Making a living with with your machine?

[L47TLBwannabe]

Just wondering if there is anybody else here that uses their tractor to make money or even earn a living here. I'm a Heavy Equipment Operator by trade and as much as I'd like to play the only way I can justify buying an L47 or M62 is by making it work. Doing jobs like septic installations, utility trenching, landscaping, mowing, and driveway work.

 

[RjCorazza]

Hardly making a living, but I plow about 12 driveways with my L4060. My run takes about 2 hours and is a retirement gig.

 

[Complete Turf Care]

Yes, I use my tractors to make a living. I build and renovate athletic fields and I do some work on golf courses.

It would be hard for me to justify $80,000 worth of tractors just for food plots......

 

[Redlands Okie]

Seems your doing some research. Good idea. Keep in mind that there seems to be a lot of people out there brush hogging, grading drives, etc for half of what it cost to operate and pay for a tractor and make wages. Plus hauling equipment, insurance, etc. They just seem to look at the money they have at the end of the day. Not what it cost for wear and tear, replacement, etc.

You will need a client base that pays for professional work done by a professional. It’s there, just have to try to have plans to get them.

The septic tank and systems idea you mentioned is one example that requires permits or license to install, skill and proper tools. So that eliminates a lot of the casual operators.

 

[atsah]

I get asked all the time to do things for people, I love working with my tractor.

With that said the liability is why I wont do tractor work for others on a constant basis. I have a close friend next door that needs the gravel driveway fixed a couple of times a year, I do that and if someone asks me to use my forks to lift something out of a truck I will probably do it but it's always on my mind that something could happen off my property so I keep it to a minimum.

I helped a guy this winter move 5ft of snow to get to his septic because it froze but I don't take money.. As soon as you accept money it's a whole other can of worms unless you have insurance and all the other stuff for making money with personal equipment..

 

[Jstpssng]

I get asked all the time to do things for people, I love working with my tractor.

With that said the liability is why I wont do tractor work for others on a constant basis. I have a close friend next door that needs the gravel driveway fixed a couple of times a year, I do that and if someone asks me to use my forks to lift something out of a truck I will probably do it but it's always on my mind that something could happen off my property so I keep it to a minimum.

I helped a guy this winter move 5ft of snow to get to his septic because it froze but I don't take money.. As soon as you accept money it's a whole other can of worms unless you have insurance and all the other stuff for making money with personal equipment..

My 82 YO mother still keeps an ample supply of homemade cookies in her freezer, for those who help her but won't accept money.

 

[atsah]

My 82 YO mother still keeps an ample supply of homemade cookies in her freezer, for those who help her but won't accept money.

I will accept homemade cookies..:licking:

 

[L47TLBwannabe]

Yeah the septic installers course is a week long affair and they can only be done during fair weather and there doesn't seem to be as many guys installing them anymore. As for guys running their own businesses bush hogging or whatever there isn't much of that here but there a lot of compact tractors around and I have yet to see a Kubota TLB but there are a lot of tracked skid-steers and mini-excavators around sadly. lol

 

[Pops15]

Talk to your accountant, lawyer, and insurance agent, then decide if putting a machine to work for hire is justified. The accountant and lawyer won't be bad. The insurance agent will likely change your mind.

 

[spitter]

Back in the 80s lots of people bought backhoe and dump trucks made lots of money .When the market droped out in 90s most sold equipment for cheap . The guys left where working for peanuts . Stil depending on where you live you can still find people running equipment for no more than a days pay . You have to keep that equipment running 12 hours a day constantly to make money and hope nothing brakes or some as#$ole dosent pay you . People think just cause you have your own company you are the bank of America. :drink: