# Rates for Maintainer with wing



## 4x4Farmer (Sep 22, 2006)

Hi guys...many of you here know me..and im sure many of you do not as I have been missing for awhile. I have moved out of Fargo and have been focused full time on farming now. I have given up most of my personal accounts as the distance to Fargo is 90 miles from where I live now and it was just to far to try to manage accounts. I have just been working for a company in Fargo running a loader when it snows not managing anything other then the accounts they tell me to clean....it's very nice not having to take all the angry phone calls anymore. 
Anyways...so now im farming in rural ND and I have a opportunity to potentially take on some township snow removal for next season and possibly some access roads for wind towers. In just wondering if anyone here has any experience with county or township snow removal and if they charge by the hr or by the mile. Have to keep in mind now that im in a rural area now and not in the city so rates will be much lower. Im trying to pencil out if buying a maintainer with a wing would be worth it or not. Townships around here unfortunately for the most part are pretty poor....so im not sure 100% about it. Any insight would be grateful. Thanks


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## JustJeff (Sep 9, 2009)

I can't give you an informed answer. And I know region has a lot to do with pricing. But, the equipment still costs the same regardless of where you live, and so does fuel. So, if the dollars don't make cents, I wouldn't bother.


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## wishfull (Nov 22, 2017)

I am assuming you are referring to a "grader". I have not heard anyone in my area call them a maintainer for over 50 years. Don't know why either. Can't help you with rates but I do have a question. If you are farming you must have a tractor right? Is it a 4x4 and how many h.p. ? Depending on what you have a lot of people are now putting blades and even wings on 100 h.p. and up farm tractors for rural snow plowing. Some of them travel fast enough you can refer to them as speed plows even. Would maybe reduce your up front costs meaning your rates could be a bit lower as you suggest might be the case. See lots of them on U Tube.


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## 4x4Farmer (Sep 22, 2006)

So I reread my post and I think I was sleeping last night when I posted it. lol I have thought about doing the tractor route like you said beings the fact that I already have the equipment.I have a JD 8320R that would handle something pretty large. The only problem I have is I get the feeling that if I'm doing the snow removal they are going to want me to do the road maintaining in the summer months as well. This would require me to hire someone to run it as I would not have the time in the summer. The dollars are there if I can pickup the wind tower contracts as they are owned by ottertail power and I'm not afraid of not getting paid from those guys...I just thought that if I had that I could pickup some work from some townships and possibly a small town or two that I live near. I don't know...i guess I'm just rambling lol Just like hearing other professional opinions on things I guess.


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## Aerospace Eng (Mar 3, 2015)

I'm no expert, but if they want you to grade the roads in the summer, couldn't you just use a rear blade with a tailwheel? That's basically a grader.


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## 4x4Farmer (Sep 22, 2006)

I think I'd need a little bigger and heavier machine for blading miles of road.


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## 4x4Farmer (Sep 22, 2006)

I think this would work


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## Mark Oomkes (Dec 10, 2000)

4x4Farmer said:


> I think this would work


It's even got a jagoof light bar!!!


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## Randall Ave (Oct 29, 2014)

4x4Farmer said:


> I think this would work


Your just going to get everyone excited with equipment like that.


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## JD Dave (Mar 20, 2007)

I was just going to say tractor before you posted. You don’t need anything like a Steiger as they most likely won’t pay what it’s really worth. You will most likely have to go in pretty reasonable to get your foot in the door and go from there. The most money we ever made with tractors is when we only used the ones we needed for farming. The snow only ones have there place but don’t make me smile like the ones being used Year round.


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## Defcon 5 (Mar 20, 2014)

Mark Oomkes said:


> It's even got a jagoof light bar!!!


That's all that matters..........

I know nothing about tractors or farming..On that Case...Is that a blade they use to push up silage and does it trip or is it just like a dozer blade?


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## John_DeereGreen (Jan 2, 2011)

Not sure about the dozer style Degleman blades, but the Speedblade does not have a trip edge. I think I remember them saying they suggest putting a rubber edge on them if you want to plow snow.


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## m_ice (Aug 12, 2012)

JD Dave said:


> I was just going to say tractor before you posted. You don't need anything like a Steiger as they most likely won't pay what it's really worth. You will most likely have to go in pretty reasonable to get your foot in the door and go from there. The most money we ever made with tractors is when we only used the ones we needed for farming. The snow only ones have there place but don't make me smile like the ones being used Year round.


I can't speak for North Dakota area but I agree with this statement...our farming tractors never see snow!


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