Can old equipment make a business profitable

An interesting question. Lots of contractors on this board. I'm not one. Never was one. Nevertheless, I'd venture that my dad used older equipment. 2 problems. 1st, old equipment seems to break down more often leading to more down time and expense. 2nd, the older it is, the harder it can be to get parts. But old equipment is cheaper than new, and with that, you could avoid paying monthly principal and interest. That payment has got to be killing a lot of contractors - if they aren't already killed. GWH

An interesting question. Lots of contractors on this board. I'm not one. Never was one. Nevertheless, I'd venture that my dad used older equipment. 2 problems. 1st, old equipment seems to break down more often leading to more down time and expense. 2nd, the older it is, the harder it can be to get parts. But old equipment is cheaper than new, and with that, you could avoid paying monthly principal and interest. That payment has got to be killing a lot of contractors - if they aren't already killed. GWH

hello Bumpus ,the other thing about older equipment is productivity ,your limited with some work that you can do with cable blades without rippers.takes longer to do the work?.the other is you would be limited to farm work ,no government work ,the contracts mostly state size and specs of dozer to do there work .
you at least need hyd machine ,bruce oz

I've got several pieces of older equipment; a D4 7U with 4A blade, 1967 Ford 600 dump truck, Ford 555A backhoe, 12E Grader and they all get used fairly frequently. I'm not out to make a killing with any of it but I figure that as long as they pay their own way and keep me busy, I'm happy. I'm retired for a few years now and the little extra cash these critters bring in is quite welcome. As far as making a living with 'em, I could probably do it but it would mean some real long hours.

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Well ol'_Grump what you have said is probably more in line of what I would really be interested in because I am also retired .

I would really like to have a Cable D6 Dozer with Pull Cable Scraper Pan, an old 955 Cat Loader and buy some acreage ( maybe 50 acres ) with some good timber on it.

Cut and sell the timber, sell some dirt to the public, make fills out of the low rough land using dirt from the hill side land.

Sell it off in say 5 acre plots as I go, and do it again later on another acreage if I live that long.

Selling the timber and the improved land I believe will pay for it all ( land and equipment ) and make some profit also for me.

Just my thoughts ... because I am still dreaming.
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Yeah the contractor guys are all chuckling, but it's good to have a dream. Just so long as it doesn't turn into a nightmare.
Two things come to mind about older equipment. They are less agile, and light weight in the britches. Having just a simple blade often means a lot of extra motions to get simple stuff done. And the lack of weight means you don't push what you think you can. It all adds up to more time in the seat. If you have that, then smile while pulling the handles. It could be a great way to spend the time.

Where I live now, they use D10s for building pads for houses and grocery stores. They are not considered big. I see D4's or D5's for finish work here and there pushing some gravel around, and maybe once a year a D7 will pop up on a project, but that size is mostly gone now.

It's all in your circumstances.

I am also semi retired and run my D4C my 212 grader and a 545A skip loader. Between my little at home body paint shop some carpentry and the equipment I get by. Young contractors hire me over the phone and it's hard to get equipment in my zone so they are stuck with me. They watch me for a little while and when they see that I know what I am doing they leave. I charge 100.00 an hour and no breaks. I am alway on the look out for problems coming up on the equipment just to stay up with it. When I am at the Cat dealer I see new stuff in there apart just like me. It's good to be a fair mechanic in this business. Good luck, Charlie

I've seen guys do it and my son in laws is getting started. First he got an older skid steer, then a single under cld dump truck. Then the D4...old one but nice condition. now he just got an old Case backhoe loader. He works full time as Mr. Goodwrench and is starting to make a little extra with the equipment. His dad has a 48 D6 cable lift that he can use for bigger work. Most of what he is doing is the jobs the guys with the newer equipment don't want. Lot of brush clearing for fence lines and such. That's why his dad got the D6. It was cheaper to buy the dozer than to hire someone to clear 12' around 160 acres.

Rick

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Well ol'_Grump what you have said is probably more in line of what I would really be interested in because I am also retired .

I would really like to have a Cable D6 Dozer with Pull Cable Scraper Pan, an old 955 Cat Loader and buy some acreage ( maybe 50 acres ) with some good timber on it.

Cut and sell the timber, sell some dirt to the public, make fills out of the low rough land using dirt from the hill side land.

Sell it off in say 5 acre plots as I go, and do it again later on another acreage if I live that long.

Selling the timber and the improved land I believe will pay for it all ( land and equipment ) and make some profit also for me.

Just my thoughts ... because I am still dreaming.
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