Should I offer machinery cleaning (for example excavators) or it may be a too much complex area?
In first place I though it was a great idea as its really similar to normal vehicles or just normal powerwashing but then after thinking more in-depth I am not that sure.
What if for example, the excavator has worked with some kind of chemical. It would require special permits and would be a really complex area. Is anyone currently offering this service, should I stay away from it?
Hot water, degreaser and you might want to bring grease/grease gun to fill up pistons etc. after youāve washed off equipment. I wouldnāt know how to charge for that service besides a T&M rate.
Machinery cleaning can be a good little money maker, diggers work long hours in dirty conditions and always require a good clean between job sites Before transporting, could be everyday could be once a week. You should be able to clean them without degreaser just stay away from hydraulic seals. The accounts I had years ago just needed hot water, they generally donāt expect them to be detailed and glowing in the sun, just the bulk of the dirt taken off.
New to the site but been reading it for 2 years. We pressure wash truck fleets and heavy equipment. The heavy equipment is much better in my opinion. Must use hat water, be carful cleaning radiator, make sure any grease or oil is washed off handrails and windshield. You will get very dirty/greasy but it pays well and customers are not as critical as truck customers.
I was approached by a local company that sells/repairs heavy forestry equipment. They have their own lighted wash bay with hot water and cleaning chemicals, but, Iām gathering, they just need a guy willing to hold the wand and wash the equipment. Below is an excerpt from an email convo we have going on:
āAs we discussed we have a need to contract a semi regular pressure washing service to clean our equipment. This would include exterior body panel and interior engine and component steam cleaning, concrete soap finish cleaning, ect. We have our own lighted pressure washer bay that is covered with a Hotsy steam cleaning pressure washing unit with two wands, two fire hoses, and chemical concrete soap.
We get machines in from the woods that are covered in dirt, wood/straw, and grease / oil that needs to be cleaned before it can either be worked on or listed for sale. You can see the size of the equipment we have if you go to our website. If you would like to come visit our facility before committing to anything please let me know. Our address is below.
Our plan would be to supply the equipment / chemicals required ā and you supply the pressure washing experience.ā
I was upfront with the general manager and told him that my experience is just washing 1 & 2 story houses, not vehicles or equipment. I also told him I did not have hot water, heavy degreasers, long wands, etc in order to do this scope of work in which they replied that they have all of that. Iām planning on going by their shop sometime to see it in-person, but does anyone have any horror stories of similar situations or any suggestions for questions/items I need to be considering before pursuing this?
The appeal to me is potentially steady work at a centralized location, without having to advertise or drive between two different counties chasing houses and driveways, and the ability to work after dark, which, this time of year anything past 5:30pm is hopeless.
Update, I went by the facility today to check it out. Seems like a nice operation that they are running. Itās essentially a Carmax for logging machinery - taking in used equipment, performing any necessary repairs/service and then marketing the equipment to potential buyers.
Having never done this before, I asked the guy how long the various types of equipment each take to clean. Obviously there are many variables, but he said that heās done them himself, with very little washing experience, in between 4-16 hours each, depending on the machine.
Having washed a ton of different pieces of equipment, the only advice I have for you is to expect any given piece to take you longer than you anticipate it to. Grease has a way of flinging up on every surface that youāve already washed.
I will say, this seems really odd to me. Basically, what theyāre looking for is an hourly wash grunt. Why they canāt just hire some hourly employees to do this is weird to me. Itās not rocket science by any means.
I asked about who was responsible for this in the past and theyāve apparently had a few different ways of doing it previously. Currently, itās the mechanics and sales staff doing it as they are able to, which isnāt fast enough or soon enough. Before that, there were rounds of various lot tech type guys who only wanted to wash and not do any of the other stuff around shop/lot when washing wasnāt needed. Or other washing contractors that wanted a pretty consistent schedule, which I understand if you are big time into this kinda thing, but the store couldnāt promise what their needs were each week.
Hereās what I would do. Iād tell them youāll take care of it for $30 an hour. Find a young guy that will do it for $20 an hour. You sit at home making $10 an hour all week long and you didnāt even have to take off your Crocs and put on grown up clothes. Win-win if you ask me.
Seriously though. Can this be something that is worth your time? Without knowing what the pay is, Iād have a real hard time spending 15 hours on a unit to only bring in a couple hundred dollars after payroll taxes and whatnot. Itās a lot of work to wash equipment. Undercarriages are a nightmare and it can be pretty exhausting. The dollars have to make cents.
@PPWofLexSC , Weāre at $175/200 per hour. that comes with 1 hot washer , every chem we have in our arsenal and an employee to do the job. Always go hourly on heavy equipment jobs , to many variables involved that could bite you. And it keeps it fair to you and the customers. Those particular pieces above would take anywhere from 5 to 8 hours a piece assuming there not going on a boat overseas . But if you are asked to run their equipment and chems on their site then it sounds like they want a dedicated washer/employee that carrys his own insurance that they can 1099 at the end of the year. Iād personally pass but you do you.
Heck Thomas, Iād give it a shot. Iāve done a little of it, not something Iād want to do everyday, but kind of fun once in awhile for a change of pace. Does he want you to quote a price on individual piece or what. You do bring some skills to the table. You know how to pressure wash stuff and what end of the gun to hold plus you work with machinery all the time. Heck, you donāt even have to haul your equipment. Iād quote him 40-50/hour. The problem I have doing that stuff is being ocd, is trying to make it look like new whereas most those guys, they just want it āgood enoughā. Will probably take doing a few pieces to see what their expectations are. Even if it was just a piece or 2 a month would be some decent extra income for you.
My hourly rates for heavy equipment cleaning started at $175 as well and went up from there if they needed it same day or if there was some pita factor. I really feel youāll be under selling yourself as I can only assume theyāre out to take advantage of you. Iād be at $125 hr using their equipment and chem.
I was hoping for about $100 an hour or so since Iām just a body providing some common sense and some knowledge. And with them providing all chemicals, sprayers, hot water washers, turbo nozzles/tips, fire hoses, shovels, compressed air, lighted and covered bay, I didnāt think that would be too shabby.
They would prefer to have a āstandardā price per a class of equipment, but are willing to work with me if I tell them that a wash took longer than expected due to excessive mess, etc.
They are also open to suggestions of chemicals/ application processes.
They bring in another contractor for interior cab cleaning so that wouldnāt be my responsibility.
All body panels would already be removed by mechanics before the wash and unit would be just parked in the bay waiting on my arrival. Minor cleanup of wash bay when Iām done, but since Iām not moving the equipment, I wind be responsible for getting the floor spotless.
Tracked machines donāt need drive gears ( inside tracks) cleaned unless itās an export.
My hurdles:
I would have to track down insurance for this line of work. The store is only open 7-5 Monday-Friday, which doesnāt leave me a lot of time getting off from the Town at 3:30pm. With correct insurance I could gain access to property after hours/weekends.
Iād have to invest in seat covers for my truck as well as come coveralls for me.
Iām notorious for hitting my head on stuffā¦this looks likes a great opportunity for me to do just that!
I appreciate all of yāallās opinions, expertise, etc. This is something I believe I can do, and I felt good the way I left things yesterday after I wrapped up by 1.5 hour tour/conversation with the GM. Heās talking to owner to let him know where I stand and weāll see how that goes. I havenāt quoted solid pricing yet and was told I could certainly wash one or two to get an idea for it all. They have 5 machines right now waiting to be washed so Iām sure Iāll hear back within a few days.
What witchery is this? No self respecting grown man wears Crocs, drink Starbucks, eats at Panera, leaves his bedroom without a pocket knife and a lighter(whether he smokes or not) and always gives a dog the benefit of the doubt.
I donāt eat at Panera or Starbucks and I always have a knife handy but Iām not giving up these Crocs for anything. Best shoes ever made and itās not even close!
