Writen by Lance Winslow
If you run a pressure washing company in a rural market you will need to learn how to wash agricultural industry equipment and infrastructure. In our company The Tractor Wash Guys, we We have several years of experience washing combines. Phil Hasenhoehrl, a wheat farmer in Lewiston Idaho, was raised in the farming business. His family has been farmers for over 100 years. In addition to farming, Phil has worked with us and helped us in learning how best to develop this market sector. He was before joining our team a farmer. He owns a $250,000 John Deere combine that he maintains himself.
Many pressure-washing contractors have no idea what to charge for cleaning such equipment. We recommend that for a blow-off and wash on a large combine like Phil's, that you charge $300.00. If a combine has already had a blow-off, we charge $175.00 for just a straight wash. This is about the going price in most markets. Waxing is an additional $75.00 - $100.00. Washing should include cleaning the cab, gauges, control panel, seat and windows. Most operators will be quite pleased to the see the cockpit of their combine in mint condition.
To protect paint and inhibit rust, we use a polymer wax, recommended by John Deere. You can buy a bottle or two at your local John Deere Dealership. We usually try to set-up a semi-annual preventative maintenance cleaning for larger farmers and corporate farms. You should also consider having programs for rinse off services for new and used farm equipment dealers.
Cleaning Grain and Wheat Silos, Towers, and Containers
You will find good business in cleaning small silos owned by family farm businesses. Whether they store grain, wheat, produce, wood chips, or any other agricultural crop, you can clean the containers, crates, boxes, trailers, silos and towers. There is unlimited amounts of work for someone who is serious about getting out there with a little hustle in their step. You should be knowledgeable in all FDA laws for storage of perishables; this can be done by reading thru sections of the FDA government website. You can clean 10 story cement grain towers, floors, and inside walls. You find this to be an excellent business and unlimited work once the word gets out, you will be getting calls for hundreds of miles away. Because grain dust is highly explosive and considered a fire hazard we recommend cleaning silos, storage containers and towers whenever they are emptied and this is a good selling point to customers.
It also pays to be an expert in cleaning flat or cone shaped floors and inside and exterior perimeters where the tin meets the pavement; where the seal is formed. It is smart to contact farmers as they empty silos before fumigation. Let your customers know that you understand their FDA and EPA obligations and will only use soaps which won't combine with insecticides, or attract rats. The farmer's time is better spent watching mercantile exchanges, commodities markets, agricultural futures and comex. The tax credits for farmers for building silos may never come again, so tell them you can help them protect their investment. As the EPA bans more and more effective pesticides and herbicides due to pressures to clean waterways and due to foreign demands on shipping our agricultural exports, you can help them keep their operations in compliance when inspectors come to harass them. It is extremely important to keep containers free of disease, rates, unwanted micro-organisms and insects and you will be doing the farmers a valuable service indeed. Let all your farmer clients know that you will give them a free estimate on cleaning and containers they have. This will help you and once you prove you can do good work and that you look them in the eyes when you give a firm handshake you will find a whole lot more work where that came from.
Let them know that all of your services are performed with 185 to 210 degree water at 3000 PSI and over 6 gpm and that it will be cleaned correctly, efficiently, cost effectively and on time when they use your services. Think about cleaning farm equipment and infrastructure if you live in a rural area.
Lance Winslow
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