New Business!!!

[tree MDS]

It all depends what your situation is, thats for sure.

I'm doing a frame off restoration on a 86 K 3500 right now. Ive got an 88 thats pretty much identical out in the yard. But I'm lucky enough to have a shop to do it in... otherwise I wouldnt bother. I've seen what shops charge, and new is the way to go if you cant do it yourself. You may find youself working to pay the mechanic to fix the older truck and punching the roof with hatred every time it dies. lol

For me the old one ton 4x4's are the perfect truck, get rid of the rust, and the rest is simple - cheap too!

But yeah, someday (hopefully) when I start making some real money at this, I wont bother with the old stuff anymore...

 

[gwiley]

Consider this: if you could spend $6,000 per year on a truck would you rather have one truck or 5 trucks at the end of 5 years?

New trucks break too - which hurts worse, having a $6,000 used truck in the shop for 2 weeks a year or a $30,000 truck in the shop for 1 week a year?

Buy yourself a pair of 5-10 year old F350 - when one is down use the other one as your backup. Will a second truck make the occasional job more efficient - translating into more $$/hour due to less hours spent?

Regarding tax benefits.....think about this a bit. Sure the interest is tax deductible and the asset depreciates more impressively, but at the end of the month it still translates to high demands on your cash flow.

The key to surviving as a small business is in positioning yourself to weather the drought and storms. The lower the demands on your cash flow the better/longer you can sustain dry periods. Think about how you would feel going for a month with no work (but no payments) versus a month with no work AND with serious payments.

There is a sweet spot - don't go too old, but used equipment is almost certainly a better choice for the small business.

 

[climber338]

Consider this: if you could spend $6,000 per year on a truck would you rather have one truck or 5 trucks at the end of 5 years?

New trucks break too - which hurts worse, having a $6,000 used truck in the shop for 2 weeks a year or a $30,000 truck in the shop for 1 week a year?

Buy yourself a pair of 5-10 year old F350 - when one is down use the other one as your backup. Will a second truck make the occasional job more efficient - translating into more $$/hour due to less hours spent?

Regarding tax benefits.....think about this a bit. Sure the interest is tax deductible and the asset depreciates more impressively, but at the end of the month it still translates to high demands on your cash flow.

The key to surviving as a small business is in positioning yourself to weather the drought and storms. The lower the demands on your cash flow the better/longer you can sustain dry periods. Think about how you would feel going for a month with no work (but no payments) versus a month with no work AND with serious payments.

There is a sweet spot - don't go too old, but used equipment is almost certainly a better choice for the small business.

Great point. Thats what im looking to do at the moment is to get 2 1985-1993 f-350 IDI diesel 4x4 because they are so simple, cheap, reliable and i can even work on them. Alot of them are all rusted out but if you can find one for cheap (which they all are) your golden. Having identical trucks makes it really easy to just switch over to your other truck if the slightest problem comes up. You can fix 2 older trucks up so they are pretty much new for half the price of 1 new truck. As long as you keep the truck from getting all banged up and wash it once a week (frame, engine exc) even in the north east you can keep an older truck looking new and the clients always like that. Keeping your expences as low as you can makes you the lowest bidder so you can get the most work but still make the same money for your self as the higher bidders.

 

[gwiley]

Great point. Thats what im looking to do at the moment is to get 2 1985-1993 f-350 IDI diesel 4x4 because they are so simple, cheap, reliable and i can even work on them.

Perfect. I picked up my 1995 4x4 350 for $3,000 - wish I had gone diesel. If you approach every equipment purchase that way you will be in great shape to handle the hard times (like now).

 

[fishercat]

sounds good.

It all depends what your situation is, thats for sure.

I'm doing a frame off restoration on a 86 K 3500 right now. Ive got an 88 thats pretty much identical out in the yard. But I'm lucky enough to have a shop to do it in... otherwise I wouldnt bother. I've seen what shops charge, and new is the way to go if you cant do it yourself. You may find youself working to pay the mechanic to fix the older truck and punching the roof with hatred every time it dies. lol

For me the old one ton 4x4's are the perfect truck, get rid of the rust, and the rest is simple - cheap too!

But yeah, someday (hopefully) when I start making some real money at this, I wont bother with the old stuff anymore...

know where i can find a K30 frame long wheelbase?

 

[BC WetCoast]

My boss spent $60k on a new Dodge 3/4 ton 4x4 and had to do $9,000 in repairs (albeit under warranty) in the first year. New vehicles are not without their problems.

 

[climber338]

Perfect. I picked up my 1995 4x4 350 for $3,000 - wish I had gone diesel. If you approach every equipment purchase that way you will be in great shape to handle the hard times (like now).

I have a 2003 ford ranger right now that i got for 6000 right before i graduated high school. Electrical problems left and right. The thing let me down the 3rd day because the inerta switch goes off if the passenger kicks it ya i had to get it towed back home from logging and had to leave the load there. My buddy turned me on to the idi trucks becuase hes got a 1986 f-350 fleet of trucks. We just did the head gasket on his truck which i will most likely do on mine but the trucks are so simple that even dumbest kid mechanically (myself) can work on them. He pulled a huge load of wood out of the woods with the thing with no problem. We loaded the 12 foot flat bed up to the top of the cab and had a 12 foot trailer behind him that we loaded up to the max (5000-6000 im guessing) and the truck sank less than 3 inches. The truck cant go all that fast but with it loaded down like that who really wants to? We did the mpg from his house 15 miles to shcool 40 miles to my land then 35 miles to my house then 10 to the gas station. He calls me right after he did the math (16 mpg). Can a new truck even get 16mpg unloaded ya thats what i was thinking. yet another reason to go with an older truck there are no emissions crap on them.

 

[gwiley]

I had a ford ranger (which I loved) until it got crushed by a road grader (I was on my way to a cutting site), the road crew insurance gave me 1700 for my poor little truck which I used to help with the 3000 for the f350. That was the best accident EVER! There is just no comparing those two trucks.

 

[tree MDS]

know where i can find a K30 frame long wheelbase?

Actually I might know where there is a mint one. It was sitting at my ex's farm, I went to look at it for the drivetrain, but it was a deisel, which is the only reason I can think of why it has 410 gears. never seen a 4x4 with 410's before, mine are all 456 gears. but I remember thinking this thing has one of the sweetest frames I've seen yet. I'll look into it and PM you if its still there.