MACHINERY COST OF FARM OPERATIONS. 3 
In Table I is summarized the average service and cost of the 
principal implements used in western New York. The annual service 
obtained is expressed in acres and in days. The total service rendered 
is expressed in years, days, and acres. The average cost of each 
implement is shown, and the machinery cost per acre, comprising 
depreciation, interest, and repairs, is set out for each implement. 
In referring to the cost per acre covered, as shown in this table, 
it should be borne in mind that these figures are averages and that 
they do not show the very important bearing which variation in the 
acreage covered annually has upon the cost per acre of using a 
machine. This relation is brought out strikingly in the tables that 
follow. For example, it will be shown that where a mower covers 
but 13.8 acres annually it costs the owner 36 cents per acre, while 
the mower that covers 53.6 acres annually costs but 10 cents per 
acre cut. 
Table I. 
-Summary, showing average service rendered by 18 hinds of farm implements in 
western New York, and average machinery cost per acre. 
Implement. 
Aver- 
age 
days' 
work 
per 
year. 
Life of 
implement. 
Acres covered. 
Days 
of 
work. 
Years. 
Per 
year. 
Total. 
Cost per acre covered. 
Re- 
place- 
ment. 
Inter- 
est. 
Re- 
pairs. 
Total. 
Cost, 
new. 
Walking plow 
Sulky plow 
Spring-tooth harrow.. 
Spike- tooth harrow. . . 
Disk harrow 
Land roller 
Grain drill 
Corn planter, 1-row... 
Corn planter, 2-row... 
Cultivator, 1-row 
Cultivator, 2-row 
Cabbage transplanter, 
Mower 
Hay rake 
Hay tedder 
Bean harvester 
Grain binder 
Corn binder 
19.2 
14.7 
3.1 
4.2 
4.7 
4.6 
4.1 
5.6 
3.4 
3.1 
2.6 
1.5 
2.3 
3.4 
3.7 
224 
119 
73 
43 
54 
75 
76 
10 
9 
58 
70 
43 
46 
37 
21 
29 
53 
40 
11.7 
8.1 
11.0 
14.0 
13.0 
16.0 
16.4 
11.7 
11.0 
14.0 
12.5 
12.8 
14.8 
14.5 
14.0 
12.9 
15.4 
10.8 
32.9 
30.9 
71.1 
48.3 
35.2 
65.9 
46.3 
4.1 
8.2 
16.9 
39.3 
12.5 
28.0 
43.0 
21.6 
16.9 
35.2 
21.1 
384.9 
250.3 
782.1 
676.2 
457.6 
1,054.4 
759.3 
48.0 
91.3 
236.6 
491.3 
160.0 
414.4 
623.5 
302.4 
218.0 
542.1 
227.9 
026 
,170 
023 
,016 
,059 
,023 
,095 
,250 
,440 
,027 
.065 
.280 
.099 
.038 
.112 
.115 
.231 
.550 
$0. 010 
.046 
.007 
.007 
.025 
.011 
.049 
.111 
.158 
.012 
.027 
.114 
.047 
.019 
.051 
.048 
.113 
.194 
$0. 062 
.069 
.011 
.007 
.014 
.007 
.027 
.170 
.200 
.021 
.025 
.091 
.065 
.008 
.019 
.060 
.058 
.096 
$0,098 
.285 
.041 
.030 
.098 
.041 
.171 
.531 
.798 
.060 
.117 
.485 
.211 
.065 
.182 
.223 
.402 
.840 
$10.00 
42.50 
17.50 
10.50 
27.00 
24.00 
72.00 
12.00 
40.00 
6.50 
32.00 
45.00 
41.00 
24.00 
34.00 
25.00 
125. 00 
125.00 
SCOPE OF INQUIRY. 
Under actual conditions on the farm there are other factors than 
use which affect the service obtained from farm machinery. These 
are (1) exposure to the weather, (2) care in operation, and (3) design 
and material used in the construction of the implements. No 
attempt was made in this inquiry to determine the relative influence 
of exposure, care, and design on the total service rendered by farm 
implements The sole purpose was to determine how much service 
standard farm machinery gives in western New York under the aver- 
age of the conditions existing there. No mechanical or engineering 
features were considered. 
