Soybean Combine Custom Rates

[Steakmaker]

What's a fair rate to charge for custom harvesting beans? Did 40 acres (9510 with 25 foot bean head), the guy is a close friend so I don't want to gouge him and I was practically driving by on the way home from one of my fields.

Thanks

[JCCWIS]

My small bean crop [28 acres] cost me $20 per acre + fuel. 9500 JD using 25 ft. bean head with air reel.    John

[buckfarmer]

$20 sounds a litttle cheap. I probably would only do it that cheap for a good friend. and sounds like you don't have any travel time. When I sprayed for the coop durring college we spent a lot of time on the road. I could never figure how they made money driving half the day.

[Jim Meade / Iowa City]

Many land grant university extension offices have info on custom rates.  Sometimes they give a number their economists came up with (which may seem high) and sometimes they give a range or reported numbers.

[Waterlooiowa]

I got 20/acre 20 years ago,had a couple guys who farmed acreages that had been split off from farms,They were all close bt so it was just a nice little bit of cash for a few hours of work.Was tempted to charge one guy extra ,he had the outside nozzle plug up on a 30 foot traier sprayer and I had a 5 foot strip of the biggest cockleburs ever seen that I had to run through the combine