be a bit like that this year.

 

[Steevo]

I'd happily back someone keen to do contract spraying round here. If they thought they could get the work and looked after a machine well I'd much rather finance that as a joint venture than I would employ someone myself, or do any other form of contracting.

 

[benny6910]

Hi been offered a good chance to go owner driver and buy my own machine . Looking at machines at 65k and also have a contract for minimum 6000ha is it worth making the move . Insurance prices should I be expecting to pay minimum charge for small areas under a ha or price per hour for small jobs . Any info would be appreciated Tia

If you are interested and keen enough in spraying then I’d say give it a shot. The only thing I would think about is why the 6000ha contract isn’t doing it themselves anymore? Is it retirement or have they worked out that at the rate they’ll pay you will cost there business less than doing it themselves. Secondhand machinery can/will cost you money to repair no matter how well you service it.it is a risk but I was always told your better off regretting doing something rather than regretting not doing it.

 

[Jim75]

If you are interested and keen enough in spraying then I’d say give it a shot. The only thing I would think about is why the 6000ha contract isn’t doing it themselves anymore? Is it retirement or have they worked out that at the rate they’ll pay you will cost there business less than doing it themselves. Secondhand machinery can/will cost you money to repair no matter how well you service it.it is a risk but I was always told your better off regretting doing something rather than regretting not doing it.

unless he’s on a ridiculously cheap rate there’s very little chance it’ll be cheaper getting a contractor than doing it yourself. I say that looking from the other side? some folk just don’t want anything to do with chemicals, one customer would stay round the corner and come nowhere near even pre social distancing. Another farm would be clocked off at 5 most days unless it was harvest ( good way to be tbh) And most hours spraying would be early/late/weekends(sods law)

 

[Chae1]

unless he’s on a ridiculously cheap rate there’s very little chance it’ll be cheaper getting a contractor than doing it yourself. I say that looking from the other side? some folk just don’t want anything to do with chemicals, one customer would stay round the corner and come nowhere near even pre social distancing. Another farm would be clocked off at 5 most days unless it was harvest ( good way to be tbh) And most hours spraying would be early/late/weekends(sods law)

I think the removal of grandfather rights has meant some farmers are scared to sit tests and fail. So just get somebody In to do it.

 

[Clive]

Bit different now . If your doing 18000 acre at say £5.50 then you would be kicking on £99k a year which is very strong money now. And also a very decent income if you ask me

remember you have to run an expensive, depreciating machine our of that 99k

however these days 18k acres doesn’t keep you too busy so you could probably cover more like 30 without being silly

if your going contracting then spraying is without doubt the highest margin work you can pick

 

[Precision specialists]

If 6000 makes me a steady living what ever else I pick up in between will be a bonus .already worked it out after machine,running costs insurance and labour costs still making good profit

 

[Romeogolf]

By all means, have a go and give it your best. Go above and beyond to do a good job. As previously stated, when the going is good there are few, if any other contracting jobs that pay as well. However, don’t be afraid to turn down work. There is often the assumption that contractors should be grateful and oblige to undertake any work going, when this should not necessarily be the case.

Small jobs with wire sticking out of the hedges, low trees over expected access, and old ditches/drains with no warning will obliterate any income gained by broken break back sections, snapped nozzle bodies, broken pipe connections let alone physical ailments of the operator.

I speak from experience, look after the people who pay you on time, and build a trusting relationship with those clients. Trust between both parties is absolutely crucial with contract spraying when you consider the value of product they are entrusting you to apply in today’s climate.

Chasing the work of 20 acres here and there is, in my opinion, equally as ridiculous as people charging £30-£35/hr for tractor and man, there is simply no money to be made by doing it.