Machinery Setup

When entering Cane Growing Costs, add machinery costs by clicking on the ‘Add Machinery Operation’ button and entering tractor and implement details. If tractor and implement details have already been entered then users will be able to select the tractor and implement from the drop down box and then enter the number of operations (or passes) undertaken. If tractor and implement details have not been entered then users will need to click on the ‘+’ button located on the right. See headings for Tractor Costs and Implement Costs below for step-by-step details on how to enter information.

Tractor Costs

Add Tractor Costs by clicking the ‘Add Machinery Operation’ button and then clicking on the ‘+’ button to the right of ‘Machinery’ and then the ‘+’ button on the right of ‘Choose Tractor’. Then enter:

1. A name for the tractor (e.g. JD 180HP).
2. Tractor horsepower PTO (e.g. 150HP PTO).
3. Based on tractor horsepower PTO, FEAT will calculate expected fuel use in litres/hour. This is maximum fuel use when the tractor is performing at maximum load (users change this figure if required).
4. An estimate of the tractor’s expected productive life in years (e.g. 20 years).
5. The number of hours per year the tractor is used (e.g. 500 hours/year).
6. Estimate the total amount spent on repairs and maintenance over the tractor’s productive life (e.g. $30,000 over the life). R&M should include spending on servicing (e.g. oil and filters), tyre replacements and other minor and major repairs (e.g. electrics, hydraulics, GPS) over the life of the tractor. For example, a tractor might require servicing every 250 hours at a cost of $250 per service totalling $10,000 over the life of the tractor (approx. 10,000 hours). Tyres might be replaced twice over its life (e.g. $1,250 x 4 tyres x 2 sets = $10,000) plus $10,000 of repairs (total R&M = $30,000).

Implement Costs

Implement information can be entered once the Tractor information has been added. Add implement costs by entering:

1. Choosing the associated tractor from the drop down list, or click the plus icon to add a tractor.
2. The name of the implement (e.g. Offset discs 28 plate).
3. An estimate of how hard the tractor is typically working when the implement is being used as a percentage of full load. For example, rotary hoeing heavy ground may require the full power of a 180HP tractor so 100% should be entered, while boom spraying may only require a 120HP tractor to operate at half power so 50% should be entered.
4. Enter the number of hectares per year the implement is operated across. Offset discs might be used across 25ha of fallow paddocks twice so 50ha should be entered, while a sprayer with tracking legs might be used once in 25ha of plant cane and twice in ratoons (4 ratoons, 25ha each) so 225ha should be entered.
5. The expected productive life of the implement in years (e.g. 15 years).
6. An estimate of the total amount spent on repairs and maintenance over the implement’s productive life. For example, a grower might replace the discs of their Offsets (28 plate) three times ($100/disc x 28 discs x 3 sets = $8,400) and spend $100 each year on general maintenance over the 15-year life ($1,500) totalling $9,900.
7. The width of the implement’s pass or swath width. A 3-row stool splitter might have a 5.4 metre width of pass, which could be entered as 5.4m or 3 rows (if row width has been entered as 1.8m on the ‘Scenario Assumptions’ page).
8. The speed the implement is typically operated at down the drill (e.g. 7 km/hr).
9. An estimate of the implement’s field efficiency. Field efficiency is a ratio of the time spent actually using an implement relative to the total time spent in the tractor. For example, when ripping most time is spent ripping in the paddock (90secs/row) plus some time spent turning at the end of each row (22 sec/row). Field efficiency in this scenario is 80%, which is calculated by dividing 90 secs by 112 secs (90 secs+22secs). Chemical application is likely to have lower field efficiency than tilling due to additional time spent refilling tanks. Users can evaluate the accuracy of field efficiency by cross-checking with the implied work rate (ha/hour – shown on the ‘Machinery’ page after clicking the submit button).

Machinery Setup

The Machinery Setup page can be accessed via the navigation pane on the left side of the page. This page can be used to edit existing information for tractors and implements or to add additional information to calculate machinery costs. Most of the Machinery Setup page should already be filled out before users get to it if users entered their machinery operation details along the way in the Cane Growing Costs page.

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