Hedge cutting rates

[7740 man]

There will always be the super cheap brigade. Mostly though they either go bust, are unreliable or do a poor job. Been doing hedgecutting for 16 years, and despite being dearer than most margins are tight. No fancy tractor or trimmer, lots of hours to get economies of scale (ie concentrating on it as a primary earner, not as part time) & greasing religiously. Also doing a dam fine job to the best of your ability as swiftly as you can. I know another contractor who does it as a ‘loss leader’ to keep wheels turning for £20/hour on a 6155r & £25000 trimmer. Wtf??????? What is the point?

 

[balerman]

There will always be the super cheap brigade. Mostly though they either go bust, are unreliable or do a poor job. Been doing hedgecutting for 16 years, and despite being dearer than most margins are tight. No fancy tractor or trimmer, lots of hours to get economies of scale (ie concentrating on it as a primary earner, not as part time) & greasing religiously. Also doing a dam fine job to the best of your ability as swiftly as you can. I know another contractor who does it as a ‘loss leader’ to keep wheels turning for £20/hour on a 6155r & £25000 trimmer. Wtf??????? What is the point?

Maybe he is breaking even at that and it enables him to keep a valued employee through the winter rather than laying him off and expecting him to be available next year...Fact is hedge trimming doesn't add a penny to the bottom line on the farm,so most people will get it done as cheap as possible,no point complaining about it.Either use a £10k tractor and £3k trimmer and maybe make a quid or 2 out of it,or use a £70k outfit and lose money,or give it up,rates will never go up..

 

[Still Farming]

Yes. It’s £18/hour here plus Farmers fuel. Plenty of operators around.

Trying £35 hour up here some ?
All you need is a creep box tractor too???

 

[v8willy]

There will always be the super cheap brigade. Mostly though they either go bust, are unreliable or do a poor job. Been doing hedgecutting for 16 years, and despite being dearer than most margins are tight. No fancy tractor or trimmer, lots of hours to get economies of scale (ie concentrating on it as a primary earner, not as part time) & greasing religiously. Also doing a dam fine job to the best of your ability as swiftly as you can. I know another contractor who does it as a ‘loss leader’ to keep wheels turning for £20/hour on a 6155r & £25000 trimmer. Wtf??????? What is the point?

It can be the case that the contractor does all the work, makes his money on the silage, slurry or whatever, so wouldn't want someone else in doing hedges....who may start doing slurry at some point.

 

[paul&mandy]

Maybe he is breaking even at that and it enables him to keep a valued employee through the winter rather than laying him off and expecting him to be available next year...Fact is hedge trimming doesn't add a penny to the bottom line on the farm,so most people will get it done as cheap as possible,no point complaining about it.Either use a £10k tractor and £3k trimmer and maybe make a quid or 2 out of it,or use a £70k outfit and lose money,or give it up,rates will never go up..

I bet that 10k tractor and 3k trimmer is atleast half the speed of my outfit. But.... People moan like hell for charging a realistic price for having the most modern high output kit. Just wished there was a way of doing it per square meter but impossible to work it out.

 

[balerman]

I bet that 10k tractor and 3k trimmer is atleast half the speed of my outfit. But.... People moan like hell for charging a realistic price for having the most modern high output kit. Just wished there was a way of doing it per square meter but impossible to work it out.

Maybe,maybe not.How much faster is a 5ft or even 6ft head,a lot of hedges will still need 2 side cuts,a top and perhaps a bottom cut.Its unfortunate,but very difficult to justify using an expensive outfit for a menial job.

 

[d williams]

I bet that 10k tractor and 3k trimmer is atleast half the speed of my outfit. But.... People moan like hell for charging a realistic price for having the most modern high output kit. Just wished there was a way of doing it per square meter but impossible to work it out.

Im sure the consultants have come up with a acre price can't remember but sure it was around £3/4ac on average there will be some variation but as an average

 

[paul&mandy]

Maybe,maybe not.How much faster is a 5ft or even 6ft head,a lot of hedges will still need 2 side cuts,a top and perhaps a bottom cut.Its unfortunate,but very difficult to justify using an expensive outfit for a menial job.

I beg to differ, I run 2 different size heads side by side and it's considerably slower. For the siding up and the hedges I can do I 1 pass instead of 2 or the bigger hedges that are 2 instead of 3. I slightly higher rate I'm still 100% sure the customer is getting a better deal than the smaller head. But do they see it that way? No. That's why I run both side by side. Both have there place. The smaller head can work the bottom of a ditch better and works pretty quick to do the 1st rough cut.

 

[Grassman]

It's simple really. Charge what you like. If you get the work all is good. If you don't does it matter?.
Let someone else wear out expensive machinery.

 

[paul&mandy]

It's simple really. Charge what you like. If you get the work all is good. If you don't does it matter?.
Let someone else wear out expensive machinery.

You hit the nail on the head. Yes I could run old kit and no disrespect to anyone who does. I started out with a ford 4600 and an old turner hydramower so I've been there, but if I charged £10 an hr for that it would still be dearer to do the same work as my current setup. Price per hr is meaningless.
But now we must be cutting round 8000 acres and it's a job for us not a little bit on the side.
The kit has to pay for itself not subsidised by another venture or it don't leave.
Yes you could pay for someone's wages over the winter but why not earn a living out of it? Too many busy fools and good luck to them if they want to go undercut me. l'lI be the 1st to laugh at them.

 

[ARW]

Exactly the opinion here, we charge a realistic rate that runs and replaces machinery with decent second hand stuff, the aim is to be there consistently for our customers with a capable machine with minimal breakdowns to offer a good service. If some agricultural retard knocks the door down with cut throat rates and flashing lights and takes half our work then it’s no problem, we just do more fencing, I never beg for the work if they want us they have to pay a fair charge, if they don’t like it then feck off! We did about 1500 hours last year so we aren’t just doing a bit to keep us going in winter

 

[newhollandfarmer]

£15 an hour - the mans got no common sense. Take off repairs, maintenance, fuel, tyres, insurance and he is not even taking minimum wage.

He needs to spend £5.50 on a cheap Casio calculator and learn what the + and - buttons mean...

 

[fiat 9090]

If every one started charging £60 per hour that would become the norm. Sod £25.

No farmers would buy their own

 

[Henarar]

No farmers would buy their own

yep quite right, there is only so much the job will stand

 

[newhollandfarmer]

Who would do it for £15 hr?

This guy...

 

[Ducati899]

Christ I was charging £33@hour ten years ago and had more than enough to do

 

[Grassman]

Christ I was charging £33@hour ten years ago and had more than enough to do

I do despair with cheap hedgecutting. A lot will be out with £60k plus of machinery for very little return.
Fair do some might be doing the job with a lot less tied up in the job. But your driver, fuel, insurance, repairs and maintenance of tractor and hedgecutter will be similar.

50 bales an hour round baling could turn over £150 an hour. Net wrap to come off but it's a collossal difference.
You make money in the harvest then lose it hedgecutting. Why?

 

[Ducati899]

I do despair with cheap hedgecutting. A lot will be out with £60k plus of machinery for very little return.
Fair do some might be doing the job with a lot less tied up in the job. But your driver, fuel, insurance, repairs and maintenance of tractor and hedgecutter will be similar.

50 bales an hour round baling could turn over £150 an hour. Net wrap to come off but it's a collossal difference.
You make money in the harvest then lose it hedgecutting. Why?

The line of choice round here used to be “do it cheap to get the work and keep a driver busy”

 

[fiat 9090]

I do despair with cheap hedgecutting. A lot will be out with £60k plus of machinery for very little return.
Fair do some might be doing the job with a lot less tied up in the job. But your driver, fuel, insurance, repairs and maintenance of tractor and hedgecutter will be similar.

50 bales an hour round baling could turn over £150 an hour. Net wrap to come off but it's a collossal difference.
You make money in the harvest then lose it hedgecutting. Why?

The reason being baling depends on weather you need a new or nearly new baler if ur doing a lot of work the depreciation on a baler is a lot more the season is shorter and you could have to travel a fair bit between jobs ie the dairy men here are baling paddocks so you could have to drive two tractors to bale 40 bales a lot of money tied up the lad with the hedgecutter can come and go as he pleases

 

[Peppa pig]

I used simple calculations and came to this.only 60%ish of a mans time is chargeable??
1000 hrs cutting @ £30=£30'000

1400 hrs wages @£15=£21'000

1200 tractor hrs @£11=£13'200

So am at costs of £34'200 before a hedge cutter is bought and doubtful a tractor can be ran for £11 per hour.i dont do hedge cutting anymore[emoji23][emoji23]