# Cut rake and bale



## pokey (Jun 27, 2015)

Years ago I saw a USDA posting of custom hay prices. Cant find it again. I am looking for current prices for cut rake and bale small square bales, no pickup. Central NH 5-10 acre field. Minimal travel.


----------



## 8350HiTech (Jul 26, 2013)

Googling "(your state) custom rate guide" should do the trick.


----------



## somedevildawg (Jun 20, 2011)

pokey said:


> Years ago I saw a USDA posting of custom hay prices. Cant find it again. I am looking for current prices for cut rake and bale small square bales, no pickup. Central NH 5-10 acre field. Minimal travel.


I don't know what it is in NH, but here I'm charging $85 an acre for rolls, $125 an acre for squares, they move 'em....I don't do a whole lot 

I don't pay much attention to them printed pieces of paper, kinda like buying an auto and paying attention to the nada, I'm paying what I think it's worth, not what the book says.....use it as a general guide nothing else....

Welcome to haytalk Pokey....


----------



## 8350HiTech (Jul 26, 2013)

The book is an average of what a statistically significant number of operators and users are charging/paying, usually with the top and bottom extremes thrown out. It may not work for you but it's not like they pull it out of thin air.


----------



## somedevildawg (Jun 20, 2011)

8350HiTech said:


> The book is an average of what a statistically significant number of operators and users are charging/paying, usually with the top and bottom extremes thrown out. It may not work for you but it's not like they pull it out of thin air.


Just curious.....did someone say they pull the numbers out of thin air? I musta missed that.....


----------



## 8350HiTech (Jul 26, 2013)

No, you didn't. But many posters here like to knock the custom rate guides. Whether you merely "don't pay much attention" while others have gone further in flatly ignoring them, I'm just pointing out that they are indeed quite factual for what they are. How the OP uses them is, of course, up to him.

A state-specific custom rate guide should be far more useful to him than what someone from several states away on the internet tells him that he charges while admitting that he sets his prices high to keep most business away.


----------



## somedevildawg (Jun 20, 2011)

I would hope he would use it as "a general guide nothing else"


----------



## bluefarmer (Oct 10, 2010)

Paper reads however the person that sharpened the pencil wants it to 99.9% of the time. Although sometimes it can be used as somewhat of a guide.


----------



## pokey (Jun 27, 2015)

Ha. Try it. It seems NH is not part of the agricultural world. Might try PA Couldn't find any custom work rates.


----------



## pokey (Jun 27, 2015)

I just want to find one in less than 4 hours computer time.


----------



## deadmoose (Oct 30, 2011)

Google pa custom FARM rates. Pdf is top result.

16 mow, 9 rake, buck a bale. Didn't notice tedding, but didn't look too close.


----------



## 8350HiTech (Jul 26, 2013)

PA is usually broken into mountain and valley. Choose the mountain. Valley rates are insanely competitive and probably not a good representation of NH at all.


----------



## PaMike (Dec 7, 2013)

I like living in "the valley". Rates are so cheap the only reason I can even justify owning equipment on my acreage is so I can control the schedule...


----------

