Other Costs

[Gonads90]

Apart from the running costs of your skidsteer what other costs do you incur running your loader for a year ?? eg. insurance and other stuff ??

 

[73Eldo]

I just have an old machine that I in theory use myself on my own property so I dont have any special insurance. It just falls under homeowners like a lawnmower. I suppose if you had a new(er) machine or a loan on a machine you would be required to carry something special. For working on someone else's property I dont think the machine needs special insurance as much as you or your company does.

 

[perry]

I just have an old machine that I in theory use myself on my own property so I dont have any special insurance. It just falls under homeowners like a lawnmower. I suppose if you had a new(er) machine or a loan on a machine you would be required to carry something special. For working on someone else's property I dont think the machine needs special insurance as much as you or your company does.

Around here 1 Mil. liability Ins. cost about $1200, it's a must have if you subcontract. Incidentals can mount up, maintenance on your truck, trailer, attachments, advertising and so on.......

 

[mistersweeper]

Around here 1 Mil. liability Ins. cost about $1200, it's a must have if you subcontract. Incidentals can mount up, maintenance on your truck, trailer, attachments, advertising and so on.......

Here in North Battleford, Saskatchewan, I pay about $600.00 for insurance including $1,000,000 in liability and about $50.00 a year for workers compensation (only for myself ). Workers comp, and insurance is manditory if you work on government property.

 

[Land-Tech]

Here in North Battleford, Saskatchewan, I pay about $600.00 for insurance including $1,000,000 in liability and about $50.00 a year for workers compensation (only for myself ). Workers comp, and insurance is manditory if you work on government property.

I pay about $1800 a year for liability, but that includes full coverage on a excavator.You can opt out of workman's comp if you are a sole proprietor but I would recommend it if you can afford it. I'm sure it's manditory here for gov jobs.
Insuring the commercial trucks and trailers rounds the numbers out to a little over $5000 a year. This without any accidents or incidents in the last 11 years.
State of Alaska requires a $50,000 performance bond and the city of Anchorage requires a $5000 right-away bond so the curb police don't mess with you.A lot of the guys get away without licences and bond,ect, but I elect play it straight.
Anchorage requires a right-away permit for every job at $125 a pop, which I think is largely ignored, bur right-away enforcement will let you know on site if you have one and will threaten with $1000 fines until you have one. Snow removal is $1000 if push snow into or across their right-away. As a home owner, I get the privilige of paying taxes on the realestate but I can't stack snow there. Again we property owners largely ignore. but pro plowers are watched pretty carefully.If we need to store material in the right-away, you need a permit.What really ticks me off is that you have to physically go to the city and get your permit.no online applications. Say I do 50 jobs a season, you cans see what it adds to the overhead. Most small guys can keep under the radar by making sure you don't make messes and if you do clean it up.Taking care of business goes a long way with right-away enforcement and they will ignore most of it if you don't cause a problem.
Costs dealing with DOT and commercial trucks can add up but with a pickup and trailer you can pretty well stay unnoticed and not have any problems. I'm a little bigger with older trucks so have a lot hoops to jump through.I keep up on the important things like brakes and lights and try to look like I care what shape my trucks even if they 30 years old. It's kinda nice to have the inspector tell you that they didn't realize the truck was that old. Scott

 

[sp6x6]

I pay about $1800 a year for liability, but that includes full coverage on a excavator.You can opt out of workman's comp if you are a sole proprietor but I would recommend it if you can afford it. I'm sure it's manditory here for gov jobs.
Insuring the commercial trucks and trailers rounds the numbers out to a little over $5000 a year. This without any accidents or incidents in the last 11 years.
State of Alaska requires a $50,000 performance bond and the city of Anchorage requires a $5000 right-away bond so the curb police don't mess with you.A lot of the guys get away without licences and bond,ect, but I elect play it straight.
Anchorage requires a right-away permit for every job at $125 a pop, which I think is largely ignored, bur right-away enforcement will let you know on site if you have one and will threaten with $1000 fines until you have one. Snow removal is $1000 if push snow into or across their right-away. As a home owner, I get the privilige of paying taxes on the realestate but I can't stack snow there. Again we property owners largely ignore. but pro plowers are watched pretty carefully.If we need to store material in the right-away, you need a permit.What really ticks me off is that you have to physically go to the city and get your permit.no online applications. Say I do 50 jobs a season, you cans see what it adds to the overhead. Most small guys can keep under the radar by making sure you don't make messes and if you do clean it up.Taking care of business goes a long way with right-away enforcement and they will ignore most of it if you don't cause a problem.
Costs dealing with DOT and commercial trucks can add up but with a pickup and trailer you can pretty well stay unnoticed and not have any problems. I'm a little bigger with older trucks so have a lot hoops to jump through.I keep up on the important things like brakes and lights and try to look like I care what shape my trucks even if they 30 years old. It's kinda nice to have the inspector tell you that they didn't realize the truck was that old. Scott

Same thing, I have a high liability coverage for my , its like a house payment each month, also insurance on the equipment itself. For loss, and I operate in 3 cities close by, for which I need 75-$100 bussiness permit for each if in city limits, per yr. Then depending on how big you have basic costs of running business, look at quick books expense format, paper,stamps,phone,equip,tools,matinance,shop,bookkeeping,payroll,etc. MY operating cost for year run from 20-$35,000, that is where I hit 0. Then there are the costs that you dont have on the books, 5 bids @ x time, got zero, invoicing time, job checks, meetings, OSHA, rain washed the dirt away, now your in a law suit , etc. Business is fun, yeh ha, lokking for my next head ache , job I mean

 

[Land-Tech]

Same thing, I have a high liability coverage for my , its like a house payment each month, also insurance on the equipment itself. For loss, and I operate in 3 cities close by, for which I need 75-$100 bussiness permit for each if in city limits, per yr. Then depending on how big you have basic costs of running business, look at quick books expense format, paper,stamps,phone,equip,tools,matinance,shop,bookkeeping,payroll,etc. MY operating cost for year run from 20-$35,000, that is where I hit 0. Then there are the costs that you dont have on the books, 5 bids @ x time, got zero, invoicing time, job checks, meetings, OSHA, rain washed the dirt away, now your in a law suit , etc. Business is fun, yeh ha, lokking for my next head ache , job I mean

Headaches aside, I still like doing what I do.Felt good to whine a little though. Scott

 

[sp6x6]

Headaches aside, I still like doing what I do.Felt good to whine a little though. Scott

Thats for sure I need another job now, home constuction is dead in our area, that is one of the reasons I am running my machine more, plowed all winter, it payed the mortgage.

 

[TheMEGAbobcatman]

Thats for sure I need another job now, home constuction is dead in our area, that is one of the reasons I am running my machine more, plowed all winter, it payed the mortgage.

How much would the exact assual cost be to own a Bobcat 553 to pay for gas, repair, and oil changes per year, with no insurance?

 

[Tazza]

How much would the exact assual cost be to own a Bobcat 553 to pay for gas, repair, and oil changes per year, with no insurance?

You could never get an actual number, you never know what could break and cost you to repair. Fuel depends on how hard you're working it, same with oil changes, every 200-250 hours. If you're working on flat ground the engine won't be working as hard as it would be if you were working on a slope, so very many factors. What sort of dirt will you be moving? is it muddy, loose, hard packed?

 

[Kermode]

You could never get an actual number, you never know what could break and cost you to repair. Fuel depends on how hard you're working it, same with oil changes, every 200-250 hours. If you're working on flat ground the engine won't be working as hard as it would be if you were working on a slope, so very many factors. What sort of dirt will you be moving? is it muddy, loose, hard packed?

If you are working the machine and trailering it around to different jobs, the fuel and maintenance costs on your pickup far outweigh the fuel and maintenance costs of the Bobcat. ALso, you need a reliable pickup that is ig enough to do the job. I wouldn't own a 1 ton dually diesel if I didn't have to drag a Bobcat with me everywhere I go.

 

[TheMEGAbobcatman]

You could never get an actual number, you never know what could break and cost you to repair. Fuel depends on how hard you're working it, same with oil changes, every 200-250 hours. If you're working on flat ground the engine won't be working as hard as it would be if you were working on a slope, so very many factors. What sort of dirt will you be moving? is it muddy, loose, hard packed?

The dirt that I would be moving would probably be a little hard packed and maybe sometimes muddy.

 

[skidsteer.ca]

The dirt that I would be moving would probably be a little hard packed and maybe sometimes muddy.

Still depend on operating hours per year. Fuel would be roughly 1.5 gal per hour.
5 qts oil plus filter every 200 hours $30
Air fuel and hydraulic filters anually $100
Tires in dirt last 500 to 1500 hours but you can ruin a new one in 5 mins if your having a bad day and rip the side out>
Ideally that machine should cost under $2000 a year for 400 to 500 hours

 

[frogfarmer]

Still depend on operating hours per year. Fuel would be roughly 1.5 gal per hour.
5 qts oil plus filter every 200 hours $30
Air fuel and hydraulic filters anually $100
Tires in dirt last 500 to 1500 hours but you can ruin a new one in 5 mins if your having a bad day and rip the side out>
Ideally that machine should cost under $2000 a year for 400 to 500 hours

The manufacturers can give you some real world numbers on how to make money and stay in business. They take into consideration all costs including routine maintenance and if I remember its somewhere in the $150 an hour range for a $45000 dollar machine. I have priced several machines from different manufacturers. A smaller machine with a lower starting price and less costly maintenance should be much less per hour. Your local dealer will have the numbers necessary to give you a real world number not just a guess.

 

[TheMEGAbobcatman]

Still depend on operating hours per year. Fuel would be roughly 1.5 gal per hour.
5 qts oil plus filter every 200 hours $30
Air fuel and hydraulic filters anually $100
Tires in dirt last 500 to 1500 hours but you can ruin a new one in 5 mins if your having a bad day and rip the side out>
Ideally that machine should cost under $2000 a year for 400 to 500 hours

I would only be using my bobcat 553 about once or twice a month, how would that add up?

 

[Tazza]

I would only be using my bobcat 553 about once or twice a month, how would that add up?

It wouldn't cost you much, fuel plus servicing the engine every year or two. If nothing breaks, it won't cost you much at all.
Keep the battery topped up, start it every month to keep the cylinders lubed.

 

[frogfarmer]

It wouldn't cost you much, fuel plus servicing the engine every year or two. If nothing breaks, it won't cost you much at all.
Keep the battery topped up, start it every month to keep the cylinders lubed.

Once or twice a month will only cost maintenance. The real expences are for labor and fuel not to mention your loan payment. Costs can range from nothing to enormous depending on break downs and general care of the machine. My guess for a cost of yearly maintenance would be 500 to a 1000 dollars a years. That should cover fluids and filters and the occasional hose or tire. Skids are a great tool once you have one you wont want to be without one.