Tractor Hire Rates?

[billku]

Hello, please advise on the market rates for engaging a tractor to clear some land (about half a football field at most) in Phetchabun?

Was quoted about 20k baht. I felt that it was very high and hence seek to solicit your opinion.

Thanks in advance for all replies.

[Gary A]

Hello, please advise on the market rates for engaging a tractor to clear some land (about half a football field at most) in Phetchabun?

Was quoted about 20k baht. I felt that it was very high and hence seek to solicit your opinion.

Thanks in advance for all replies.

Whoever quoted that rate saw the farang and assumed the farang was stupid indeed. The tractor will normally work by the day and it will work a normal eight hour day. It all depends what you are clearing. If there are big stumps a normal Ford tractor will not be able to get them out. Brush and trees up to maybe five inches in diameter are doable. Larger than that, you will probably need and excavator. A tractor will cost no more than 1,200 baht per day and an excavator will cost no more than 2,000 baht per day.

[Khonwan]

Hello, please advise on the market rates for engaging a tractor to clear some land (about half a football field at most) in Phetchabun?

Was quoted about 20k baht. I felt that it was very high and hence seek to solicit your opinion.

Thanks in advance for all replies.

Hi billku

If just grading (clearing the land with the front blade) the cost in my area is 400 baht per hour for a Ford tractor.

Rgds

Khonwan

[Lickey]

We have our 40 rai farm cleaned 2 times a year with a ford tractor, about 25 rai is busy with papaya an banana plants,the rest has 60 tamarind tres,lamyai mango and rubber, 2 kanoon trees, 1 orange and 1 coconut, and other fruit trees i dont know the name, The tractor starts work about 1pm, and finish when its dark, about 6pm, he goes everywhere between the trees with a 4 disc plough, and then cleans/flattenes the dirt road to top of farm, Price, 650bht, and i always take to him later 6 bottles of Chang and some thai tobaco, it works wonders, anytime i need a tractor, this man is always ready, so in our area about 1kbht [including the drink ect] Lickey,,

[ozzydom]

1500 baht per day in our area, or 40-50baht per truck load for spreading fill or road top dressing.

I had our last three ponds dug by tractor, better compaction,better end and edge slopes (4 to 1), less mess,and lots cheaper.

[pnustedt]

Hello, please advise on the market rates for engaging a tractor to clear some land (about half a football field at most) in Phetchabun?

Was quoted about 20k baht. I felt that it was very high and hence seek to solicit your opinion.

Thanks in advance for all replies.

I agree the price is too high. Sounds like your land is about 4-5 rai, I would normally charge less than Bt1,000 to plough this area (Kubota 5000 4WD). For Bt20K you should get a tractor for best part of a week.

[billku]

My sincere thanks for all replies.

I was not the one negotiating with them. Anyway, I am not a farang but a chinese.

My wife/her family was doing the talking.

Seems that the tractor companies cannot give the 1000+B/day price.

I do not know what to do from here.

[Khonwan]

My sincere thanks for all replies.

I was not the one negotiating with them. Anyway, I am not a farang but a chinese.

My wife/her family was doing the talking.

Seems that the tractor companies cannot give the 1000+B/day price.

I do not know what to do from here.

You mention tractor companies - this could be your problem. If it is a simple matter of clearing brush/weeds/debris (rather than large tree roots), just ask any Ford tractor owner on any nearby farm. I am a Ford tractor owner, but far too far from you. I am loath to suggest a second alternative reason for the high cost, but perhaps someone is taking a rather large cut.

Half a football field would equal around 3 rai.

Rgds

Khonwan

[billku]

if you guys happen to know where I could hire tractor help in subbon/phetchabun, please let me know, thanks in advance.

[Rinrada]

Sorry in CM so cant help however bit of info....

On last trip I got a couple of tractors in to drop the side of 2 mountains by about 6 feet and do a couple of new road routes....great couple of guys .....2 days work and they only stopped for lunch...

9-00am start to sundown ...no complaints and cost me 10 K...

will get thm back again March again to do some drains and another road..

Now I need some bore holes....so.....

[Boo]

Mr man was looking at levelling his 45raiof rice paddies but was quoted around 5k baht for the job so has decided instead to buy his own!!!! His brother will then spend part of his time renting himself & tractor out to help pay for it so now they are on the look out for a tractor in the Khon kaen area, specifically around Phon, anyone know any dealers pls?

[sezzo]

Mr man was looking at levelling his 45raiof rice paddies but was quoted around 5k baht for the job so has decided instead to buy his own!!!! His brother will then spend part of his time renting himself & tractor out to help pay for it so now they are on the look out for a tractor in the Khon kaen area, specifically around Phon, anyone know any dealers pls?

Just be careful buying a second hand tractor from a previous owner. Usually they are well used and in need of a rebuild. My wife and I bought a reconditioned tractor from one of the factories/dealers between Korat and Bangkok. We paid about 500k baht for the tractor but it had been rebuilt and reconditioned. That was 3 years ago and its still running perfect. You need to keep up the maintenance on them. Usually if you hear of a tractor being sold inthe area they are quite tired and in need of reconditioning. The ones that I looked at were all around the 300k baht mark.

As for the charges for renting out tractor out it varies with what sort of job its doing. If it is just levelling dumped dirt its not so much but for rebuilding rice paddies its quite good money per day. At the top end we look at getting about 4 - 5k baht per day for the contracted work. This usually included about 1k baht per day for fuel etc, and about the same for the driver. For levelling dirt jobs we usually get about 1800 - 2000 baht per day.

I was interested in the other posters quotes or prices for tractor hire intheir areas. They seem quite cheap. All the other contracted tractors in our area all work for the same price as ours. Around our way all the tractors are usually working every day from Jan through to about Jun or July. But the key thing is to keep the maintenance up on them.

[Beardog]

500 baht an hour seems to be the going rate for a tractor to grade fill dirt I was quoted 5500 baht a day (not by the hour for the claw.have used the tractor but passed on the claw as it went with the price of our well.

[Monkeypants]

if you guys happen to know where I could hire tractor help in subbon/phetchabun, please let me know, thanks in advance.

If you still need a tractor, ...whereabouts are you in Phetchabun?

Edited February 14, 2008 by Monkeypants

[Boo]

thanks sezzo, the bil is actually a mechanic who fixes big buses in bangkok at the moment, so we have the maintenance side covered but fyi, my op was wrong on the price, they (thai hubby & brother) were quoted 5k baht per 2 rai just to level paddies, which imo seems a bit extreme, which is why they were thinking it woud be better to buy a tractor & start their own, more reasonably priced tractor rental business.

I have no idea where the tractor guy came up with that figure cause from reading this thread it seems way ott.

[sezzo]

thanks sezzo, the bil is actually a mechanic who fixes big buses in bangkok at the moment, so we have the maintenance side covered but fyi, my op was wrong on the price, they (thai hubby & brother) were quoted 5k baht per 2 rai just to level paddies, which imo seems a bit extreme, which is why they were thinking it woud be better to buy a tractor & start their own, more reasonably priced tractor rental business.

I have no idea where the tractor guy came up with that figure cause from reading this thread it seems way ott.

That does seem a bit high if its just levelling the padi. But if they have to rebuild or reshape the padi that may take up to a day to do so it might not be too far off the mark. 2 rai is 80m x 40 m and from experience with our tractor and driver it might take a day to get it done.

We were lucky when we bought our tractor as we recruited a very experienced driver. Having a driver that knows how to do the job properly and efficiently is important. Also he had contacts from previous employment to be able to find the jobs as well. Initially when you buy the tractor you need to get plenty of work straight away to recoup the expenditure.

Good luck

[Rinrada]

On last trip I got a couple of tractors in to drop the side of 2 mountains by about 6 feet and do a couple of new road routes....great couple of guys .....2 days work and they only stopped for lunch...

9-00am start to sundown ...no complaints and cost me 10 K...

will get thm back again March again to do some drains and another road..

Now I need some bore holes....so.....

Attached thumbnail(s)

been quoted 700bt a metre......

[sezzo]

On last trip I got a couple of tractors in to drop the side of 2 mountains by about 6 feet and do a couple of new road routes....great couple of guys .....2 days work and they only stopped for lunch...

9-00am start to sundown ...no complaints and cost me 10 K...

will get thm back again March again to do some drains and another road..

Now I need some bore holes....so.....

Attached thumbnail(s)

been quoted 700bt a metre......

About 3 years ago I dropped a borehole for water next to my then proposed house. They quoted me 13000 baht for a 100mm hole. They found water at 20 m but went down to 31 m. I dare say that price would be higher now due to price of diesel increasing. If I wanted a electric pump that would have been 7000 baht extra.

[jopham]

They quoted me 13000 baht for a 100mm hole.

I asume that is 100m

[sezzo]

They quoted me 13000 baht for a 100mm hole.

I asume that is 100m

The diameter of the borehole was 100mm. They cant really quote on depth as they have to keep boring until they find water. In our case they found water at 21 m but kept boring until 31m. A friend of mine got his borehole down to 50 m depth with similar pricing.

[scotbeve]

Hello, please advise on the market rates for engaging a tractor to clear some land (about half a football field at most) in Phetchabun?

Was quoted about 20k baht. I felt that it was very high and hence seek to solicit your opinion.

Thanks in advance for all replies.

Whoever quoted that rate saw the farang and assumed the farang was stupid indeed. The tractor will normally work by the day and it will work a normal eight hour day. It all depends what you are clearing. If there are big stumps a normal Ford tractor will not be able to get them out. Brush and trees up to maybe five inches in diameter are doable. Larger than that, you will probably need and excavator. A tractor will cost no more than 1,200 baht per day and an excavator will cost no more than 2,000 baht per day.

Gary,

I've got 50 HP & 90 HP Kubota tractors both 4WD and "we" charge: 4 disc harrow - 550/ry., 7 disc harrow - 650/ry., 2 meter roto tiller - 550/ry, grading - 500/ry, grass weed cutting - 600/ry.

Scott

[stoneman]

Hello, please advise on the market rates for engaging a tractor to clear some land (about half a football field at most) in Phetchabun?

Was quoted about 20k baht. I felt that it was very high and hence seek to solicit your opinion.

Thanks in advance for all replies.

Whoever quoted that rate saw the farang and assumed the farang was stupid indeed. The tractor will normally work by the day and it will work a normal eight hour day. It all depends what you are clearing. If there are big stumps a normal Ford tractor will not be able to get them out. Brush and trees up to maybe five inches in diameter are doable. Larger than that, you will probably need and excavator. A tractor will cost no more than 1,200 baht per day and an excavator will cost no more than 2,000 baht per day.

Gary,

I've got 50 HP & 90 HP Kubota tractors both 4WD and "we" charge: 4 disc harrow - 550/ry., 7 disc harrow - 650/ry., 2 meter roto tiller - 550/ry, grading - 500/ry, grass weed cutting - 600/ry.

Scott

Scott..

I am a little dense....what is an ry?

Stoneman

[Maizefarmer]

Stoneman - he means 1 rai (I think)

I charge:

Ford 6610 or 7610: Plough 1rai with 5Disc Baht 220 - Rotary 1rai with 3m Baht 340

[Gary A]

Stoneman - he means 1 rai (I think)

I charge:

Ford 6610 or 7610: Plough 1rai with 5Disc Baht 220 - Rotary 1rai with 3m Baht 340

Just goes to show that things are cheaper out here in the boonies. My little Yanmar is too small for a lot of things but it sure does a fine job with a 60 inch rotary tiller. My wife is tighter than the bark on a tree and I often have her hire the 6610 Fords for the heavier work. The guys with the tractors hate to deal with her but they normally do what she wants when they have no other work. We are putting in a few more rice paddies and the Fords move a lot more dirt for dikes than the Yanmar. It's the best of both worlds. My little tractor can go where the Fords can't and we have a lot of tight places to work.

I have a four 20 inch blade offset disc that I would like to trade for something smaller. It's just too much for that light tractor. If I go too deep all four wheels slip. Anyone who has a cat 1 smaller disc or chisel plow that they want to trade, let me know.

[C-sip-degree]

Stoneman - he means 1 rai (I think)

I charge:

Ford 6610 or 7610: Plough 1rai with 5Disc Baht 220 - Rotary 1rai with 3m Baht 340

Thank you MF you have restored my faith,

I’m govenered also with the plough, tractor rates from 200bht to 250bht per rai.

With a simple 25% deducted for the driver here also.

Now for the above:

A) Clearing flat jungle land.

Repairing rice paddy or making new.

From what I have experience is totally different price, 'speaking around Roi-et area'.

It’s very hard as a contractor to quote the price when you’re looking straight at the jungle.

Can say that there are a lot of techniques for tree removal, but know this a simply 6610 ford is still a monster when set up with pull chains to rip out trees.

The price that I have paid to clear land is well above some of the prices in this thread but I don’t think that I have been ripped off.

I think there are others factors involved that haven’t been explained to me or I’m missing something maybe a 90HP ??cylinder engines doesn’t use alot of fuel.

6610 ford clearing heavy jungle land is priced at around 3500, to 4000bht per day and these days with the price of fuel most are asking more.

Or sometime contractors like to quote or mao not meaning drunk meaning one fixed price for the task sure do you howework and you will be right.

Would it be out of line to say that your minimum fuel consumption per day = 30ltr on a 6610 ford? = 900bht just for solar(fuel)…..

I love to see our equipment out working on selected Jobs it’s great for the driver and a bonus for are own land developments to have, but as a business even at the 220bht per Ria only with the plough it’s not a money maker. I’m sure you know what Im talking about as you Sell tractors and have workshop etc but for the small french fried like myself just the simple costs, oil & filter change, hydraulic fluid change, on the road licence, blar blar blar…removes the tomato sauce from the plate.

Regards

Matt.

[Maizefarmer]

Matt

A full day land clearing with a 6610 is certainly going to be nothing less than 30litres of diesel - thats is a dead cert.

A Thai tractor owner knows when a farang is paying - even if you havent told him, in rural communtities where most folk know whos who and whats going on, chances are he'll know if so and so calls him up to clear land that there's a farang wallet behind the project ..... and the price will go up!

Its not so much an hp issue when clearing land - its all about torque and a 4WD 6620 in 1st or 2nd gear low range on full diff lock will push a brick house over - they have huge torque, enourmose

Baht 220 per rai with a 5disc plough is not a money maker on a few rai - no you'll make nothing. You need to be doing at least 15 - 20 rai to justify the fuel, wear and tear, maintenance and labour costs.

The reason why the high figures have being quoted inthis thread is because of just this reason - most expats don't have large areas of land. That 220 figure is something I'd quote for 50 - 100 rai. 5, 10 - 25 - 30 rai - I'd be loking at at around 350 - 450 p/rai to lmake it worth while.

Above 100 rai - then I just get the big New Holland machine out - and that ploughs up each day what it takes 5 or 6 6610's to do.

What one gets quoted is very much about how much area has to be ploughed or cleared - and if its a single figure or low double figure rai, then you are going to be paying a premiun over the going rates. ... and if you;re a farang, well just stomach it and swallow hard, you're going to pay more, end of story.

[mangofarmer]

Hello, please advise on the market rates for engaging a tractor to clear some land (about half a football field at most) in Phetchabun?

Was quoted about 20k baht. I felt that it was very high and hence seek to solicit your opinion.

Thanks in advance for all replies.

We are also in Petchabun, we engaged tractors several time in the last 3 month. The rate was always 500 bath/hour (different tractors/drivers) but all Ford 4 cylinder ~90 Hp tractors with blade and 5/6disc/plough, all with good drivers doing a lot of work in 1 hour.

Best regards, Mangofarmer

[Maizefarmer]

How many rai mangofarmer?

[manjara]

Hello, please advise on the market rates for engaging a tractor to clear some land (about half a football field at most) in Phetchabun?

Was quoted about 20k baht. I felt that it was very high and hence seek to solicit your opinion.

Thanks in advance for all replies.

We are also in Petchabun, we engaged tractors several time in the last 3 month. The rate was always 500 bath/hour (different tractors/drivers) but all Ford 4 cylinder ~90 Hp tractors with blade and 5/6disc/plough, all with good drivers doing a lot of work in 1 hour.

Best regards, Mangofarmer

Up in Lampang province, the rate is also 500/hour for clearing brushland. They are usually pretty good about the number of hours too, so a full day (~8am - 5pm) will not be more than 8 hours charged.

My wife's family keeps hinting that I should buy a tractor as they think that the rate is too much and the tractors come from quite a long way away (no-one in any of the neighbouring villages has a tractor!)

We also recently (last week) dug a hole (lake) using a big digger, which was 1500 Bht/hr. I got stung on the lorries removing the earth as they charged per load (50 baht for removal and levelling with a tractor). They 'managed' to do 300 loads in a day! Doh!

Moral: if you're digging a big hole, hire trucks and other equipment by the day/hour, not by some elastic measure.

In the end the hole took about 15 hours of digger time and was around 20x25m

[SAP]

IN the past we have hired ford 6610's for repairing roads and clearing some scrub. For this work we have rented the tractor for 1,500 bt/day, driver included. But we pay for the fuel. He arrives with a full tank and we top it up at the end of the day, or if it arrives empty the first fuel we put in we deduct from the daily charge.

Disking prices same like MF says above;

Also for clearing large area's of Miyalarp (woody brush weed that stands about 10-12 feet tall) 600 bt/rai.