Contractors ,Silage cost by the ton

[trigger]

as has already been said its only as accurate as the last time it was calibrated,u need to be weighing at least one load every day or every change of crop which can be a pain if u don't have any scales nearby, we weigh and analize everything we chop but its just for our own use

 

[Mouser]

I contemplated the same thing, trouble is after using the info for a bit you realise no 2 tonnes cost the same to chop the same as no 2 acres do so you have no better a system than you do now.
Something I also once tried to explain to a customer is it's the total amount that counts, if the job is 100 a.c., 500t I can charge 50 quid an acre or 10 quid a tonne but are either of us better off? And at the end of the season if you earn less on the tonnage rate that's bad, if you earn more that's bad if you earn the same it was a waste of effort

We are thinking so much per ton Based on D/M for every thing mowers, rake, chopper , buckrake , compactor & 4 trailers , then on longer carts the cost would more per ton for the more trailers you run .

What do you hope to achieve by this? As said above, you can't charge the same per ton for every job unless all your work is very similar. Although light crops (0.5 load/acres) are easier lifted, you can't do them 3 times quicker than heavy crops (1.5 loads/acre), mowing speed is governed by field size shape and smoothness, crop size will make no difference to you. Rake and tedder speed slightly affected by crop but again not proportional to tonnage. So with the majority of costs being hourly, and all jobs needing a slightly different tonnage rate why change from acre charge? Hourly is fairest but understand farmers may resist this thinking contractor would slow down.

 

[puntabrava]

Farmers being what they are you can charge them treble for each machine who’s driver is wearing blue underpants and nothing for those wearing another colour but if they think it’s costing them more money than before than woe be tied you. The minute it starts to rain and produce heavy loads and the bill rises your name will be mud for 80 mile in each direction.

 

[Speedstar]

What do you hope to achieve by this? As said above, you can't charge the same per ton for every job unless all your work is very similar. Although light crops (0.5 load/acres) are easier lifted, you can't do them 3 times quicker than heavy crops (1.5 loads/acre), mowing speed is governed by field size shape and smoothness, crop size will make no difference to you. Rake and tedder speed slightly affected by crop but again not proportional to tonnage. So with the majority of costs being hourly, and all jobs needing a slightly different tonnage rate why change from acre charge? Hourly is fairest but understand farmers may resist this thinking contractor would slow down.

Think out side the box

 

[Lofty1984]

Think out side the box

Why try and reinvent the wheel

 

[Speedstar]

Why try and reinvent the wheel

I just love all the negative people on here

 

[Speedstar]

Farmers being what they are you can charge them treble for each machine who’s driver is wearing blue underpants and nothing for those wearing another colour but if they think it’s costing them more money than before than woe be tied you. The minute it starts to rain and produce heavy loads and the bill rises your name will be mud for 80 mile in each direction.

Why is that if if start to rain , you ether stop if the farmer wants or keep lifting it is his call, what do people say about heavy bales of straw ?

 

[Lofty1984]

I just love all the negative people on here

I’m not being negative at all just going off what folks are saying here about having to calibrate it etc

 

[Mouser]

Think out side the box

Well if you have it all worked out, then why start a thread? Hope it goes well for you

 

[puntabrava]

what do people say about heavy bales of straw ?

I will never deal with you again and I will tell everybody I know.

 

[Speedstar]

I’m not being negative at all just going off what folks are saying here about having to calibrate it etc

Will have a set of weight pads to check things as well, as if we do some thing we do it right

 

[Speedstar]

I will never deal with you again and I will tell everybody I know.

Technology in bales has moved on is why 4-3-8 bales are now over 500kg each not wet straw , same as in out put of foragers

 

[Speedstar]

Well if you have it all worked out, then why start a thread? Hope it goes well for you

I was interested to see if there were other people doing it as it is very common in the States

 

[Mouser]

So you're going to make more money from doing the same jobs faster but with a bit more work and paperwork, sounds brill.

 

[Dave79]

But on my farm the contractor uses 3 trailers for 2/3 of the acreage, so you’d need to discount for that! I get charged by the acre, but the charge varies on the crop, and I never tell the price. That way when the crop is lighter or dryer and goes in easier I get charged accordingly, essentially by the hour. We’re both happy with it and can agree a price when it’s done and we know how it has been. It relies a bit on trust but works fine for us. Do you guys just charge a rate to everyone? That seems barmy as no two farms are the same, never mind twenty!

 

[Speedstar]

So you're going to make more money from doing the same jobs faster but with a bit more work and paperwork, sounds brill.

Will not be the same as in the past a few people going for 4 or 5 cuts in place of 2 or 3 , no more paper work to do but the customers will know what the have for the coming winter in feed stocks

 

[Speedstar]

But on my farm the contractor uses 3 trailers for 2/3 of the acreage, so you’d need to discount for that! I get charged by the acre, but the charge varies on the crop, and I never tell the price. That way when the crop is lighter or dryer and goes in easier I get charged accordingly, essentially by the hour. We’re both happy with it and can agree a price when it’s done and we know how it has been. It relies a bit on trust but works fine for us. Do you guys just charge a rate to everyone? That seems barmy as no two farms are the same, never mind twenty!

We all ways run 4 trailers unless the carts are longer even next to pit it takes 4 to keep up

 

[vantage]

Not sure I thought it was two brothers and their father
I’ve been through the town they live by the coast farm on edge of town /village I’m sure they were on vegan gwald one time

Graham Parkes won the Contractor of the year in '97 I think,Stepside from near Cardigan won it in more recent times.

 

[Celt83]

Was Greyham Parkes,hell of a nice chap and very clued up on the silage job,@KB6930 and @Celt83 will know who I mean

Sorry max.jag I think he was too far southwest for me to know him.

 

[Mouser]

We all ways run 4 trailers unless the carts are longer even next to pit it takes 4 to keep up

What size trailers? You still push up with 418? 3 plenty here for up to a mile cart.