Equipment hours Cancel The title field is required!

1. Denholm John S

   
   7/1/2011 4:07 PM

   I know this was discussed on the old forum recently. I am looking for a way to compare the hours on a piece of equipment to mileage so it is easier to understand for my committee and Board. I saw it on the old forum a few months ago and did not write down the comparison.
   
   Thank you for your help.
   
   John Denholm

   
   
   
   
2. Brandon Coulter

   

   0 posts
   
   7/1/2011 9:07 PM

   Forgot where the source of this came from, I've had it for a few years - gives you an idea.
   
   Golf Course Equipment
   5 years or 5,000 hours = 75,000 (driving) miles
   10 years or 10,000 hours = 150,000 (driving) miles
   15 years or 15,000 hrs = 225,000 (driving) miles
   
   B. Coulter
   GCS - Hidden Vallet Lake GC
   California

   
   
   
   
3. Andrew Cross

   

   5 posts
   
   7/1/2011 9:07 PM

   Those numbers seem low, very low. I've always heard that each hour each 60 miles. You've gotta remember that most of our equipment when being used is going at full throttle. 75,000 miles is really not much for a car whereas a mower with 5000hrs is pretty darn beat up and you got a good run out of it.
   
   Just my 2 cents.

   
   
   
   
4. Green Robert B

   
   7/4/2011 6:07 AM

   I second what Andrew has posted. 50 -60 miles for each hour. A 5000 hour machine is comparable to a car with more than 250,000 miles.

   
   
   
   
5. White Robert G

   
   7/4/2011 7:07 AM

   I agree with RB regarding 5k/250k, mowers are essentially driven "uphill" their entire lifespan. We start trading in at 4000 hours or five years for most of the larger units. Repairs don't pencil for us beyond that unless it is a tractor, which we take out ten years. Good luck.

   
   
   
   
6. Kinney Brian

   
   7/4/2011 7:07 AM

   This is from USGA

   
   
   
   
7. Schneider Michael D

   
   9/24/2011 7:09 AM

   I am working on break down of my equipment and would like to include life expectancy based on the total number of hours. I have a unique situation where I am only 9 holes with a 6 month season so life expectancy based on years doesn't work in all cases. Does anyone have a list made up? or have a good source for these numbers?

   
   
   
   
8. Matt Falvo

   

   0 posts
   
   9/24/2011 7:09 AM

   This might help.
   
   
   Bret Hart
   Equipment Manager
   Turning Stone Resort

   
   
   
   
9. Jack Tripp

   

   3 posts
   
   9/26/2011 1:09 PM

   The hour to mileage thing doesn't seem to get the attention of my board members.
   
   I am trying this approach.
   
   Toro 3100 Greens Mower with 3600 hrs
   
   3600 hrs x 3.8 mph mowing x .75 (mows 3/4 of the time and transports 1/4 of the time)=10,260 miles or has mowed between NY city and LA 4.17 times
   
   dump baskets every 2000 feet=27,086 times or 81,259 individual baskets
   
   3600 hrs x 7.4 mph x .25 (transports 1/4 of the time)=another 6,660 miles transporting
   
   
   Toro Sand Pro 5000-3 acres of traps
   
   rakes 4.5 acres/day because of over lap x 150 times/yr=675 acres (over one square mile) or our entire golf course property 3.75 times /year
   
   Jack Tripp
   La Crosse Country Club

   
   
   
   
10. Homme David R

    
    9/26/2011 9:09 PM

    Most outfits don't want to buy anything until they absolutely have to. One of the best things I've seen is to document the hard costs of repair, per year, per machine.
    
    Fwy mower with 5000+ hours. Document the mechanics time, downtime and parts costs for a season. I would think that once the repair costs are nearing the cost of monthly payments, be it a lease or own situation, that would make them lean towards replacement.
    
    The only trick is, be careful how "good" your mechanic is.
    
    Dave Homme
    Falls Resort

    
    
    
    
11. Schneider Michael D

    
    10/6/2011 8:10 AM

    Thank you for all your input. It will helpfully help.
    
    Mike Schneider

    
    
    
    
12. Christopher Strong

    

    0 posts
    
    10/6/2011 4:10 PM

    I understand that Toro is just trying to keep up with the times,so to speak,in the way they changed the hours vs. miles formula from it's original form of 1 hour equals 50 miles.
    It may be a little old fashioned,but the formula was originally thought up to get an idea of the equivalent miles put on deisel equipment,possibly back in the 40's or 50's. Just guessing here. I've known about it since the late 70's.
    Rule of thumb: Whatever the high,normal rpm for the engine in question is,you take the first two numbers,in this case,25(2500rpm)and double it(50) and multiply that by the hours on the machine. That's the original formula.
    I don't really think it's fair to use the much higher number of 75. Todays cars cruise at very high speeds at very low rpms. Next they'll be comparing it to the rpms of one of the new Cadillacs with the 8 speed standard transmisson. Wouldn't those be impressive numbers for the board to see?
    
    Bob Quaif
    EquipTech
    Country Club of Troy
    Troy,N.Y.

    
    
    
    
13. Timothy Walker

    

    0 posts
    
    10/9/2011 2:10 PM

    keeping this thread and the others in mind while driving, i hit 80mph at 2500 rpm's.

    
    
    
    
14. Dalton Andrew

    
    10/14/2011 9:10 PM

    I know there is a lot of debate on hours vs. mileage, but wouldn't equipment value be more of a deciding factor? I'm dealing with replacement or repair at my job. For example I have a LF3400 fairway mower that has a bad control panel, has some bad hoses, needs reels, bushings a hydraulic cylinder and so on. This machine has over 3700 hours on it and is maybe worth $6-$8,000 in very good operating condition. It is going to cost the club a minimum of $4,500 to get it operational, not including labor. I would have to think it wouldn't be worth fixing it, especially when it's got a trade in value of more than $1,500 towards a new one as is. Just not sure if the mileage vs. hours is accurate, to me value is more relevant. What does everyone else think of my way of thinking?
    
    Andrew

    
    
    
    
15. Henry Heinz

    

    0 posts
    
    10/15/2011 7:10 AM

    Most of the things you have mentioned are relatively simple fixes. If new equipment was cheaper, then we would all have new equipment. $4500 to repair, and a couple days of labor doesn't seem all that bad when you consider a new unit cost the club 40k and up. When you're putting those dollar amounts to it, it seems more cost effective to repair, thus making the hours to mileage a better route to go when pushing for new equipment. With leasing, you can reduce your labor and parts /repair cost based on the warranty and the fact that in three or four years you will have new equipment again. You really need to have a labor tracking and repair program in place so you can show just how much a worn out piece of equipment is costing the club annually. A full assessment of all the clubs equipment, along with photos will help in justifying your replacement request. The more details and precise figures you can provide for repairing/rebuilding your current fleet the better off you will be.
    
    Regards