An economic study of farm tractors in New York Volume 398-407

Description

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1921 Excerpt: ...costs continue, whether a tractor is used or not, and together they constitute about 9 per cent of the average total cost of the tractor without an operator, or $44.89 annually per tractor. The costs in the second group depend somewhat on the amount of tractor work done, but are not proportional to it. The chief costs included in this group are depreciation and repairs. This group of costs constituted 51 per cent of the average total cost of the tractor without an operator, or $253.68 per tractor annually. Depreciation is the most important single item of cost, and, while it is somewhat heavier when a tractor is working, it continues whether the machine is working or not. Because of the-newness of the farm tractor, depreciation by obsolescence is probably more rapid than depreciation by wearing out. This group of costs probably would not be decreased as much as one-half if the tractor were idle for the entire year. The third group, costs proportional to work done, includes fuel, oil, and chores. These costs constitute slightly less than 40 per cent of the average total cost of the tractor without an operator, or $194.80 per tractor annually. They cease when work stops. The other tractor costs, more than 60 per cent of the total, do not. It would be foolish for a tractor operator to do custom work unless he got pay for the time of the operator, all costs of the third group, and at least the extra part of the second group due to the extra work done. It would be desirable to get total cost or more, but if more profitable work were not available at home, it might be advisable to do custom work at less than the average total cost. The relation of the amount and kind of custom work done, to the investment in tractor equipment, is shown in table 29. There is littl...