Agri Vehicles Insurance from Greenlands

Author Topic: Borrow my tractor / app for farmers  (Read 2495 times)

ShinyCharizard90

  • Joined Apr 2020
Borrow my tractor / app for farmers
« on: May 21, 2020, 08:31:56 pm »
Hi,

I am in need of something to mow a couple acres of long grass.
Either a compactt tractor or a sit on mower I believe.  These are in the thousands to buy but there's plenty of farms all around us but I don't know any of the farmers...

Is anyone aware of any sites or apps out there that facilitate the borrowing of equipment?

We've used borrowmydoggy.com before to dog sit and there's a gap if there isn't something for farming equipment.

If not, I'm off work atm so I could build a web app for it in a couple months.
Please post suggestions / use cases below for what you'd like to have this app help swap/ rent / borrow.

Thanks!

SallyintNorth

  • Joined Feb 2011
  • Cornwall
  • Rarely short of an opinion but I mean well
    • Trelay Cohousing Community
Re: Borrow my tractor / app for farmers
« Reply #1 on: May 21, 2020, 09:47:20 pm »
I'm not at all sure that farmers would want to lend tractors to others.  Or even rent them. 

Lots of farmers will do contract work for farms around them.  Bigger operators will already have any apps they need, I would think (but I could be wrong so by all means investigate).  Smaller operators would probably not be a big enough market to make the development worth it.

I know of some groups of farmers who make a "machinery ring" work, where they pool resources to buy and share large pieces of equipment, or they have a reciprocal sharing agreement with one or two neighbours.  But I know of more groups where it hasn't worked and they've gone back to each having their own kit, and using contractors where they don't. 
Don't listen to the money men - they know the price of everything and the value of nothing

Live in a cohousing community with small farm for our own use.  Dairy cows (rearing their own calves for beef), pigs, sheep for meat and fleece, ducks and hens for eggs, veg and fruit growing

Kiran

  • Joined Apr 2019
Re: Borrow my tractor / app for farmers
« Reply #2 on: May 22, 2020, 12:21:50 am »
Tractors are expensive bits of kit. Cheap ones, usually old ones, have a tendency to break down all the time (which is sadly a subject I know about all to well). Both scenarios would make me unlikely to want to loan someone a piece of kit.

In a Utopian world i like the idea but i dont think it would work sadly.

In terms of what is already about, if you Google your local area there will be someone who will do contract cutting or better still ask about and someone will know who to speak to.

twizzel

  • Joined Apr 2012
Re: Borrow my tractor / app for farmers
« Reply #3 on: May 22, 2020, 06:53:13 am »
As above, we would not lend any of our expensive machinery out to anyone and everyone, not a hope in hell  :roflanim:  too expensive to fix if someone breaks it though inexperience or carelessness. You could of course hire a contractor in to cut your field, that’s the more sensible option.

Womble

  • Joined Mar 2009
  • Stirlingshire, Central Scotland
Re: Borrow my tractor / app for farmers
« Reply #4 on: May 22, 2020, 11:49:12 am »
Sadly, I agree with the others.

However, am I the only one who's now whistling the Wurzels?
"All fungi are edible. Some fungi are only edible once." -Terry Pratchett

ShinyCharizard90

  • Joined Apr 2020
Re: Borrow my tractor / app for farmers
« Reply #5 on: May 22, 2020, 05:28:13 pm »
Hi,

Thanks for the feedback.  It's a shame considering there a many car sharing apps and even plane and boat sharing.
Perhaps in a few more years when people are more used to things moving to AAS (as a service) offerings it would be handy.

For now, whilst I'd like to ask around the local area, Covid-19 sure does make that hard.
Are there any farming specific sites to find contractors to complete this kind of work?  All I know of is stuff to compare gardeners and I'm yet to find someone with the right equipment for the jobs I wanted done.

Thanks!

twizzel

  • Joined Apr 2012
Re: Borrow my tractor / app for farmers
« Reply #6 on: May 22, 2020, 05:49:42 pm »
Put an ad on Facebook if there’s some local agri based pages, or ask in local country store to put a note up or if they can suggest anyone.


The problem with sharing equipment or renting it out is the high cost of repairs, many farmers are asset rich but cash poor which means repairing broken machinery is can be really costly. And the machinery is part of a business, not a hobby. Most farm machinery is used for parts of a season- mowers, hay making equipment etc, combines, toppers, so when you need to use it, so does everyone else. Renting it out would mean you don’t get your own work done with it. Our combine spends 6-8 weeks working every summer and the rest of the time in the shed!

Kiran

  • Joined Apr 2019
Re: Borrow my tractor / app for farmers
« Reply #7 on: May 22, 2020, 06:11:44 pm »
Two other things also occurred to me since writing my previous post, firstly I'd feel bad obliged to the person I lent the kit to if it broke down. That's my personal thoughts, my professional side (from a main contractor construction point of view) would be farm equipment is heavy plant which can do some serious damage. You'd have a massive liability issue if someone got hurt or something got damaged by the equipment.

Back to your other question, there are contractors who advertise online and will still be answering emails. Where abouts are you based, someone in here might have a recommendation.

Rupert the bear

  • Joined Jun 2015
Re: Borrow my tractor / app for farmers
« Reply #8 on: May 22, 2020, 07:04:33 pm »
Hi,

Thanks for the feedback.  It's a shame considering there a many car sharing apps and even plane and boat sharing.
Perhaps in a few more years when people are more used to things moving to AAS (as a service) offerings it would be handy.

For now, whilst I'd like to ask around the local area, Covid-19 sure does make that hard.
Are there any farming specific sites to find contractors to complete this kind of work?  All I know of is stuff to compare gardeners and I'm yet to find someone with the right equipment for the jobs I wanted done.

Thanks!
I to am in the not a lender be camp , unlike Cars , boats and planes they are not that essential to the productivity  or indeed survival of the croft.

arobwk

  • Joined Nov 2015
  • Kernow: where 2nd-home owners rule !
Re: Borrow my tractor / app for farmers
« Reply #9 on: May 22, 2020, 07:30:58 pm »
No, I wouldn't lend/share my agri' equip whether it be the tractor or the tractor powered/drawn implements! 

I would only be happy to offer a service (driver/tractor/implements).  This might be as a trade for mutual services from others, but allowing others to use hard-worked equipment without a hire arrangement would be very silly in my opinion:  it's not worth the hassle if anything goes wrong.
« Last Edit: May 22, 2020, 07:40:53 pm by arobwk »

ShinyCharizard90

  • Joined Apr 2020
Re: Borrow my tractor / app for farmers
« Reply #10 on: May 23, 2020, 10:27:06 am »
Our combine spends 6-8 weeks working every summer and the rest of the time in the shed!

I can totally understand your points and see why you'd think that.  I suppose it for those would treat it as an extension of their business and just a tool to offer out either like an Uber driver using their own car to work whenever they like.

Tbh, I would have thought people could bring a lot more harm to you by staying in you home overnight, but AirBnB seems to have done alright.  I'm sure their insurances are pretty good though.

The benefit to a tractor owner would be your tractor is making money instead of being in the shed depreciating.

It seems like the main issues would be money if something went wrong, and liability.  Both could be sorted via the appropriate insurances and monitoring.

I did actually find one app that John Deere partnered have with and looks like in Africa when not everyone has the luxury of affording their own equipment it's working well. 
Like an Uber for tractors...

https://www.hellotractor.com/home

I think I might still make this app if I can reuse some code from an Airbnb or Uber clone.  The difficulty would be just getting the right insurances and monitoring set up.

For now though, I'll just keep calling local farmers and gardeners.

Thanks everyone for your thoughts and feedback!

harmony

  • Joined Feb 2012
Re: Borrow my tractor / app for farmers
« Reply #11 on: May 23, 2020, 11:16:44 am »

Many farmers work as contractors to boost their incomes. Most areas have a seek and sell fb page and other smallholding sites where you can advertise for what service you need. Or as someone suggested above ask at the feed merchants or take a look at their adverts board.




 

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