What's it worth?

[customcattle]

I built a new bud box and alleyway system to work our cows, calves, and bulls in and am wanting some feedback on what you all might think its worth/ what it would be worth to you. I am mainly wondering about the alley way. I built it to be adjustable from 30" down to 18" with an escape gate/mothering gate and a palpation cage (accessible from either side). I am interested in possibly building and selling a few of these if there is a market and a value that would make it beneficial. Please just be honest in your opinions. I've attached some pictures of the alley

 

[RanchMan90]

A little paint would go a long way towards marketing it, people love to knit pick. Cost + 20% should be a good place to start, perhaps more. It's always easier to lower prices than raise them.

 

[customcattle]

A little paint would go a long way towards marketing it, people love to knit pick. Cost + 20% should be a good place to start, perhaps more. It's always easier to lower prices than raise them.

yes sir, I agree 100% on the paint. I would also probably not use the drill stem pipe if I were to market and sell them, but instead use new, or at least cleaner, two inch pipe and definitely paint them.

 

[True Grit Farms]

Cost plus a 100% is where I'd start. If you want to build me one for 20% above cost I'll take it, unpainted and all.

 

[Bigfoot]

Cost plus a 100% is where I'd start. If you want to build me one for 20% above cost I'll take it, unpainted and all.

I agree as well.

 

[ohiosteve]

That looks really good to me and I would love to have a setup like that. As far as making a few to sell it will be hard to make money and be as cheap as a big company like powder River. I'm not saying it's impossible but I am a hobby fabricator like you and when I do the math it usually doesn't pencil out. I simply take too long to build what a big company could pump out in a few hours.

 

[BobbyLummus1]

Id take one at cost + 20% too . What would that be ?

 

[callmefence]

The man that taught me always said when it doubt figure your cost and double it.
Worked for me so far.

 

[ohiosteve]

The man that taught me always said when it doubt figure your cost and double it.
Worked for me so far.

I agree with that. For me just figuring my cost is tough. Especially when using material I have collected and have laying around. The other hard part for me is figuring how many hours I have invested, especially when I'm working an hour here, a couple hours there and some of the time I'm drinking beers, I can't charge full price for those hours...or can I?

 

[Bigfoot]

That actually is the down side of fabricating something. It's really hard to build something cheaper than the big boys. For instance a metal ladder stand. Walmart has them for far less, than you could even buy the materials. I have found what little skills, and especially my time is better spent on projects just for myself.

 

[callmefence]

The man that taught me always said when it doubt figure your cost and double it.
Worked for me so far.

I agree with that. For me just figuring my cost is tough. Especially when using material I have collected and have laying around. The other hard part for me is figuring how many hours I have invested, especially when I'm working an hour here, a couple hours there and some of the time I'm drinking beers, I can't charge full price for those hours...or can I?

Beer goes under materials, don't short yourself

 

[RanchMan90]

Labor would be included in cost. I suppose I should be a bit more aggressive in pricing, but it doesn't take much to find a point of resistance in what people will pay. Also will depend a lot on your target market.

 

[customcattle]

We'll figure I have around 1300 in material and 30 hours in labor at $20/hour that would be $1900 so $2000 by the time ya figure rod, wire, gas, grease zerts etc. based on what you guys have said $4000 would be around where we are. Is that too high for something like this?

 

[Bigfoot]

We'll figure I have around 1300 in material and 30 hours in labor at $20/hour that would be $1900 so $2000 by the time ya figure rod, wire, gas, grease zerts etc. based on what you guys have said $4000 would be around where we are. Is that too high for something like this?

What are you getting for that figure, the adjustable alley, and what appears to be a palpation cage?

 

[customcattle]

Yeah it would be the adjustable alley with emergency gate/ mothering gate and the palpating cage.

 

[RanchMan90]

Looks to be in line with competitors pricing. You should get a lot of feedback marketing on social media. I would start at $4k and think they would really move at $3k. 50% profit is still better than any investment I can think of, faster too :2cents:

 

[customcattle]

So supposing a person was to get some people interested, obviously there is a chance of them being in different states etc. Do you figure shipping into the cost? Do you find the trucking for them and they just have to pay for it? Or do you leave them on their own to figure out how to get it there?

 

[RanchMan90]

$3 a loaded mile is the going rate for hotshot freight. I'll do it for $1 a mile if I'm making a sale to give them a good deal. It costs me 20¢ a mile getting 10 mpg.

 

[callmefence]

We'll figure I have around 1300 in material and 30 hours in labor at $20/hour that would be $1900 so $2000 by the time ya figure rod, wire, gas, grease zerts etc. based on what you guys have said $4000 would be around where we are. Is that too high for something like this?

I think your pretty close. You may be under estimating labor but if you're doing it your self
You should be ok.
20.00 per hour won't pay a welder and a helper.
Pro welders tend make sorry fence builders

Your not going to compete with mass produced products. You need to make your brand on custom, quality and dependability.
If you have the material already. Work with no deposit. It gives the customer confidence. And your reputation will grow.
We do all of our work with my money. We don't ask for a dime until we are 100% complete.
OUR COMPETITORS HATE US.....

 

[TexasBred]

We'll figure I have around 1300 in material and 30 hours in labor at $20/hour that would be $1900 so $2000 by the time ya figure rod, wire, gas, grease zerts etc. based on what you guys have said $4000 would be around where we are. Is that too high for something like this?

I think your pretty close. You may be under estimating labor but if you're doing it your self
You should be ok.
20.00 per hour won't pay a welder and a helper.
Pro welders tend make sorry fence builders

Your not going to compete with mass produced products. You need to make your brand on custom, quality and dependability.
If you have the material already. Work with no deposit. It gives the customer confidence. And your reputation will grow.
We do all of our work with my money. We don't ask for a dime until we are 100% complete.
OUR COMPETITORS HATE US.....

Customers and lenders should love you for operating like this.