Custom Work (plowing?)

[connor9988]

I have been toying around with the idea of doing custom work (if I ever had the free time) and wanted to get some input on it.
I have a Farmall 55 with a fully rebuilt mounted Case plow and the idea of doing some custom plowing around my local area might be something to advertise on marketplace. I can even log coverage information and bill off actual acres.

Obviously with modern corporate farming its the big equipment/enterprises that can cover large areas fast that can make that kind of custom work happen so small things seem kind of dead on arrival. You cant cover enough ground fast enough to make it worth your time/effort and even then no-one would want to/have a need for that service.

I know some on here do custom brush hogging/mowing and can make it work at times. Just wanted to get peoples thoughts. Obviously plowing is kind of a dead practice.

Thanks.

 

[DRussell]

You would know your area the best. Is there any plowing done around you?

Around here, the only plowing that is done is by garden growing types, and most of that is done by older gardeners who have their own tractors and plows. Most of the garden growers use a tiller of some type for their primary tillage.

Another question I would have is whether you want to do custom work in general or plowing specifically? If custom work in general, having the ability to do a wide variety of jobs would be beneficial.

 

[JOCCO]

Insurance.

 

[connor9988]

Insurance.

Good points.

 

[Richard Nixon]

I have been toying around with the idea of doing custom work (if I ever had the free time) and wanted to get some input on it.
I have a Farmall 55 with a fully rebuilt mounted Case plow and the idea of doing some custom plowing around my local area might be something to advertise on marketplace. I can even log coverage information and bill off actual acres.

Obviously with modern corporate farming its the big equipment/enterprises that can cover large areas fast that can make that kind of custom work happen so small things seem kind of dead on arrival. You cant cover enough ground fast enough to make it worth your time/effort and even then no-one would want to/have a need for that service.

I know some on here do custom brush hogging/mowing and can make it work at times. Just wanted to get peoples thoughts. Obviously plowing is kind of a dead practice.

Thanks.

The only traditional moldboard plowing done around me is done by organic farmers and then only to plow down previous crop residue quickly and get a new crop planted just as quickly to keep ahead of weeds. In order to do that as quickly as possible they use the biggest tractors they have. One pulling 7plow bottoms with another pulling 5 right behind. So,around here I see no chance of your plan being successful.

 

[rrlund]

Good idea if this was 1930, all of your neighbors were still farming with horses and you had the only tractor around.

I had one of the first round balers in the neighborhood in 1979. The only other guy to have one had the same make and model that I had, so we were making the same bale. We had so much custom work we couldn't get our own done. He bought a send one just to keep up and we were still handing jobs off to each other. I paid for a new baler in two years just in custom work. That whole enterprise lasted about four years. By then, anybody who wanted their hay baled in round bales had bought a baler of their own.

 

[tom upton]

I have been toying around with the idea of doing custom work (if I ever had the free time) and wanted to get some input on it.
I have a Farmall 55 with a fully rebuilt mounted Case plow and the idea of doing some custom plowing around my local area might be something to advertise on marketplace. I can even log coverage information and bill off actual acres.

Obviously with modern corporate farming its the big equipment/enterprises that can cover large areas fast that can make that kind of custom work happen so small things seem kind of dead on arrival. You cant cover enough ground fast enough to make it worth your time/effort and even then no-one would want to/have a need for that service.

I know some on here do custom brush hogging/mowing and can make it work at times. Just wanted to get peoples thoughts. Obviously plowing is kind of a dead practice.

Thanks.

If you are doing it just for giggles, doing gardens or something fine, but as far as making a profit custom plowing???? Back in 74 ( when plowing was still kinda popular) I thought I had the world by the tail custom plowing one fall , but I ended up spending more time on the road going to jobs than I had planned. Wearing tires and fuel etc for no payment. Plus one guy that I plowed over 50 acres for that never did pay. I spent many overnighters plowing a long ways away from home, and Dad used to bring me fuel so I could keep going till I was so tuckered I had to sleep on the seat of the tractor. After spending all fall plowing I think I netted around $850! So gave that up for a bad job.

 

[Vito]

$5561.40 in today's money. Nothing to sneeze at if a side hustle.

Vito

 

[caterpillar guy]

What I need is a dick with one gang that would dig sort of deep and pull dirt intowards the center of the field. Seesm that over the years a bunch of the ground that has been acquired in the last 10-15 years has a ridge around the outside .We used to plow them in in the past That only gets it in one furrow. I need to get it in more than that and level it some at the same time. the reason for the disc gang so I could off set it outside of the tractor wheel .With the plow we used the Cat and just drove over the small trees/brush and it would plow them down so they died. With the Steel tracks I did n't have to worry about flat tires from old stubs or rotted broken post butts. A plow ties was cheap compared to a rear tractor tire.

 

[rrlund]

What I need is a dick with one gang that would dig sort of deep and pull dirt intowards the center of the field. Seesm that over the years a bunch of the ground that has been acquired in the last 10-15 years has a ridge around the outside .We used to plow them in in the past That only gets it in one furrow. I need to get it in more than that and level it some at the same time. the reason for the disc gang so I could off set it outside of the tractor wheel .With the plow we used the Cat and just drove over the small trees/brush and it would plow them down so they died. With the Steel tracks I did n't have to worry about flat tires from old stubs or rotted broken post butts. A plow ties was cheap compared to a rear tractor tire.

One word. Proofread. LOL

 

[Mule Meat]

You would not make anything here plowing for people. $30 to $75 for a quarter to half acre is about all you will get.

You could run an ad about scheduling jobs this coming Fall beginning on or about X date. That would give you three to four months to see if enough interest is there to make a go at it..

Now a dose of reality . Do you have a backup tractor? I am not going to wait two weeks for you to replace the blown clutch in your tractor to get my plot of land plowed.. Plan ahead for anything to happen.

 

[tractorford]

One word. Proofread. LOL

he wants what he wants -he gets what he needs!

 

[Absent Minded Farmer]

I have been toying around with the idea of doing custom work (if I ever had the free time) and wanted to get some input on it.
I have a Farmall 55 with a fully rebuilt mounted Case plow and the idea of doing some custom plowing around my local area might be something to advertise on marketplace. I can even log coverage information and bill off actual acres.

Obviously with modern corporate farming its the big equipment/enterprises that can cover large areas fast that can make that kind of custom work happen so small things seem kind of dead on arrival. You cant cover enough ground fast enough to make it worth your time/effort and even then no-one would want to/have a need for that service.

I know some on here do custom brush hogging/mowing and can make it work at times. Just wanted to get peoples thoughts. Obviously plowing is kind of a dead practice.

Thanks.

Check CL in your area & see what everyone else is doing. Around here, there are several guys advertising doing small peanuts custom work, similar to what you mention. Check out Bagface & whatever else there is out there too. Maybe your market is saturated & you need to be creative, a good bs'er with advertising or find something else to do. Maybe there's no one & you'll make a king's ransom. Maybe there's no one, because no one needs it. ¯\_ (ツ)_/¯ Not sure you'll find much beyond a couple gardens to plow, but you never know.

Always research your market area & get you some good insurance.

Good luck!!

Mike

 

[Mark-Mi]

Good idea if this was 1930, all of your neighbors were still farming with horses and you had the only tractor around.

I had one of the first round balers in the neighborhood in 1979. The only other guy to have one had the same make and model that I had, so we were making the same bale. We had so much custom work we couldn't get our own done. He bought a send one just to keep up and we were still handing jobs off to each other. I paid for a new baler in two years just in custom work. That whole enterprise lasted about four years. By then, anybody who wanted their hay baled in round bales had bought a baler of their own.

One word. Proofread.

 

[showcrop]

Around here a lot more tilling work is done prepping food plots than for crops. It is a totally different clientele and you can pretty much name your price.

 

[JOCCO]

From a business standpoint, do some research before going all in king Nassar. How is the competition, what is the demand, can it grow in scale?

 

[NY 986]

I can't speak as to other areas but a custom plowing business would not work here due to lack of business. If somebody had 40 acres to do they would want the soil turned ASAP meaning much larger equipment.

 

[NY 986]

Good idea if this was 1930, all of your neighbors were still farming with horses and you had the only tractor around.

I had one of the first round balers in the neighborhood in 1979. The only other guy to have one had the same make and model that I had, so we were making the same bale. We had so much custom work we couldn't get our own done. He bought a send one just to keep up and we were still handing jobs off to each other. I paid for a new baler in two years just in custom work. That whole enterprise lasted about four years. By then, anybody who wanted their hay baled in round bales had bought a baler of their own.

Back during the 1960's dad was one of a few who owned his own silo filling equipment including 2 row chopper so he did some custom silo filling. He made a hitch so he could move wagons with the R 190 truck he had. I remember more than once a pickup truck I did not recognize coming to get his forage blower.

 

[paul]

Locally you might find a couple jobs plowing up old hay fields or pastures with the 10-15 acre horse/ hobby farms. But I don’t think there would be very many. They also would be more interested in a whole package, from spraying to tillage to reseeding the ground.

I think a few gardeners would respond, but they have less than a half acre which is very hard to efficiently plow with a molboard plow. After realizing the lumps and compaction you leave and how much you drive on the lawn and how far away you need to stay from a fence/ water hydrant/ corners, they would much more want a tiller to come in you won’t be asked back next year.

Then you run into the insurance issue/ cost, the travel cost, and such.

It’s fun to do for friends and neighbors, but just seems difficult to make plowing small lots work out in todays world.

Snow moving, fine or rough grass mowing, hay making, those jobs seem to still work out in some areas.

Tillage, that’s a tough one any more unless you have a tiller to make a fine garden in one pass. I could see operating a tiller working out.

Might be different in your area I only know my neighborhood. I’m not meaning to discourage you, just offering some angles to look at as you jump in. Good luck!

Paul

 

[8NHENRY]

A buddy of mine custom plants sweet corn, never thought that would be a thing but he has allot of customers and gets more every year.
Once word gets out about your plowing service you may be surprised how many people can use that. Just don’t know.