Snow clearing with blade and Bobcat?

[Haggis]

Looking to start a little business using my Bobcat and truck for snow clearing - anyone on this site doing this? Can you make any money doing this?

Any advice appreciated? For guys that hire people like this - what are they charging?

Thanks....Al

 

[162SKIDOO]

Looking to start a little business using my Bobcat and truck for snow clearing - anyone on this site doing this? Can you make any money doing this?

Any advice appreciated? For guys that hire people like this - what are they charging?

Thanks....Al

hey haggis..what machine you running??? if you need some info i did this for years.
feel free to pm me

 

[Haggis]

have a mustang skid steer 40hp and 60 inch bucket. How do you go about etting started - are the parking lots the money makers or what about acreage driveways???

 

[OVERKILL 19]

I think in Red Deer you need a lisence/permit, insurance. If ya need a little bigger skid steer I have one for sale.

 

[162SKIDOO]

have a mustang skid steer 40hp and 60 inch bucket. How do you go about etting started - are the parking lots the money makers or what about acreage driveways???

hiya al....heres the deal...parking lots require insurance on machinery...most of the time you should have a ltd company set up with its own insurance program so your not personally liable , this includes your tow vehicle down to the trailer . If you dont have a company and try to work the cops have a field day picking on you and the equipment as they want you to be legit and be TOTALLY covered prorerly. The most common asked question is " is this a company vehicle or personal" and you best have the correct paper work or they usually call the truck cops to come do a wiegh in on trailer /truck capacity that most times eats up 2 to 3 hours of your night. This also makes you late for your contract and you get skidded anyway. Basically if your not a company and covered properly and get into an accident going to a job your liable and basically screwed.
Alot of the parking lots want the snow removed so you need a line on a trucking company that will cater to your needs in the middle of the night which is usually a saturday or sunday night or any holiday evening...this causes grief . Ohh ya did i mention forget ever having a life in the evening?
The lots that dont need the snow removed are the best but are hard to get as there are alot of other operators out there fighting for the same thing.
You can always sign up to work for some of the parking lot maintenance companies in the area and they will call you for jobs but be prepared to take all the nasty jobs and some times get booked in with one or two other operators that dont show up because of breakdowns or the cops got to them...this leaves you holding the bag. These same companies that farm you out charge the lot owners accordingly but give each farmed out skid steer a reduced rate so they make 10 to 20 dollars an hour on your machine .They will also want you to have a larger bucket between 7 or 8 feet if possible . A 5 foot construction bucket makes for a long night and the machine is not being used up to its potential .!!!
Ohh ya ...dont forget WCB coverage !!
The nicest jobs are the private drives for acerages and farms but most farms have tractors and most acerages have a neighbour that has a bobcat or a utility tractor with a blower or are near to a bored farmer that comes and does it for free anyway....DOH!
Im definatly not trying to push you away from the idea but look into it before you drop some serious cash into the project...I did this crap for about 6 years and had a few good things happen but overall its more a pain in the arse than good.
Feel free to PM me for some contacts if you do want to call in and get some info from contractors . Anytime- Marko

 

[HagmanMod1]

i also do this and if your going to get any big jobs you had better think of a bigger machine. i run the case 445 with a 96inch snow bucket thats about 80 hp and 8 feet

 

[Haggis]

When you say $200 per lot per month - does that mean that if it snows mulitple times you are clearing that lot multiple times for a set price of $200 per month?

162SKIDOO - were you doing this for your only income? Can you make enough in the winter to take the summer off? Guess it depends alot on snow too.

 

[162SKIDOO]

When you say $200 per lot per month - does that mean that if it snows mulitple times you are clearing that lot multiple times for a set price of $200 per month?

162SKIDOO - were you doing this for your only income? Can you make enough in the winter to take the summer off? Guess it depends alot on snow too.

i did this to make extra cash for bills and mostly for toy income so i wouldnt ever have to dip into the fund . totally depends on the winter and amount we get dumped on .
This year the guys depending on it would be starving in edmonton area for sure.
I'm into a few things that make me money but snow removals no longer one of them...

 

[Haggis]

i did this to make extra cash for bills and mostly for toy income so i wouldnt ever have to dip into the fund . totally depends on the winter and amount we get dumped on .
This year the guys depending on it would be starving in edmonton area for sure.
I'm into a few things that make me money but snow removals no longer one of them...

Doesn't sound like a stand alone income type of thing after a little more research. I will pm you for some contacts however as I do like the paying for toys idea. Thanks Al

 

[redlineguy]

I have a Blade on my BobCat, Mine is not a 2 speed so u can't blow the banks back good.







.

 

[162SKIDOO]

Doesn't sound like a stand alone income type of thing after a little more research. I will pm you for some contacts however as I do like the paying for toys idea. Thanks Al

feel free anytime

 

[Haggis]

I have a Blade on my BobCat, Mine is not a 2 speed so u can't blow the banks back good.







.

What does a blade cost for a skidsteer? Any good deals out there?

Also, was wondering how mauch truck blades are and who sells/installs?

Thanks....Al