Contractors ,Silage cost by the ton

[davidroberts30]

I have looked at similar kit to measure slurry applications it does look interesting.

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Since I've had a wagon I've been on the hour rate and still now a new customer is unsure about paying by the hour rather than acre

 

[BDBed]

Since I've had a wagon I've been on the hour rate and still now a new customer is unsure about paying by the hour rather than acre

I had quite a bit of resistance when trying to go per hour as customers wanted a cost comparison. So I do most jobs per acre and try to switch them over to per hour after 3rd cut.

 

[vantage]

Since I've had a wagon I've been on the hour rate and still now a new customer is unsure about paying by the hour rather than acre

I'd change to hourly rate at the drop of a hat,much fairer.Former contactor packed up,was on hourly rate,new one per acre.I know it costs a LOT more for light multiple cuts.

 

[Lofty1984]

How would it stack up on a long run when more trailers are needed would you then charge more per ton to pay for the extra manpower /tractor ?

 

[Kingofgrass]

Grass by the hour here maize by the acre (chopping) to much messing about with maize to be done by the acre.has to be 4 rotor rake,and shovel on the clamp.they average 18/19acre an hour here regardless of size of crop tbf..halved chopping costs been this way for years now

 

[Boysground]

How would it stack up on a long run when more trailers are needed would you then charge more per ton to pay for the extra manpower /tractor ?

Every now and then I do a long run and always pay for extra tractors separately.

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[davidroberts30]

I'd change to hourly rate at the drop of a hat,much fairer.Former contactor packed up,was on hourly rate,new one per acre.I know it costs a LOT more for light multiple cuts.

I used to get loads of calls of people wanting to try the wagon out.id ask them how much fert they put on and when last cut and more often than not turn down the work.
Different with a spfh I know but that how little change a farmer can manage

 

[KB6930]

It's the trailers that make it expensive by the acre round here especially on longer hauls . Raking chopping and clamping aren't bad but trailers at 4/5 quid an acre can turn expensive quickly when you need 4 or 5 at least to keep the chopper going.

Paying by the ton on light multiple cuts is probably the fairer way to do it chopper wise .

 

[Speedstar]

It's the trailers that make it expensive by the acre round here especially on longer hauls . Raking chopping and clamping aren't bad but trailers at 4/5 quid an acre can turn expensive quickly when you need 4 or 5 at least to keep the chopper going.

Paying by the ton on light multiple cuts is probably the fairer way to do it chopper wise .

At the moment all trailers are billed by the hour,the rest by the acre

 

[davidroberts30]

At the moment all trailers are billed by the hour,the rest by the acre

Would it be easier to start off going by the hour?and give a print out of how many ton's and DM

 

[KB6930]

At the moment all trailers are billed by the hour,the rest by the acre

By the ton definitely fairer for lighter as can take 3 cuts to get the same tonnage as the next man down the road will on 1 cut .

We've a couple of rds weighers on grain trailers that are pretty dam close be as cheap and reliable as anything for the job

 

[Boysground]

At the moment all trailers are billed by the hour,the rest by the acre

I think thats the best way of doing it allows flexibility and no issues with long or short hauls.

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[Lofty1984]

Which chopper have you gone for @Speedstar

 

[miniconnect]

It's good in theory, but you'd never please everyone.
I'd think you'd need trailers with weigh cells, or a weighbridge to be accurate.

Whether it's sensors in the chute, or on the feed rollers unless you calibrate them along with a weighed trailer load for every field how accurate can they.

Grain weighers on combine are never anything like accurate unless calibrated often.

I see why you want to do it, and I've had similar thoughts, we charge by the acre, in a big first cut the customer gets mega value for money, come third cut it balances out in favour of the contractor. If everyone stays sensible and remembers that it works out not too bad. You'll never please everyone.

 

[e3120]

I'd like to pay by tonne DM as that's what's valuable to me, and would further incentivise contractor to avoid wetter stuff. But looking from the other side, when an inevitable wet cut occurs, someone has to pay to haul and handle the water.

My contractor uses harvest lab, but there are days when it is AWOL. @Speedstar @KB6930 @Fraserb will probably know if they charge their dairy customers per tonne, as some are rake/chop only.

 

[tweedale terrier]

Is any one charging to make silage by the ton ?
Our new forager has a system on it the weigh the grass & take the D/M content & this is what we are planning on doing in the next few years for the people that want to pay by the ton, we will charge some much per ton for the complete job.

D
Dark green forager ?

 

[Speedstar]

D
Dark green forager ?

No way ,one one to have is lighter green

 

[tweedale terrier]

I think the dark side has the better analysis technology.

 

[Speedstar]

I think the dark side has the better analysis technology.

Not when we demo it

 

[Brisel]

Tri Counties Biogas used to pay per tonne fresh weight for what they harvested from contract growers' fields. JD forager and a trailer with weigh cells to calibrate it occasionally. Any growers who had weighbridges calibrated the trailer. you can guess in whose favour the errors were.

How would you apply the tonnage basis to mowers & rakes? Their costs are mostly governed by area, not volume.