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Field Operation Cost-Per-Acre Calculator

True cost per acre with fuel, labor, wear parts, and own-vs-custom-hire breakeven

Calculate the complete cost per acre for any field operation including fuel consumption, labor, wear parts, and depreciation. Compare the cost of owning equipment versus hiring a custom operator with breakeven analysis showing the acres needed to justify ownership.

Pro Tip: Most farmers underestimate wear parts cost. Combine header parts alone can run $3-5/acre. Include parts cost to get a realistic custom hire comparison.

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Start Using This Tool See How It Works
Field Operation Cost-Per-Acre Calculator
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How It Works

  1. Select Operation Type

    Choose from 12 presets (chisel plow, field cultivator, planting, spraying, combining, etc.) with ASABE-standard field efficiency and load factors preloaded.

  2. Enter Equipment Details

    Input implement width, speed, tractor HP, fuel price, labor rate, and any wear parts cost per acre. Choose whether to estimate fuel from HP or enter a known rate.

  3. Compare Own vs. Custom Hire

    Enter the custom hire rate per acre and your equipment's annual fixed costs to see the breakeven acres where ownership becomes cheaper.

Built For

  • Farmers deciding between buying equipment or hiring custom
  • Farm managers setting internal rates for fieldwork
  • Custom operators pricing their services competitively
  • Landlords and tenants negotiating fieldwork cost-sharing

Frequently Asked Questions

Field efficiency is the percentage of time you actually cover ground vs. total field time. Turns, filling, unloading, adjustments, and overlap all reduce effective output. A 24-row planter might have 75% field efficiency. This means effective acres/hour = theoretical capacity × 0.75. ASABE D497 provides standard values by operation type.
The calculator uses the ASABE standard: diesel consumption (gal/hr) = engine HP × load factor × 0.044. A 300HP tractor at 65% load (tillage) burns about 8.6 gal/hr. You can override this with a known fuel rate if you have actual data from a fuel monitor.
Include depreciation (purchase price minus salvage value divided by years of ownership), insurance, interest on the investment (opportunity cost), and storage/shelter cost. These are costs you pay whether you farm 100 acres or 1,000 acres. The breakeven point is where total ownership cost per acre equals the custom hire rate.
Disclaimer: Cost estimates are based on ASABE standards and the values you provide. Actual costs vary with equipment condition, field conditions, operator skill, and local fuel prices.

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