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Well I got a BoBcat 225NT & a cutting rig & was thinking about rigging out a 1/2 ton pic up to do some local rig welding for farmers & anybody that needed minor welding & repairs! Questions are what tools do I need to carry & what size/kind of rods do I need to carry in general! Does anybody have a hourly wage that would be fair to customer & myself! Don't want to get rich just make a little cash to supplement my income!RoHo East of HouTex
Reply:I live in the country and quite a few of my customers are farmers and ranchers. I can tell you that you will need good jacks, Hydraulic as well as High Lift, come-a-longs or chain hoists, big clamps, big wrenches, big hammers and good pry bars of differant sizes. And I dont think I could get by without the A-frame and bed winch on my truck.Rods you need are 7018 and 6010 in 3/32 to 5/32. Keep some stainless and cast iron rods on hand as well. You will need silver solder and brazing rods as well.Hope it works out for you and good luck, Bob
Reply:Oh- I forgot, about the wages. I try to never tell a farmer or rancher what I charge an hour. They are usually older gentilemen and I dont think they have kept up with the times when it comes to how much things cost. I usually look at the job and say I think it will cost about this much, and you better not be to much above that. And you can expect to get paid in cash as often as not. I always enjoy working for them as they are just plain,honest, hard working and decent people that would`nt screw you on a bet. And thier sense of humor is usually great, you can expect to get some good natured ribbing and teasing. Good luck, Bob
Reply:Now there's an answer from 'Blue Collar America'. Too bad it's been lost on the younger generation. 9-11-2001......We Will Never ForgetRetired desk jockey. Hobby weldor with a little training. Craftsman O/A---Flat, Vert, Ovhd, Horz. Miller Syncrowave 250
Reply:Originally Posted by rohoWell I got a BoBcat 225NT & a cutting rig & was thinking about rigging out a 1/2 ton pic up to do some local rig welding for farmers & anybody that needed minor welding & repairs! Questions are what tools do I need to carry & what size/kind of rods do I need to carry in general! Does anybody have a hourly wage that would be fair to customer & myself! Don't want to get rich just make a little cash to supplement my income!
Reply:If you haven't bought your truck yet you might look for a heavy duty 3/4 ton or 1 ton truck. While a 1/2 ton can handle a bobcat and a box of rod shortly you'll be carrying more weight of tools, chains, clamps, come-a-longs, and whatever than the weight of the bobcat. You can get by with a 1/2 for a while it won't be long befor you'll want a heavier truck.You'll want a 7" or 9" grinder, at least a 1/2" hammer drill if not a hilti drill, a couple of 4 1/2" grinders, cut off saw. Don't forget a long level, a small level, plumb bob, mason's line, speed square and a framing square. This and what others have listed are just the basics. If you show up equipt like a hobbyist folks are going to want to pay you 20 bucks or a case of beer.
Reply:I agree about the weight issue! My truck is weighing in at 10,000 lbs these days, and I'm not carrying a heavy diesel welder, just a gas Bobcat. I would forget about the half-ton pickup and go straight for the 1-ton dually, with a utility service body or flatbed with side boxes, and a ladder/lumber rack. Lots of times, used service trucks can be bought for not much money when the utility companies or gov't agencies that own them upgrade to new trucks and they still have some good life left in them. A 1-ton cargo van could also be a possibility and they are usually pretty cheap as vans don't seem to hold their value nearly as well as pickups.To add to the list of equipment that's already been mentioned, an air compressor and a few pnuematic tools are very handy to have available- hammer/chisel, impact wrench & sockets, needle scraper and blow nozzle. Also have a good assortment of common hand tools. A small ladder is good too. Sawzall is another great tool to have around.MM350P/Python/Q300MM175/Q300DialarcHFHTP MIG200PowCon300SMHypertherm380ThermalArc185Purox oaF350CrewCab4x4LoadNGo utilitybedBobcat250XMT304/Optima/SpoolmaticSuitcase12RC/Q300Suitcase8RC/Q400Passport/Q300Smith op
Reply:10,000lbs? thats it?my truck unloaded weighs just a shade over 9000...your truck has to weigh in at more than 10,000 i would think?
Reply:THANKS TO ALL FOR THE INFO! I've got some good ideas now, Already have the truck & will try to get by till I see if I make it or not! I've welded on & off for the last 30 yrs but always in a industrial setting! May try to leave the machine on a trailer for a while but would really like to get rid of trailer!RoHo East of HouTex
Reply:I think that a 1/2 ton would be too light for all the tools and equipment you will need.. you also need to get tax liscense and insurance.. insurance can get expensive if you don't have alot of experience..Well Good luck in your venture.. It is nice to see someone want to try to get going in this Rig Welder World..
Reply:Your experience in industrial welding will transfer right over into farm and ranch welding. After all it's still iron, just in different shapes than you are probably used to. I think you will out grow that 1/2 rather quickly if you are successful at this. But I would be just like you and use what I have until you see if your are going to make a go of it. You can always buy a bigger truck when needed.
Reply:Since I'm starting out right now too, let me ask this question...How are you planning to get the word out to the local farmer's and ranchers? Do you already know them all because you grew up in that community? Or do you have another means of telling them all about your business?There's a lot of farming and dairy farming in the Dayton, OH area where I live. But I'm not from here, and I haven't figured out a good way to make contact with the local farmers and sell my services to them....Dave Originally Posted by rohoWell I got a BoBcat 225NT & a cutting rig & was thinking about rigging out a 1/2 ton pic up to do some local rig welding for farmers & anybody that needed minor welding & repairs! Questions are what tools do I need to carry & what size/kind of rods do I need to carry in general! Does anybody have a hourly wage that would be fair to customer & myself! Don't want to get rich just make a little cash to supplement my income!
Reply:Originally Posted by A_DAB_will_doSince I'm starting out right now too, let me ask this question...How are you planning to get the word out to the local farmer's and ranchers? Do you already know them all because you grew up in that community? Or do you have another means of telling them all about your business?There's a lot of farming and dairy farming in the Dayton, OH area where I live. But I'm not from here, and I haven't figured out a good way to make contact with the local farmers and sell my services to them....Dave
Reply:Well I was going to local feed stores & word of mouth in community to let locals know I'm for hire. Been working on rodeo pens & for one place awhile just as a favor to a friend...But need to start bringing in a wage to at least pay for tools/expenses. Haven't thought much aBout insurance, suppose I better give that a real big thought....I have plenty of tools but material will be my problem to find & keep because I don't have any storage...RoHo East of HouTex
Reply:Tresi-Why do you suggest a hammer drill for a rig welding set up?Just curious
Reply:Roho,I would also make up a little flyer type deal with a business card and send to every contractor you can get an address for.Just remember when you get into that world certifications and stuff come into play alot of times.
Reply:Good deal, I'll check the local feed stores and see if I can post a flyer there. Thanks for the advice.-DaveBenson's Mobile Welding - Dayton, OH metro area - AWS Certified Welding Inspector
Reply:Originally Posted by brh1969Tresi-Why do you suggest a hammer drill for a rig welding set up?Just curious
Reply:Originally Posted by DSWI've used mine for installing bolts/anchors in concrete and masonry for railings and security bars. Also usefull for breaking out concrete from railings that have been poured in place or anchored using hyd. cement in a cored hole. Also makes a handy digging tool for loosening up hardend dirt in awkward places with a large chisel. I've used it as a power chisel to power off rusted bolts and nuts in places where a torch might not be the best idea. Used it as a mixer with a paddle bit to mix anchoring cement, you need one that you can turn the hammer function off for this and an adapter for a std chuck. My bosch probably has as much balls if not more than my milwaulkee 1/2" and with a std chuck and the hammer turned off it runs regular bits just fine. Not all will.
Reply:BTW the drills we are talking about arn't the small light wt ones you find at Home depo, though some HD's do sell the larger ones also. They are the larger Bosch, hitachi, hilti ones that usually take a special bit like SDS MAX or a Splined bit. I have a small bosch that I use for small 1/2" and smaller holes that I carry also.
Reply:I gotcha...ive just never seen a guy with his own rig do anything but weld and maybe grind.
Reply:Originally Posted by brh1969I gotcha...ive just never seen a guy with his own rig do anything but weld and maybe grind.
Reply:Originally Posted by drivethruboy5410,000lbs? thats it?my truck unloaded weighs just a shade over 9000...your truck has to weigh in at more than 10,000 i would think?
Reply:I agree with what yall are saying about hammer drills. I carry a Bosch hammer and an air hammer and they come in handy at times.MM350P/Python/Q300MM175/Q300DialarcHFHTP MIG200PowCon300SMHypertherm380ThermalArc185Purox oaF350CrewCab4x4LoadNGo utilitybedBobcat250XMT304/Optima/SpoolmaticSuitcase12RC/Q300Suitcase8RC/Q400Passport/Q300Smith op
Reply:duplicate postDesertRider33 I'll put my "3/4ton" F250 up as a comparision. Its a 2000 F250 4x4 diesel. Empty wt 8500 lb. With the 100 gal fuel tank, head gear for the plow and cap., its just a tad under 10,000 lb. However it came stock with 6K axels front and rear because its diesel and 4x4, a your F350 most likely has 5200lb or 5600lb axels. The only heavier axels ford put under a truck in this 250-350 class was 6200lb in a F350 with the max frnt suspenion package. I'm not sure the max on the rear axel for say a DRW. Oh and I still need to add in the tools.
Reply:Yep, the newer F-series do weigh more than the older ones! Heavier frames, maybe heavier bodies too, overall stronger trucks. Rear axle on mine is a Sterling/Visteon 10.25", rated 6250 lbs, from the axle manufacturer. I'm a little over-weight on the axle, which is why I want to change it for the dual-rear-wheel 10.25" for my body truck ('87-97), which is rated for 8250 lbs, from the manufacturer (7500 by Ford, due to springs). Both versions of the axle use the same brakes (difference is the thickness of the axle tubes, and an overall 4" longer length (information per Visteon engineering dept)). Ford's rear axle rating for my truck is 6084 lbs, due to the 3042-lb rating per tire for the stock 235/85-16's the truck came with, as well as the weak stock rear springs. Tires I upgraded to are rated for 3750 (285/75-16E BFG's), the wheels are rated for 4000 (Stockton Wheel), and the new hd springs are rated for almost double the stock ones. They handle the weight ALOT better than the stock ones did! Truck was sagged way down after I loaded it all up, sits just a bit above level now. I can still run my singles on the drw axle, they'll just stick out 2" farther on each side, which will put them right about where I want them, since they sit inside a bit now. Your truck's rear axle is the newer Visteon 10.50", rated for 9700 lbs (same as the srw f350 and lighter drw f350's for your year), from the axle manufacturer. Ford rates your rear axle for the same 6084 lbs as mine, for the same reason: tires (if your truck came originally with 235's). The f350 srw's from your year were rated by Ford for 6830 lbs for the rear end (2 x's the 3415-lb each rating for the 265/75-16 E-rated tires). The heavier drw f350's for your year (chassis-cabs and diesels) use the Dana 80, rated to 11,000 lbs by Dana, less by Ford. The older ('97-down) f450/F-Superduty trucks also used the Dana 80, with 10-bolt hubs and bigger brakes. If I could find a '94-'97 4x4 crew-cab diesel F450/F-Superduty, I would buy one! Sadly, Ford didn't make them in that configuration (crewcab 4x4) in those years. Front axle on mine is the same Dana 60 as most 4x4 F350's have had for many years now. Rated 6000 lbs by Dana, rated many different values by Ford, based on what front springs the trucks were built with. Earlier year Dana 60's used king-pin knuckles and later years (my '92 included) use ball joint knuckles. If I remember right, my front axle rating by Ford is 4650 lbs. Whatever it is, it's more than enough since the front of the truck only weighs about 3500 lbs with the gas engine. I ~believe~ your 2000 F250 has a Dana 50 monobeam, though it may have the 60 because of the diesel. Ford changed breifly to the monobeam Dana 50 for f250's and srw f350's around 1999 to 2000, then changed back to the Dana 60 around 2001 or so, if I remember correctly. I'm not sure if the 60-to-50-to-60 changeover only applied to gas powered trucks or if it included the diesels too. '80-ish to '97 f250's had the independent Dana 50 and light-duty f250's had the independent Dana 44. I understand why you put "3/4-ton" in quotes, as the f250's and f350 srw trucks were, for all practical purposes, the same trucks after '99. I bet your stock f250 would have handled my truck's load better than mine did before my modifications! Last edited by DesertRider33; 04-19-2008 at 07:45 PM.MM350P/Python/Q300MM175/Q300DialarcHFHTP MIG200PowCon300SMHypertherm380ThermalArc185Purox oaF350CrewCab4x4LoadNGo utilitybedBobcat250XMT304/Optima/SpoolmaticSuitcase12RC/Q300Suitcase8RC/Q400Passport/Q300Smith op
Reply:I appologize if I got too far off the original topic of this discussion.MM350P/Python/Q300MM175/Q300DialarcHFHTP MIG200PowCon300SMHypertherm380ThermalArc185Purox oaF350CrewCab4x4LoadNGo utilitybedBobcat250XMT304/Optima/SpoolmaticSuitcase12RC/Q300Suitcase8RC/Q400Passport/Q300Smith op
Reply:Well considering I make a living doing exactly what you are talking about, I'll throw in my opinion. Tresi, gave you some good info. Be prepared to do the whole job. It comes with the territory. If I told the majority of my customers that they need to find someone to do the grunt work and I just weld then I wouldn't be in business long. As far as tools go. A good grinder, die grinder, O/A torch, 1/2" and 3/8" drills, 1/2" electric impact wrench, and large/small levels. Squares, full set of hand tools with sockets and wrenches up to 2" Full set of taps and dies as well as a set of left hand drills and screw extractors of some type. An Air compressor and air tools will come in handy as well. as far as price goes it will depend solely on your area. Going rates will Vary greatly from area to area. I will also add Do good work, and do what you say. If you tell them you will have it ready or will be there a certain day then do it. If you don't then you will surely not last long. I will throw this out there. Right now in most areas farms are struggling hard. Record fuel prices as well as record fertilizer prices has really put a halt on money they are able to spend. So if you are looking for some side work that is one thing, but I definetly do not think it is a good time to start a welding business based on the farming sector.I'm a Lover, Fighter, Wild horse Rider, and a pretty good welding man......
Reply:You mentioned about what rod to use, well it will depends on what the job is. A lot of ag equipment will need a low hydrogen rod like a 7018. On my truck I keep (in 10 lb containers) 3/32" and 1/8" 6010, 6013, and 3/32", 1/8", 5/32" 7018. I also keep some nickel rods and a few stainless rods as well. In the farming sector you will run into most all material at one time or another. Good luck...I'm a Lover, Fighter, Wild horse Rider, and a pretty good welding man......
Reply:desert rideri thought you had a diesel, my mistake. Your truck is very well setup id say, looks good.I have a 99 dodge 2500 cummins 5.9L 24valve-ITS HEAVYTalk about over loading a one tone dually? My foreman i work for has a 2000-2001? not sure on the exact year, f350 dually flatbed. He has a Lincoln vantage 500, 100 gal fuel tank, full size oxy acet bottles, air compressor, LN-25, and probly close to 400 pounds of rigging, plus a full set of hand and power tools. Its way overloaded to say the least, he says a little sketchy driving it sometimes haha
Reply:Originally Posted by Hammack_Welding Right now in most areas farms are struggling hard. Record fuel prices as well as record fertilizer prices has really put a halt on money they are able to spend. So if you are looking for some side work that is one thing, but I definetly do not think it is a good time to start a welding business based on the farming sector.
Reply:Originally Posted by A_DAB_will_doNot to sidetrack the conversation, but it's funny to hear you said that the farm business isn't going well. Here in ohio, we have ethanol plants and the farmers are cashing in on the corn subsidies. I was also talking with an insurance broker who does a lot of business with local farmers, and he mentioned that wheat prices were high and that the local farmers were doing very well in that market.I suppose it just depends on what the local crops are....Nonetheless, I agree that chasing a struggling market is a hard way to make money. For me, work for farmers is going to be a minority of my work(I hope).
Reply:Thanks for explaining. I didn't grow up in a farming community, so a lot of this is new to me. Originally Posted by Hammack_WeldingYes, that is true, BUT that is only a half truth. There are VERY high grain prices right now on the market, but that doesn't mean that a farmer can sell his crop for that. Farming doesn't work like a fair market. Wheat prices went thru the roof, BUT for the past few weeks no one has been able to find anyone who would contract it for the market price. as far as the subsidies go, Farms will only get gov't subsidies when the price is below a certain level. However with market prices higher than they have ever been then the market price is high enough that there will be no gov't subsidies. So they are back at square one. I agree that it will vary depending on the area, and the crops they grow, but the fuel, and input cost situation is nation wide. Fertilizer has nearly doubled since last year. For example a good friend of mine was averaging $3000 a week in fuel two years ago. Now its over $10,000. It doesn't matter how high the price goes that still hurts them pretty bad.
Reply:You ought to try dryland cotton farming if you want a tough occupation. I don't farm but own one. The guy that rents it and I don't make much money doing it. No cotton crop the last two years and it's looking awfully iffy this year.
Reply:Drivethruboy54, thanks for the props . Nope, mine is just a lowly gas v8. With the price of diesel fuel these days, I don't mind that I don't have a Powerstroke too much anymore.Dodge with a Cummins still makes my mouth water when I think about all that power .MM350P/Python/Q300MM175/Q300DialarcHFHTP MIG200PowCon300SMHypertherm380ThermalArc185Purox oaF350CrewCab4x4LoadNGo utilitybedBobcat250XMT304/Optima/SpoolmaticSuitcase12RC/Q300Suitcase8RC/Q400Passport/Q300Smith op
Reply:at least in my area depending on farm and ranch welding would be rough they all tend to cobble most of their own stuff together most of the guys here who do rig welding only do it as part of running more of a service truck and do all types of repair welding is just an add on to their normal work |
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发表于 2021-9-1 00:52:14