Hay baling rates question

[DJL]

Okay guys, I'm new to this small square baling thing and have a couple of questions. A local farmer approached me with a small grass patch of 3-4 acres. He wanted me to mow/condition, rake and small square it on the ground. I think I got close to cost per hour or acre from NE state custom rates. Does anybody have a rule of thumb on a per small square basis for these services. When I add the per hour or per acre rates for each plus the .50 cents per bale, a flat rate for travel time and a fuel surcharge I'm coming up with a total of $1.53 per bale for these services rendered. Am I even in the ball park guys?? I don't want to jab the guy, but at the same time I don't want to do this just for charity. HELP! Am I close here?
Thanks
DJL

 

[Walt Davies]

Small acreage like that are hard to do for a reasonable price. I would charge $100 to $110 per ton with a minimum for the whole thing just encase its not very good. Don't figures in hours as they will change a lot according to the lot that you do.
Light hay will take about as long to bale as heavy hay and you will use twice as much twine in the heavy stuff. that's why we charge by the ton it evens out better that way.
Walt

 

[IaGary]

Hate to start a war here Walt but you would never custom bale for me.

If you were to bale my hay for me it would cost me $275 an acre for the first cutting alone at those rates.

Heck I can buy hay for $100 a ton so why would I pay you a $110 just to mow,rake and bale it.

Maybe hay is higher to buy in your area than mine. I don't know?

Gary

 

[kyhayman]

Sounds reasonable to me, and about what custom rates are here. Maybe a tad low but I'd do it for 1.50 if it was decent quality hay, several acres and I didnt have to drive to outter mongolia to get to it.

 

[Anonymous-0]

Don/t know what the rates are around here, many acres of grass hay free for the takeing, just told the neighbor to come and get mine for free.

 

[Walt Davies]

Hay our here is running close to $200 a ton this year Gary. People were real happy to get it baled for $110
Walt

 

[Walt Davies]

Hay our here is running close to $200 a ton this year Gary. People were real happy to get it baled for $110
Walt

 

[Anonymous-0]

I charge $2.50 per bale on the ground. Did 3000 bales.Equipment-- Ford NAA with 501 sicle mower,Ford 2000 3 cyl. gas for the tedder rake, Massey 135 3 cyl. Perkins deisel for the 336 baler.

 

[RodinNS]

Figure out a price per hour you're happy with, and go with it. It's easier, and less risk to you. The little I do.... the clock starts when I get on the seat, and it stops when I get home. Period. Adjust the baler's hourly rate according to how many bales an hour you figure it will bang out, and the twine it will use.
Around here doing anything by the bale with these guys is a crap shoot for me. If I figured it on my crop, and then cut/raked/baled theirs, I might very well end up with 1/4 to 1/2 the bales.... and then my rates are screwed up, and I lose. You still have to cut it, and the light crop takes just as much time. You still have to rake it, which takes just as much time on the light crop.... and then you bale it, which may go a bit quicker on a light crop. Costs are much the same regardless of crop volume. That's why poor fields don't pay anyone. It's a lesson I don't mind teaching some people the hard way if they insist on cutting those fields....

Rod