I just found a sub for stumpgrinding

[Dave]

I think I'll use this guy until he goes broke

Reply to: [email protected] [?]
Date: 2009-02-13, 8:34AM EST


STUMPS STARTING AT $19.99 CALL NOW FOR EARLY SEASON PRICING.DISCOUNTS FOR MULTIPLE STUMPS. WE HAVE 50 HP SELF PROPELLED MACHINE ON TRACKS CAN GO ANYWHERE CALL No phone #'s please




* Location: RI
* it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests

PostingID: 1032917920

Does he mean 20 bucks a stump ISN'T discount pricing? I have and will do stumps for a 20 but it would be a 10 inch stump and I subtract it from the 90 bucks it takes to show up. It looks like it's going to be a tough year in my area.

 

[TDunk]

His prices start at $80 less than mine right off the bat.

Just price the stump like you normally would and then higher him to do it. Your gonna make almost the same money.

 

[TreeTopKid]

I think I'll use this guy until he goes broke

Reply to: [email protected] [?]
Date: 2009-02-13, 8:34AM EST


STUMPS STARTING AT $19.99 CALL NOW FOR EARLY SEASON PRICING.DISCOUNTS FOR MULTIPLE STUMPS. WE HAVE 50 HP SELF PROPELLED MACHINE ON TRACKS CAN GO ANYWHERE CALL xxxxxxxxx




* Location: RI
* it's NOT ok to contact this poster with services or other commercial interests

PostingID: 1032917920

Does he mean 20 bucks a stump ISN'T discount pricing? I have and will do stumps for a 20 but it would be a 10 inch stump and I subtract it from the 90 bucks it takes to show up. It looks like it's going to be a tough year in my area.

Did you mean till he goes broke, or till he needs a new set of teeth. He's barely paying for his fuel LOL! Why would you ever buy a machine when there's people who want to operate at these prices.

 

[pdqdl]

That, boys, is called a loss leader.

It says "Starting at...", but doesn't tell you where he is going to bid it. How many 4" stumps do you get calls for? He might be doing them for $5.00/inch.

 

[Dadatwins]

I will throw him an extra $20.00 per day to drive down to VA at that price.

 

[WolverineMarine]

I used to have a min of $50 bucks for just one stump..went up to $75 last yr..any guy whos out doing work for that cheap is either some kid just starting out and thinks he can make his millions doing that for a living intead of going to college, is really desparate for money, and will undercut anyone with a decent reputation, or has some axe to grind with a former employer...the bottom line is the machine costs money to insure, maintain, put fuel in, and then pay yourself(or your employee) to make it profitable. Unfortunatley, this is the competition we have to deal with these days, and in this economy..

 

[Dave]

The guy has a rolloff business so it's probably the 20 plus a charge to show up. I've been at it over twenty years now so i have seen guys come and go. Had a repeat customer want a stump ground, told him it came in under the minimum so that would be 90 bucks. (c-note for new people or turds) He was shocked that I would charge so much. I measured the stump, came up with 35 bucks and tried to explain 30 mile round trip with gas at (then) 4 bucks a gallon at 7 mpg, grinder teeth, insurance, wear& tear, etc, and while the 35 would just about cover those things, I would be working for free. Still didn't get it. Sheesh.

 

[WolverineMarine]

I have attempted to explain to customers the basic breakdown of my operating costs..most of the time they say they want to know, but obviously dont understand the concept of overhead. So..if someone really has a hard time with what I charge(and I KNOW I'm very reasonable around my area), I just tell them thats my best offer..unless its a veteran, or elderly person..I won't often go any lower than my written quote..we as businessmen need to stick to our guns and charge a reasonable rate so we can all survive..its just simple business ethics IMO..

 

[pdqdl]

You guys sweat the details too much.

1. The customer wants the stump ground; "How much"
2. You tell them what you want.
3. They respond one of two ways: "When can you do it" or [everything else].

[everything else] means that their desire for the stump removal was not enough to make them pay your fee.

It's not necessary for you to educate them about your expenses. Your frustration with the situation is only a measure of how much you wanted their money to grind the stump. Don't let it eat you up.

 

[teamtree]

I stopped by my local gas station the other day and had my whole fleet out at the pumps filling up with gas and the lady behind the counter said she would like to have a stump taken out of her yard and asked how much. I told her a minimum of $75 and that would cover 75% of the stumps we do as she did not know how big it was. She acted like it was highway robbery. I asked her if she would sell my my Mt. Dew and breakfast burrito for half price and she said no. I asked why....she said they would lose money if they did that.....so I asked are you going to give the gas away today...and she saw where I was going with it. I told her she could go rent one for 75 for 4 hours and do it herself and then pay gas and insurance and sales tax and she would have to go pick the machine up.

Bottom line....if you are not getting a minimum of $75 a stop...you are not making money...does not matter how big a machine or how little your overhead....

 

[Rickytree]

I think the guy that posted the ad had a idea in mind. If the stump small a resonable size and you had a bunch of them, then the price would be $20. It's a play on words and I don't blame him. But if the guy is doing big stumps for $20 then he's a very poor business man.

 

[ntsarborist]

o wow $20 stump removal. is he even making anything off of that? i wont leave the yard for no less than 80 for a stump and thats only making a $25 profit. must be a high effeincency solar powered grinder then lol

 

[prentice110]

you guys are making me feel like im ripping people off. Ive had a $100 minimum since 03 or 04. My dad said he had a $75min back in 94 but we live in an Illinois gravel pit area. Go through alot of teeth around here. Of course when the old man was still around he was 1 of maybe 10 guys round here with that big a machine, nowadays must be something like 50. Plus the rental places

 

[Taxmantoo]

If he's got a paid for grinder, can he be charging $20 a half hour, or $20 every 15 minutes, with a $20 minimum?

 

[Blakesmaster]

If he's got a paid for grinder, can he be charging $20 a half hour, or $20 every 15 minutes, with a $20 minimum?

Even if he has his machine paid for he still needs to maintain it and put fuel in it. Not to mention saving for a new machine. Even 20 every 15 minutes is low. I ground for 2.5 hours on Saturday, made 700 bones and still feel like I didn't make enough but he was a good customer who got me a lot of work. I bet this yahoo is just an old tree guy who kept his stumper and figured he could use it for some extra cash in his quasi retirement.

 

[pdqdl]

Geez.

I wish I made that much money with my stump grinder. We're lucky to get $75 an hour. Customers squeal at my $50 minimum, and they almost never pay more than $2.50/ inch diameter.

There are a lot of stump grinders in this town.

We went to a job one day last year, 2 hours after the initial telephone call. When we got there, one of the competition was already on-site grinding. We were told that "they were just down the street, and gave a better quote".

I think they called everybody in town, and told 1/2 of us to come do the job.

 

[Shadow]

Guess I dont get it...

I've always advertised "Prices starting as low as $20.00 per stump!" Do I do very many for $20.00? Nope. But it gets me over to a potential customer to negotiatework sometimes.
Heres an example, A lady phones up and says I have 5 small fruit tree stumps 3-5 inches Would they qualify at $20.00 each? I said Yes Maam. I wont make a special trip over but I'll stop on my way by sometime. 2 days later I pull up in front of her house at 8:30 am, grab the Alpine out of the back of the truck, carry it to the back yard set it down,have a quick look to see if I need to set up a debris shield which I do . Back to the truck grab my three posts mounted on round bases and my 4 foot by 16 foot tarp. Set up the posts, clamp on the tarp. Put on head gear . Start up the Husky and grind. Each stump takes roughly 3 minutes to grind 6-8 inches below the ground. Shut off machine and start to rolled up tarp when neighbour leans over the fence and says How much to do this 22-24 inch Elm stump? I have a quick look and see its been down a few years and starting to soften in the center. I tell him $100.00 cash. He says get to it I'll go get some cash.
I roll the Alpine out one gate into another, set up my shield and grind away. This one takes 11 minutes actual grinding time! I'm done and loading my machine when he pulls up. Its just barely 9:30 and I've made $200.00 cash.
So I dont get it.. some of you wont look at a stump for less than a $100.00.? I guess maybe equipment may play a part in this. Because I probably wouldnt want to pull a trailer across town, set up ramps unload find a way to maneuver a cumbersome machine into place and do a small stump either. I have one machine, and do every size stump with it.
I try to never pass up a job, I almost always negotiate a price to do the job. And I find it works out that every three jobs gets you a fourth one. Especially in small communitys.I have advertising on my truck, so wherever I am someone is going to see it and it may lead to a job.

 

[arborworks1]

I have no shame, because someone will see you grinding it never fails. You will get more cash off the jobs that most guys will never look at. I have a 70 buck min. But If someone is haggleing I will go take a look at it and scope out the neighbors yards. If I go back in the afternoon its almost a guarantee that you will get more work, nosey neighbors and keeping up with the jones.

 

[ropensaddle]

I will throw him an extra $20.00 per day to drive down to VA at that price.

Tell ya what come up with 300 stumps of various sizes + lodging and I can meet or beat that price and make money if there not too greatly scatered.

 

[pdqdl]

It's a MUCH different market here.

I've had my stump grinder since 1997?

Since then, I don't think I have ever had someone come out and ask for a quote while I was there. So far as I know, none of my guys has either, although it could happen and I wouldn't know.

You guys just don't know what a tough market is all about.

I know a couple of folks that thought they could make a living with a stump grinder, fire all the help, just noodle around with easy work. Not in business anymore.