NYBOB,
I just did some quick calculations based on your discussion about gas versus diesel and upfront cost, payback, life expectancy, etc.
Just some quick math based on our TODAY prices of fuel here in NC. Thanks to another tax increase, it isn't too much different than back home in WNY anymore.
We use our XUV about 100 hours a year on our 20 acre property. I also have a JD5210 with FEL for the heavy duty chores. I guess if I didn't have a tractor I'd put a few more hours per year on the Gator.
At 100 hours per year, that is 40 gallons diesel (at $4.15/g today) or 70 gallons regular gas ($3.80/g today), meaning $166 / year for diesel versus $266 per year for gasoline. Difference $100 / year. Break even 20 years for $2000 upfront extra expense
If you will use it 200 hours per year, your difference doubles and your payback goes to 10 years, 2000 hours.
If fuel gets cheaper, say $1 / gallon less, the expenses go down and the break even point s farther out.
After 2000 hours, I'd say you've used your machine and PROBABLY you'll already have flipped it for a different one. I almost never hear of someone running longer hours on them, so I don't know if a discussion of which will wear out faster is realistic. With proper maintenance, I think most machines will last longer than the owner's interest in keeping them. I know. I have three 1988 cars, two 91s, a 92, 93, 95, etc. My hobby takes advantage of other people loosing interest in older stuff.
This is a very timely consideration, with the cost of gasoline going up. People at work talk about this every day. Buy a new, small, energy efficient car to save money on gas, or keep the older, paid for vehicle. It takes a lot of fuel to make up for the difference in cost between the more energy efficient model (i.e. diesel UTV) versus the other less efficient but cheaper or paid for vehicle (i.e. gas model).
Besides fuel consumption and possible differences in hours to rebuild / replacement, there is also the difference in performance. Typically diesel engines have more torque and make their useful power at a lower RPM. That might be another consideration for you, the most practical one of all.
Good luck, you probably will be very happy with whichever model you choose. You almost never see a poster here saying they regret their purchase of model X, so buyer's remorse doesn't seem to be a big issue. More commonly, it is "mine's the best, anything else isn't as good." Human nature, I guess. :laughing:
