I've heard others say if you aren't charging $100/hr for your tractor work, you aren't getting paid for your time. By the time you figure fuel, maintenance, potential damage, and depreciation, your tractor costs you about $50/hr to operate.

@RockhillfarmYT

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for your feedback

@Huntersprojects

10 ай бұрын

So should I charge 100 bucks an hour to brush hog and till a property?

@oshen0

4 ай бұрын

How many hours do people normally get out of these tractors? (Doing work equivalent to what he's doing now/a tractor that is primarily used for someone's 10 - 20 acre property but used for work on the side) Let's say these tractors only get 2000 - 3000 hours with scheduled maintenance. 2000 x $50.00 = 100k 3000 x $50.00 = 150k

@RockhillfarmYT

4 ай бұрын

I’m at 800 and going strong

@oshen0

4 ай бұрын

@RockhillfarmYT Niiice!! I'm not sure what kind of hours the tractors get...I was just using 2000 hrs as a safe starting point (pretty sure it'll get more than that with the proper care/maintenance). I was using $50 or $100 an hour to figure out how much you would make if all of the hours made $50/$100 per hour. I guess it would make more sense to calculate based on the amount of hours you would use for paid work outside of your property... - Let's say the tractor gives you 2000 hrs - Let's say you use 500 (1/4) of those hrs for paid/outside work - 500 hrs at $50/$100 per hour - that would just about pay for, or buy you, a tractor. That'd be a pretty solid way to approach that! I have 60 acres in Cuero, TX. We're building a home on the property right now & we'll have to buy a tractor to manage/work around the property. I was just talking to my wife the other day about advertising brush clearing/work to offset some of the price. Most of the tractors were looking at are between 20k - 35k. Using 500 hrs of the tractors life to completely cover the cost of the tractor...not a bad idea at all!

You have high quality equipment, with professional results as expected. I was blown away when I heard your price - must raise it! I figured for $225 - $250 minimum. You should be charging “by the job” more so than an hourly fee. “Skilled labor isn’t cheap, cheap labor isn’t skilled”

@bradjenkins932

3 ай бұрын

LOL

Looking good Brock. All set-up for something like that. The brush hog just ate that up!! 👍

@RockhillfarmYT

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks

I’m currently pricing at $75 an hour Thanks for watching and check out our other John Deere 2038R compact tractor videos at kzread.info/dash/bejne/eW2XxaWrebXZl7w.html And subscribe to our channel at kzread.info Buy me a coffee - www.buymeacoffee.com/rockhillfarm Thanks for watching

I would suggest around $75per hour running the tractor in something that thick. Regular field $45. With show up price. That’s a awesome tractor! Good luck.

I have that exact same mower and it doesn't mow near as well as yours. It came with a 5055e that I bought. I already had a TW 72 Rhino and it is twice the mower the Frontier is. Frontier "for sale". You do good work and give the customer more than his money worth.

@RockhillfarmYT

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for sharing

Another great video brother !

@RockhillfarmYT

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you

Brock thanks for taking me along job looks great I would except it as great price wise have no idea what charge by watching we will learn God Bless All PaK

@RockhillfarmYT

3 жыл бұрын

Everyone’s telling me my price is low but I’m gonna start here and figure it out over time

$40 dollars per hour seems a little low you needto make money for you time your truck and trailer plus insurance too. Maybe 60 dph

@RockhillfarmYT

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for your feedback

Nice work! I do the same thing with my jd 3520 open cab. With bees and heat I’m looking for a cab compact tractor. I would’ve charged $200-$300 for a overgrown job like that.

I can see pricing to be competitive but 40 per hr seems awfully low. If just starting out, I guess that might be OK to stay busy and beat a learning curve. Think about a larger up front fee for the first "x" hours and then a regular hourly fee after... or price per acre with first acre priced to cover your expenses to get there. You have to make money at this to keep up the equipment.

@stonehorn4641

Жыл бұрын

I wouldn't even start my tractor for 40$ an hour. Brush Hogging, ill charge 60$ an hour, but any digging, plowing or anything is 100$/hr.

@RockhillfarmYT

Жыл бұрын

Yeah, this is an older video from one of my first jobs so a lot has changed with how I bid Thanks for watching

Nice. I’m hoping to put my new flail mower to work soon.

@RockhillfarmYT

3 жыл бұрын

Awesome I would love to get a flail mower

First off i think you do a great job and really care about your work, which is very hard to find the se days. This particular job i thought was done very cheep and definitely could have charged more.

@RockhillfarmYT

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for sharing your thoughts. I know I need to charge more but I just don’t feel right about it. I’ve been gradually increasing my rates though

In southeast missouri we charge $100 an acre to cover all expenses including things that will break and they will LOL

@RockhillfarmYT

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for sharing

the first time I saw this field was Wow I wonder how many trees I could plant there

I see this video is about a year old. This year, 2022, because of the outrageous diesel prices here in upstate N.Y., I bumped up my rate to $80.00/hr. I have a 2005 John Deere 4520 with a 6' Woods mower deck. I don't charge for transporting it. I know I probably should. Sometimes the degree of difficulty plays a roll too, then I might charge more. I don't really know where I stand compared to other guys but I've been told I work too cheaply. Having said that, I'd rather charge a little less and be busy than fall on my sword and not get any fields. The past few years I've been doing 30 to 40 fields per season in addition to my wife and I mowing 26 lawns, that's about all I want to handle since I'm retired and want to take it easy a little sometimes. You're right about some days not making as much as I should. Today I was starting a field and the tractor jumped over a big rock and came down on the steering cylinder bending the shaft. That's what happens when I have the bucket too high. I usually use that loader as a rock finder but I was careless and going a little faster than I should have. Like they say, sometimes you get the bear and sometimes the bear gets you. Oh well...

@RockhillfarmYT

Жыл бұрын

Yeah, i’ve definitely increased my rate since this video. And I offer a lot more services. Thank you for sharing your experience

I charge $100/ hour with a 4 hour minimum and $100/hour for every hour after that. So a job like that doesn’t matter if it only took you an hour and half would still be $400 cost of getting there wear and tear on equipment fuel truck wear tractor maintenance and such. Minimum $400 to touch a job. That’s my pricing system and it works for me.

@RockhillfarmYT

Жыл бұрын

Yeah, this is an older video but I’m currently at 75 an hour for the tractor. 125 an hour for the track loader.

That is a bargain. People charge $100 to mow a 1/4 lawn in the city, which takes them only thirty minutes.

I’m still looking for that steep hill?😆 No just giving you hard time, most of that would be good laying ground for us. It looked really good when you finished. I think $40 an hour for your size tractor is fair, I usually charge $60 for my Kubota. Once you get use to how long things take you pricing by the job usually works out better, especially on repeat jobs.

@RockhillfarmYT

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you for the feedback on pricing. As I drove up to the property I was worried about the hill but once I got on it I was comfortable driving it. It’s steeper than it looks in the video but it’s not too steep to drive across Some of the hills I’ve seen you drive I would not have tried

@khtractors

3 жыл бұрын

@@RockhillfarmYT just stay safe buddy! I probably take some chances I shouldn’t at times.

I always put jack stands at the back end under the frame of my trailer. Due to seeing more than one person have a trailer pop off the hitch and go straight through the trucks tail gait. And the first one was my truck! Loading my brothers race car. That is a lot of pressure put on the trailer jack! I also have a neighbor that claims to have paid for his tractor in just over a year doing bush hogging for a subdivision developer. This was several years ago and he paid 20,000 for his tractor. I believe he was getting 65 per hour.

@RockhillfarmYT

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the feedback. I actually have a video about putting a jack or jackstands under the trailer when loading and unloading. But I forgot to bring them. I Do like that this trailer has the more heavy duty style coupler where the collar slides up over the closing mechanism. I don’t know what it’s called but it seems more secure

I would think you should have charged considerably more. Around here, we pay $160 per mowing for a large grassy field about 1-½ acres of grass that takes about an hour an acre on an $8K zero turn. There are also about 30 minutes of trimming involved so 2 hours manpower and 1-½ hour of machine time. But you are using considerably more valuable equipment and taking a much bigger risk of equipment damage and even injury cutting that field. I would say $200-250 would have been a fair price for that job. But that varies by location I guess. Around here, the landscape people have more work than they can get done at those prices. And that's just mowing grass!

@RockhillfarmYT

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the feedback

I would suggest around $75per hour running the tractor in something that thick. Regular field $45.

@RockhillfarmYT

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the feedback

I charge min of $150 if it is within my travel without a travel fee and that will get them up to two acres. I charge $65-$75 per acre, depending on how thick and heavy the field is.

I would say charge more, but I don't know your area market, here I'd charge at least $150 for an acre. And depending on terrain, maybe more if you get a chance to survey the situation. Keep in mind, you're loading up and prepping the tractor at your home and doing the reverse when you get back, don't forget that time involved as well. And also consider they are hiring you because it's worth it to them to make you do it. They likely couldn't or wouldn't, so be fair, but being fair is being fair to yourself as well. My last job was the stump grinding job, I was there about 6 hours and charged $525, I gave a break because he has a fair bit more to do and I'm the guy. That 6 hours also included some leveling out of some of the areas I hit, I like to make sure I'm leaving a great value proposition. I have lost several pins to the bottom of the 3 point hitch on bush hog jobs. I've never lost one on any other job.

@RockhillfarmYT

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the feedback

For sight unseen work I charge $100hr with 3hr minimum to cover showing up. If I can get a look at the work before and bid it profits can be a lot better. Do you have a slip clutch on your brush hog? It was one of the best ad-ons for my mower. Great video!

@RockhillfarmYT

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for sharing your experience. I do have a slip clutch on it. I have evolved a lot on my pricing and on the work that I do since this video was recorded

@InspiredCraftsman

2 жыл бұрын

@@RockhillfarmYT you're getting great cut results, I'm always fussing with my rear wheel height and top link to get good results. keep up the great content!

I agree with others, you should charge a fixed price for loading & unloading the gear at customer location, enough to cover a couple hours work at least, and then offer a competitive rate. Shop your market to determine what fair is. It will vary by geography and the amount of competition you might have. When new, you want to be the bargain. Tell every new customer you're giving them the "new customer" special!

@RockhillfarmYT

3 жыл бұрын

I did this job at $40 to show up and $40 an hour. An hour and a half of work made the total cost of the job $100 which is probably cheap compared to most people

I would call about 5-7 different tractor guys in your area and get an estimate. Size up their equipment to see if its comparable to yours.

@RockhillfarmYT

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks

I charge by the acre, not the hour for brush Hoggin. You also don’t need to back up the hill. Just up and down the hill heading straight. Save more time by driving forward then backwards.

Proce is gonna depend on which part of the country you are in. $40/hr is really low. I grind stumps and do brush hogging with my steiner tractor. I charge $120 minimum to grind stumps and brush hogging I have a $200 minimum and $125/hr after that. Most customers want a bid for the job and not an hourly rate. So the learning curve is how long you think a particular job is gonna take you. Do cut your self short. The bigger companies doing this type of work around the Milwaukee area are charging $800/hr for the first hour and $600 for each hour after that.

@RockhillfarmYT

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the feedback

Wow. In Australia guys are getting $35 an hour just to drive someone else’s tractor.

@RockhillfarmYT

2 жыл бұрын

I am now charging $75 an hour after giving it more thought

I know this is an old video, but I was wondering if a flail mower with hammers wouldn’t of been easier, especially when you get wheel weights get one with a manual offset.

@RockhillfarmYT

Жыл бұрын

Yeah, I’ve got a big Maschio flail mower now

I charge a minimum of $180.00 per job That gets the equipment to and from the job and the customer gets 1 hour of work. If job takes more than an hour the rate goes to $80.00 per hour thereafter. I have a 6' bush hog on a 30Hp compact diesel. I tell customers that the time to do the job depends on how rough the ground & how thick the material,

@RockhillfarmYT

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for sharing your experience

I charge a minimum of $200 that covers up to 2 hours. And then $80 per hour after that. I’m thinking about quitting because Here in Oklahoma people is doing it almost for nothing. I’m not getting much businesses lately but I can’t do it for nothing. My equipment wasn’t cheap and if I don’t charge enough when it’s time to replace it I won’t have any $$$. Any ways I have several businesses that give me better income I was just doing this for fun but I still can’t do it for free time is $$$$$.

@trey8543

4 ай бұрын

Do you advertise much or mostly word of mouth? I’m in Oklahoma as well about an hr south of OKC and thinking about looking for some side work with my TYM 50hp. I planned on advertising at $150 for first hour/minimum then $75/hr after that for loader, 6ft box blade, 6ft brush hog, and tiller work. I also have a 9ft backhoe attachment but it’s a pain to mount and dismount so thinking $200 first hour/minimum then $80-85hr for it. I see potential work all around me but idk if I can compete with the retirees with their ancient machines that want to charge $45-60hr

Seems to me that upfront costs for expensive equipment would drown out any profit. How much is a rural landowner going go pay to cut mostly unused land. Once its cut it will have to be maintained or in two months it all grows back. Id say plan on no paycheck for the first two years.

My neighbor makes me take hundred dollars for cutting his two acres. takes me about an hour snd I’ve cut it so many times I’ve started doing it at night cuz here in ms it gets hoootttt. I’d really like to start doing it but I feel like it be more trouble than it’s worth for side hustle. Plus I’d need insurance 🤷🏽‍♂️

Where u at I gotta move there

Wondering if the flail mower would have done a better job.

@RockhillfarmYT

Жыл бұрын

This is the same property that I just mowed with the flail mower. The only difference is it was a lot more overgrown at that point. Not sure how it would do on some of that heavier stuff I encountered here it would shred it up but it might tear up some teeth by the end of the job.

Wow a hand in the oilfield now is about 25 bucks a hour and a store clerk is 15 so I don’t think either u or your tractor is getting paid

@ 8:30, I had a teacher explain that well. He said "some days you eat the bear, unfortunately some days the bear eats you."

@RockhillfarmYT

3 жыл бұрын

Yes sir. I’ve definitely experienced both

your prices seem fair of what you mentioned here

@RockhillfarmYT

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks

Where do you live? I wouldn’t do anything for less than 100 an hour in mi

I do $100 show up charge and 75$ pr hour. Got to get paid your worth brother. Maintenance gets expensive.

@RockhillfarmYT

2 жыл бұрын

Yeah, I’ve come up quite a bit since recording this. Closer to the numbers you said. Thanks for sharing

I always charge by the acre or how tall the grass is

@RockhillfarmYT

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for sharing

Pricing is around 50 an hour in this area

@RockhillfarmYT

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the feedback

50 an hr. 100 minimum comes out the same i have done a lot of hoging in my years 6' woods and have hit almost everything a stump jumper is a must and the best gaurds the mfgr offers is a plus a brush mower is dangerous free swinging blades run about 180 mph if my math was right good video

@RockhillfarmYT

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the feedback. The number one thing I want to do to earn side money is stump grinding. I have the baumalight 3P 24 articulating stump grinder and I have my first paying stump job next week

@jimhaugh6851

3 жыл бұрын

@@RockhillfarmYT i don't know anything about stump grinding good luck, but I can almost answer any questions about hoging, acerage finish mowing, and snow plowing/blowing

That is flat land compared to NW Arkansas !

@RockhillfarmYT

3 жыл бұрын

I’m about 40 miles from the north west corner of Arkansas in southeast Kansas

I keep it pretty simple at $50 an acre. Unless it’s really thick nasty stuff, then I increase my price from there. I would have charged $65-70 an acre for this job and probably would have made about the same as you. Charging someone money just to show up can backfire on you unless the job requires a lot of travel time.

@RockhillfarmYT

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you for your feedback I was considering either Set price to show up, or an hours minimum, because to put the right equipment on the tractor fueled up load and unload you’re talking about close to an hour So a one hour job feels like you’re losing money

@rickymccafferty7840

3 жыл бұрын

@@RockhillfarmYT you’re absolutely right, specially if it’s only an acre or two. Most of my jobs have been around 5 acres. Perhaps let the customer know it’s $50 an acre with a minimum charge of 3 acres or $150.00. Then negotiate the price from there for something y’all can agree on with smaller jobs. Let the customer feel like they got a good deal and earn that repeat business! Oh, interesting technique by mowing backwards. That really makes the best use of your time! Any time spent not mowing is cutting into your profits including the time spent making turn arounds in tight spaces.

@RockhillfarmYT

3 жыл бұрын

Thank you for your feedback

I would charge more than that Also thorns will go right threw your tires easily

Yea thats kinda low. I don't work in this industry but if i where to hire someone for the job you did my budget would be inbetween 220-350 $

@RockhillfarmYT

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for sharing

Every area of the country is different ........ But that seems a low pet hour rate. But I have no idea what your operating costs are or depression is on the little tractors.

@RockhillfarmYT

2 жыл бұрын

You are right, that is too low. When I first started out I wasn’t factoring in everything that needs to be considered I currently bid jobs based on the idea of trying to get $75 an hour Some people would still say that’s a low number but We are in a very low cost of living area. Thanks for watching

@mikea4074

2 жыл бұрын

@@RockhillfarmYT there is a great group of videos from tractor time with tim .... It's actually a very good series. Hope this helps

@RockhillfarmYT

2 жыл бұрын

yes, I have watched all of those. Tonys tractor adventure has a video on pricing tractor work that I actually found really useful as well

@mikea4074

2 жыл бұрын

@@RockhillfarmYT it's hard to price services ..... But you have to remember if everyone can do it.... Why did they call you!!! Because they cant

The guy paying got a deal

Dang that’s way too cheap I’d charge minimum of $300 just to show up and do that job. Just my opinion.

@RockhillfarmYT

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the feedback

125.00 to show up and 50.00 hours

Me 80.00 bucks hour

100 dollar job? I won't get my head of the pillow for that.

I would want 2500 but I don’t think I would get the job.

@RockhillfarmYT

2 жыл бұрын

What kind of equipment do you use. I think It only took an hour and a half

Bro Ive been watching your videos, and you make some good points and put out some good information. But your pricing is Way too low. I get that its not your only business and it seems as if you are more doing it for fun right now, But $50 to bush hog an acre? I mean your drive time, fuel is at least $20, dont sell yourself short just to get work, thats insane. Also charging by the hour is the number one way to not really make money. That field should have been a $300 job, if the customer doesnt want to pay that, they can put on their daisy dukes and break out the craftsman pushmower and get at it. You see they are not just paying for the field to be hogged but they are pay for not to do it themselves, someone to come in and do it, and the equipment that the person has.

@RockhillfarmYT

2 жыл бұрын

Right. I’ve been gradually increasing my prices as I go. Thanks for watching

I am not sure where you are located and that has a lot to do with pricing. But you are not making a fair profit at $40/hr. You would be better off charing by the job vs by the hour. I would charge my neighbor 150 to do what you just did and that is if he lived next door with no loading. I would charge $300 plus depending on distance.

@RockhillfarmYT

3 жыл бұрын

We are in a lower priced market Here in Kansas so people don’t have as much money to spend but I think you are right about my pricing mentioned in the video Thanks for watching

This is why I charge a $200 minimum. It may just me but I’m not gonna load my tractor and go anywhere to work for under that. There’s too much that can go wrong brush hogging to be the cheap guy. I’d rather lose a job than try to compete with low ballers. Just my 2 cents though.

@RockhillfarmYT

2 жыл бұрын

Agreed. This was one of the first jobs I ever took and I have evolved a lot since Thanks for sharing your thoughts on it

I think 100 bucks would be a steal. If i was a customer with that similar brush (which i actually have right now) I would be happy to pay closer to 200 to get it all done in a day like that.

@RockhillfarmYT

3 жыл бұрын

Yeah. I’m probably under charging a little

Yup just making it hard for some else to make a living. At it charging that cheap

@RockhillfarmYT

2 жыл бұрын

Great, this was one of the first jobs I did with the machine. I have adjusted my prices to the market rate you’ll have to factor in cost of living in your area. Most people are getting 65 to 75 an hour here

sounds too low, if you have to haul the machine

@RockhillfarmYT

3 жыл бұрын

I do you have to haul it. Thanks for the feedback on pricing

Dude. I’d charge at least $400 for that job.

@RockhillfarmYT

3 жыл бұрын

I get that a lot. Part of the difference is the economic region we live in

$80-100 hr is what you should be charging

@RockhillfarmYT

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the feedback. I also feel that there is some variation based on cost of living in your local area, but I was definitely originally charging too little. Now I try not to tell the customer an hourly rate and bid it so that I make closer to $80 an hour. For really big jobs where I do charge by the hour I will tell them $60 an hour

At least $80 an hour with a $200 minimum

@RockhillfarmYT

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for sharing

250 at least

250.00

@RockhillfarmYT

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the feedback

Not enough. You got to consider ware and take on $25000 worth of equipment.

@RockhillfarmYT

2 жыл бұрын

It is an older video and I’m charging more now Thanks for watching

I think it would be fair for you to charge by the acre vs. hour being that a lot of your time is spent filming... moving cameras, narrating, etc...

@RockhillfarmYT

3 жыл бұрын

Right. I actually priced this job based on an estimate of how long it should take. Any customer who agrees to let me film the job will get a discount based on filming time. I would expect a lot of people will not want their property filmed at all

@BillyP55

3 жыл бұрын

@@RockhillfarmYT Sounds like you have the right idea. Hope you get lots of jobs.

$100 job? Way too cheap! You need to sit down and do a cost analysis of all expenses, time, labor, and possible repairs / replacement of equipment, to include your truck and trailer etc.. At that price you are only going to be left with a worn out tractor and truck.

@Huntersprojects

10 ай бұрын

I have a larger property a lady wants brush hogged and tills its about an acre of woody and grass that needs to be brush hogged and tilled I’m thinking about bringing in 2 tractors is that worth it what should I charge you seem like you know what your talking about?

@jlbush8249

10 ай бұрын

@@Huntersprojects Figure up all your annual expenses such as vehicle and equipment payments and maintenance costs. I break the annual costs down into a monthly total and then divide that by 30 days in a month. This will be the absolute minimum you can work for each day just to meet your payments and maintenance for the year. Then add up all your real costs for a particular job such as fuel, etc. Add both the daily minimum (figure how many days to complete) and the particular jobs real costs together and that’s the minimum you can work to break even. Now, we come to labor. How much an hour or day do you want, or feel you are worth? Now add that to your daily total. If your machines are paid for, then determine a reasonable daily rate and add that your job total. Remember, for every day you don’t work, those days minimums have to be added to the next job to break even on those costs. I also charge $1.00 a mile to and from for misc. maintenance such as tires and other breakdowns. I think you get the idea. There is no set price anyone can give you as everyone’s situation is different. You need to focus on your minimums, plus costs, plus labor, and get the numbers on paper (spreadsheet) for you too actually see.

Way to cheap 😮 you're hired

Can't maintain a tractor in 2023, let alone a business, charging 1980 prices.

@RockhillfarmYT

Жыл бұрын

Well, that video is two or maybe three years old. One of the first ones I put out after getting the tractor. You would probably still say my prices are too low because I live in a really low cost of living area.

Way too cheap. Least 50.00 an hr. Your working your tractor hard. Not worth it.

@RockhillfarmYT

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for your feedback

Way too cheap

@RockhillfarmYT

2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for sharing your thoughts on it