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Pros and Cons of Custom Fertilizer Floating

7K views 5 replies 6 participants last post by  Ned Williams 
#1 ·
Hi everyone, I've been a steady reader on the site for a while now, first time posting.

I've been seriously considering purchasing a floater for the sole purpose of doing custom work. Nobody else in my area does any custom work, and each year more and more farmers seem to be looking to have fertilizer floated over the winter. I'm really just looking for any advice, criticism, tips, or warnings you might have for me. We have never floated fertilizer on our farm before so I'm not exactly an expert on the whole process.

If I do decide to head down this path I would most likely being buying a floater this fall for, hopefully for in the $150k - $200k range. Just looking around and comparing I would charge between $5 - $7.

Again, I'm really quite new to this technique and have very little experience with these particular machines. So at this point, any and all information is helpful.

Thanks A lot!
 
#2 ·
We get large amounts of potash and sulphur floated on. Usually in the fall before our NH3. This year more will be done in the spring due to the fact that fall ended so quickly. $6.50 an acre here from the same people that supply the fertilizer. They also have the tender trucks to deliver it to the field and fill the floaters. They are busy. They've floated fertilizer and canola as well in the spring when people couldn't get seeded. Its done and I don't have to look after it. Good luck. If you are good, you will be busy
 
#3 ·
Here most floaters are VRT equipped twin bin units for spreading P & K. I know you are just wanting to get it off the ground and rolling first but would it be feasible to go that route offering grid soil sampling and VRT spreading?
 
#4 ·
Floaters can make a lot of money for a dealer but he gets the margin on the product plus whatever he can charge per acre. You'll be trying to make it work on the per acre charge. Maybe if you don't have any dealer competition you can charge enough to make it worth your while but I think you're more likely to get experience than you are to get rich. The only way it will make you money is if its going back and forth in the field which means the nurse system is just as important as the applicator.
 
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