Custom plowing/disking????

Farmall43 · Apr 26, 2016

I had a neighbor down the road a bit ask me to plow and disk 10 acres so that they can seed it to alfalfa. I have no idea as to what a reasonable price per acre would be. I searched craigslist and there appears to be nobody in the area that is doing any custom plowing and disking. So in the humble opinion of you fine folks what is a reasonable price per acre and a minimum that you would charge or that you know of that others are charging. I know there will be some regional differences but they should not be that great.

Thanks all!
Matt

old · Apr 26, 2016

I just saw an add today on Craig's list for plowing and disking a garden and the guy says $100 per hour. To me that seems a bit high. I would say around $35 per hour plus the cost of fuel is about right

David from Kansas · Apr 26, 2016

This might give you some idea. Surely other states have similar sites.

https://www.nass.usda.gov/Statistics_by_State/Kansas/Publications/Custom_Rates/custom13.pdf

Donald Lehman · Apr 26, 2016

I used to charge $50 per acre with the 1955 and $30 per acre with the 1650 for each time over the field. That was 30 + years ago. I certainly wouldn't do it for any less than $500. Wouldn't take much of a breakdown to lose money on that, either. Doubt if I'd do that cheap unless they were pretty good friends and I knew what kind of mess I was getting into in the field.

Bruce from Can. · Apr 26, 2016

Really tough question , and makes for a very interesting topic. So many variables , like , how many bottoms do you pull ? how big is your tractor ? how much fuel will you use ? What is your time valued at ?
My Veterinarian charges a dollar per minute he is on my farm , and $60.00 just to arrive.
So do you have to travel far to get to this field ? And if I was going to plough , I would want to know what was there last crop year , sod ,or corn stalks. Great topic.

ss55 · Apr 26, 2016

If you state has an extension service they might list some custom rates. I'll try to post a link to the Iowa State extension service.

https://www.extension.iastate.edu/agdm/crops/pdf/a3-10.pdf

craigco · Apr 26, 2016

I charge 45 per hour for tillage work. That's with paid for smaller equipment. Some guys charge by the acre. But you have to either trust the land owner is telling the truth or estimate your self. Some also charge three times as much around here. I would rather not have the check bouncewhen I get paid. Also I can pick and choose who I want to work for, and it's just a glorified hobby for me to do on the weekends.

RobCons · Apr 26, 2016

Here most people with a 35 - 50 horse tractor charge around $50/hour with a two hour minimum for garden work or bush hogging. Some include drive time in that, all depends on the distance. Larger tractors charge more. Batwing mowers are $75 or so per hour with a 4 hour minimum.

GordoSD · Apr 26, 2016

For alfalfa you want a smooth firm seed bed. You will have to disk two directions and then use a cultipacker, or spike tooth harrow at least . If it is field that was corn or beans plowing isn't needed. You can pull a 16 ft disk 7mph and that is 14 acres in an hour.

2510Paul · Apr 26, 2016

Here's a place to look.

https://www.nass.usda.gov/Statistics_by_State/Wisconsin/Publications/custom_rates_2013.pdf

or Goggle Wisconsin Custom Farming Rates 2013.

syco 1 · Apr 26, 2016

I do sawmill tractor work repaires every thing 40 dollars per hour can really stay busy customers seem happy lots of work

GregCO · Apr 26, 2016

I hire myself out now and then and charge $40.00 per hour for whatever they want done. If they are close and I don't have to trailer the tractor I don't charge for travel. I cut the road travel off at 10 miles. After that I load it up. I charge based off of the hour meter on the machine so if I stop for lunch or whatever I'm off the clock.
I running a 50 horse utility machine and it's not eating up much fuel. Larger machines you may want to charge a little more per hour due to fuel consumption, but you are getting more done too so it pans out in the end.

Greg

Farmall43 · Apr 26, 2016

I would plow then disk twice. once with the furrows and once kitter. And yes then cultipack.

Farmall43 · Apr 26, 2016

I would be using a Farmall 400D and a farmall450D both with fast hitch 3-14 plows. I would be disking with the same 2 tractors pulling oliver 10' disks. The culti-packing would be done with a dualed up Farmall H and a brillion 10' culti packer. They are about 3 miles from the farm and the ground is currently clover in last years wheat stubble.

centash · Apr 26, 2016

Must be the area, I rarely hear of plowing being charged per hour, the figures would be all over the map. Here, almost all custom field work is charged per acre, so it is easy to compare rates, the only variable being the operator whose reputation generally precedes him. Ben

flying belgian · Apr 26, 2016

$65/hr. From the time I leave my driveway until the time I return. That's weather I am disking, baling or just walking across his field.

vscummins · Apr 27, 2016

30$ an acre to plow a light finish disk like mine I charge 12$ an acre each Time I go over it you could maybe come down a little on the disc if its in sod now becuase you'll have to hit it five or six passes to break it up good enough for alfalfa if it is sod I'd suggest to put it in oats for at least one crop to help brake it down some

gene bender · Apr 27, 2016

Why all the work spray down then direct seed awful late to plow then work down as fresh plowed ground is not the way to go with a disc

Farmall43 · Apr 27, 2016

Up here in Michigan, at least in my area, we are just starting to work ground. I agree that this should have been done last fall but it is what they want.

oldtanker · Apr 27, 2016

I charge 50 an hour with the Farmall M and that's from my drive to my drive with a 2 hour minimum for brush cutting. Plowing with one of the little Fords for food plots is 40 an hour. Work with the 1206 Farmall is 100 an hour.

Rick

Custom plowing/disking????

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