Instructions (beta)

• Step 1. Machinery Constants: The constants derive from an American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers publication.
• Step 1. Real and Nominal Rates: The nominal rate includes inflation while the real rate does not. In the USA, DevTreks recommends using Office of Management and Budget rates for the same year as the date of the input.
• Step 1. Size Ranges: This information is optional. Machinery selection and scheduling analyzers use these ranges to determine feasible combinations of machinery (i.e. least cost) in operations and components. The size column should either be width for implements or horsepower for power inputs. The minimum horsepower column is optional and used to limit the power unit used for pulling the associated implement to a minimum feasible hp. Guidelines can be found in the references below to calculate the minimum hp.

• Step 2. Irrigation Parameters: The parameters come from calculations documented in the 'Commodity Costs and Returns Handbook', 1998.
• Step 2. Fuel Prices: The prices should be as of the date of the input. Prices that won't be used, such as natural gas prices, do not need to be filled out.
• Step 2. Labor Prices: These prices should reflect actual gross hourly wages for each category of labor.
• Step 2. Tax Percent: A percent that is multiplied by the market value to derive a tax cost.
• Step 2. Housing Percent: A percent that is multiplied by the market value to derive a housing cost.
• Step 2. Insure Percent: A percent that is multiplied by the market value to derive an insurance cost.

• Step 3. Use Same Calculator Pack In Descendants?: True to insert or update this same calculator in children.
• Step 3. Capacity Options: The materials option is only used when machinery, such as balers, do not cover each square foot of a field.
• Step 3. Vary Time and Output Options: These options change the repair cost.
• Step 3. Inflation Options: These options change the capital recovery cost.
• Step 3. Fuel Options: Machinery that is being used for specific operations, such as planting, should use the 'Operation' option. Machinery that may be used in several operations should use the 'Enterprise' option.
• Step 3. What If Tag Name: Instructional videos explaining the use of what-if scenario calculations should be viewed before changing or using this parameter.
• Step 3. Related Calculators Type: When the Use Same Calculator Pack in Descendant is true, uses this value to determine which descendant calculator to update. Inserts a new descendant when no descendant has this same name. Updates the descendant that has this same name.
• Step 3. List Price Adjustment: A multiplier that is used to increase the market value to the list price. For example, if the list price of an item of machinery is ten percent more that the market value, enter 10. This number is divided by 100 in the calculations.
• Step 3. Labor Amount Adjustment: A multiplier that is used to adjust the amount of labor used operation a machinery input. For example, if the time spent setting up the machinery or transporting the machinery adds ten percent to the total amount of time it takes to complete the specified area, enter 10. This number is divided by 100 in the calculations.