Thread: Dry Hire rate for Lucas?

Originally Posted by newjon

I want to dry Hire a Lucas 8" of a mate of Mine. What is a good hourly rate to offer him? I am hoping someone out ther has done this in the past and maybe able to assist.

Cheers Jon.

I reckon around $200 a day,or $25 an hour(8 hour day)..lets face it,with the right gear,good quality logs, and a few helpers,you can pump out a fair volume in a day! Guess it depends on the individual,but that's what i would be asking..MM

Thanks Mapleman!

I am not doing for commercial Purposes, Just want to cut some Timber for myself. I already have heaps of timber but I just can't stop Cutting more! I suppose there could be worse vices!!!

Cheers, Jon

Jon

As the Lucas owner is a mate and you are only doing it for yourself I would suggest the hourly rate. I am assuming here that the motor has an hour meter (I think the Lucas mills were equipped with that).

As you know, there is a lot of stuffing around moving logs, so a a fair charge would be based on time the motor is running. You still have fuel cost on top of that, but it is relatively small.

Regards
Paul

To be honest, I would never dry hire my Lucas mill. I may show someone how to cut and let them cut while I watch/tail, but dry hire - forget it, not this little black duck - unless you payed $20k up front

Originally Posted by Bushmiller

Jon


As you know, there is a lot of stuffing around moving logs, so a a fair charge would be based on time the motor is running. You still have fuel cost on top of that, but it is relatively small.

Regards
Paul

He should find efficent means to move the logs Paul..if the mill is hired for the day,then the appropriate charge is for at least 8 hours use...if i hire goods from Kennards for the day,they don't charge me less because i may have used the item(s) for only an hour! I certainly wouldn't hire my mill to someone who was only going to pay me for 1 or 2 hours usage,yet have it for the day ..MM

Originally Posted by MAPLEMAN

He should find efficent means to move the logs Paul..if the mill is hired for the day,then the appropriate charge is for at least 8 hours use...if i hire goods from Kennards for the day,they don't charge me less because i may have used the item(s) for only an hour! I certainly wouldn't hire my mill to someone who was only going to pay me for 1 or 2 hours usage,yet have it for the day ..MM

MM

I agree with you but I did start off by saying "as he is a mate." What I didn't say, and this is what I think you are getting at, is that providing he is not using it himself or taking away his livlihood. As John is a miller himself, although admittedly "new" (no pun there), he has sufficient savvy to build a mill himself so we have to give some credit as to basic understanding of principles.

As I said Jon's Lucas owner is a mate so it's not quite like going to Coates or Kennards.

Regards
Paul

A fellow miller once told me that he was concerned about the amount of time his Lucas spent doing nothing while he was away seeing to other things. He came up with the bright idea of dry hire. First it was the dedicated slabber came back with a broken chain and a bent bar. Two months later, the swing mill returned and was impossible to start (water and dirt in the fuel.)
Im with Sigidi.

Originally Posted by rustynail

A fellow miller once told me that he was concerned about the amount of time his Lucas spent doing nothing while he was away seeing to other things. He came up with the bright idea of dry hire. First it was the dedicated slabber came back with a broken chain and a bent bar. Two months later, the swing mill returned and was impossible to start (water and dirt in the fuel.)
Im with Sigidi.

Yep, absolutely no way I'd let someone loose with my mill, and how many fella's have lent their chainsaw to "their mate" and had it come back like a train wreck, sometimes lending it to someone ya know - a mate, is worse. Unbeknownst to me back up in Gympie, my neighbour 'borrowed' my chainsaw when I wasn't home, I didn't know until some time later after ralising he had done some work on his property which he just didn't have the tools for - and my saw was having some real problems leaving it all but useless, turns out he had used older fuel in a metal container and that left water in my saw's fuel tank... anyway digressed enough - still won't "hire" my gear to anyone

Still think $200 a day is fair and reasonable..whether using it for commercial gain or otherwise,mate or stranger,the rate stays the same (mates rates are a thing of the past)..probably would ask for a deposit as well...if the arrangement isn't done in a professional way,then the doors of trouble will surely open..these machines are worth a lot of money,they really have to be treated with great respect and care,this is why alot of owners(like allen) would be reluctant to hire them out..it is very much like hiring something from Kennards,it should be hired at a fixed rate,and a deposit paid to safeguard the owner against any damage that may be caused ..the hirer will treat the goods with a little more respect that way,and also produce a better quality product..MM

Very true there has to be a good deposit.

Just remembered, back in 2000, beforeI got into sawmilling, I hired a chainsaw up in gympie, cost $150 for the day, I was rather put out when I realised it'd take 10 days hire to buy a brand new saw...on that scale maybe $2k a day would be better

There's no way I would do it for a novice maybe for a mate that I knew how to cut wood and had done it for a while. I have done it before to a semi novice and the mill came back broken. How good a mate are you? Do you value your friendship? How long have you used a mill for before this? $300 per day min

If I owned one, and I will soon, I wouldn't let anyone use it. But I'm pretty fussy with my machinery.

Anyway found this Portable Lucas Saw Mill | Other Home & Garden | Gumtree Australia Swan Area - Gidgegannup

I would have added the 250 for the demo regardless.

Cheers

Andrew

I used to say that the 2 things in life I would not lend out was my wife and my chainsaw. Now it's my chainsaw and my bandsaw, you can have her all you want No way would I hire my milling gear out, not even my bobcat.

I've thought about hiring mine out a few times, but always decided against it. I do however lend out my slabber to a few guys I know who haven't got one often, hire rate fixed in chains and slabs.... and not necessarily timber slabs at that.