# Going rate for skidder and operator



## bnmc98 (Mar 28, 2015)

Hey guys,
I have been doing some thinking about expanding into getting my own skidder and running it for contract.
I want to find out if it's even worth the hassle.

What are some rates you are seeing, paying or making around your areas. I know its somewhat subjective to that, but just looking for ball parks right now.

By ton... day.... whatever you got.

Any other info or suggestions that come to mind would be appreciated.

thanks
Brian


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## treeslayer2003 (Mar 28, 2015)

well if it was me.......and its flat here, i'd want at least 200 a load.........hell i wouldn't really want to do it for that.


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## bitzer (Mar 28, 2015)

I sub-contract cut & skid for a mill. I get $110/$120 per mbf. If its and hour plus drive or special circumstances I can get 130 to 150. I pay my own way with everything. Hiring a low boy, fuel, parts etc. They put jobs in front of me, I deck it, they haul it. I pay stumpage on the 100 inch pulp(firewood) and its mine from there. So around here I'm getting $5-600 per load. Loads are around 5mbf. Firewood(8 footrs)- I often make $6-700 per load (10 cords). This is flat land.


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## northmanlogging (Mar 28, 2015)

Go hourly, trees have a habit of not measuring up to scale, and the cutter or whomever hires you is sure to figure out how to make your job easy quick, that and if you have to stand around waiting for some jack wagon to cut down some trees your still getting paid.

Also have a minimum per day, just like in excavating...

For one days work I'll figure on 60-80 an hour at a 10hr minimum, if there is more than one day of work same hourly rate but at a 4 hour minimum per day. The rate is subject to change along with terrain and attitude (though most of the time its at 60).

Everyone has their own numbers and you'll have to figure out yours.

Mine are fairly simple as I don't have a payment, but I do have insurance, fuel, maintenance, tires, taxes, paying forward and somewhere in there I'd like to get paid too...

Don't forget moving the machine is not cheap, and maybe its my paranoia, but I arrange the moving, pretty ****ing easy for someone to drive off with my machine on his truck and never see it again...


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## KiwiBro (Mar 28, 2015)

northmanlogging said:


> Don't forget moving the machine is not cheap, and maybe its my paranoia, but I arrange the moving, pretty ****ing easy for someone to drive off with my machine on his truck and never see it again...


 I've got concealed GPS tracking units on everything worth over $5k to replace, which at the mo is just two things. Has helped on a few occasions. Pretty cheap peace of mind.


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## SliverPicker (Mar 28, 2015)

What skidder?

If you are running a 748 and you are pulling high dollar hardwood then you are probably in the $150 per hour neighborhood. If you are pulling junk pine with a small antique skidder like I am then you are most likely talking $75 per hour.

This is all assuming you are a skilled operator etc....


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## Gologit (Mar 28, 2015)

If you're the only skidder on the job a tonnage rate might work. Otherwise working by the hour is the only way to go. Costs and expenses for both parties are more predictable that way.
If you're working as an extra skidder for a company with their own equipment you'll be the first one laid off when things get slow. You'll also have to work at whatever pace the company equipment sets. Sometimes that's good...sometimes it's a road racing nightmare.
If you break down you'll be sidelined and replaced quickly.
Pencil out your expected equipment costs. Figure every penny of possible expenses...including taxes. Add 10% to the total. Figure how much of a set-aside you'll need for parts.
If you can do all the wrenching and welding you'll be in good shape. If not, figure on some good sized shop or mobile mechanic bills.
Now, take 25% of your expected gross, hourly, daily, weekly etc. and that's what you can afford to pay yourself. 25% is a ballpark figure but it's worked for years to figure out how much to pay an operator. It's adjusted up and down to fit circumstances but it's a good starting point. If you have money left at the end of the year you can give yourself a bonus. You probably wont though. Put the profits back into the business.
Five hundred a day working long ground for a couple of months wouldn't be bad pay but I wouldn't take any less. Too much down time between jobs and lowbed moving costs eat up profits fast.
If whoever you're logging for tells you that he'll move you or stake you to some repairs or take care of a fuel bill for you make sure you get all the details settled up front. Otherwise on payday you might owe him money. I've seen it happen.


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## bnmc98 (Mar 28, 2015)

Thanks for the info guys. I will have to sit down with a pencil this weekend.


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## Whitespider (Apr 17, 2015)

Skidder??
Have you seem mine??







*I'VE MOVED HERE*


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## Gypo Logger (Apr 26, 2015)

Nice hunk of iron, but where's the FOP and ROP?


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## 1270d (Apr 26, 2015)

Good idea for wheel weights


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## nk14zp (Apr 26, 2015)

Whitespider said:


> Skidder??
> Have you seem mine??
> 
> View attachment 419625
> ...


Needs a grapple.


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## Whitespider (Apr 26, 2015)

Gypo Logger said:


> _*Nice hunk of iron, but where's the FOP and ROP?*_


OK... I'll come right out and admit it... I don't have a friggin' clue what an FOP and ROP are.
Please enlighten me??
*


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## Gypo Logger (Apr 26, 2015)

Lol, a fop means falling object protection and ROP means roll over protection. Neither is really required as long as you have eyes in the back of your head.
I did use an Atv though to skid 20,000 ft. of building logs on flat ground.


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## treeslayer2003 (Apr 26, 2015)

1270d said:


> Good idea for wheel weights


yes it is............be nice if they were heavier


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## northmanlogging (Apr 26, 2015)

Um not to burst anyone's rainbow bubble or anything... but that winch is pointing the wrong way...

However it is probably a helluva firewood skidder.


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## Whitespider (Apr 26, 2015)

treeslayer2003 said:


> *yes it is............be nice if they were heavier*


There's actually a lot of weight there... the tires are full of calcium chloride solution.



northmanlogging said:


> *but that winch is pointing the wrong way...*


I don't "skid" with the winch... if I do drag a log I use a chain hooked on the rear.
The winch is used mostly for when the little tractor, pullin' a trailer full of firewood, gets buried to the axles in mud.
I also use it for pullin' a tree in the direction I want it to fall (such as against the lean)... in which case I chain the rear of the little tractor to another tree.


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## slowp (Apr 26, 2015)

Oh god! Lawnmower logging. This forum is deteriorating fast. Time to get it real again.

Skidding in a thinning along one of the major tourist routes to the volcano. Making it look nice as possible.


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## BeatCJ (Apr 26, 2015)

C'mon, if we can race 'em, we can skid with 'em!


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## slowp (Apr 26, 2015)

90 something year old Fast Eddy, who is still alive and knife trading, trying to skid cottonwood in a slick parking lot. Apparently there was a market for chipped cottonwood at the time.


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## Whitespider (Apr 26, 2015)

slowp said:


> *Oh god! Lawnmower logging.*


To repeat something from another forum...
When ya' got a job to do... ya' use what ya' got‼
*


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## slowp (Apr 26, 2015)

Shovel logging alder. I may have some of this in my woodstove right now.


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## slowp (Apr 26, 2015)

Don't forget mobilization costs. They unloaded this skidder 6 miles away because of the temporary bridge across a washout.


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## Whitespider (Apr 26, 2015)

Gypo Logger said:


> *Lol, a fop means falling object protection and ROP means roll over protection.*


Thanks... makes sense now.
I'm learnin' a lot of new terms in this forum... I especially like the term "crummy" for the personal carrier.
*


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## Westboastfaller (Apr 29, 2015)

Whitespider said:


> OK... I'll come right out and admit it... I don't have a friggin' clue what an FOP and ROP are.
> Please enlighten me??
> *


Oh you should have asked me! Ok...I'll come right out and admit it...the only thing I knew on this thread was ROPS and FOPS. Ok two things then. Oh and the S is for system. ..lol guess people could figure that one out.
Pretty much all new trucks are equipped with ROPS now. There is one or two companies that won't let you rent you own personal truck on a job if you don't have ROPS these days. Its a certified structure built into the cab Frame.
Maybe only manufactured up in Canada,
IDK? But FOPS would be definitely across the board.


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## catbuster (Apr 30, 2015)

$80 per hour. If it's not a new, big piece of gear and you're running fly by night. 

If not, start at $80 and then add in extra fuel, machine maintenance, and other things associated with a large and new machine. 

After that you look at liability insurance, licensing, etc.. Add that to your cost, and then then you find your price per hour.

Also, ROPS is a "RollOver Protective System." It keeps you from being crushed if the machine turns turtle. FOPS is "Falling Object Protective System." It saves your ass if you knock a tree down on the cab.


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