Tractor and driver for hire

Lincs Lass

Member
Location
north lincs
I don't understand the determined fascination with tractor driving sometimes, your neck and back gets beaten up all day, you can sit in a seat and do the exact same thing basically in construction and the like and still get your neck and back beaten up?

If you like driving machinery then surely get paid by someone in hard cash to do it, why even bother buying your own??
I get asked why I hire mini diggers and not buy one myself ,,,for the simple reason it's not worth the hassle,,can't garauntee it going to get used,,its dead money ,,finance companies still want paying if its sat doing nowt,,,buying a tractor for hire will be the same,,might get a few months work for it but no garauntees
 

fiat 9090

Member
Location
co offaly eire
Hi there, I’m looking into buying a tractor to hire into the uk with a driver for the busy planting and harvest season.

Looking at buying something along the lines of a Massey Ferguson 7720/case puma 175. Is there many people hiring tractors in for the harvest/planting season?

What sort of hourly rate would seem reasonable for a tractor and driver?
Matt there are so many variables but as a contractor who employs lads I understand ,first of all dont borrow too much and start with what you can afford maybe a tm, 6290 mf. Hd 10 or 20 series ,go work for a contractor and someday when he needs another tractor you should be ready,three of the lads working for me have there own and I do hire them in ,it makes financial sense but I wont hire in someone to pull my machines unless I know the drivers skill,the other question is why do you want to do this and I presume you are younger than 30
 

Chae1

Member
Location
Aberdeenshire
Matt there are so many variables but as a contractor who employs lads I understand ,first of all dont borrow too much and start with what you can afford maybe a tm, 6290 mf. Hd 10 or 20 series ,go work for a contractor and someday when he needs another tractor you should be ready,three of the lads working for me have there own and I do hire them in ,it makes financial sense but I wont hire in someone to pull my machines unless I know the drivers skill,the other question is why do you want to do this and I presume you are younger than 30
That's a good idea.
 

starkey92

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
Suffolk
Hourly rate here in Suffolk is about £25-30 an hour on the famers diesel.

Most on here will tell you're a fool don't do it, go and work for someone else etc but if you want to do it, work away. Its your life not theirs. Who cares if they don't like driving tractors, if you do and you enjoy owning your own kit then crack on imo. That's not to say you don't have to do your sums, but you can make a go at it as I that's what I did and plenty of others started that way too. Do your sums well, account for as much as you can and if you're happy with the take home figure then sod everyone else. I didnt start with a new tractor, but if your sums can make it work then be my guest.

Plenty of work down here for man and tractor on the veg gangs and maize too

One bit of advice I would add is its not the tractor that makes money, its what's on the back. Ie, if you have a special bit of kit no one else has you can charge a damn site more than the £2/hr you'll get for a trailer.
 

kiwi pom

Member
Location
canterbury NZ
I don't understand the determined fascination with tractor driving sometimes, your neck and back gets beaten up all day, you can sit in a seat and do the exact same thing basically in construction and the like and still get your neck and back beaten up?

If you like driving machinery then surely get paid by someone in hard cash to do it, why even bother buying your own??
Having their own tractor means they work for themselves, they don't want to be an employee and owning a tractor is a simple way to get into business. It doesn't require any qualifications, knowledge or even much skill. It can also be run alongside a farm as another income, and sitting in an air conditioned cab isn't exactly a hard days work.
Unfortunately because of this there's a lot doing it and rates are rubbish.
 

Matt88

Member
Thanks to everyone for there responses. It’s gave me a lot to think about … I’ve been trying to find work for a tractor and driver recently but have had no luck at all. I’ve been searching on google and Facebook but maybe these arnt the right places to look? Been mainly looking for work carting spuds ect
 
Thanks to everyone for there responses. It’s gave me a lot to think about … I’ve been trying to find work for a tractor and driver recently but have had no luck at all. I’ve been searching on google and Facebook but maybe these arnt the right places to look? Been mainly looking for work carting spuds ect

I am always amazed when reading about hourly rates in the U.K., they seem so incredibly low with prices charged here.
 

fiat 9090

Member
Location
co offaly eire
Thanks to everyone for there responses. It’s gave me a lot to think about … I’ve been trying to find work for a tractor and driver recently but have had no luck at all. I’ve been searching on google and Facebook but maybe these arnt the right places to look? Been mainly looking for work carting spuds ect
No Facebook and Google not the best place ,word of mouth and get driving for these lads first
 

Highland Mule

Member
Livestock Farmer
Thanks to everyone for there responses. It’s gave me a lot to think about … I’ve been trying to find work for a tractor and driver recently but have had no luck at all. I’ve been searching on google and Facebook but maybe these arnt the right places to look? Been mainly looking for work carting spuds ect
Are you the driver, or do you intend to employ someone else?
 
Having their own tractor means they work for themselves, they don't want to be an employee and owning a tractor is a simple way to get into business. It doesn't require any qualifications, knowledge or even much skill. It can also be run alongside a farm as another income, and sitting in an air conditioned cab isn't exactly a hard days work.
Unfortunately because of this there's a lot doing it and rates are rubbish.
If they think they are “working for themselves” then they are delusional.
If you have customers then they are who you work for.
Very few truly “work for themselves”.
 

kiwi pom

Member
Location
canterbury NZ
If they think they are “working for themselves” then they are delusional.
If you have customers then they are who you work for.
Very few truly “work for themselves”.
By working for themselves, I mean they have a tractor and they will turn up and drive it when the customer wants then bugger off. As opposed to working for someone and turning up at the set time and being told what to do for the day, which might involve tractor driving but might be brushing the yard and unblocking a drain.
 

kiwi pom

Member
Location
canterbury NZ
Thanks to everyone for there responses. It’s gave me a lot to think about … I’ve been trying to find work for a tractor and driver recently but have had no luck at all. I’ve been searching on google and Facebook but maybe these arnt the right places to look? Been mainly looking for work carting spuds ect
Do you already have the tractor and is it suitable. It sounds like you're doing things backwards, you're looking for work but don't seem to know what to charge. Work out the numbers first, so you know what you'll need to make money. If you want to employ someone, find them, then work out if they will be available when you want and how much you will have to pay them.
I can pretty much guarantee the tractor costs + driver costs will make you too expensive for anyone that hires in a tractor and man and is willing to offer a significant amount of work.
 

SFI - What % were you taking out of production?

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Red Tractor drops launch of green farming scheme amid anger from farmers

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As reported in Independent


quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

read the TFF thread here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/gfc-was-to-go-ahead-now-not-going-ahead.405234/
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