What/how to charge for custom rototilling

[Brad_S.]

Surely some people here do custom rototilling. How do you charge and what do you charge? Square foot or by the hour?

I have a used 5' 3pt rototiller that is just too worn out to use anymore. I would like to buy a new 6 foot King Kutter to run on my Kubota L4600. I certainly have plenty of use for it around here but picking up some custom tilling to help cover the cost would be wonderful. Any advice is appreciated.

[btulloh]

Don't know about how much to charge, probably whatever the market will bear. I know that doesn't answer your question, but I wanted to mention that hunters are a good market for roto sevices. It's the best way to prepare game plots. Some hunters are happy to pay $15 a pound for "special" seed mixtures that are made mostly with $3 per pound seeds. Same thing for roto services.  

Picking up a few jobs could sure reduce your outlay for a new tiller. Good luck with it. 

[WV Sawmiller]

   I have not done it but I'd start with a minimum to come to the site and unload and load, mileage and an hourly rate. The minimum rate might include the first hour or two then anything above that at the hourly rate. I would not do it by the square ft as too much difference in the nature of the ground - soft, hard, rocky, roots, hard to maneuver, etc. 

   That is how I do it with my sawmill - equivalent to 1,000 bf to move the mill. First 1,000 bf included then regular rate above that. If less than 1,000 bf they pay the minimum plus mileage and any blade damage, if any.

[GRANITEstateMP]

When I bush hog with a 7ft mower behind my 60ish UP tractor I get $69 an hour, 2-3 hour minimum (depends how far the job is). Most of the time I end up driving the tractor right to the job. Most jobs average 3 hours for me. Hope that helps, when I used a 6ft bush hog, I got less, I think it was $60 an hour?

[alan gage]

My dad does this every spring with his grandson (15) with a 5' tiller on their L Kubota. He uses it as a way for his grandson to make some extra money and get him more equipment time. They usually spend a couple weekends doing it. In town they'll just drive the tractor there. Out of town they take the trailer. They know most all the people they're doing it for and just ask them to give what they think it's worth. They like seeing a kid doing the work so some of them pay pretty good. Only a few have been stingy. That might not be the best approach for some old guy though. ;)

Whenever I hire out equipment like an excavator or hauling gravel the guy charges $85/hour of equipment usage. That's usually for multiple hours though so I don't know how it would apply to a quick garden till.

Alan

[Tom King]

I have an old, chain drive, Italian cheap one from Agri-Supply.  It should have stopped working a decade ago, but I've never even replaced the drive chain in it.

The main thing I use it for is de-rocking ground.  I tie the flap up on the back.  Rocks get thrown up in the air, and land on top of the dirt.  At least they're easier to pick up like that.

This is not for small rocks, but old river rocks up to about the size of your fist.

I would say at least $75 an hour.  I don't remember how long the tines last, but not as long as many other implement parts that wear against dirt.  I use the worn out tines for de-rocking.

Excavators here were a buck and a quarter several years ago, plus moving fee.  Haven't hired one for a good while, but it's always amazing that their jobs always work out to be in whole days.