Self propelled forager charge

[Tullyvernon]

No I don't grudge anyone having a profit, all I was saying was that the man with a lower spec/ older machine can do it for less as he has less capital cost in the machine, repairs and maintenance and down to the owner of the machine servicing it well.

We would all be paying a lot less for contracting if there were more contractors with more basic kit.

£15/18 acre plenty

What is it that you think is so good about 'more basic kit'

Maybe in the case of a contractor who has much higher capacity machinery than the need, but in those cases they absorb the additional costs in competing with other contractors

You would all be paying less for contracting if...... more contractors didn't know there true running costs and were under charging

 

[Eminus]

But then you get stick for undercutting other contractors :')

Maybe it's not undercutting it's working with a different margin, perhaps the contractors with the fancy kit should actually be doing a lot more acres than they are but the climate we live in dictates how much can be done in the "weather window" and because the extra acres can't be done the cost per acre has to go up to justify the machines.

 

[Orionn4444]

What is it that you think is so good about 'more basic kit'

Maybe in the case of a contractor who has much higher capacity machinery than the need, but in those cases they absorb the additional costs in competing with other contractors

You would all be paying less for contracting if...... more contractors didn't know there true running costs and were under charging

Cheaper to buy I think? I charge £15 an acre for seeding, which I believe is just below the norm for around here, but the seeder cost 50(ish)% less than a fancy Dancy one!

 

[Eminus]

More basic kit costs less to buy. Onceapon a time you got in a machine and operated it now your a driver

 

[Orionn4444]

More basic kit costs less to buy. Onceapon a time you got in a machine and operated it now your a driver

That's because the computer does it for you...we have nothing fancy on the farm! Seeder is an Andrew Guest refurb, plough is 3 furr reversible with no hydraulics minus the turning ram, newest tractor until Monday was an 03 plate...I'm not an operator yet but I hope to be that good! Always try to learn how to do things differently and trying to maintain things!

 

[Tullyvernon]

Cheaper to buy I think? I charge £15 an acre for seeding, which I believe is just below the norm for around here, but the seeder cost 50(ish)% less than a fancy Dancy one!

Someone had to buy it new when it was 'fancy Dancy' tho.

 

[Tullyvernon]

More basic kit costs less to buy. Onceapon a time you got in a machine and operated it now your a driver

If all contractors used horses we would have even less to pay too

 

[Orionn4444]

Someone had to buy it new when it was 'fancy Dancy' tho.

I think even when new it wouldn't be that fancy...

And have you seen the price of horse food these days?!

 

[james ds]

If all contractors used horses we would have even less to pay too

Save diesel alright but need more oats.

 

[kiwi pom]

We would all be paying a lot less for contracting if there were more contractors with more basic kit.

£15/18 acre plenty

Whilst I would agree with you that the there seems to be plenty of contractors and farmers out there perhaps over specifying some of there kit, I'm not sure basic kit should equal lower price.
It would be a bit like a milk/grain/beef buyer saying "sorry Mr smith, we're not going to pay you as much for your milk because your parlours basic and worn out" or "we've decided to give Mr jones more than you for his wheat because he has a brand new combine with all the bells and whistles".

 

[tr250]

Chopping should be the same price as combining imo. At least £30 anyway.

You can use a forager 5 months a year a combine is 6 weeks

 

[stevedave]

What do you mean by more basic kit?

 

[Eminus]

less fancy gubbings that make the contractors life easier and does nothing for the farmer

 

[Eminus]

@kiwi pom what i mean is with more basic kit or lower value kit with less capital involved then i think a lower price per acre can be charged and so its not undercutting

 

[cvx175]

less fancy gubbings that make the contractors life easier and does nothing for the farmer

Such as?

 

[Eminus]

most of the computer equipment on them for a start. anyway the thread was about charge per acre for a SP. and its strayed way of topic all i was saying is that a lower cost machine ( capital cost) can do it cheaper!

 

[Pennine Ploughing]

No one offered to do it for free yet ? Lol

 

[Tullyvernon]

@kiwi pom what i mean is with more basic kit or lower value kit with less capital involved then i think a lower price per acre can be charged and so its not undercutting

most of the computer equipment on them for a start. anyway the thread was about charge per acre for a SP. and its strayed way of topic all i was saying is that a lower cost machine ( capital cost) can do it cheaper!

Ok, so lower value kit....Instead of wide wheels to prevent compaction, your contractor could go with narrow ones on all machinery, that would save contractors a fortune. Then get rid of all computer equipment, so you want mechanical fuel injection and manual gearbox, as those tractors are only really available around 100 hp, you need smaller trailers, so more man hours per acre, more fuel etc. and your running costs are back above what they were before!!

 

[Pennine Ploughing]

Ok, so lower value kit....Instead of wide wheels to prevent compaction, your contractor could go with narrow ones on all machinery, that would save contractors a fortune. Then get rid of all computer equipment, so you want mechanical fuel injection and manual gearbox, as those tractors are only really available around 100 hp, you need smaller trailers, so more man hours per acre, more fuel etc. and your running costs are back above what they were before!!

You mean a Davy broon and a Kidd double chop ?

 

[Vernon]

As a contractor I'd happily run basic kit, but that doesn't always result in lower cost. I could sell my tractor and mowers and get some basic garden shears, charge out at cost plus a small profit and be quite happy, but I bet the charge for cutting an acre of grass would be much higher than using the fancy tractor and mowers.
Regarding op, £25 per acre including fuel. Old jag can suffer £15k blow up just as easily as a new one.

Vernon