Part-Time Agricultural Contracting

JohnDeere99

Hi all, I really want to take up Agricultural Contracting as a part-time job. You know over the summer doing bales and wrapping, plouging, spreading slurry.
But is it worth getting involed in this, because in my heart i know i want to but may i regret it???

Thanks lads.

Zr105

First things first are there many already at all of the above?? Most likely answer is yes which means you'll be a new comer after having to fork out a lot of money for gear and have to meet there priced to even get a look in... It's not an easy game to make money in, easier to loose it really...

To many farmers can be very slow to pay up and put simply 5 heavy days work can very easily rack up a €1000 diesel bill even with just a tractor, never mind havin to allow minimum €10/hour for tractor, bout the same for implement, then servicing, a break down fund, and your not even payin yourself yet.

One bad day when something your relying on breaks down and it may not jus be the expense of repair but you may also loose the job an possibly more work...

I'm not sayin dont, but think long and hard and asses your potential market, we do a bit here at home but we slotted into specific areas and only really work close to home and anything we do we already had the gear to do it, have never bought anything purely for contracting but at same time we may have bought slightly bigger or better than we'd need here to get us through the work

Farmer Pudsey

Dive in f##k the begrugers, competition keep the prices down.There must be a fortune at it look at all the lads doing it they all have big 4WD and loads of equipment. They be embarrased to be seen in a merc we might cut there money

yellow50HX

Zr105 wrote: »

I'm not sayin dont, but think long and hard and asses your potential market, we do a bit here at home but we slotted into specific areas and only really work close to home and anything we do we already had the gear to do it, have never bought anything purely for contracting but at same time we may have bought slightly bigger or better than we'd need here to get us through the work

i think that the key point. If you already have the machery, its reliable and you have the time then thereis no reason why you cant do soem partime contracting during the summer months. i wouldnt go buying extra machinery just for the odd bit of work in the summer. I assume you plan to use the gear you already have at home like your folks tractors and so on. If they are ok with you using them and your prepared to pay for the diesel and any extra servicing and repairs then i say fire away. you might get some guff about under cutting full time guys but if that might only happen once, if your work isnt good enough then they wont be calling you back.

make your pricing realistic, remember you need to cover your costs and those of your parents as i suspest it'll be thier gear you'll be using. so work out how much it'll cost you to do each type of job then add in you can price in a value for your own time and a few bob for the folks

Zr105

yellow50HX wrote: »

i think that the key point. If you already have the machery, its reliable and you have the time then thereis no reason why you cant do soem partime contracting during the summer months. i wouldnt go buying extra machinery just for the odd bit of work in the summer. I assume you plan to use the gear you already have at home like your folks tractors and so on. If they are ok with you using them and your prepared to pay for the diesel and any extra servicing and repairs then i say fire away. you might get some guff about under cutting full time guys but if that might only happen once, if your work isnt good enough then they wont be calling you back.

make your pricing realistic, remember you need to cover your costs and those of your parents as i suspest it'll be thier gear you'll be using. so work out how much it'll cost you to do each type of job then add in you can price in a value for your own time and a few bob for the folks

Yeah that pretty much sums it up

JohnDeere99

thx lads

bogman_bass

when you say part time do you mean you have a day job? Can you drop everything when a fine day comes?

JohnDeere99

no, say i work from 6am to 4pm, rest of evening then for farming and contracting

Zr105

JohnDeere99 wrote: »

no, say i work from 6am to 4pm, rest of evening then for farming and contracting

To be perfectly honest with you in that case all your going to be doing is running yourself into the ground.

By the time u knock off work at 4 get back to yard yoke up baler or watever it'll easily be half 5 before your near the field..... Then pretty much any job will take atleast 2or3 hours, if not a lot more, (often left contractors yard on the wrapper at half 8 in morning and didnt get back till it was headin on for midnight) u wont have even stopped for food and it'll be half 8 9 and you still have to head back to the yard....
And to be honest if a guy has silage on the ground and weather is changing he wont wait for you to arrive at half 5 to bale it.

Farmer Pudsey

Zr105 wrote: »

To be perfectly honest with you in that case all your going to be doing is running yourself into the ground.

By the time u knock off work at 4 get back to yard yoke up baler or watever it'll easily be half 5 before your near the field..... Then pretty much any job will take atleast 2or3 hours, if not a lot more, (often left contractors yard on the wrapper at half 8 in morning and didnt get back till it was headin on for midnight) u wont have even stopped for food and it'll be half 8 9 and you still have to head back to the yard....
And to be honest if a guy has silage on the ground and weather is changing he wont wait for you to arrive at half 5 to bale it.

Do not be discouraging him we need young enthusiastic young fellows like him. Tractor jockeys with machinery are always needed to keep a ceiling on contracting prices.

Sharpshooter82

Farmer Pudsey wrote: »

Do not be discouraging him we need young enthusiastic young fellows like him. Tractor jockeys with machinery are always needed to keep a ceiling on contracting prices.

i think he is just giving him a reality check and laying down everything out for him farmer.

Zr105

Sharpshooter82 wrote: »

i think he is just giving him a reality check and laying down everything out for him farmer.

Trying to save him running around all night knackered tired risking an accident to himself or worse, them we all end up with more hardship from hsa.

I'm only in mid 20's but have done the rediculous hours behind the wheel for contractors since i got the license and i no full well its tedious and wears you down surprisingly quickly.
We do a bit here but only a bit an we can fit it in as it suits us. We try not to be out all hours of the night but if it needs to be done it needs to be done, but all year i think we were only out after midnight once and it was a slow morning to get going, but i hate those days. Its rare that we'd be done by 7 and we try our best to start early enough so id hate to think wats its like if only starting at half 4 at earliest.....

If anything I'd advise you if you really want to try it get a job as a jokey for local contractor on weekends, often the lads on the crew full time will want a weekend or evening off here and there and you could step in then, get the experience, get paid hourly or even day rate but atleast your not the one win machinery payments for equipment sitting in the yard or the big monthly diesel bill...

Sharpshooter82

Zr105 wrote: »

Trying to save him running around all night knackered tired risking an accident to himself or worse, them we all end up with more hardship from hsa.

I'm only in mid 20's but have done the rediculous hours behind the wheel for contractors since i got the license and i no full well its tedious and wears you down surprisingly quickly.
We do a bit here but only a bit an we can fit it in as it suits us. We try not to be out all hours of the night but if it needs to be done it needs to be done, but all year i think we were only out after midnight once and it was a slow morning to get going, but i hate those days. Its rare that we'd be done by 7 and we try our best to start early enough so id hate to think wats its like if only starting at half 4 at earliest.....

If anything I'd advise you if you really want to try it get a job as a jokey for local contractor on weekends, often the lads on the crew full time will want a weekend or evening off here and there and you could step in then, get the experience, get paid hourly or even day rate but atleast your not the one win machinery payments for equipment sitting in the yard or the big monthly diesel bill...

i did the same in my younger years but its nice to do a little contracting at your on leisure if ya can to keep the flame burning

jersey101

My father used to do silage and slurry and hedge cutting and i told him i wouldn't be doing it any more for him as i prefered to be workin with cows. Absolutely hated doing all the work for other lads and ye neglect your own place and dont get to do your own work ye want. Ye need good reliable tractors and machinery to be at that craic

Sharpshooter82

jersey101 wrote: »

My father used to do silage and slurry and hedge cutting and i told him i wouldn't be doing it any more for him as i prefered to be workin with cows. Absolutely hated doing all the work for other lads and ye neglect your own place and dont get to do your own work ye want. Ye need good reliable tractors and machinery to be at that craic

this is true and you have to have a love for machinery

jersey101

Sharpshooter82 wrote: »

this is true and you have to have a love for machinery

i hate machinery now all they cause is hardship ha
if i have a good tractor im happy

Sharpshooter82

jersey101 wrote: »

i hate machinery now all they cause is hardship ha
if i have a good tractor im happy

you have to show your tractor some love and then it will love you back

Zr105

Sharpshooter82 wrote: »

you have to show your tractor some love and then it will love you back

Have to treat it like a lady...... Gentle but firm (and give it a hammering every now and again)

Sharpshooter82

Zr105 wrote: »

Have to treat it like a lady...... Gentle but firm (and give it a hammering every now and again)

and when you least expect it....costs you a fortune for something stupid

Zr105

Sharpshooter82 wrote: »

and when you least expect it....costs you a forune for something stupid

Exactly haha

9935452

JohnDeere99 wrote: »

Hi all, I really want to take up Agricultural Contracting as a part-time job. You know over the summer doing bales and wrapping, plouging, spreading slurry.
But is it worth getting involed in this, because in my heart i know i want to but may i regret it???

Thanks lads.

The one problem i see here is because you work normal hours, you cant provide a reliable service to farmers, ie the morning is dry and the farmer wants hay baled and it rains before you finish work.

Did you ever think of approaching a small contractor and join up with him. drive for him at evenings and /or bring you own machinery on hire. that way you do some contracting/ get hire for your own gear and give a good service.

there are a couple of things to be wary of though, you will get tired of it fairly quickly, working two jobs, it will drain you.
the other is if you are farming your own farm will get neglected, you will be out on hire all the fine days and idle on wet days .

rs8

work for a local contractor for a while first, its not all its cracked up to be,

people don't pay you, repairs, diesel and as one guy posted you really need good reilble machinery for contracting!