I gave an hourly quote to someone the other day. I'm of the feeling it was a bit low since they jumped all over it. $100.00/hour per operator with travel and post work part of the billable time. That's for a long term contract averaging 10-14 hours per day per operator.
From my perspective that's a rate that provides minimum profit and then only if hourly volume is high. It's not possible for a single operator to make money at a straight $100.00/hour rate for just the time on set/location.
OTOH, I'm not a highly technical person, just one that spends a lot of time learning my equipment before attempting to create a professional level product. In my mind nothing I produce is ever good enough. It can always be better and what I experienced today will help improve my product tomorrow. I don't ever blame my equipment unless the equipment experienced a component failure, at which time the equipment is removed from the shoot and replaced with another. What I use for equipment is determined by knowledge and experience with the equipment selected. If it's the wrong equipment for the application the fault is mine for making the wrong choice, not the equipment's. To make the wrong equipment choice clearly indicates I did not understand the equipment well enough to make a good decision. Failure on my part.
My thoughts match Avery's pretty near exactly in his post. Although he's not someone I am familiar with he gained a lot if my respect in his post by noting that no one tool can do all hobs in the manner a hob nay require. Mickey, to me, is a known master of his trade, and to dispute him is foolhardy and establishes those that do so are in a defensive mode. Those that elect to dispute what he tries to teach them won't lose the debate but they'll certainly lose the respect of their more experienced, knowledgable, and talented peers.