Fair price for log splitting?

[Timberwerks]

What do you think is a fair price for bringing my splitter to a clients property and splitting logs for them? I was thinking $45.00 an hour. What do you guys think?

Dale

[beenthere]

Are you splitting blocked logs in firewood lengths? Or do you mean splitting logs for rails?  

If firewood length (I think that is what you mean), I would think that is more fair for the client than for you. But that all depends on what your alternatives are for your time. If you are satisfied that $45 per hour is good pay in your pocket compared to what else you could be doing, then it is $45 that you wouldn't have otherwise. I can't make that decision for you.
Also, for the client, it will depend on how much wood you can split in an hour. Do you know?  

[Timberwerks]

Beenthere

Yes, the logs would be firewood lengths. The log splitter has a 9 sec cycle time and a 4way wedge. It will not be here until next week but I assume I can split about a cord to a cord and a half an hour.
The reason I ask this question now is I'm laying out the advertisement I will be running and I'd like to come up with a rate for splitting before it goes to print. Maybe $55.00 - $65.00 an hour?

Dale

[Frank_Pender]

For me I would charge no less that $65 an hour.  With the unit I use/have has three splitters that can run off of one power system. Only one splitter can be used at a time.   It is all mounted on a 3/4 ton Ford rearend and is powered with a 20 hp Wisconsin porpane engine.  Some of the issues for the both of you are: size of blocks, species of wood (difficult or easy to split), accessablity to your splitter,  removal of what you have split and do you have to stack after the splitting.

[beenthere]

Before putting out a flier, I would do some splitting on this new splitter first, and test it out.  Once you publish the numbers, they will stay with you and may haunt you in the long run (IMO). Need to find out if this thing will work you to death, or just allow you to be takin it easy. The clients will be makin their minds up as to whether the price per hour appears to be fair when they see you operating it. But then again, they may think that your price is way too much.  ;)  

I hired out to do some pasture and brush cutting for a neighbor. Had $20K of my equipment, hauled it 10 mi. on a trailer, worked for a bit over 5 hours. All the time, he admired the work and commented how much better my rig was doing compared to the previous one, who had such old equipment etc. that he couldn't do much. When asked what he owed me, I said $50/hour, or $250 or whatever he thought it was worth to him.  He was obviously pained at the $250 price. Finally, he asked if I would settle for $150 and I said I would.
Now, I don't expect to be asked back, but I didn't feel that the 7 hours of total time I invested, along with my equipment, was worth less.  And while I enjoyed doing it, I won't miss not doing it again. (But I did leave his pasture looking great, which made me happy just to see it that way). This guy is a retired county executive who is dabbling in horses and touting how he has done it without investing in any equipment. Guess I don't think I should invest in equipment just for him to take advantage of, and boast how he can get by so cheaply.  :  

[rebocardo]

As for price, what is the going rate at Home Depot in your area for a four hour log splitter rental? Here it is $56 and $80.00 for a day. I think that helps determine a price.

[Quartlow]

As for price, what is the going rate at Home Depot in your area for a four hour log splitter rental? Here it is $56 and $80.00 for a day. I think that helps determine a price.

Yeah but home depot isn't going to come out and split the wood for you either.


beenthere

know exactly how you feel about mowing fields, wifes cousin does custom brush hogging and bale mulching. he has both a square bale and a round bale mulcher. $60 per hour and you provide the straw. And thats $60 per hour from the time we pull out of the driveway till we finish