# How are you bidding stump grinding for land clearing



## MOE (Apr 24, 2010)

I'm getting a carlton 8018 stump grinder and would like to keep it busy. I'm thinking of trying to get into some land clearing type stump grinding. There are curreintly quite a few windbreaks being taken out s irrigation pivots can make full circles. The local farmers a have always brought in big hoes to dig them out. Are you bidding per stump? per hour? What have your rates typically been? Thanks.


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## Oly's Stump (Apr 24, 2010)

I normally don't charge by the hour but if I do...for the 8018 I would charge $100.00 an hour plus fuel cost and you could even add for broken teeth. On smaller lot jobs I look at how many hours it would take to do and then use the numbers above. I get most of the bids I bid like that. Some clients don't like the hourly thing because they actually want to see a number (cost). I look at potential problems like rocky soil, species of stumps, risky situations like steep inclines,ect.


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## Curbside (Apr 24, 2010)

Bid only by the job. Bidding hourly with a large machine will never get you any work. Must customers don't know the difference begtween size of machines and will take the cheapest hourly rate not realizing that they will pay 30 times more because the low bidder is showing up with a 25 hp machine where as you are showing up with a 100hp machine. You will make money in a shorter time and get more jobs by bidding by the job.


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## Mowingman (Apr 24, 2010)

I completed a 1000 acre/ 18 month, land clearing job last fall. I bid the stump grinding by the hour, and it worked out very well for the customer, as well as for me. I started with a Bandit track machine, but in the middle of the job, I sold it and got a Carlton 7015 track grinder. My rate was $125.00/hour and the customer provided the diesel fuel. I averaged about 25 stumps/hour, generally from 12" dia to 24" diameter. 
I don't see anything wrong with doing volume work by the hour. I have done several other jobs that way also. However, on these smaller jobs, I usually charge $200.00/hour and I furnish my own fuel.
Jeff


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## ibadvanced (Apr 24, 2010)

Hi, I have both the Carton 7015 and 8018--99 hp. Been doing stumps for 16 years and never bid by the hour--always by the stump or job. The 7015 averages $200 to $400 an hour----the 8018 $400 to $600 an hour----Most people don't realize what these machines can do in an hour----At $100 an hour you would just wear the machine out, I'd rather keep it parked. Just me 2 cents.


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## MOE (Apr 24, 2010)

Mowingman said:


> I completed a 1000 acre/ 18 month, land clearing job last fall. I bid the stump grinding by the hour, and it worked out very well for the customer, as well as for me. I started with a Bandit track machine, but in the middle of the job, I sold it and got a Carlton 7015 track grinder. My rate was $125.00/hour and the customer provided the diesel fuel. I averaged about 25 stumps/hour, generally from 12" dia to 24" diameter.
> I don't see anything wrong with doing volume work by the hour. I have done several other jobs that way also. However, on these smaller jobs, I usually charge $200.00/hour and I furnish my own fuel.
> Jeff



That sounds about like the rates around here. The biggest challange around here is getting farmers to try grinding vs digging stumps out. Most of the lighter irrigated ground gets dug with a disc or spring tooth field cultivator so they don't go down very deep.  I think grinding would be a lot easier with no holes to deal with or big piles of wet stumps to burn and burn again until they are gone.


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## MOE (Apr 24, 2010)

Curbside said:


> Bid only by the job. Bidding hourly with a large machine will never get you any work. Must customers don't know the difference begtween size of machines and will take the cheapest hourly rate not realizing that they will pay 30 times more because the low bidder is showing up with a 25 hp machine where as you are showing up with a 100hp machine. You will make money in a shorter time and get more jobs by bidding by the job.



Makes sense


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## TimberMcPherson (Apr 24, 2010)

I only do stumps by the hour. 150 plus tax for my stumpmaster (what the alpine magnum was copied from)


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## howel07264 (Apr 25, 2010)

ibadvanced said:


> Hi, I have both the Carton 7015 and 8018--99 hp. Been doing stumps for 16 years and never bid by the hour--always by the stump or job. The 7015 averages $200 to $400 an hour----the 8018 $400 to $600 an hour----Most people don't realize what these machines can do in an hour----At $100 an hour you would just wear the machine out, I'd rather keep it parked. Just me 2 cents.


ibadvanved,You are right on about doing work for $100 hour. i would rather park my machine than wear it out at $100 hour. Why spend 50k for a 7015 track machine and work that cheap. I never work by the hour only by the job. Working that cheap ruins the business for everybody. We had a guy doing stumps for $10 bucks each and he goes under but guess what everybody thinks that is what it should cost. I had rather work half the time at twice the price than work twice as much at half the price.


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## Oly's Stump (Apr 26, 2010)

I wish I could get $600.00 an hour for my 8018. Lets say I bid a stump at $150.00 and I get it done in 10 minutes (includes unloading and loading of equipment). That would come out to $900.00 an hour. If thats what you mean than yes I am making that. But lets get real...that stump took more than 10 minutes of your time when you count travel time, bidding time, maintenance time,ect. If your making a true $600.00 per hour for that machine than you should be pocketing $4,800.00 in a 8 hr day for that machine. That means your new machine should be paid off in 2 weeks. Like I said I rarely charge buy the hour unless it is a large project where your talking weeks to finish and you want the job. Those don't come along to much.


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## ibadvanced (Apr 26, 2010)

When I said I can make 400 to 600 an hour, I mean from the time I start grinding till I'm done.


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## MOE (Apr 26, 2010)

Oly's Stump said:


> I wish I could get $600.00 an hour for my 8018. Lets say I bid a stump at $150.00 and I get it done in 10 minutes (includes unloading and loading of equipment). That would come out to $900.00 an hour. If thats what you mean than yes I am making that. But lets get real...that stump took more than 10 minutes of your time when you count travel time, bidding time, maintenance time,ect. If your making a true $600.00 per hour for that machine than you should be pocketing $4,800.00 in a 8 hr day for that machine. That means your new machine should be paid off in 2 weeks. Like I said I rarely charge buy the hour unless it is a large project where your talking weeks to finish and you want the job. Those don't come along to much.



I've been taking my tow behind with me to bid If it's a few stumps and my price is agreeable, I do it on the spot to save a return trip. I tell customers that I'm going to be doing this and they can appreciate my efforts to save trips.


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## Oly's Stump (Apr 26, 2010)

I do that too Moe when possible. As you know some people like to get other quotes.


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## Oly's Stump (Apr 26, 2010)

Moe are you from the Twin Cities area or south Minnesota? I'm from Grand Rapids and most of my relatives still live there.


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## MOE (Apr 26, 2010)

Oly's Stump said:


> Moe are you from the Twin Cities area or south Minnesota? I'm from Grand Rapids and most of my relatives still live there.



I live just outside of St. Cloud. I guess it's southern MN to the people of grand rapids.


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## MOE (Apr 26, 2010)

Oly's Stump said:


> I do that too Moe when possible. As you know some people like to get other quotes.



I don't do it everytime either but it's nice when it works.


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