Grounds ToolkitEquipment and Ownership
Is Fixing This Mower Worth It, or Should It Be Replaced?
Enter your repair quote, how many more hours you expect from the repaired mower, and the cost of a replacement. This compares the true per-hour cost of each option.
How this is calculated
Repair cost per hour is the repair quote divided by the estimated remaining hours, plus the current mower's fuel and maintenance cost per hour. Replace cost per hour reuses Equipment Hourly Cost's formula, depreciation (purchase price minus resale, divided by useful life) plus fuel and maintenance. Whichever total is lower is the cheaper option per operating hour.
Worked example
A $300 repair estimated to buy 300 more hours costs $1.00/hr in repair alone, $7.00/hr once a riding mower's typical $4.50 fuel and $1.50 maintenance are added. A $4,000 replacement with $800 resale over a 2,500-hour life costs about $7.28/hr to own and run. Repair is cheaper here by $0.28 per hour.
Common mistakes
- Comparing the repair quote directly to the mower's purchase price instead of pricing both per hour.
- Guessing remaining hours too optimistically, understating the true repair cost per hour.
- Ignoring fuel and maintenance cost, which apply to both options and can shift which one wins.
Guide: The Equipment Ownership Cost Guide, why a cheaper-looking repair can still lose to buying new.
Frequently asked questions
Why do I have to supply my own repair quote?
Repair costs vary enormously by the specific failure, shop, and part availability. There is no reliable general-purpose repair cost to default to, so this calculator uses the quote you already have.
What if I do not know how many hours the repaired mower has left?
Use your best estimate based on the machine's age and condition. This is the single biggest source of uncertainty in the comparison, a rough estimate is still more useful than skipping the comparison.
Does this assume the repaired mower costs the same to run as a new one?
By default yes, using the same fuel and maintenance figures as the mower type selected. If your current mower runs less efficiently or needs more frequent service, override those figures in advanced settings.
Does the recommendation account for resale value of the current mower?
No, this compares ongoing per-hour cost only. If you would sell the current mower rather than repair it, that resale value is a one-time cash consideration separate from this hourly comparison.