What does your Tractor cost you per hour of operation.

[4570Man]

How much does it save when equipment does the hard work and I don’t have to? Doctors are expensive.

 

[ArtMech]

Here's the manual version, but does have a hydraulic top-ink version too.
View attachment 727130

In Honda version I would make bucket hitch closer to a tractor. This will allow you to load more cargo weight.

 

[bmaverick]

My LS seems to use approximately 1.5 gallons of diesel per hour so at $3 per gallon that’s nearly $5 per hour just for fuel alone.

WOW. With my Yanmar, I've done steady projects from 6am till 6pm and went thru just 5 gallons alone. LS consumes that much fuel?

 

[jeff9366]

My 3-cylinder, naturally aspirated, 35-horsepower, 3,700 pound bare weight Kubota L3560 has an accurate fuel use meter. Average use has been 1/2 gallon per hour over the last 2,000 engine hours.

The fuel meter also tracks total fuel usage since zero engine hours, although I seldom look at that.

 

[Tomtint]

I was out the other day on my L3700.doing some road work and picking up downed trees and branches with the grapple. I looked at the hour meter and I'm at about 310 in the 8-9 years I have owned it. Certainly not much. I think I paid 25 K wish for the TLB package when I bought it..maybe a little more. Today I suspect it would sell for 20-21K

 

[bmaverick]

My 3-cylinder, naturally aspirated, 35-horsepower, 3,700 pound bare weight Kubota L3560 has an accurate fuel use meter. Average use has been 1/2 gallon per hour over the last 2,000 engine hours.

Indeed that sounds very normal for a 3-cly diesel from 22Hp thru 33Hp. I was really amazed the LS went thru so much in such a short time. Fuel prices just keep inching upwards. It would be a struggle to keep operating costs under control when fuel prices rise without dropping in seasons.

 

[hornett22]

AWESOME.

Next, just in your location or just the region area in your avatar to the left.

That's how I found a person nearby who has a tractor and stump grinder to hire.

Not sure what that means but whatever.

All I know is I always have work.

 

[shooterdon]

My LS seems to use approximately 1.5 gallons of diesel per hour so at $3 per gallon that’s nearly $5 per hour just for fuel alone.

I have the 40 HP version and I go through about 1 gal/hr. But I have never really tracked it so just a guess. I put on about 100 hours a year, doing things that need doing, so I do not worry about the cost of fuel. It costs me more just to have it sitting there with all that cash tied up.

It is break-even "investment" for me. With the money I save, and the value of barter work I do for neighbors/friends it is worth keeping for now.

I love comments like "I don't care". That tells me the person has to have a tractor, or someone who has a toy and enough money to afford it. I suspect there are a lot of folks who wind up with a toy after 2-3 years, and most of their tractor projects are done. Others find projects to do to justify keeping the machine. Nothing wrong with either mind set.

In any case, fuel is a minor component of operating costs. Saving less than a gallon an hour on a machine that struggles to get work done is a silly thing to consider if, like most hobby users, you put 70-100 hours on a tractor. The more capable machine will do some jobs faster and more importantly, a lot more safely. 100 hours at .7 gph is the same as 70 hours at 1 gph.

I could have saved $2000 by getting a 35 HP 3000 series instead of the 40 HP 4000 series LS. That $2000 difference got me a tractor with 5 more HP, that is 800 lbs heavier and lifts over 500 lbs more at the FEL, 900 lbs more at the 3PH and is more stable. If that costs me another .3 GPH I don't care.

 

[jeff9366]

The more capable machine will do some jobs faster and more importantly, a lot more safely. 100 hours at .7 gph is the same as 70 hours at 1 gph.

YES

 

[jeff9366]

I'm really new to tractors.
Thanks for the feedback.
Do you think that more like 35 or 48-horsepower will improve fuel economy since at that point you are not working the engine as hard?


My 3,700 pound bare weight, 35-horsepower Kubota L3560 has a very accurate digital fuel use meter. It uses 1/2 gallon of diesel per hour.

If you buy a new compact tractor your all up operating cost will be around $25 per engine hour, including fuel, assuming Branson dealer performs your preventative maintenance. Isolating on fuel cost of ~$2/hour~ does not make sense unless you are far from the fuel source or have a disability which makes fueling the tractor difficult.

If you do all your own routine maintenance your all up new tractor operating cost will be around $20 per engine hour, including fuel.

As you purchase implements your tractor cost per hour increases. All implements have to be factored into tractor operating cost. I have multiple implements. I consider my tractor operating cost is $35/hour.