5-6 bales in tight beds working around plants
7-8 bales in wide open areas

 

5-6 bales in tight beds working around plants
7-8 bales in wide open areas

That doesn't sound like very many. I was thinking more like 20-30 bales an hour. Is that not possible?

 

i would say 10 to 12 including clean up any more then that i dont think you would be spreading it evenly

 

That doesn't sound like very many. I was thinking more like 20-30 bales an hour. Is that not possible?

Oh, I have lots of experience with pinestraw and I hear tons of people say how many more they can throw out in an hour. I like to live in the real world though. The figures posted are real world figures. I guess if I was running and throwing we would do more bales per man per hour. Myself or my 100% American workforce just can't put out the numbers some people post. I would rather price it to do it right than to price it to try to kill myself to make a buck. I almost always figure on 5 bales per man hour on estimates, no matter if I think I can do it faster. I would rather send a bill that is less than the original estimate, than to have no profit cause I priced it to run and throw.

If you can do 20 bales an hour, please come to work for me.

 

Assuming straw is on site and no abnormally tight beds. I would say 20 per hour including clean-up and that figure is here in the real world.

 

What we have found is the first hour of spreading can be as high as 20+ bales in open area. Each hour thereafter it drops continuously by approx 5-15%, moreso in summer. Shrubs, groundcovers, and other obstacles make it drop as well. There are a lot of variables including bale size and how tightly packed they are. Tucking edges and cleanups vary as well.

We charge $7.50/bale for our regular clients and more for anyone else. I don't make money with it, and we rarely get any new clients from it, which is fine by me.

I would say 8-12 bales/hour is reasonable including cleanup on average.

 

Maybe its just me, but I sub out my needles. I got some guys that I pay to do it that can spread about 3 times as fast as me. If i spread, I dont really make any money..if they spread, then I do pretty good for just estimating and making a phone call. I charge my customers 6.75 per bale delivered and install then get my guys to do it for a little less. I dont make much on needles, but a little is better then none. I know what I am good at, and needles isnt one of those things

 

Oh, I have lots of experience with pinestraw and I hear tons of people say how many more they can throw out in an hour. I like to live in the real world though. The figures posted are real world figures. I guess if I was running and throwing we would do more bales per man per hour. Myself or my 100% American workforce just can't put out the numbers some people post. I would rather price it to do it right than to price it to try to kill myself to make a buck. I almost always figure on 5 bales per man hour on estimates, no matter if I think I can do it faster. I would rather send a bill that is less than the original estimate, than to have no profit cause I priced it to run and throw.

If you can do 20 bales an hour, please come to work for me.

don't think I could get $5 per bale labor here in North Carolina.

Just curious what everyone was doing. I've been chargine a flat per bale charge, but have started thinking about going hourly for labor.

 

you should be able to get around 3.5 per bale depending on how much you get them for. I pay 3 per bale and charge between 6.5 and 8 depending on the app and im in the Charlotte area.

 

Pine straw around here is gold! The good long needle sells for $5-5.25 per bale. We don't have any good landscaping dealers that sell straw. It's a tough sale when you tell someone it cost 7+ per bale and they need 30 bales!

 

Check out companies in SC, they will deliver them YOUR property if you have room to store them, and they are cheap..i dont think you will be able to get anyone to deliver to your various properties though.

 

We budget 7-8 bales per hour unless it is a wide open area.
I am in NC too, in an extremely competetive market and we sell ours for 9.50/bale. Sell the quality and it won't be an issue.

 

Assuming straw is on site and no abnormally tight beds. I would say 20 per hour including clean-up and that figure is here in the real world.

Wow, 20 bales an hour, you the man. I could not compete in your neck of the woods.

 

Hey guys wats the rule on how many bales per sq ft and dept? I mean how much will a bale cover @ a certian thickness. I got a prog for dirt and mulch but I havent seen one for straw.

 

Roughly 60 sf for overlaying...45-50 for new imop

 

k thanks, at wat thickness? 2 or 3 inchs.

 

Thats normally 4-6 for the first week then they settle to between 2 and 4

 

thanks thats what i needed to know.

 

Its hard to make money in the North Ga/Atlanta metro area spreading pinestraw. We mostly do installation work so we will go back to existing clients and and perform seasonal maintenance (pruning, mulching, fert and weed control in beds) Rarely do we get called on to do a straight staw job. It is crazy how cheap some are advertising pinestraw and installation.

 

I pay 5$ per bales, and charge 15$... i can put down about 10 bales per hour at 6 to 8 inch thick..