Total Cost of Operating A Tratcor

[JimR]

[QUOTE

I figure my costs per hour in what I've spent divided by the hours I used it. A while after I bought my USED M4700 and a set of pallet forks I'd used it for about 20 hours and it had cost me about $13,000. So at that time my cost was about $1,300 per hour.
I've run my two tractors maybe about 1,000 hours over the last 8 years, for about a total cost of $50K (not including my truck, sawmill or my labor). So I'm down to about $50/hour.[/QUOTE]

I like your way of thinking. I look at it this way. How much would it have cost me to hire somebody to do all of the things that I do with my tractor. In the long run, the tractor cost should greatly outweigh the hired contractor cost many times over. Plus you get to enjoy what you do, I hope, and get to keep yourself in shape. I'm at 90 hours now on my NX4510 that I bought as a brand new leftover. I have a ratio of about $255.00 an hour for my tractor right now including the 2550 mile road trip to bring it home, filters, oil and LED rear lights. Like you estimate, the cost will keep going down as you put more hours on it. I think I'll be down well under $25.00 an hour at 2000 hours if I do not have any serious issues with the tractor. I have added in for fuel expense and enough I think for general maintenance. I would not add in the cost of your truck or sawmill or anything not related to the tractor. Attachments would be added in and a trailer for it should also be included.

 

[GregP27]

Hi Jim,

I'd probably figure it that way, too, if I had a tractor right now. The link is to a business-oriented, full-accountbility calculation that takes into account everything including the money you would have made with the money had you not bought the tractor. It would be a GREAT thing to use as justification for pricing tractor work by the hour but, if I DO get one, it'll likely just do work for me on my own land.

I knew a couple of people who lost big-time just trying to help out a neighbor. Something was damaged and the neighbor went after them to recover the costs. So ... I'd be very careful about helping neighbors. Probably have him or her sign a doument taking responsibility for directing the tractor work ... after a lawyer looked at it.

It's sad we live in a society that always searches for a guilty party from which to recover compensation, when all you were doing was helping a neighbor at his or her request! But, that's what we've come to. Deliver me from politicians and lawyers.

I think the cost for a 35 - 40 HP compact tractor is really around $20 per hour plus another $15 for the operator. Implements probably run somewhere around anotrher $8 - 10 per hour, assuming no damage and that you want to pay for them before their anticipated liftime is used up. However, if you are working for yourself, you can decide to work for free! Working for someone else, though, I'd have to add in some for me, unless they were worthy of some free time from me. I've been known to do that, and I'd bet most, if not all, in here have, too.

My grandfather had an old Farmall and I used to help out on the farm when we visited. Biggest surprise I ever got was one summer when he had added ballast to teh back tires, but neglected to tell me. I almost turned the tractor over backwards trying to pull out a stump! When I had recovered from the shock of almost turning over, I asked him what had happened. He said the tractor had a LOT more traction since he added water to the tires. I said, "You might have TOLD me!"

He just smiled and said he had never given me a briefing yet of the changes on the farm since my last visit. I allowed as how that was true, and was very careful around his machinery after that one! I can laugh about it now, but was ready to fight when it happened. It would have been a short fight, anyway. Grandad was an old man, sure, but he was a STRONG old man, and wasn't exactly known for being gentle. I about laughed my butt off once when he got angry at a mule and punched it in the nose to get its attention. The mule didn't even feel it, but grandad broke his hand!

I told him not to tell the doctor in the emergency room he had broken his hand punching a mule, and STILL didn't get its attention! I think I got away with that because I kept a straight face and didn't laugh.

Cheers!

 

[DieselBound]

Anyone wanting to get really **** about figuring this kind of thing out might get some pointers from this:

10 Years! 2003 ALH Fuel mileage information and Cost(s) of Ownership - TDIClub Forums

I've got several of these cars, all purchased used (no depreciation hit). They have allowed me to splurge on my NX!

But, things are different with tractors, of course, as tractors are for doing work. Measuring "work" is a lot more difficult than measuring "miles" (though "miles" are achieved by doing work).

As anyone with their own equipment knows, sometimes things pop up that require equipment NOW. At such times renting isn't an option. The value at times like this is a lot higher and more difficult to place a price tag on.

Another thing to consider about tractors and other "labor saving" things is that they may reduce your medical bills, and how much value this is is extremely hard to evaluate. I once blew out my clavicle because I was too lazy to get my tractor out to pull a T-post (although I tended to use the tractor I would, from time to time, get lazy and yank one by hand- until... the ONE!).

 

[newbury]

I'm trying to figure out why start another thread on the same topic in here?

Because it's TBN and people do it all the time.

Hi newbury,

In other forums (actually several) we are asked to give a post only once and then refer to it elsewhere. I COULD give it here and in every other brand-specific "Owning and Operating" forum, too, but that would be 20+ duplicate posts. That is sort of frowned upon everywehere else on the web.

<snip>

If you WRITE about the link you can just put the link in your writing. That is not duplication of a post any more than using the same word in two posts.

 

[GregP27]

Hi Newbury,

OK. I think I got the message ... at least in here. No so much, other places.

 

[mopardude318]

My 100hp is in the 5 gph range. Hopefully you missed a decimal. I don't ever mess with these calculations, to many variable. I need the tractor for my stuff. Any mowing on the side is just cash in the safe. When it's time for maintenance, it gets done and I go on about my life. Some folks will read these threads and think it's costing them $50 just to mess around with their tractor for an hour

Brett

I agree with this gentleman.

 

[GregP27]

I agree with this gentleman.

Hi Mopardude,

No, I didn't miss a decimal, and the cost I quoted above was for a 35 - 40 hp tractor, not a 100 hp tractor. Each one will be different, depending on what you paid for it, the list proce, how much money you borrowed, etc.

 

[rustyshakelford]

Hi Mopardude,

No, I didn't miss a decimal, and the cost I quoted above was for a 35 - 40 hp tractor, not a 100 hp tractor. Each one will be different, depending on what you paid for it, the list proce, how much money you borrowed, etc.

I think he was talking about fuel burn. Most 35-40 hp tractors have 8-12 gallon tanks. If they are burning 5 gph that 2.5 hrs or less on a tank. That's not happening. .5 gallon per hour is more realistic up to 1 gph. That's what he was talking about by agreeing with me. If you show me a 35-40hp tractor that burns 5 gph, I'll be showing you a machine that's out of production

Brett

 

[CajunRider]

I think he was talking about fuel burn. Most 35-40 hp tractors have 8-12 gallon tanks. If they are burning 5 gph that 2.5 hrs or less on a tank. That's not happening. .5 gallon per hour is more realistic up to 1 gph. That's what he was talking about by agreeing with me. If you show me a 35-40hp tractor that burns 5 gph, I'll be showing you a machine that's out of production

Brett

My rust bucket DK45 will burn 1.4 gph! I have to go full throttle to get my PTO to 540 rpm.

 

[rustyshakelford]

My rust bucket DK45 will burn 1.4 gph! I have to go full throttle to get my PTO to 540 rpm.

That's getting it! Still not bad fuel burn for the power you have

Brett