- Location
- somerset
a new bale and wrap baler is around £56k,I finished baling hay here for a neighbour at 18:30 and we both say in the shade of his tractor "chewing the fat" about Dad's life, farming and the state of society. We commented on the fact we'd just take and baled 30 acres of hay with about £30k total value in machinery ( 2 tractors, a baler and a rake). Most "modern" farms would have that tied up in just the baler and it wouldn't have done the job any better or cheaper, just cost more!
They probably wouldn't feel able to sit and chat after either, they'd have to "push on because time is money you know"
just bought, and delivered after 5 months wait, a 6 rota tedder, £4500
mowers could be any price, depending on what you want
rakes, again its what you want
then tractors
all adds up to a massive sum.
But that sum can be radically cut back, by using 2nd hand kit.
I really don't know if we should run our own kit, or use contractors more. We don't own a baler, but finding someone to bale your grass/hay, is getting harder, too many have stopped, simply not enough in the job, to make it worthwhile.
We just run basic kit, mower, tedder, decent trailor, and an up to date tractor, that's for hay/grass.
We have a vaderstaat drill, 2nd hand, we can use for all types of seeding, - well worth the money, a power harrow, subsoiler, and aerator, sums up our kit.
Back in the day, we did everything in house, combining to hedge trimming, but we also had the labour to do that.
Does owning a machine, to do a job yourself, cover the cost of that machine, plus labour, end up any cheaper than using a contractor ? Convenience ?
our accountants view is simple, 'we do the accounts of loads of contractors, they aren't making any money, why do you think you can do it cheaper ?'
bit of musing, on a subject, l often ponder over, and never come to a conclusive answer.