Question about doing tractor work for others.

[zukgod]

I have a couple of questions I hope a few can help me on. I have a newer tractor with a tiller and few other implaments, and I am thinking of running an add to do a bit of work with it for some extra cash. Is this worth doing? Should I get some kind of insurance or make them sign a waiver before starting? One other question for anyone that may have done this what would you charge per hour for tilling? Thanks for any help you may give.

[MWG]

Charge more with the tilling especially if there is rocky soil. Check the prices on new tines...

I have gotten $200 for core areating, fertilizing and seeding 3 acres. Took about 3 hours.

Another job I received $200 for digging 40 holes and plowing a 100 X 50 garden.

[veggrower]

Originally Posted by MWG

Charge more with the tilling especially if there is rocky soil. Check the prices on new tines...

I have gotten $200 for core areating, fertilizing and seeding 3 acres. Took about 3 hours.

Another job I received $200 for digging 40 holes and plowing a 100 X 50 garden.

MWG is right in there. I would think $75/hr+- dependingon the size of the tractor and the widthof your implements.

If it is a 20 hp with a 40" tiller you can't get as much done in an hour as a 60hp with an 84" tiller. The 60hp would do the work at least 4 times faster, so the rate should be higher.

Tilling is also much harder on your tractor than say mowing or loader work, especially in difficult soils. All the bouncing and vibration is hard on the pto sealsin the tractor, and the enigine is usually working harder. The maintenance and repairs will be more extensive on a tiller--as MWG said, check out the prices of tines, also the price of a pto clutch.

[fordson major]

and yes get insurance! the old fellow we bought the farm from ran a farm machinery rental bussiness. a farmer was helping unplug the corn picker and had his hand removed, even though not the owners fault ,the court awarded damages to the land owner! tryed to take our farm as well but we had bought it the year before. this was 1971 things have only gotten worse! we do a lot of custom work and carry insurance. gas phone co. don't care who owns the land it's who does the digging! (wrapping, or rather unwrapping 50 ft of phone cable is time consuming!)

[zukgod]

Thanks for the advise guys, I really appreciate it. I will check into the insurance monday. I also checked the price of new tines for the tiller they are about $200 for the set. I am not sure if it will be worth all the trouble to do this but I will still look into it. Thanks again.

Josh

[rambler]

The problem is when you run into the power line that is only burried 8 inches deep instead of the required 2 feet; or the lawn sprinkler system, or the not-to-code septic lines, or the phone line or TV cable or...... Or a gas line.

Some of those situations are _dangerous_ to you, others are kinda funny, others are just disappointing. But, you & the owner will end up standing there looking at each other, wondering what to do.

Who is responsible for fixing it? What if it costs $15,000 or more - if you hit a main electric or phone cable or gas line that wasn't 'supposed' to be there?

You _need_ the insurance - even if it never really is your fault - you will get blamed.

--->Paul

[Jennifer L.]

Be really careful about plowing new gardens for people. Like as not they are near the barn or house and where all the trash has been dumped for years. You don't want to spend too much money buying new tires for that tractor everytime someone assures you "oh, no! There's nothing there at all!" and then you run over a piece of old iron and put a hole through a sidewall and there you are will a good sized bill.

Jennifer

[zukgod]

These are all great comments, I am leaning towards not doing the tractor work just because of all the liablilty for the small amount of gain. Who knows maybe I will change my mind.

Josh

[MWG]

Just pick which ones you do. If it looks terrible, quote it high so you won't have to do it.

I like it. Anytime I can get paid for riding around on my tractor is a good day to me!