Well, not exactly, but before one does I need to make sure it's a keeper and doesn't need to be taken to the dog pound.

A little background is in order, so please take the time to read what the purpose of this thread is. Thanks!

After 8 years working in Fire Protection and Life Safety, I received an offer to return to one of my true passions, the car business. Now I'm not going to be a salesman or service technician. I already did the whole sales/management thing for 12 years.

I'm going to be a collision repair estimator. The biggest plus for my family and me is the guaranteed start/stop time with no weekends. The downside is that I will be taking a substantial paycut in the beginning. On top of that, my wife and I are going to be moving in to our new home we just built. It's a scary and exciting time for sure!

Finally the reason for this thread. I need to develop a plan to supplement my lower income without affecting my family and new job. I live in a snow belt area where a normal storm will drop 3 to 6 inches MORE snow than just 10 miles away. I currently have a walk-behind snow blower, but the new drive is 130 feet long. Also, with the extra time I will have, I'd like to get back into hunting. I would like to plant some food plots and manage the family property 1/2 hour south.
I've always liked tractors and the different things you can do with them. The final nail in the coffin was when a friend mentioned that the going rate for snow plowing is $40-65 a driveway per snow event. Snowplowing is a very popular method for snow removal, but can cause damage to the landscape and isn't the best when there's no where to put it during a long winter.

I figure that if I can contract 10 other drives in my 200 home lakefront association, I can offset the price of the tractor purchase/payment. The biggest negative impact would be a warm winter like we just had. So I also need to make some money when there isn't snow.

Here's where you guys come in. I've got some ideas that I will list next. I need everyone to give their input, suggestions and experiences. Whether it's for the tractor (size, transmission type, cab/no cab), potential implements or experience with small business.

I plan on purchasing new because of the better finance terms and ridiculous resale values on used tractors.

Here are the potential implements, uses or ideas:

1. Post hole digger - Fences, post-frame construction, bird feeders...
2. Stump grinder - Tons of dead or dying trees due to disease or age in yards.
3. Box scraper - landscape property leveling
4. Pallet forks - lift deliveries on regular trucks? suggestions?
5. Boat dock install and removal--what can I use??
6. Boat launch or removal?
7. Front mount mid pto snowblower -- how big, how fast?
8. Back blade -- hydraulic turn? extended wings?


As you can see, I need help. Haha! My plan is to provide services that can be done before/after work or weekends. Please let me know what you think about everything.

 

mini excavator buckets compliment a box blade/scraper quite well! not the backhoe arm, but a digger bucket like so. people shear off stumps as well as excavate with them apparently.




subcribed!
(firsties lol)

 

Believe it or not I was thinking about doing the same thing after I retire. Some one I know can get me in and I think the class is about 2 weeks. I'm still up in the air about what I'm going to do after my time comes with Verizon.

 

i know a few people who have started these type businesses after retiring from their primary career. served them well after establishing a customer base!

 

To help with the establishment the thread .... my last tractor purchase.

 

Lots going on up there Torr!

For the tractor I would definitely say you want a cab. I put a 3rd function valve on my tractor and have a 72" hydra turn plow for it.

When I plowed commercially (in Lansing), my bobcat would get $100 per hour. The back hoe would get $150 per hour. This was on commercial parking lots.

For driveways there are 2 ways of pricing that I had found, you can do by the push with a 2-3" minimum first push. I had a second charge if the snow event would increase by 6" each time. So a 9" snow fall would double the cost of the driveway cleaning, I always went back and did a clean up as included.

The other option on that is charging by the season (benefit is all the money up front) and you would have to figure out how many times per year you would need to go out and clear snow. After so many pushes (I used 26 and this would include the multiple pushes for a large snow fall) there would be a per push charge for the remainder of the season. This is a roll of the dice for the customer and for you. Some years you can come out way ahead others can be a break even.

 

Interesting...

It looks like it uses a SSQA (skid steer quick attachment) to the FEL (front end loader)? How would I use this or on what?

 

I'm looking forward to the class. I've got a jump start on the position overall with my sales experience at this dealership. I know what they expect.
My understanding is that the insurance adjusters are the ones who really "make bank".

 

Thanks Jack for posting this. Is that the 26 hp one? Can you list what tasks you use it for? If you have pictures of different implements in use, can you post those?

 

Sweet rig Rich! As you are probably aware, your tractor purchase put this idea in gear.
Your's is the B2650, right? What attachments did you get? Did you go with the 2650 to avoid the EPA tier 4 requirements? If so, would you have gone larger? How much did the cab version add?
Post up more pics if you can!

 

I had to go look up the data.

That's the '92 Ford/New Holland 1920 I picked up a year ago, 179 hours. 32hp 4cyl engine/28hp PTO. Came with a hat.

The one I've had since '88 is a 1984 Ford 1710, 3cyl 26hp engine, 24hp PTO. No roll bar or hat, which I prefer.




Both are manual which I have to have, both are 4x4 which in a compact you have to have IMO. Both have R1 tires, which I need in the sandy soil.

Somewhere I may have a picture with the grapple on the 1710 (I installed a quick attach on that one, and a remote valve for the grapple), but working a tractor for me isn't something worthing of taking pictures of. I've been on tractors since I was 9-10yo. From the factory it came with a hydraulic limiting since the FEL was used on both the 1710 and 1910, but I removed that as soon as I experienced the lifting limitations. We don't need no stinkin limits. I didn't see it as a structural issue, but those little front tires don't care for the weight if I don't have the backhoe attached to leverage the weight to the rear tires.

For me, a grapple on the front and a backhoe on the rear are two of the most useful implements I have.

Actually, been on tractors earlier then that. Me and Dad. Still have that Cub.

 

Thanks again Jack. I remember you posting the picture of you and your dad on the Cub.
What do you use the grapple for?

 

Raking and picking up brush, stumps, carrying trees that you would be surprised at, logs, etc. South Jersey has no rocks other then our natural bog iron, but concrete blocker cast gets grabbed too. Scott I believe has been having fun with his grapple on a b'cat. Since having it it's been on the FEL more then the bucket.

 

Here my dad and I.

 

Cool Bill. Shows what got us into things with wheels.

Torr, not my pics but good examples of what I do since you were discussing cleaning up trees in the 'hood.