If you were a silage contractor

[kiwi pom]

I'd assume there was some kind of order before the delays, so you could stick to that.
Probably more of a case of looking after your best customers, hopefully the best customers work wise are also the best paying wise, to make the decision easier.

Wet years with big delays tend to spawn new start ups as they see an opportunity to move in and steal work. If you have to lose customers to them, lose the bad payers.

 

[jimmer]

As per thread title

There ain't enough mechanics

 

[kiwi pom]

Know a man that goes out and starts mowin and then starts to ring the contractor, if he cant do it he rings the next man and so on, hes never been beat yet as its paid once its lifted and he always gets some1. I think hes not so far wrong as he gets it in when he wants it in and doesnt have to wait in a que

Still occasionally talk to contractors in sunny Cheshire. There's a lot do that these days apparently. One chap tells me its not unusual to lose work for being a day behind.
Years ago there were only a few good contractors running, nowadays everyone seems to want to do it. I'm told quite a few are funded by money from outside sources?

 

[Wellytrack]

There will always be some1 go do it as they know there gonna get paid. I dont accept the c#*t comment as hes just gettin his grass in when he wants it in. If u were needin a tyre patched and ur local tyre depot couldnt do it for 2 or 3 days would u wait or go elsewhere? If u went else where would that make u a c#*t? And would it make the other place u went a gypsy? Its the same scenerio. Hes needin a service and willing to pay for it fair and square and totally within his rights to get whoever can provide that service

You have completely ignored the important factor in your equation. Planned work Vs unplanned work. I've never failed to had good service from my local tyre man in an emergency and if he couldn't help he would recommend someone who could. The man in your post goes and mows first THEN starts the ringing round.

Nutter.

How hard would it be to book in and plan the work? Some contractors may lie to him and say I'll be there such a day with no intention of getting, other contractors will tell them they are unable to get to a certain day and be truthful.
The man who was truthful could have been the best. How many trenches are spun? Gate posts trailed to the road? Pits Well rolled? Is whoever is doing his grass giving there very best/sending their best? Doubt it.

Good payer or not he's treating people like they aren't even human.
The man in your example gives no heed nor respect to the man putting it in, nor does he think much of his own crop and the value of its feeding all winter. This isn't like shopping for a wheelbarrow and find one a tenner less than another, if a man can make a decision like that over his most valuable crop I'd be the last man near him when times are good - or bad.

 

[daveydiesel1]

He is a spontanious man. He would just take a notion hes for cuttin grass today and goes and starts. Theres plenty of contractors round here and most now have 2 harvesters but dont need them everyday so theres always some1 can go. It works very well for him and iv yet to see him beat

 

[Beef farmer]

We will always cut when we want, someone will lift it. Luckily our contractor is very good. Always let him have as much notice as possible. Will cut on Sunday. Rang him 10 days ago to share my plan.

 

[kiwi pom]

He is a spontanious man. He would just take a notion hes for cuttin grass today and goes and starts. Theres plenty of contractors round here and most now have 2 harvesters but dont need them everyday so theres always some1 can go. It works very well for him and iv yet to see him beat

I think it's going more and more like that now, people just don't want to wait.

We will always cut when we want, someone will lift it. Luckily our contractor is very good. Always let him have as much notice as possible. Will cut on Sunday. Rang him 10 days ago to share my plan.

If the weather forecast showed moving it forward to Friday will work better, what would you do if the contractor was busy?

 

[Still Farming]

Diesel, dinner ,dosh, rest can whistle.

 

[pappuller]

Still occasionally talk to contractors in sunny Cheshire. There's a lot do that these days apparently. One chap tells me its not unusual to lose work for being a day behind.
Years ago there were only a few good contractors running, nowadays everyone seems to want to do it. I'm told quite a few are funded by money from outside sources?

Cheshire pressure

 

[Beef farmer]

I think it's going more and more like that now, people just don't want to wait.



If the weather forecast showed moving it forward to Friday will work better, what would you do if the contractor was busy?

Get another 1 in. But he's not busy because I asked for him to be with me mon/Wednesday 10 days ago. He's going somewhere else tue/thur.
Communication is the key

 

[kiwi pom]

Get another 1 in. But he's not busy because I asked for him to be with me mon/Wednesday 10 days ago. He's going somewhere else tue/thur.
Communication is the key

A silage contractor who isn't busy in May after a wet spell?
I get the communication bit but it's still one sided, if he breaks down, he loses the work, hell of a lot of pressure on him.
I can see your side too mind.
No idea why so many want to be Ag contractors. Must be a lot more money in it these days.

 

[Beef farmer]

A silage contractor who isn't busy in May after a wet spell?
I get the communication bit but it's still one sided, if he breaks down, he loses the work, hell of a lot of pressure on him.
I can see your side too mind.
No idea why so many want to be Ag contractors. Must be a lot more money in it these days.

For sure he lives well.
If he breaks down he fixes it quick and cracks on. Wagons seem to be fairly reliable and well built. They keep this gear new for a reason I guess.

 

[som farmer]

A silage contractor who isn't busy in May after a wet spell?
I get the communication bit but it's still one sided, if he breaks down, he loses the work, hell of a lot of pressure on him.
I can see your side too mind.
No idea why so many want to be Ag contractors. Must be a lot more money in it these days.

our accountant tells us, contractors make bugger all, so why buy kit, if they can do it for less than you.
the problem with big farmers wanting to go first, that's where the money is, mates moved farms, his contractor is £70,000 less, this season, we all need the best silage we can possibly get, it's vital, but around us, big farms first. We had an arrangement with a local contractor, sit down, work out roughly what he was going to do, divide by 12, straight into his bank 20th each month, and very good service, illness, son took over at a young age, worried by the fact he owed us several £1,000, couldn't get his head round it, and ended up near last in the queue. We now help a farmer/contractor, with a small customer base, and back to good service.
Standing joke with baler man, we ring, 'permission to cut', and yes or wait, lot of his customers cut first, then ring.
Especially in a bad year like this, you have to work with your contractor, and be polite on the phone, it's no good shouting at him, he can't do everybody at once.
Keep thinking about own baler/wrapper, the ability to cut each field, at ideal stage, is quite attractive, but balers with knives are expensive, and 180 cows +y/s, is a lot of bales, and plastic to dispose off, and l hate round bale silage.

 

[Jackov Altraids]

If a contractor went to do a second cut and I was still waiting for my first cut I wouldn’t be over happy

I really think that is completely irrelevant.

 

[Skintagain]

I really think that is completely irrelevant.

I don’t

seen some little men waiting a month whilst big boy gets theirs perfectly on time.

 

[deere 6600]

I've seen both sides of this storyam a farmer with grass to cut and I worked for a local contracter .round here if you cut then phoned you could wait days to get it lifted however there is big capacity everywhere to chop grass With the cost of tackle and the grief of doin the job good luck to these guys how do you budget when joe blogs with 300 acre might just phone somebody else . I always phone our guy before I cut

 

[Kevtherev]

Glad I packed it up as fed up of late payers and being shouted at.
#grassfever

 

[frederick]

Wish someone would jump my place at the front of que. Ground probably travel after lunch but risk of tonight's front worries me so think we will be better off mowing first thing tomorrow if the front doesn't make it this far.
I don't just feel my own pressure I know that I keep pushing everyone else back 24 hours.

 

[jondear]

Damn tootin’ right. Dropping 150ac of second cut today, picking tomorrow

Isn't big bootifull!

 

[Skintagain]

Damn tootin’ right. Dropping 150ac of second cut today, picking tomorrow

Bloody big lawn to clip