Hourly Rate - Small Skidder

[Kodiakmac]

I have been approached by a local landowner to do some skidding. It is a job which will have to be charged by the hour because the bf/cordage just isn't there to consider a volume deal. I'm running an old 440A line machine with a 239 engine (about 75 hp). He wants an hourly rate for me and my machine. I pay my own fuel, he will pay the floating.

With our loon (dollar) gone for a dive again, I'm at a bit of a loss what to charge.  Has anybody on this forum recently done contract work with a small skidder at an hourly rate? What did you charge per hour? Replies from eastern Canada would be particularly appreciated, but if fellows from the north-eastern states can give me their hourly rates, I'll just do a U$/CDN conversion. 

[Logger RK]

What's the going rate say of a small Dozer if the land owner was 2 hire one around that area?  Figure a older Dozer I guess. But sometimes the landowners figure a logger likes 2 run Eq just cause he likes doing it. But it's good 2 make a few bucks out of the deal also.

[beenthere]

About a year ago, I contacted a local logger to do some skidding for me. He came out, looked it over and came to the conclusion that he would need $500 a day and the trucking to get his skidder there would be $250 to get it on site, and another $250 to return it. Said it would be a day and half job.

I decided I could log it with my 32 hp Deere for considerable less, but would take more time.

[Logger RK]

That doesn't seem like that was way over priced. I'm from NW Wis & lowboys charge $125 a hour & some have a 2 hour minimum. Also 500 a day can veri a lot. If the logger put in 10 hours a day(pretty much 3/4 of a day then)$50 per hour not 2 far out of line. But I think what would've been better was a lump sum price 4 the logger 2 do the job that u's both agreed on. Then if the logger's a slacker or if he has break downs ur not over paying. Plus a agreement on how long it'll take.

[coxy]

I charge 1200 a day for me and skidder and I pay for move and fuel, brake downs    if I only work  1/2 a day they only pay for that time  I don't care how big or small of a skidder you got its all in the operator   do you have to cut the trees too            just my 4 cents

[Logger RK]

I was wondering that also if it involved fell the trees also? I've had some land owners wanting some trees cut near the house or other high risk ones. If there over 16 inch & can't get with my 311 they out of luck.  I say I a Logger not Tree Service. There's a reason Tree Service guys get paid pretty good. Around here I've heard a big tree cost 1k 2 get down.  But they have a lot Eq & workers also so that's what it's worth.

[Kodiakmac]

I was wondering that also if it involved fell the trees also...

Nope.  Straight skidding.  So what I'm looking for is a flat hourly rate for me and my machine - no different than if you were getting a fellow with a back-hoe or a dozer. 

[theonlybull]

i'd say check on rates for a backhoe and operator.  i don't think i could turn a wheel on my gear for less then $70 per hour.  and at that, i wouldn't really be making much.  i charge that for repair work with my portable welder/tool truck.  Thats in rural NS, and i'm a machinist/welder. 

how much fuel will your machine burn in a day of straight skidding?

[OntarioAl]

I charge $75 per machine hour (hobbs meter) plus floating. I have Detroit powered TJ 230.
Is the wood already felled or is it going to be skidded as cutting progresses?
Al

[BargeMonkey]

75 an hr cash is about as cheap as its going to be. How many days and how much travel for you is involved ? They are dropping and topping everything ? Are they skilled cutters, or are you going to be pulling down hangers and fighting for every stick of wood ? Decent ground ?

[coxy]

 theonlybull-barge monkey when you say 70-75 an hour how do you figure that  ???  (not trying to be a wise guy) just my time should be worth 25 and the machine should be worth 125 most other operators get 25+an hour that's how I figure it    guys with dump trucks around here are getting 100-125 an hour   a few of the log truck owners are getting 150 an hour and cant keep up with all the work they say there running 2 machines at the same time and they them self need to be paid a  rate to  witch I under stand    also there are guys around here with little jd 35 track hoes getting 100 an hour and there real busy

[Jamie_C]

Cable skidders with less than 100hp are rated at between $50 and $55/hr by most mills here in Nova Scotia. Take into account that you aren't working for a big mill and i would say something in the $70/hr range plus the floating bill should be fair.

[jocco]

I WOULD AGREE $50-100 per hour. Here is the problem figure the move cost, than assume you will have some days you will only get a few hours in due to rain, brake down, logs not ready etc.

[coxy]

Cable skidders with less than 100hp are rated at between $50 and $55/hr by most mills here in Nova Scotia.

again not trying to be a wise guy   but how do you guys pay bills at 55 an hour that's 440 a day 2200 a week if your paying fuel, repairs ,insurance  maybe truck or skidder payment    house or rent payment food clothing saws and parts oil and if you have to pay a helper  maybe im missing something   maybe im doing something wrong  please help me out

[lopet]

A buck per minute when I and my equipment is moving. I do not charge for downtime and I float my stuff with my tractor on the road.

Each situation is different.

My equipment is paid for and I do not have to make a living with it.  When I brake something well then I didn't make anything, when everything goes well I made a little.  Oh yeah, and I don't pay myself $ 25. I just don't think I am worth that much. ;D

[Nemologger]

A guy was building a pond and had a dozer there, He was taking too much  time getting the uprooted trees up to a pile so the land owner ask me what I would charge to grab them after he shoved them out and skid them up out of the way. I ask what the dozer was getting and he said 65.00 an hour, I said well that's my rate too. He offered 20.00 an hour and I said no thanks. Next day he told me he would do the 65.00. After all that's what he was getting to push them up out of the way I figured it was right.

But that was 20 years ago too, so Id say 75-100 now days

[Jamie_C]

Cable skidders with less than 100hp are rated at between $50 and $55/hr by most mills here in Nova Scotia.

again not trying to be a wise guy   but how do you guys pay bills at 55 an hour that's 440 a day 2200 a week if your paying fuel, repairs ,insurance  maybe truck or skidder payment    house or rent payment food clothing saws and parts oil and if you have to pay a helper  maybe im missing something   maybe im doing something wrong  please help me out

The mills don't care if you have a truck payment or housing payments, they know what the machines cost to buy and finance, what they cost to operate, what the operator costs, they crunch the numbers and tell you what the machine is rated at per hour and there you are.

Welcome to industrial forestry, margins are tight and you have to be business smart in order to survive and not just be a hard worker. People up here can only dream about getting the rates per hour you guys seem to be able to get. I could spend $800,000 on a top of the line harvester and it still wouldn't be rated as high per hour as what you guys want to charge for a cabke skidder.

[furltech]

well i am in the same neck of the woods as you jamie and i get where you are coming at with the mill rates but i can assure you i dont work for those rates .The mill also pays for some things i pay for myself   floating and running lines and also there is the guarantee of steady work .But they dont leave you much to live on .I dont believe i could survive on their rates again.

[teakwood]

I charge 50$/h for me and my 540A. she burns just 5lt of diesel per hour. I am happy to pay myself 10$ hour. :D But of course rates down here can not be compared
A newer skidder can surely charge more for being stronger

I get 100-120$ an hour for me and my 30ton volvo excavator and i am earning big bucks there. 1000-1200$ a day, 6000$ a week, half of that is profit.
of course, thats when there is payed work around!  :D :D

[coxy]

you are 100% right  they don't care they are the same here  that's why I don't work for a mill  been down that road before      im just trying to figure it out     if you have a machine that's burns 100gal of fuel a day at 2.50 a gal there is half your wages a day not counting other daily working expenses  it don't leave much if any to put away  I don't want to work till im 70 I want to have a little fun before I kick the bucket        my hole point is im in biz to make money if i cant why bother

[teakwood]

witch machine burns 100gal of fuel a day??

My excavator burns 40 gal a day and the 540skidder burns 12gal a day. a 440 will burn probably 8gal a day

[ehp]

Just me but at $75 an hour I know I would not jump at that , stuff cost way to much to fix now so you need to make some money , I just put over $5,000 in parts in my skidder and 3 years ago that would of been about half that cost , I'm not trying to get rich but would like to be able to buy food other than KD, bread and water

[350 cummins]

i run a 662 clark and would not work it for less than $75/hr i would expect to get closer to $100/hr

[coxy]

witch machine burns 100gal of fuel a day??

My excavator burns 40 gal a day and the 540skidder burns 12gal a day. a 440 will burn probably 8gal a day

ill stick my foot in my mouth now  my 518 cat will burn 50gal a day no trouble with out running it hard   if I heard the lady right from tiger cat at the logger fest this year she said the  one tiger cat would eat 100+ a day depending what you where doing    i know there is bigger ones out there than that not only skidders but im shur some harvesters, forwards and so on will      a 440may not even burn 8gal  when I get to be 60 ill have one to do one load a week if I feel like working but for now ill stick with my fuel guzzler its so much faster  and smother and don't have to build road to every thing like you would with a 440 its not vary flat where I work but there is nice timber and I  buy it cheap cheap

[redprospector]

The last time I ran my old 440b by the hour I charged $80 and hour. But that was for a pretty good friend. When I figure the 440b on a job that I've got to bid, I figure it at $125 an hour.
I must be doing something wrong. I see people saying that they can run a 440 all day on 5 to 8 gallons of diesel. I just can't get that kind of efficiency if I'm working it. Skidding all day I'll use 15 to 17 gallons depending on the terrain, and size of wood.
To those who say that they aren't trying to get rich...I'll just say, we have different goals in life.
To those who say that they aren't worth $25 an hour as a machine owner/operator...Well, you don't think much of yourself evidently.
I try to figure my time at least at $40 an hour, and by the time I find the job, figure the job, deal with the land owner, do the job, do the maintenance and paper work. I'm really only making about $12 or $15 an hour for my time. That's poverty level. I can make that just about anywhere and not have the headaches of owning equipment.