TECHNICAL
How total cost of ownership breaks down
Toro’s web-based asset management system, MyTurf Pro, makes recording the balancing of investment, component costs and residual value easy
the equipment’s actual operating hours. Cost per hour is useful and easy to determine but doesn’t reflect differences in machinery productivity or between different sizes, types or prices of equipment. A cost per acre, hectare or identified site can be preferable, by simply dividing the established hourly costs by area cut per hour. Of course, in some finer turf applications, productivity will have to be balanced with specific presentation requirements and standards.
Robust record keeping
By robust record keeping, it is possible to confirm the balancing of investment, component costs and residual value. It’s simple enough to do using technology - Toro’s web-based asset management system, MyTurf Pro for example, which gives turf managers the capability to monitor fleet health, order parts and schedule service activities, helping to improve staff efficiency, lengthen the life of equipment and reduce overall maintenance costs. Without that, you can record the data on a spreadsheet - if you can measure, you can manage! As mentioned, it’s important to buy machinery that’s proved to be reliable and built to last. Look for features and benefits that will enable your team to do more with that machine. Does the machine allow for easier servicing - providing ease of access, simplicity and visibility? Can quality components be evidenced to aid maintenance and limit downtime? Will it allow you to go longer between servicing? Does it have features that will make it more cost effective to run? Enhanced fuel efficiency for example, or hybrid technology. We can see and already understand that the lowest cost of ownership is achieved through the purchase of productive, good quality equipment, supported by a robust preventative maintenance and repair regime which protects the machines’ performance and integrity. In addition, it is accepted that a
well-trained and attentive operating team will also impact on running costs by catching things early, so dealing with them at the most cost-effective point.
But, by focusing and drilling on each component of contributory cost and recording that data, it’s possible to further drive the return on investment and control unexpected costs. This will put the equipment manager in charge of the powerful data and in a strong position to achieve the best residual values when the product is replaced, and keep a handle on maintenance costs by replacing at the optimum moment for change.
Replacement life
In considering the replacement life of modern turf equipment and the maintenance costs and requirements associated with that equipment, an interesting theoretical comparison can be made between the operating characteristics of a professional mowing machine engine and that fitted to a modern car, a comparison that pops up from a price perspective from time to time.
A typical turf machinery engine runs at a governed speed of 2800rpm, whilst a modern car running at 2800rpm can easily equal a travelling speed of 80mph or even significantly more. Therefore, theoretically, every 100 hours of full throttle operation on a turf machine engine could be considered to equal 8000 car miles (100 hours x 80mph).
A car engine operates at about a 20 percent duty cycle (full power only 20 percent of the running time on average), trucks operate at about 50 percent duty cycle. Turf machinery engines, on the other hand, run at about 70 percent duty cycle, so the turf engine duty cycle is up to three to four times as demanding as a car. Compared to a car, the turf engine and its oil has done almost four times the work! That’s equivalent to 24,000-32,000 car
Using data collected from full maintenance contracts, customer fuel and labour data, the following TCO breakdown was found for a five year old grounds machine with 2000 hours accumulated
miles based on the theoretical 100 hours. That could mean that considering the increased load on the engine, a typical 450 hour season for the turf equipment is equivalent notionally to around 100,000 miles.
Hypothetical and theoretical comparisons can be entertaining but, in these times, it’s more important than ever for the owner and operator of commercial turf equipment to ensure their pound delivers. This can be honed by taking the emotion out of the decision and relying more on gathered and projected data in order to make an informed choice.
Now is not the time to be governed by what you’ve always bought. The industry must work together, sharing its knowledge, to understand the issues customers will face in these new times and meet the challenge to lower the total cost of ownership.
Reesink is available to explain how TCO can be applied to your fleet or talk through other ownership or operating problems to help you solve them. There are always flexible finance deals available with deferred start dates, subsidised rates or that can be aligned to peak income months to help manage cashflow. It only takes a conversation. Make contact online at
reesinkturfcare.co.uk, by phone on 01480 226800 or by email at
info@reesinkturfcare.co.uk.
PC June/July 2020 139
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