36 BULLETIN 1447, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 7. 
An interest charge at the rate of 6 per cent was made against 
the average of the value of the combine at the beginning and end of 
the year. 
The average first cost, years of useful life, and depreciation 
of combines of different sizes that were purchased new are given in 
Table 33. There was considerable variation in the estimated years 
of useful life of these combines, depending to a large extent upon 
the amount of work done and the care and attention they received. 
The data indicate that these owners can, on the average, expect the 
useful life of their combines to be from seven to eight years. The 
size did not seem to have much influence on the years of useful life. 
The first cost of combines of the same size varied considerably, 
depending upon the year in which they were bought. 
TABLE 33.—Average first cost, years of useful life, and depreciation of com- 
bines of different sizes, 74 combines, 1920—1922* 
Annual 
Size of combine (length of cutter bar) Com qeverage ee depre- 
ciation 
Feet: Number | Dollars Years Dollars 
Epes ett Es Fg Pe Yt Os Sy Ag er ee Lee ae 17 1, 67 1f5 7 233 
1 EPJEE % UM : R aAegay  s  abanU IN etn nY penta e —cm9 yarn ts AEN fa iIZ/ 2, 580 (eal 363 
AGRA GS. Se Re re ek RS ee I Ee ene a 21 3, 738 8.1 461 
OKANO D ER ie ee a ee ee 16 4, 052 7.8 519 
DATO ON NE ee Ss aoe ee es Ene ree 3 4, 200 8.8 477 
1 Includes only those combines that were purchased new by the owners included in the survey and 
for which data were complete. 
TOTAL COST OF USING COMBINES 
Total cost of using combines per year and per 10-hour day during 
each of the three years 1920-1922 is given in Table 34. The costs 
for combines of the same size showed considerable variation, depend- 
ing on the amount of work done, on differences in insurance, depre- 
ciation and repair charges, and on quantities of fuel and oil used. 
TABLE 34.—Cost per year and per 10-hour day of using combines of different 
sizes. 72 combines 1920; 82 combines 1921; 80 combines 1922 
1920 1921 1922 
3 Cost Cost Cost 
ize of combine Days Days Days 
(length of cutter bar) Cc ret C Ge Cc a 
ines work] Per |Per 10- bic! work| Per |Per 10- Binase work| Per |Per 10- 
per | year | hour per | year | hour per | year | hour 
year of day year of day year of day 
use | of use use | of use use | of use 
Feet No. | Days | Dolls. | Dolls.| No. | Days| Dolls. | Dolls.| No. | Days | Dolls. | Dolls 
OS. ooo See 23 | 19.0 529 | 27. 84 PPB \ ORY IS 571 | 24.01 PALE OPAL 521 23. 52 
Hang e hes eae 15 | 28.0 788 | 28.14 2220: 811 | 34. 50 22)4|\ 20.9 741 31. 08 
ié6fand dsr sk eee | S2o nia pele AZT si 55529 21 | 24.2 | 1,268 | 52.38 19:41922°6) lois 58. 13 
eZOATIGE22 niece net sala 14 | 25.9 | 1,477 | 57.03 PA 2os1 | 155385 61.27 tb le2taoulele aos 54. 00 
SSE Rh. Sasa os as 3 | 29.5 | 1,472 | 49.90 oO} 19522) Ah 450) | 2755 62 3 | 19.3 | 1,106 57. 31 
BAUIYSIZES eee et eee 72 | 24.3 | 1,017 | 41.85 82 | 23.9 | 1,011 | 42.32 80 | 23.0 941 | 40.87 
a hs a a tah ah le 
