What would you charge?

[Jeff Lary]

Are you going into this job sight unseen? Man I would have at least went to check out this jobsite first. Youre going to end up f-ing your tractor up over 35 bucks.

I aint tryin to be mean or anything but I've been there, done that. If anyone tells you your price is too high, tell them to go buy a new tractor and some new implements for it.

From my experience, when you run into a job that gives you that bad vibe just walk away from it. It'll save you alot of headache.

I hope you stick around the forum man. It's a good place to learn alot as long as your wearing your BS detectors.

Be sure you let us know how the job goes. Maybe you'll end up feeding a few of us some good ole crow.

Re-post fron a diffrent forum just so I did not have to re-write my way of thinking over here as well.



Oh god yea I will be around,And I will keep you informed as to how it goes. I dont know what to say I could BS you but the truth is this.When I was 10 my dad died and it left me and mom to do everything me being 10 at the time i was'nt as much help as she needed.Everyone that ever hepled her and there were not many always took advantage of her.I always wondered why people just couldnt help out once and a while but they never seemed to.When I was 11 she got a ride for us to a saw shop 20 miles away and bought me a jonsered 510 sp. The man at the shop said kid you will get yourself killed,....pretty encouraging for mom to hear. Well I did not, nor did i cut the 13 coard of wood she needed every winter but I cut some, poplar, ceder, maple, birch and i learned .Over the next few years I helped everybody i could and said i always would but that way of thinking can sometimes become a problem. I just have a soft spot of for the needy i guess.

 

[raptor749]

Hope this helps, here in NC I charge $55.00 to $70.00 an hour for tractor work , depends on what I'm doing ..If its manual labor its $30.00 per hour , and a freind told me yesterday thats not enough . He said everyone else around here is charging $50.00 to $75.00 an hour for manual labor , and more for tractor work . Yes I try to help others also , BUT , you know what fuel , maintance , and repairs cost . So help if you like , but dont SELL YOURSELF SHORT $$$$$ . Good luck .

 

[Redbug]

Jeff,
When I first got a tractor, I had people asking me to do different things for them. I did some things for free and some things for money. It depended on who it was. Some projects were a pain in the rear and got in the way of doing my own projects.

After a while I came to a realization. Just because you have the equipment does not mean you have to use it for other people. Most people will use you and take advantage if you allow them. You have what you own for your own use. If you are not hurting for money, and you don't feel like doing something for someone else, then don't do it. I don't do hardly any projects anymore for other people. Even if the money offered is really good. Money has nothing to do with it. It's hard enough getting the time for my own projects much less other people's jobs. If they keep needing stuff done, then they can get off the pot and get their own equipment like you and I did. You need to learn to say, "no".

Sorry for the rant...

 

[F250DSLPWR]

I am all for helping out my friends and neighbors when they need help with a project, especially when they are willing to help me with my projects too. However, there comes a time when it changes from helping a friend, family or neighbor to working a job that should be paid. Your neighbor should have JUMPED ALL OVER $35 an hour. $50 - $60 is more reasonable. And at that rate he should pay for the fuel too. People just don't realize what it costs to operate and maintain equipment. Personally, I think you should just call him back and decline, suggest he rent a tractor with a grapple and buy his own saw, and being neighborly tell him you will come help for a couple hours Saturday morning or when ever is convenient for you, and then say that you have other work to do but you wanted to be a good neighbor and help him some too. If he is not appreciative, then he is no friend or not a good neighbor.

 

[AGGIE00]

No good deed ever goes unpunished for sure and neighbors are the worst. They all think that because you have nice equipment you are making plenty of money and them using it and or you costs you nothing. I quit helping or loaning ever again when my neighbor begged to borrow my tractor to move a little base inside a building, about 10 buckets. From previous abuse I decided to loan him my skid steer instead since its all metal and no plastic or fiberglass. He moved over 200cy of gravel all over his place and put over 20 hours on my machine. When the machine left it had one third tank of fuel and came back with exacly the same. Thanks a pantload.