My cost per hour.

[Thomas]

"Without going through the math but considering the residual value, fuel, and maintance on it I put my hourly cost at between $13 and $15 per hour. "
..................................
On the other side of coin BX doing projects also ground care lot easier on muscles and bones.

 

[dodge man]

I guess one thing I should add is it was worth every penny. No regrets. I have just seen people ask this question before and thought I would throw some numbers around.

 

[The Fred]

I let mine idle day and night to keep the cost down.

 

[shooterdon]

I am a numbers guy, so evaluate things that way. I am shopping for a new tractor ($35-45k) and have estimated a worst case cost of $26k over 10 years. About $26/hr based on 100 hr/year of usage.

Quantifiable savings are $18k for snow removal and road maintenance; and about $6k in heating costs by being able to process and use firewood easily and effectively. Just about break even. Of course there are other tasks that become easier and doable when there is a tractor sitting there. Food plots, brush removal, moving stones, etc etc.

Only looking at cost does not mean much unless it is a toy. If you are doing meaningful work that would need to be paid for, there are savings to factor in.

Labor savings and reduced fatigue are more difficult to quantity but still add "value". Then there is the ability (especially for an older person like I) to be able to live longer in a rural area and not be dependent on others.

In the end, I doubt my tractor will cost very much after only 10 years. It will add to my quality of life., And the longer I keep it, the more I will save. YMMV.

 

[dodge man]

I am also a number guy. I bought a bicycle maybe 15 years ago. It was around $400. If I ride the thing 4 times, and don't use it, it was $100 a ride, not a smart purchase. If I ride it 400 times, its only $1 a ride. I haven't kept track but I'm sure I've ridden it a few hundred times.

Same with a tractor. Is it really worth the money or would I be better off with a cheap riding mower? Its always nice to put a dollar figure to it if you can.