# Hourly Rates Small Skidder



## Kodiakmac (Jan 10, 2016)

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.

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. Our loonie is starting to look like a peso again, but if fellows from the north eastern states can give me their hourly rates, I'll just do a U$/CDN conversion.


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## Gypo Logger (Jan 10, 2016)

It's hard to say unless we know how many trees/acre and how many acres.
One way to approach it, saying it was 5 acres would be to say 10,000$ or 75$ hr., whichever is cheaper.
There are other things to consider as well, like who retains the wood and how will it be processed on the landing if at all.
Clearcutting goes alot faster than select cutting obviously.
If youcan estimate the total volume on the stump you could come up with a figure based upon a per cord price for falling and skidding.


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## Kodiakmac (Jan 10, 2016)

Gypo Logger said:


> It's hard to say unless we know how many trees/acre and how many acres.
> One way to approach it, saying it was 5 acres would be to say 10,000$ or 75$ hr., whichever is cheaper.
> There are other things to consider as well, like who retains the wood and how will it be processed on the landing if at all.
> Clearcutting goes alot faster than select cutting obviously.
> If youcan estimate the total volume on the stump you could come up with a figure based upon a per cord price for falling and skidding.



He just wants a straight hourly rate for skidding. The number of trees/volume/acreage doesn't matter. It's his wood...I want nothing to do with it. He and his boys do the falling and limbing and bucking.

So, I want to give him a price per hour for me and my machine - no different than I would give someone a price per hour for me and my backhoe, let's say.


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## ChoppyChoppy (Jan 10, 2016)

$135/hr is what I charge for running my iron for someone.


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## Gypo Logger (Jan 10, 2016)

Kodiakmac said:


> He just wants a straight hourly rate for skidding. The number of trees/volume/acreage doesn't matter. It's his wood...I want nothing to do with it. He and his boys do the falling and limbing and bucking.
> 
> So, I want to give him a price per hour for me and my machine - no different than I would give someone a price per hour for me and my backhoe, let's say.


I'd say 100$/hr then.
If the boys are doing the falling, limbing and bucking, you'll have lots of jackpots to pull apart.


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## bitzer (Jan 10, 2016)

150 per hour for me but i'm also running a forwarder.


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## northmanlogging (Jan 10, 2016)

I run a 440a, I ask 80 an hour with a set minimum to cover moving it, say $400, no-one has been interested enough to bother with a return phone call.

I could charge more, but in the end your not going to move enough wood in a day to justify the $800 bill after 10 hours, but it keeps the jack knobs from wasting my time.

Most folks that want to hire out a skidder are not loggers, just good ole boys with saws and a need for cash. Slap em with comma in the bill and it could ruin em or they might not even pay you.


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## Gypo Logger (Jan 10, 2016)

I could dump that stand.


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## Gypo Logger (Jan 11, 2016)

bitzer said:


> 150 per hour for me but i'm also running a forwarder.


Judging by your show boat felling cuts Bitzer, I'd pay you minimum wage. Lol


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## Kodiakmac (Jan 11, 2016)

Sounds like a number between $80 and $100 is the answer. I'll post the same question over on FF too. Thanks for your help. I'll let you know the outcome.


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## Swamp Yankee (Jan 11, 2016)

How does it get there?

Any quote should have transport charges as a separate line item, regardless of the hourly rate. Most independents and smaller logging firms around here that I work with, don't have the resources to own the equipment needed to transport to the jobsite, so they hire that part out.

Take Care


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## Kodiakmac (Jan 11, 2016)

Swamp Yankee said:


> How does it get there?
> 
> Any quote should have transport charges as a separate line item, regardless of the hourly rate. Most independents and smaller logging firms around here that I work with, don't have the resources to own the equipment needed to transport to the jobsite, so they hire that part out.
> 
> Take Care


Thanks for the thought. He's handling/paying for the floating there and back.


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## Kodiakmac (Jan 11, 2016)

northmanlogging said:


> I run a 440a, _*I ask 80 an hour with a set minimum to cover moving it, say $400, no-one has been interested enough to bother with a return phone call.*_
> 
> I could charge more, but in the end your not going to move enough wood in a day to justify the $800 bill after 10 hours, but it keeps the jack knobs from wasting my time.
> 
> Most folks that want to hire out a skidder are not loggers, just good ole boys with saws and a need for cash. Slap em with comma in the bill and it could ruin em or they might not even pay you.



I expect that's what might happen here. Once I give him the figure in CDN$ all of a sudden he won't need a skidder very badly. That's okay.


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## cat10ken (Jan 11, 2016)

I was asked by an Amish man what I would charge to skid tops from a recently logged site with my JD 540B. I came up with $75/hr. He kind of balked at the price and wondered what I might barter for. Seeing as how I don't need another woman right now I said "How about you cut, split and load my pickup for every hour I run the skidder." I have a 3/4 ton Dodge long bed with side racks even with the top of the cab. He agreed to that. There were 2 Amish setting chokers for me and 3 cutting in the landing, one day during an Amish work day there were 13 guys cutting at the landing! They made a big pile of firewood that day. I ended up working 23.5 hours and got 23.5 loads of hard maple firewood. I sold most of it after seasoning for a year and got $110 per load so I made out better that way than just $75/hr.

Good luck what ever you decide.


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## triathlete123 (Jan 11, 2016)

When I had my 350 Timberjack, some 20 years ago, I wouldn't run it for under $70/hr, given that my running costs were about $50-55/hr then, plus the costs of the float in and out if the job was small. Quite often I cut in my neighbourhood, so the float wasn't a factor.

Today, I wouldn't run a small skidder for under $85/hr. Around my neck of the words, it is near impossible to get a piece of iron for under $100/hr.


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## beentown (Jan 11, 2016)

$120/hour is what I charge with the skid. $400 minimum.


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## northmanlogging (Jan 11, 2016)

Kodiakmac said:


> Thanks for the thought. He's handling/paying for the floating there and back.



Floating? this kanucian for moving the machine or is it going a barge and crossing water? Odd how we can both speak "english" and have no Idea what the other is talking about.


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## Joe46 (Jan 23, 2016)

NM. From what I figger seein videos from across the pond and down under a "float" is basically our lowboys or RGN's


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## bnmc98 (Jan 23, 2016)

I'm baffled. Don't know how you guys can charge so much. Unless it is a private land owner for short term. Around here from what I have seen. The only way you could charge that much is if you were running new iron pulling 5 loads a day. Any logging outfit would just buy there own seeing as at those rates in 12 days you could afford an old line skidder yourself. for profit, the market around here will not bear that rate for operator and skidder, at least not for a gypo. Might be missing something though. If you could charge that rate for an old machine and work a 6-8 hour day, everyone would do it cause thats a stinkin good pay out.
You guys must just be talking short term private contracts with private individuals not logging; right?

It could be that there is a lot more money in hardwoods too.


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## northmanlogging (Jan 23, 2016)

Short term contracts, folks will call and say they have 5 loads, which once stacked become a light 2 loads... probably take a day maybe to of just skidding.

Meanwhile yer lookin at 4-500 to move the machine there, diesel, parts and wages, 60 an hour becomes a Hel of a deal.

Anyone with more then a few trees is smart enough to call a logger and have it logged, or they log it themselves, though a few of the calls I've gotten have been from general contractors or tree services. Though they about puke at the rates... then rent a machine and do it.


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## SliverPicker (Jan 23, 2016)

I've been approached and have offered to do this type of work with my C5D grapple for between $100 and $75 per hour for me and my skidder, I pay fuel.. I've never had a taker at any price.


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## bnmc98 (Jan 23, 2016)

The people that hired me, we settled on 60 an hr for snow plowing. They really can't pay me more than that, and it has to be lucrative enough for them to use me or the grader or CAT get fired up and they do it themselves. My advantage is that I can cover a lot of ground fast, unless I am moving larger drifts. So when I do do it, its not much time that I rack up.

I guess I'm ok with that because its a little better than what I get for skidding logs for that amount of time and use, and usually its easier on the machine.


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## bitzer (Jan 24, 2016)

The 150/hour is with county work or if a landowner wants me to move tops out or something. When I'm pickin up logs that i cut for the mill my forwarder makes me 350-500/hour so at 150 its kind of a steal. I could be doin better things. If i'm pickn up logs that someone else cut its 150-200/hour. Thats what it comes out to, but i'm getting paid by mbf when pickin up others logs.


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## triathlete123 (Jan 27, 2016)

SliverPicker said:


> I've been approached and have offered to do this type of work with my C5D grapple for between $100 and $75 per hour for me and my skidder, I pay fuel.. I've never had a taker at any price.



That is a very good rate for a grapple skidder, if someone were in the market to hire someone with a skidder. But as we know a lot of people either have no idea of the cost of owning and running a machine or want something done on your dime.


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