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Thread: Demand for plow

  1. #1
    Senior Member
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    Sep 2002
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    West Newbury, MA
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    Demand for plow

    Hey gang,

    Started to put together my business plan for my part time tractor business (to open spring '03 if the CFO approves).

    Anyway, I'm putting together a list of services I'd like to offer (Landscaping, mowing, field mowing, tilling etc.) and the equipment required.

    Is there any demand for plowing gardens? I'm thinking it would be easier on the tractor to plow & then till for new gardens, but the equipment needs to pay its way.
    Hazmat

  2. #2
    Senior Member
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    Sep 2002
    Location
    Cambridge, New York in beautiful Washington County, next to Vermont
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    Re: Demand for plow

    Howdy, Hazmat! I would think there'd be a market for it. I plow our garden with a two bottom plow, and it does a great job.

    In our area there are a lot of guys who rototill gardens for hire with 3ph rototillers.
    Rich
    "What a long strange trip it's been."

  3. #3
    Senior Member
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    Sep 2002
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    Phelps, NY
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    312

    Re: Demand for plow

    You're probably better off with just the tiller at first. If you plow you will also need to disk and harrow the ground to prepare a nice seedbed.

    This year just for comparison using the same compact tractor I plowed and disked one part of the garden and tilled the other. Tilling was a lot faster and did a better job.

    If you are doing large fields and have full size equipment plowing is the way to go, but for most gardens a tiller probably does a better and quicker job.

  4. #4
    Junior Member
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    Sep 2002
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    Southwest Pennsylvania just north of Pittsburgh
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    Re: Demand for plow

    I think the tiller, while more of an initial expense, would be more useful. Once people know you have the tiller for the tractor there'll always be someone who wants their "smaller" family hobby garden tilled, or some lawn areas tilled up. Unless they want to put in an acre plus planting, the tiller would see more work. I don't till as a business but I'm asked every spring by people about tilling up for a garden or a lawn area someone wants to reseed.

  5. #5
    Guest

    Re: Demand for plow

    I have plowed with a single bottom plow. With a 3point tiller I can have my wife's garden in condition to plant less than a third of the time it took with the plow. Plus you make a lot fewer passes over the ground.

  6. #6
    Junior Member
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    Sep 2002
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    Southwest Indiana
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    Re: Demand for plow

    Hazmat:

    I do a little of both when it comes to tilling. First time I do an area I use a 2 bottom plow, then I use a 74" tiller to break it up instead of a disc (don't have one.....yet).

    Until this year, never did any custom tilling jobs; however, since it was so so wet here in southwest Indiana, the farmers that normally do plowing/discing work on the side were too busy planting their fields. I agreed to till a neighbors garden and between my house and theirs, got 3 more requests. By end of 2 1/2 weeks, I had done 27 gardens.

    Going rate here shocked me.....these folks had been paying $70 for a plow/disc on gardens of about 1/8-1/4 acre in size. As I didn't want to irritate the guys who normally do the work, I agreed to let them 'pay me' what they felt it was worth (averaged about $50 a garden) with exception of 2 families that I knew could not afford paying much, if any. All of these gardens were within 3.5 miles of my house.

    Phew......my kids are right....I am long winded. Good luck with the business!

    Paul

  7. #7
    Senior Member
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    Sep 2002
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    West Newbury, MA
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    Re: Demand for plow

    Thanks for the feedback guys, Looks like the plow will be put in phase 2 of the b-plan. As in I don't need it to start, but there may be a market for it in the future.
    Hazmat

  8. #8
    Senior Member
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    Sep 2002
    Location
    Beach City, TX near Trinity Bay
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    Re: Demand for plow

    Paul,
    27 gardens in 2 1/2 weeks... sounds like you were being kept busy there for a while and making a nice chunk of change for your efforts. About how long would it take you to plow/till up a 1/4 acre garden plot?
    Chris

  9. #9
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    Sep 2002
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    Southwest Indiana
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    Re: Demand for plow

    Hayseed:

    On the gardens which had been plowed in years past, most fo the folks just wanted it tilled. If it was nice an open around it (easy turning, etc..), then I could till it in about 25-30 minutes. I'd make 1 pass over entire area with tiller set to break things up going lengthwise, then another going crosswise, then lower shield and do another pass for a finer till lengthwise. Some were a little bit quicker, some a bit longer.

    When I plowed first (usually 3-5 days before tilling), it took about 15 minutes to plow, then come back another nite and till it up. Was pretty easy as most of the folks live along country lanes/roads....little traffic and I could end up doing 4 or 5 in a row, one after the other. I enjoyed it and like you said made a bit of money.

    btw, what part of Houston you in? seems like most of my hoosier family roots gravitated to to Texas (Denton, Baytown, Marble Falls, Arlington) years ago. Quite a few lived in channelview years ago before it began to transition.

    IndianaPaul

  10. #10
    Senior Member
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    Sep 2002
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    Beach City, TX near Trinity Bay
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    Re: Demand for plow

    Some day when I get moved onto my three acres I hope to be able to buy a tiller for my tractor and have 1/8 to 1/4 acre garden. Soil around here is that black gumbo that is too dense to put a shovel in when wet and hard as an adobe brick when dry. Any garden I have here will require plenty of compost.

    I live right outside of Baytown within a stone's throw of the west end of Trinity Bay. I migrated to the Houston area in 1976 and have lived on the east side almost all of those years.

    Channelview made a transition? I thought it was always the same... [img]/forums/images/icons/smirk.gif[/img]
    Chris

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