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Tractor hire

Spud

Spud

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
YO62
We hire tractors in various ways, nearly always by the clock hour - in my veiw its fair, insomuch as if we use it more, we pay more, use less, pay less. In a wet year, for example, a taty lifting season will take proportionately more weeks than a dry one, but not nec a lot more hours.. 2012 was 10weeks to lift 200ac, with lots of half days and lost days. 2016 was 5 weeks to lift 320ac, barely stopped. We know we've got the work to do, but rarely know how long it will take. A wet year can be 100% longer in weeks, but only 50% longer in hours.

Generally, we hire tractors with drivers, both paid by the hour, seperately. (ie the driver gets paid wether or not the tractor is running)

Occasionally, we'll hire from our local second hand tractor dealer, but thats usually by the week. Bit of a pain tbh, because in a catchy time that can be expensive, unless we prat on swapping jobs between tractors to maximise the hours on the hire machine.

I appreciate a longer ternm hire on a new machine prob needs to be weekly though.

I'm currently comparing buying new, buying s/h, contract hire, and long term hire to replace one of our tractors thats due for replacement at 11yo. The cost to change is a bit scary!
 
M

Mr Charisma

Member
Location
stratford on Avon
We hire a rubber tracked Claas 55 , autumn only tho it's still parked up in our shed ,,,,, only time will tell if it's here to do a weeks work in the spring , we wouldn't usually hire in the spring as the transport makes it to expensive . We have always hired by the week and over the years have built a good relationship with the hirer , if we have a bad weeks weather it gets put off hire ,,,,, tractors are 20 odd years old but well cared for and all breakdowns are soon repaired , he always keeps a spare tractor in the yard in case of big breakdowns . This year has ended up being a expensive one but on the back of others that have been cheap
 
Spud

Spud

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
YO62
Mr Charisma said:
We hire a rubber tracked Claas 55 , autumn only tho it's still parked up in our shed ,,,,, only time will tell if it's here to do a weeks work in the spring , we wouldn't usually hire in the spring as the transport makes it to expensive . We have always hired by the week and over the years have built a good relationship with the hirer , if we have a bad weeks weather it gets put off hire ,,,,, tractors are 20 odd years old but well cared for and all breakdowns are soon repaired , he always keeps a spare tractor in the yard in case of big breakdowns . This year has ended up being a expensive one but on the back of others that have been cheap
Click to expand...

Is the 'hire week' based on an approximate (or average) amount of hours? or a minimum hire period?
 
Spud

Spud

Member
Arable Farmer
Location
YO62
To answer your questions:

If you hire a tractor, what size do you get? How long do you hire it for? Generally 150hp ish, 4 weeks in spring and 6 in back end
Is it looked after? How old do you expect it to be? Its serviced and repaired by the hirer, odd little jobs we tend to do. Usually approx 15yo
Dose anyone hire in winter spring? Occasionally, if we have a peak/clash, or a breakdown or something. Had two in a couple of weeks back for a day because we were trying to plough and drill wheat after fresh lifted sugar beet before the weather broke, and cart taties 10miles from store to our washer to fill orders.
feel free to tell me to mind my own. No worries
 
Rowland

Rowland

Member
Location
Northeast England
Spud said:
To answer your questions:

If you hire a tractor, what size do you get? How long do you hire it for? Generally 150hp ish, 4 weeks in spring and 6 in back end
Is it looked after? How old do you expect it to be? Its serviced and repaired by the hirer, odd little jobs we tend to do. Usually approx 15yo
Dose anyone hire in winter spring? Occasionally, if we have a peak/clash, or a breakdown or something. Had two in a couple of weeks back for a day because we were trying to plough and drill wheat after fresh lifted sugar beet before the weather broke, and cart taties 10miles from store to our washer to fill orders.
feel free to tell me to mind my own. No worries
Click to expand...

Im thinking of hiring a few tractors out when i don't need them . So thanks for your answers . I would be just to people i know and think i can trust . Looking at using 160 - 180 hp tractors for the job .
 
Dman2

Dman2

Member
Location
Durham, UK
If your from the Northeast as I assume you are according to your location.
JR Firby hires out tractors as does JA Swinbank ( although they are likely to be older )
Firby was £500 a week I think for a JD 6630
 
L

Lincoln75

Member
Rowland said:
All depends on which way you look at it
Click to expand...

What I mean is I`m sure you will find a lot cheaper ,especially if you have a good relationship with your local dealer .

Remember to have contracts drawn up , word of mouth wont cut it in court if someone blows your tractor up through negligence and wont pay up, I`d find a copy of some one else's rental agreement and re word it to suit yourself , save paying a lawyer hundreds/thousands.:whistle:
 

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Webinar: Expanded Sustainable Farming Incentive offer 2024 -26th Sept

Aug 27
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On Thursday 26th September, we’re holding a webinar for farmers to go through the guidance, actions and detail for the expanded Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) offer. This was planned for end of May, but had to be delayed due to the general election. We apologise about that.

Farming and Countryside Programme Director, Janet Hughes will be joined by policy leads working on SFI, and colleagues from the Rural Payment Agency and Catchment Sensitive Farming.

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