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Pennsylvania's

1998
Machinery Custom Rates
PASS-125


Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture
Agricultural Statistics Service
2301 North Cameron Street
Harrisburg, PA 17110-9405
Phone: 717-787-3904
Fax: 717-782-4011
E-Mail: nass-PA@nass.usda.gov


Machinery Custom Rates

By Liana C. Cuffman

Agricultural Statistician

The custom rates shown are averages from voluntary reports by custom operators and farmers throughout Pennsylvania. Most of the rates are stated per acre, cwt., ton, bale, or bushel rather than per hour to reduce the variation due to machinery size. Individual rates vary due to differences in working conditions, services performed, or even the operator's eagerness to do custom work. Therefore, the average rates shown should not be considered absolute indications of fair charges.

Acreage rates are shown separately for two regions of the state, labeled "Mountain" and "Valley". The differences in rates between regions reflect differences in terrain, soils and alternative opportunities for the labor and equipment used. Figures labeled "State" represent the straight average of all reports used regardless of geographic location.

Of the 72 rates reported with year-to-year comparisons, 36 increased, 26 decreased, and 10 are the same as last year. The overall average is up 2 percent from the previous year. This percentage increase was computed by adding the rates for all jobs, regardless of basis of charge, and dividing by last year's comparable total.


Map of mountain and valley region
Custom Rates: Selected Farming Operations, Pennsylvania, 1998

Job Basis of Charge Mountain Section Valley Section State
--------- Harvesting ---------
Corn Picking
 Acre 21 .80 21 .40 21 .50
Corn Combining
 Acre 25 .20 24 .60 24 .70
Corn Drying (23 Percent)
 Bushel 0 .26 0 .29 0 .28
Combining Small Grains
 Acre 23 .20 23 .10 23 .10
Combining Soybeans
 Acre 25 .70 24 .60 24 .90
Hay Making:
Mowing
 Acre 9 .90 10 .20 10 .10
Mowing & Conditioning
 Acre 10 .90 10 .50 10 .60
Raking
 Acre 6 .90 5 .90 6 .20
Pick-up Baling (Twine)
 Bale 0 .40 0 .36 0 .37
Cut, Rake, Bale & Store
 Bale 1 .08 1 .03 1 .05
Large Round Baler (Avg. = 800 Lbs)
 Bale 6 .30 6 .10 6 .20
Stacker-Wagon (Avg. = 1700 Lbs)
 Stack 15 .70 15 .70 15 .70
Wrapping Bales
 Bale N/A N/A 5 .00
Silage Making:
Pull-Type Chopper & Tractor
 Hour 43 .40 52 .70 49 .40
Self-Propelled Chopper
 Hour 74 .00 98 .50 96 .10
Blower
 Hour 8 .80 7 .50 7 .70
1 Man, 2 Wagons, 1 Tractor
 Hour 37 .80 38 .20 38 .10
2 Men, 2 Wagons, 2 Tractors
 Hour 57 .50 57 .90 57 .80
Field Chop, Haul & Fill Silo
 Ton 8 .70 6 .90 7 .50
Bagging Silage
 Foot N/A N/A 4 .40
--------- Plowing & Cultivating ---------
Plowing, Moldboard Plow:
Spring, Stubble
 Acre 11 .00 12 .10 11 .70
Sod
 Acre 12 .30 13 .00 12 .70
Fall, Stubble
 Acre 11 .40 12 .30 12 .00
Sod
 Acre 12 .90 12 .90 12 .90
Plowing, Deep (10 Inches or More)
 Acre 14 .20 14 .00 14 .10
Plowing, Chisel
 Acre 10 .90 11 .50 11 .40
Plowing, Disk
 Acre 12 .00 11 .10 11 .30
Disking, Tandem
 Acre 10 .50 10 .30 10 .40
With Harrow or Cultipacker
 Acre 12 .10 11 .70 11 .90
Harrowing:
Spike Tooth
 Acre 9 .40 9 .10 9 .20
Spring Tooth
 Acre 9 .30 9 .00 9 .10
Cultivating
 Acre 9 .60 8 .20 8 .50
--------- Planting & Drilling ---------
Planting Corn With Fertilizer:
Conventional-Till
 Acre 12 .20 12 .70 12 .60
Reduced-Till
 Acre 12 .90 13 .20 13 .10
No-Till
 Acre 14 .70 14 .40 14 .40
Planting Soybeans, Without Fertilizer:
Conventional-Till
 Acre 10 .60 12 .60 12 .30
Reduced-Till
 Acre 12 .50 13 .50 13 .40
No-Till
 Acre 14 .00 14 .70 14 .60
Drilling Small Grain:
Without Fertilizer
 Acre 9 .70 11 .90 11 .60
With Fertilizer
 Acre 11 .00 12 .00 11 .60
With Fertilizer & Cloverseed
 Acre 11 .70 12 .00 11 .80
Seeding Alfalfa, Clover, Etc.
 Acre 10 .00 12 .70 12 .00


Custom Rates: Selected Farming Operations,

Pennsylvania, 1998, Continued
Job Basis of Charge Mountain Section Valley Section State
--------- Planting & Drilling (Continued) ---------
Broadcast Seeding (On Grain Fields)
 Acre 7 .00 7 .40 7 .20
Cleaning Grain Seed:
With Treatment
 Bushel 0 .82 1 .20 1 .00
Without Treatment
 Bushel 0 .56 0 .61 0 .59
--------- Spraying ---------
Ground Equipment:
Spraying for Weed Control:
Excluding Material
 Acre 7 .80 7 .00 7 .20
Spraying for Corn Borer:
Including Cost of Material
 Acre 12 .50 12 .00 12 .20
Excluding Cost of Material
 Acre 8 .00 6 .80 7 .20
Spraying for Spittle Bug or Alfalfa Weevil:
Including Cost of Material
 Acre 13 .10 11 .60 12 .10
Excluding Cost of Material
 Acre 7 .70 6 .60 6 .90
Aerial Application (Excluding Material):
Fixed Wing
 Acre N/A N/A 8 .10
Helicopter
 Acre N/A N/A 9 .30
--------- Miscellaneous ---------
Grain Hauling:
Local
 Bushel 0 .13 0 .13 0 .13
Long Distance
 Bushel 0 .32 0 .24 0 .26
Grain Storage
 Bushel Per Month 0 .04 0 .04 0 .04
Stalk Shredding, P.T.O.
 Acre 9 .40 8 .90 9 .00
Spreading Bulk Fertilizer:
Dry
 Acre 5 .90 5 .40 5 .60
Liquid
 Acre 7 .50 6 .30 6 .60
Side Dressing
 Acre 7 .60 6 .90 7 .10
Grinding Feed:
Corn, Oats or Barley
 Hundredweight 0 .60 0 .54 0 .56
Corn & Cobs
 Hundredweight 0 .62 0 .61 0 .62
Cobs
 Hundredweight 0 .63 0 .58 0 .60
Additional Charge for Mixing
 Hundredweight 0 .28 0 .26 0 .27
Machine Tiling (No Tile)
 Foot 0 .42 0 .61 0 .50
Back Hoe
 Hour 38 .90 43 .20 41 .20
Sawing Wood, Chain Saw
 Hour 16 .20 15 .10 15 .50
Post Hole Digging
 Hole 1 .90 1 .30 1 .50
Manure Loading, Solid
 Hour 27 .00 28 .50 28 .10
Manure Spreading, Solid
 Hour 25 .00 26 .10 25 .80
Manure Pumping
 Hour NA NA 21 .90
Manure Spreading, Liquid
 Hour NA NA 45 .40
Bulldozing (Avg. H.P. 90)
 Hour 51 .50 58 .20 54 .80

N/A = Insufficient Data

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