Sound Right To You??

Alright, I have been working on the Ford 8N for a lady in town as a "make some money" project. Here is what I have come up with:

After a complete paint job, brand new tires/tubes, brakes, lots of small things (gauges, steering wheel, etc) the final bill is going to be somewhere in the $3500- to MAYBE $4000, but that would be a stretch.

Does that sound about right to you?? And ya, ya I know "you could buy a nice 8n for that price", BUT her dad bought this brand new, and she wants THIS tractor looking brand new, which I can't blame her!!

Out of that, I was working by the hour (which my hourly bill is INCLUDED in the above price) how much would you guess that I am making?

Like I said, I am working by the hour, I told her what I wanted per hour, and she was cool with it, and it is the most I have ever made, but I am wondering if in a real world I am WAY off?? Lets hear your guesses.

I'll be back!

Bryce

Your making $2000 give or take $200 one way or other
My guess

how much per hour?/ do uhave a shop with heat? dont for get all your expences it adds up good luck

It would not be uncommon for that to be about 1/2 labor and 1/2 parts.

Paul

If you did it RIGHT,you might break even!!!!!

I've done a couple restores like that and I'll say that it takes a BUNCH of hours to properly prep a tractor for paint. If you get it done with less than 100 real hours in it you will be doing good. Getting all the old dirt and cooked on grease out of the cracks takes time, and it you dont get it all it looks bad in my opinion.

I agree with Pete Hall. Good for you that you are making that rate. Many of us can make much more per hour at other pursuits but we enjoy not only the work but the satisfaction of the completed job.

You are not off at all, (assuming yu are getting about 50%. Some would birthed bricks at the amount, but they are usually somewhat blind to their own costs as they hobby along. An 8N is not a prize to me, but they were of breakthrough importance to American small farms, and mounted implements. She will be happy. Jim

$1500 is my guess.

My guess, if you had to pay somewhere around retail price for the parts, and you did it up right:
you donated the labor, that was nice of you.

Danny

Restorations commonly rack up a bill that is much more than the tractor is worth. Most people want the work done and don't want to pay the price is the real problem. I hope this gal had some sort of insight on how much it was actually going to be once finished, before you started. I wouldn't start a restoration project without the other party agreeing to a relatively high ball park estimant to begin with. Sounds like she agreed to your hourly rate. Hope she knew about how many hours it would take to do it. If you gave her an insight on that, she should OK with the bill.

Hi Bryce
whats a minimum wage job worth in your area, if you got nothing else to do with your time and double it, if you can make more money with your other jobs i wouldn't do it again for the price!.
Then if you brought the parts add percentage to them, plus your shop supplies. Then see where your at with realistic hours on it

I can tell you my shop rate for farm machinery repairs is $45 an hour here in Canada. usually the customer buys parts. i supply shop stuff used, and bill time or milage used for getting parts if I pick them up and charge them to the customers account with the supplier.

If I price a restoration I want $20 an hour, a figure up front to get going and the guy buys parts & paint . Then do them when the shops quieter.
It pays better than watchin tv!. but at main shop rate it would be so expensive, it would need to be a very rare tractor to make it worth doing. Last one i priced, I knew a guy got one already done that the guy brought instead, for 000s less than i could do his wich made sense to him, but your deals a little different.With the family thing. As I sometimes say when trying to buy bush tractors, sentimental value is worth a $1.50 a pound more than scrap most days.
Regards Robert

Well, that is I was kind of afraid of the answer! Right now I have 38 hours invested in the tractor, (plus my dad has 4 or 5)

Like Jon said, I think that a "properly" restored tractor takes a lot of work, however as you guys know, I really bust a$$ on my projects, and if you recall, this spring I completely tore a 2N down, and restored it in 3 weeks!

I told her I wanted $25 and hour, and that would pat my normal working rate of $20 an hour, plus shop things, like wood, electricity, etc.

Keep in mind there is still some work left, probably about 5-10 hours, so we could estimate in the end that I personally am going to make about 45 hours at $25 an hour, so $1125.

I think that is pretty good for me, but next time should I bump it up to $30? What do you guys think?

Kinda OT. I'm retired, do a little shop work for neighbors & close friends. Posted this just for grins & giggles, although I don't actually charge according to it.

HOURLY SHOP RATE
$15 BASE RATE
$20 IF YOU WATCH
$25 IF YOU HELP
$30 IF YOU TRIED TO FIX IT YOURSELF

ALL RATES DOUBLE IF YOU CALL
DURING MY AFTERNOON NAP

Willie

(quoted from post at 05:03:53 11/16/14) Well, that is I was kind of afraid of the answer! Right now I have 38 hours invested in the tractor, (plus my dad has 4 or 5)

Like Jon said, I think that a "properly" restored tractor takes a lot of work, however as you guys know, I really bust a$$ on my projects, and if you recall, this spring I completely tore a 2N down, and restored it in 3 weeks!

I told her I wanted $25 and hour, and that would pat my normal working rate of $20 an hour, plus shop things, like wood, electricity, etc.

Keep in mind there is still some work left, probably about 5-10 hours, so we could estimate in the end that I personally am going to make about 45 hours at $25 an hour, so $1125.

I think that is pretty good for me, but next time should I bump it up to $30? What do you guys think?

Click to expand...

If this is a hobby and there is nuttin worng with making hobby money and you are happy with your wage and can get it sounds like a deal to me... If you are trying to make a living at it its a different story,,, You are gonna go broke fast...

If I were not making any money on the parts at your labor rate I would let it be known up front there is NO LABOR ARE PARTS WARRANTY...



What it all boils down to is its not so much what you charge a hr. its the amount of work and quality you get for a hr. of work.... A man that can do more and has the knowledge and provide quality work is worth more..

A trained experienced mechanic is only making around $20 per hour ,as wages, around here. I am glad your getting $20+ for this job being a teenager. Sounds a little high to me.

Now if your only getting $20 per hour for full shop rate them your too cheap. The dealerships are getting $80-100. I have been charging $50 per hour for over ten years. By the time you pay for the costs of a true shop there is not a lot left even at $50.

Bryce,as an 'independent contractor',that price is more than fair. As an employee for a 'shop' that is about twice the wage you should get(as a teenager).One thing to remember is do not get greedy. You raise your price too much,the business will evaporate.Wont matter how much cheaper you are than the 'professional shops'.Keep the 25 dollar rate,establish a reputation,then raise a bit as you get older.You are makeing GOOD money,you have little to no overhead.BTW,I/we are very proud of you and your 'gumption',and your abilitys! Good job! And I really enjoyed the 'Farm Collector' article. Post some pics of your finished project. Steve

(quoted from post at 17:41:32 11/15/14) Hi Bryce
whats a minimum wage job worth in your area, if you got nothing else to do with your time and double it, if you can make more money with your other jobs i wouldn't do it again for the price!.
Then if you brought the parts add percentage to them, plus your shop supplies. Then see where your at with realistic hours on it

[b:4abf9b17fd]I can tell you my shop rate for farm machinery repairs is $45 an hour here in Canada[/b:4abf9b17fd]. usually the customer buys parts. i supply shop stuff used, and bill time or milage used for getting parts if I pick them up and charge them to the customers account with the supplier.

[b:4abf9b17fd] If I price a restoration I want $20 an hour, [/b:4abf9b17fd]a figure up front to get going and the guy buys parts & paint . Then do them when the shops quieter.
It pays better than watchin tv!. but at main shop rate it would be so expensive, it would need to be a very rare tractor to make it worth doing. Last one i priced, I knew a guy got one already done that the guy brought instead, for 000s less than i could do his wich made sense to him, but your deals a little different.With the family thing. As I sometimes say when trying to buy bush tractors, sentimental value is worth a $1.50 a pound more than scrap most days.
Regards Robert

Click to expand...

ou're seIIing yourseIf short at $45/hr
I charge $85 and that is stiII at Ieast a 1/3 short of going deaIer rates which run from $120 to $150 an hour in my area.

I won't even come out of bed for $20

(quoted from post at 18:23:30 11/15/14)

HOURLY SHOP RATE
$15 BASE RATE
$20 IF YOU WATCH
$25 IF YOU HELP
$30 IF YOU TRIED TO FIX IT YOURSELF

ALL RATES DOUBLE IF YOU CALL
DURING MY AFTERNOON NAP

Willie

Click to expand...

That's GREAT!

Well, minimum wage around here is kind of a joke... The "legal" wage is $7.25, however so many of the "workers" I know are happy to work for a 6 pack and a few cigs every day...

My personal minimum wage is $12 and hour, and this next year it is going up to $15. That covers:

Physical labor.

If my 4 wheeler (hauling brush), chain saw are involved, or I am disposing of the brush (hauling to my place and burning) it automatically goes to $20

If two or more of the above are part of the job, then it is $25.

If I am running equipment it is $15.

And then I buck hay for $10, but that will go up to $12 this next year. I only do it so cheap just because I am bored, and at that price I can beat out the local drunks and drug heads that try to beat me to the work!

Here is a good story about bucking hay... The neighbor makes smaller 60 lb bales (heaviest) and they ran an add through the other neighbors looking for bale handling help every night for two weeks (6000 bales 7 guys)

Said that they already had 6 guys, all family and needed one more, I just decided to show up, because they knew me. I show up, and so does another guy RIGHT behind me in his truck, but of us wanted the job (had no clue who he was) we went and were talking to the boss, and he said that he would talk to each of us separately real quickly and hire the cheapest!

He spoke to the other guy first, and then he came to talk to me, he then tells me "Bryce, this idiot said that he would work for $8 and hour, what do you want?"

I told him that I would be happy to do it for $12 an hour, and that I would put 2 on the trailer at a time...

He smiled and told the other guy to leave.. And I held my end of the deal up, and after 27 hours of work, I was paid $400, and a very sincere thank you!