What a Machine Really Costs to Run in the Territory: Diesel, Dust and Distance
Territory diesel costs more, dust eats filters faster and every part travels a long way. The adjusted running-cost figures for a 2 to 3 tonne machine north of the 26th parallel.
Southern running-cost figures do not survive the Territory. Three things move them: the price of diesel, the dust, and the distance every part travels.
A Territory example
An R22 PRO doing 300 hours a year on a rural block near Darwin, kept for five years and sold for 60 percent of its price.
| Line | Per year | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Diesel (~2.8 L/h at Territory prices) | ~$1,900 | 20 to 30 percent above southern prices |
| Filters and consumables | ~$900 | Air filters changed three to four times as often |
| Rubber tracks | ~$450 | Laterite and rock wear tracks faster |
| Parts freight allowance | ~$300 | Air freight on Rippa-specific parts |
| Insurance | ~$500 | Declare storage and cyclone exposure |
| Depreciation | ~$2,400 | Territory second-hand demand is strong |
| Total | ~$6,450 | ~$21.50 per hour |
Run your own figures in the running cost estimator with a Territory diesel price and higher consumables.
Diesel
Bulk diesel into a farm tank is cheaper than the servo and is how rural owners buy. Keep the tank sealed and off the ground; heat and condensation grow algae in a season. A water-separating filter on the machine is essential.
Dust
The dry season is dusty from June to November. Air filters that last 500 hours in Victoria last 150 in the Territory. Budget for them, check them weekly, and clean the radiator and cooler daily; a blocked cooler cooks hydraulic oil and shortens the pump's life.
Tracks
Laterite gravel and rock wear rubber tracks quickly, and heat hardens them. Correct tension, no spinning on the spot, daily clean-out and storage in the shade extend them. Order a spare with the machine if you are remote.
Distance
A part that is a same-day pickup in Brisbane is an air-freight consignment in the Territory. The spares kit that travels with the machine (see the remote servicing guide) is the cheapest insurance against a week of downtime.
The comparison
Hire in the Territory, where it exists, runs well above southern rates and delivery to a rural block adds hundreds. At 300 hours a year the owned machine costs about $21 an hour all in, and it is there when the bore fails on a Sunday. See the finance estimate for the monthly figure.