Part time mulching?

[Robbie Hegwood]

Stinson, you are wise to inquire and make the most educated desision possible. Here's something no one has mentioned yet. IF you were to go full time mulching a hidden cost is health care. Private insurance is expensive. Hopefully your wife can insure you cheaper. Anyway. If business gets busy you can always hire an operator. Finding the work is the tuff part, CB is a bit blessed in this area!!!
I would look for a good low hour used tractor to get started.

Last thing, Please take this correctly. If you cannot charge $140-150.00 an hour or get there bidding by the job you WILL go broke. I understand guys having to lower there prices to survive but they are hurting the mulching industry badly because customer hear these prices and baulk at the proper rates. It's extemely easy to lower your price standing with the customer but most times if your reputation is good they will pay the proper price.

SO, buy a tractor and have a go. But as they say don't quite your day job!!!!!!

Side note, go line up some work and rent a tractor for a week or month and see how your finances work out at the completition of the work. That will give you some good numbers and work experience with the whole packages.

Good luck.

 

[stinson]

Thanks Robbie. Good advice. Fortunately I recently retired from the military, so I've got decent health and dental insurance. I definitely agree with you on the costs...I work in the aviation business as well. As they say, you can lower your costs, you'll just go broke slower! We see guys dropping hourly aircraft rates (and lose money) just to drum up business and then the rest suffer.
Thanks again.