What should I be charging per hour for tractor and man

[powerontheland]

Most modern tractors are £10 in depreciation, add on servicing at £2 per hour, tyres at £2 per hour and say 15l diesel at 60ppl per hour so that's another £10. Add in a man at £15 and there's your £39 before profit.

You forgot insurance too!!

 

[GeorgeK]

We had a couple of local self employed farm workers help us with concreting for a few days, when I asked why their invoices were so much less than if I'd employed builders they said "that's just ag wages, but we love farming, wouldn't want to do anything else". It's crazy, both skilled mechanics, sprayer drivers, fencers etc too. Had to give a hefty bonus just to bring it up to a fair wage

 

[Celt83]

How do people justify so low rates to themselves? The tractor or the driver is doing free work at that money.

We charge 75€+vat/hour for our Jd6630 or Case Maxxum 135 Cvx and a chain mulcher with our own diesel.

Plenty round here for that money.

every man and his dog wants to sit on his arse all day going back and fore hauling but you try and get them to help with working with cattle and sheep they scatter like rats on a sinking ship!

I guess if he was to ask more the tractor would be sat idle on the yard not earning nothing and if there is finance on it better to get it working than not?

 

[Rowland]

exactly get rich quicker driving a taxi!

a 5 year old mondeo fine for this job,(no twin beacons required either) investment vs return looks much more appealing

You need to get the work 1st sitting around waiting for the phone to ring or on the rank.
Plate to buy insurance service to pay toe rags pukeing up in cab then doing a runner.
Sitting on rank then getting a fair 1 mile across town back to the back of the rank.
Waiting for punter to come out of pub waiting for punter who never shows! Your welcome to it .
If the Grass looks greener on that side of the fence then hop over and join them .

 

[Rowland]

What should I be charging per hour for a 234 valtra and man (230 horsepower) with my own fuel, to pull someone's 18 ton silage trailer on grass.

Edit:- based in north east England

Not sure if it’s any comparison but I’ve 180 hp tractor 8 years old 50k box . When I go out leading grass with contractors trailer it’s £30-£35per hr depending on a few factors.

It’s ok everyone saying charge 40-50 quid and I’ll dare bet you’ll only work for that customer once . The rates should be higher but there not weather the money is actually there to pay for the higher rates is in the job I’m not sure.

Give it another 10 years and then there’ll be even less tractors about on farms and a tractor and man maybe able to charge a decent rate . I’ll hopefully be retired by then.

If the tractor breaks even or makes a quid or 2 you are getting paid your £15 per hr it’s better than making nowt .

 

[pdagriservices]

Nothing has moved very much!? Everyone about this way was charging £27 an hour with fuel supplied and that was 2001/02!!

 

[Ali_Maxxum]

£35/hr min.

People think I'm earning a fortune when I'm out subbing with the tractor, turn over is higher, yes, am I earning any more than if I was driving someone elses? No, probably less in fact.

 

[lexion780tt]

How much will some pay for a shooting day, go skiing or range rover service and still want to pay the lowest price for help?

 

[Farmer Roy]

Here it would be £60-70/hr, or $120-150 "going rate",.proabably bit less for a neighbour/mate

You have to factor in everything from tyre wear and servicing costs to the contents of your bait bag and a decent hourly rate, really.

That sounds about right for here also, but I'd want fuel supplied as well.

 

[Farmer Roy]

Just to put things into perspective - I'm currently being paid £22 / hr to drive SOMEONE ELSE'S machine . . .

 

[ollie989898]

Sounds like folk are buying machinery and then working it every hour they can to keep finance companies happy!!

 

[Farmer Roy]

They must be very thirsty or suffer astronomical depreciation if that's the case.

Wages, running costs, tyres, servicing must all be very cheap where you are ?

 

[Farmer Roy]

@Thick Farmer
Would be about 22to 25 down here

See my above post re wages . . .

I wouldn't even bother starting my lawn mower for that sort of money, let alone a tractor & paying wages as well . . .

My 16 year old nephew is getting that, using an old push lawnmower after school / on weekends

 

[Farmer Roy]

Err, if the rates should be higher & there's no money in the game . . .
Why do it ???

 

[Celt83]

Sounds like folk are buying machinery and then working it every hour they can to keep finance companies happy!!

That’s definitely the case with young people buying brand new shiny kit worth over £100,000 to bale and wrap for peanuts and throwing the rake in for nothing to get the job!

A few tractors in the local dealer have over 8000hrs and only 4 years old. What’s the px value on them? Not much I bet

 

[ollie989898]

That’s definitely the case with young people buying brand new shiny kit worth over £100,000 to bale and wrap for peanuts and throwing the rake in for nothing to get the job!

A few tractors in the local dealer have over 8000hrs and only 4 years old. What’s the px value on them? Not much I bet

I don't see how anyone can afford to do it. Machinery is eye-wateringly expensive, unless they do the carting of silage for small or no margin and offset it with other work that does pay? Baling etc and the like?

 

[Chae1]

Just to put things into perspective - I'm currently being paid £22 / hr to drive SOMEONE ELSE'S machine . . .

Do they provide food/accommodation as part of job?

 

[FIL46]

You would be better off leaving the tractor parked in the shed and take time off, as said flat out carting someone else’s silage will wear it out and it will brake Down when you need it

 

[76masseyman]

You would be better off leaving the tractor parked in the shed and take time off, as said flat out carting someone else’s silage will wear it out and it will brake Down when you need it

And then a £1,000 for an extra dealer service.

 

[Wardysdef]

Take a look at the National Association of Agricultural Contractors price guide, that's an average across the country but the costs must include insurance, depreciation,service costs,tyre,fuel, your time, calculated over the length of contract,does your insurance cover contracting? All thing you will have to take into account, buisy fools situation,