Custom Combining Rates

[Grahamp]

I am not a custom combiner but when I see how the combines I own depreciate I don’t think 30-35 is enough for newer combines. I’d help a good neighbour but short of that I think you need $40 per acre from a solely economic point of view.

[LEP]

I don’t understand the sentence.
The farmers with lodged crops are asking around for help, they want to pay $12.00/acre?
Farmers with 2 case combines are looking to custom harvest lodged crops for $12.00/acre?
Either way, custom harvest rates are about $25.00/acre combine only and. $30.00/acre combine and truck in “normal” conditions.
Combines are so expensive now, any damage is a major setback to a farm. Rumour has it a bigger farm put a VT disk into a new JD combine. It took 3 weeks for dealer to fix and $96,000.00 invoice.
That is straight rumour, the tales get taller down the line but it would not surprise me.

My 25 year old combine is breaking down in odd places from getting worn out. Definite down time and learning all about the mechanisms I have never really looked at much. So make payments or suffer the downtime to fix it. I don’t have a solid value attached to the penalty of a wore out antique.

Yup, it's payments or parts. Most times both. If you are pulling in on a crop that is upright vs flat on the ground, there's a big difference.

[farmaholic]

Every one of those custom hours better cover the replacement cost of that hour.

Every hour you put on the combine on someone else's farm is one less on your own. Helping for free is good under certain circumstances.

Guides: unless the neighbor has a catastrophic break down or a health issue. I don't like going out to help people who bite off more than they can chew or chronic heel draggers.

Helping greedy land grabbers(I hate using that word) finish their harvest only makes them think they can handle more.

I am so fookin glad to be done ALL I want to do is clean up and put shit away.

Getting a bit of grain dried now to blend down our marginally tough stuff. Only the good quality wheat will be dried at this point. Nothing is insanely tough or damp here, I am so thankful.

[STR1]

I am not a custom combiner but when I see how the combines I own depreciate I don’t think 30-35 is enough for newer combines. I’d help a good neighbour but short of that I think you need $40 per acre from a solely economic point of view.

I agree on newer combines, with the risk of something going through a combine, or just wear and tear this time year $40 would be closer.
If you damage your combine 20 acres into a custom job it may cost the combine owner $10k? $20K? $30K $40K...........

I personally don’t think it’s fair for people to ask you to help finish harvest, too many risks......and it’s always the same ones asking every year!!!
If it’s a family emergency or something out of the ordinary health wise I’m all in .......no charge!!!

[MBgrower]

$12/acre would be a good swathing rate, 30-35/acre for combing more like it

[Flatlander]

I pay a neighbour 30/acre plus I supply fuel. Only use him at the beginning of harvest as mine is usually earlier, then he has his own. This year it was August 6-10. Lentils all got taken off during that time and all pre rain. Same time period last year. I’ll do it again next year if the guy will come. Been done harvest for 16 days due to a good start and all but the last half section was good quality. You get what you pay for I think, $12/ acre isnt a thing, just do it as a good neighbour rather than pretend with that number, it’s not reality. Jmo

[blackpowder]

Well I'm damn glad I asked the local colony to help this year.
Even more grateful they graciously came.
Very happy to pay whatever the fk they want.
Mother Nature humbles us all. Lots still out.

[Misterjade9]

Don't any of you carry insurance for material other than grain ingestion damage?

[malleefarmer]

Interesting my neighbour had a sts jd with 5800 hours on it most trustworthy combine he’s ever had. Neve cost him more than 20k a year. He just upgraded to a s770. Figured it’s times he’s up to 9000 acres now with one combine.

But he loathe to sell the old girl.

[sumdumguy]

Gotta love our Cases and ❤️ Macdon headers. Steady as she goes all the way through. Still an hour left - better not speak too soon.