service design change. Elements such as upgrades in compo- nents and sealing procedures can provide for longer intervals between routine maintenance procedures such as greasing the PTO shafts.

A third example in redesign is easier access when routine maintenance is required. Relocation of grease fittings, so they are easier to get to, and thus more likely to be greased, is a good example. Pay attention to the grease specification that the manufacturer requires. An exotic, hard-to-find grease is going to cost more over the life of the mower than if the manufac- turer only requires a basic NLGI grade 2 grease.

Forward-thinking manufacturers seek ways to make the new standard features on their new mowing equipment available as a retrofit for their company’s older mowers. This ‘back-

See notes below

MOWER A 22’ wide cut

Maintenance Reduced (reduced daily maintenance) Productivity

Maintenance time per day* Net cutting time / 8 hour shift

Acreage cut / 8 hour shift Labor cost / 5 day week Production / 5 day week Production / month

Additional production required each week to meet baseline (acres)

Monthly Labor cost mow 2560 acres base line production

Lost profit per month due to added labor cost to achieve same acreage cut as baseline

16.0 acres / hour Zero

8 hours

128 acres $600.00

640 acres 2,560 acres -base line- 4 x $600 = $2,400

wards compatibility’ is progressive thinking that allows cur- rent owners of older model mowers to realize the benefits of the newer designs.

Lastly, when you do need help, make sure the manufacturer has the infrastructure in place to support their product, including a network of experienced turf equipment dealers and the parts availability to keep downtime to a minimum.

Brian Lowe is Director of Sales and Marketing for Progressive Turf Equipment, Inc. The company has been a TPI member since 1989.

Adding it all up The table below illustrates the advantages of moving towards higher productivity by eliminating 45 minutes of daily mainte- nance and increasing mower size by just 10 percent.

MOWER B

22’ wide cut ‘Old style’

(standard daily maintenance)

16.0 acres / hour 0.75 hours 7.25 hours

116 acres $600.00

580 acres 2,320 acres

60 acres more / week required [(640 – 580) / 580 x 100) = 10.4%]

Table developed by Brian Lowe MOWER B

20’ wide cut ‘Old style’

(standard daily maintenance)

14.5 acres / hour 0.75 hours 7.25 hours

105 acres $600.00

525 acres 2,100 acres

115 acres more / week required [(640 – 525) / 525 x 100) = 21.9%]

4 x $600 x 1.104(%) = $2,650 4 x $600 x 1.219(%) = $2,926

-base line-

( $250.00) PER MONTH

( $526.00) PER MONTH

Assumptions: • 8 hour working shift (excluding breaks) • *Reduction of maintenance by just 45 minutes (.75 hours) per day • Productivity based upon 6 MPH cutting speed —no overlap or turning Labor cost - $15.00/hour (not including cost of benefits / insurance etc.)

• Tractor operating costs have not been factored in

A small increase in operator efficiency or productivity may not sound like much at first, but how many extra pallets do you have to cut to make over $500 more net profit (not sales) per month? Choosing your mower wisely does pay.

TPI TURF NEWS • NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2015

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