Lifetime costs are the key

publication date: Jun 20, 2008

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author/source: David Harris

When reviewing the performance of a ground maintenance operation or planning to replace mowers it is important to analyse the true costs of grass cutting. Often the main focus in terms of equipment cost is the initial purchase price. In reality this is only a small part of the overall lifetime costs of operating that equipment. The key to minimising lifetime costs is to maximise the utilisation of the equipment purchased. Our objective at Hayter is to build products that minimise downtime and maintenance and maximise utilisation.

We achieve this in several different ways including product performance, simplified servicing and maintenance, improved operator ergonomics and excellent customer support services.

We continually strive to maximise machine performance. The more efficiently our mowers cut the grass, the lower the overall costs. Our cutting units are engineered to provide higher output. This coupled with an efficient power unit which is comfortable to use throughout the working day results in an excellent mowing machine package.

An important aspect of the design is accessibility for service and maintenance. Just as with any machine with moving parts, mowers need to be serviced and parts need to be replaced. Our role is to minimise the time required to carry out this type of work. This is achieved by simplifying the design and making it easy to gain access to all areas of the machine.

Our spare parts service also contributes to cost reduction by helping to minimise downtime and maintenance. The Express service means that parts ordered by 4.00pm are delivered to any UK address by 10:00am the next working day. This level of service helps to have the machine up and running with genuine Hayter parts in the fastest possible time.

Our training programmes help to lower downtime and maintenance costs. Operators and service staff regularly attend Hayter training courses and receive high quality reference materials to take away with them. This knowledge transfer results in more preventative maintenance and reduced warranty. Our success in maximising machine utilisation and reducing downtime and maintenance will continue to minimise the true cost of grass cutting.