No more for this guy

37 chief · Jul 16, 2020

This is the first year I haven't used my A/C model M crawler in 26 years to do disking. My 1954 chevy flat bed, my 1939 A/C model M crawler, and 1942 me. We are all getting old. I have been giving my customers names of others who do this work. I see some of the jobs they do. Not the best, just enough to get by. Some are not done at all . Maybe they charged too much? I looked at a mowing job, I didn't want to do. Too many rocks. I gave the name to a lady, of someone who does mowing. I get a call from the lady. That guy didn't call me. now I am the middle man. So I need to call this bozo, please call the lady back. I don't need the grief. No more for him. Stan

Eldon (WA) · Jul 17, 2020

(quoted from post at 20:42:50 07/16/20) This is the first year I haven't used my A/C model M crawler in 26 years to do disking. My 1954 chevy flat bed, my 1939 A/C model M crawler, and 1942 me. We are all getting old. I have been giving my customers names of others who do this work. I see some of the jobs they do. Not the best, just enough to get by. Some are not done at all . Maybe they charged too much? I looked at a mowing job, I didn't want to do. Too many rocks. I gave the name to a lady, of someone who does mowing. I get a call from the lady. That guy didn't call me. now I am the middle man. So I need to call this bozo, please call the lady back. I don't need the grief. No more for him. Stan

I am a '58 model and am starting to give away jobs that I am not real fond of. I have decided that there is no need to do dangerous or dirty work when I don't have to. It has upset a few people as there just aren't many old farm boys around to take over...

showcrop · Jul 17, 2020

Raise your rates. You will be surprised at how many will still want it done and you will be adequately compensated for your hard work.

Janicholson · Jul 17, 2020

Rather than getting in the middle of things, offer to show them how to do it themselves on their new Kubotas, as you taper off for the next generation. That usually gets their attention. Unless there is clear defined ending point, people expect service to continue. Jim

Duner Wi · Jul 17, 2020

Try not to get in the middle, wear you out.
Do you have a cab on your M?

1948CaseVAI · Jul 17, 2020

I understand the problem but the only solution is to just politely say no. I had the reverse of your problem when my lawn springkler guy quit. He supplied a couple of names for me to call but made it clear he was only giving me leads, not guaranteeing I could get them (all of those guys are too busy - most will not take new customers). I wasn't offended and felt he had done what he could to help me.

dcarp · Jul 17, 2020

I gave up about half of my baling jobs. I don’t give referrals because of that very reason. I just say it would be better if they find someone else to bale their hay. Up to them to find someone.

BarnyardEngineering · Jul 17, 2020

(quoted from post at 04:40:38 07/17/20)

Raise your rates. You will be surprised at how many will still want it done and you will be adequately compensated for your hard work.

I say the opposite: Raise your rates. You will be surprised at how many people decide they no longer require your services. They will move heaven and earth to find someone to do it for $1 cheaper than you.

TomA in CA · Jul 17, 2020

I would keep discing. That M is a sweet machine. I would get a decent tilt trailer though. It is a wonder you haven't been killed loading on that flatbed.

SkipperII · Jul 17, 2020

Doesn't always work. I have a friend that uses old tractors for his haying and irrigation work. I keep trying to tell him he needs someone
else to fix his equipment. He tells me if I doubled my rates, he would still call me. I tell him I don't have time, he says "I'll wait!!!

PJH · Jul 17, 2020

I agree with you Tom. I've seen pictures of the truck, trailer and dozer, and while I admire him keeping that machinery in good shape and working, I always worry about loading and unloading that dozer. I worked in road construction, and I've seen more accidents loading and unloading equipment than I've seen actually working the equipment.

I had a friend who worked as a concrete foreman his entire life. When he retired, instead of saying no to little local concrete jobs, he doubled his hourly rate. Nobody even batted an eye - he was covered up with work at twice what he had previously charged - and that's what ticked him off. He said that all those years he had been working for one half of what he could have been making - ha.

Donald Lehman · Jul 17, 2020

I used to do custom springs work. Plowing, discing, etc. The majority of jobs were good jobs. Once in a while you would get someone who had a crap/dangerous piece of land that they called me because they didn't want to sacrifice their own equipment. I only got suckered into one job like that. Then he started srceeching about how much I charged him and refused to pay. About a month later his wife showed up at my place with cash and paid in full. She told me,"I'm leaving that jerk anyway, so I pulled the cash out of the safe to pay you before I leave. "He will never know the difference and continue to think he got away without paying you". chuckle.

GeneMO · Jul 17, 2020

Sounds as if you guys are finally figuring out my motto.

"The less I farm, they more money I make" !!

Gene

showcrop · Jul 17, 2020

(quoted from post at 10:35:36 07/17/20) Sounds as if you guys are finally figuring out my motto.

"The less I farm, they more money I make" !!

Gene

Gene, that has been going on for centuries in all walks of life. You become proficient in a way of making a living and as time goes on you are able to gradually charge more for your time and be more selective about the work that you take on, and gradually make better pay for less work. This does, however, require one to have the confidence to raise their rates and let those who are not confident to work for less. This can even be done in dairy farming where you can't of course charge more for the product, but you embrace means of getting more out of your time.

pcsaw · Jul 17, 2020

Would love to see pictures of the m and its disk

No more for this guy

37 chief

Well-known Member

Eldon (WA)

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showcrop

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Janicholson

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Duner Wi

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1948CaseVAI

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dcarp

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BarnyardEngineering

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TomA in CA

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SkipperII

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PJH

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Donald Lehman

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GeneMO

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showcrop

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pcsaw

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