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Going rate for contract drilling

EddieB

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Staffs
I think that a few people are underestimating the costs of running a tractor per hour. Depreciation, servicing, repairs, insurance, fuel, drivers wages, employers NI, holiday pay, sick pay, pension contributions. Depreciation, wearing metal and downtime on the drill. Then add in time getting the drill ready, travel to and from the customer.
 

Phil P

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
North West
He said he wants to make a profit. Neighbour isn’t dying just to wet to use his one drill. If a favour will surfice then crack on. But as a business choice , I’d charge by the hour. £40 per hour
I’d say that’s way, way to cheap!
I can usually cover 5-7ac an hour (depending on conditions and field size) with our 4m combi in medium ground so @£24/ac (which is what I charge and get) that’s £120 - £168/h!
 
I think that a few people are underestimating the costs of running a tractor per hour. Depreciation, servicing, repairs, insurance, fuel, drivers wages, employers NI, holiday pay, sick pay, pension contributions. Depreciation, wearing metal and downtime on the drill. Then add in time getting the drill ready, travel to and from the customer.
Rise in red ,has put £10 an acre on beet lifting ,
 

JeepJeep

Member
Trade
What would you charge per hour? I’m not a drilling contractor . So am out of touch, be interested in some actual costs and figures

Don't you sell Drills? So surely you'd have an idea of what they'll cover? If it does 5 acres an hour you on £8 Acre at £40 Hour. If it does 8 Acres an hour you on £5 an acre presumably with a bigger drill and burning more fuel.

The rest of the posts are on acres not hours.
 

Mur Huwcun

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
North West Wales
Aim for £100 an hour min. If you can do 5-6 acres an hour, ideal, any more and it’s your bonus for drill size, hp available, operator experience, choice of drill etc etc

BUT, you can’t expect the customer to pay for the time it takes to hitch up, fuel up, grease up, maintain drill, wash it, keep it in shed, write invoice, post invoice, process receipts for accountant etc etc. That must come from some other magical pot somehwere…….😂😂😂😂😂😂
 

thorpe

Member
Increase in price ,300 hp tractor and 20 ton trailer ,and beet harvester dont run on fresh air ,700 ltrs tday , lifting man said £10 extra
labour more ,
run 6 machines ,and tractors and trailers , 10000 acre plus a year , be some big costs
serious kit but has diesel gone up that much? big is buetifull ! but is it? compare 2 row tanker 0.8 acres hr 100 hp tractor 15 t trailer 160 hp unloading on the move. our fuel costs havnt gone up that much , i think well stay small scale!
 

Robt

Member
Location
Suffolk
Don't you sell Drills? So surely you'd have an idea of what they'll cover? If it does 5 acres an hour you on £8 Acre at £40 Hour. If it does 8 Acres an hour you on £5 an acre presumably with a bigger drill and burning more fuel.

The rest of the posts are on acres not hours.
I do but always find it hard to get genuine cost per hour/acre figures . So interested to hear actual figures
 

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Webinar: Expanded Sustainable Farming Incentive offer 2024 -26th Sept

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On Thursday 26th September, we’re holding a webinar for farmers to go through the guidance, actions and detail for the expanded Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) offer. This was planned for end of May, but had to be delayed due to the general election. We apologise about that.

Farming and Countryside Programme Director, Janet Hughes will be joined by policy leads working on SFI, and colleagues from the Rural Payment Agency and Catchment Sensitive Farming.

This webinar will be...
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