🚜 Acres Per Hour Calculator
Determine fieldwork capacity for planting, spraying, or tillage operations to plan labor and fuel.
Accounts for turning, refills, and overlap.
How to Use This Calculator
Measure implement width
Include effective working width after accounting for overlap or skip rows.
Use average travel speed
Record field speed during normal operation—not road speed.
Adjust efficiency
Incorporate downtime for turning, refills, and terrain limitations.
Formula
Acres/hr = (Widthft × Speedmph × Efficiency%) ÷ 495
The constant 495 converts feet × miles/hour to acres, accounting for 43,560 square feet per acre and 5,280 feet per mile.
Full Description
Field capacity planning helps allocate labor, fuel, and machinery during time-critical windows like planting or harvest. Identifying bottlenecks can improve logistics and reduce overtime.
Recalculate when swapping implements, changing field sizes, or adjusting guidance technology that reduces overlap.
Frequently Asked Questions
What efficiency should I use?
Typical ranges are 65–85%. Larger fields with fewer turns can approach 90% efficiency.
Does headland size matter?
Yes. Small fields and odd shapes reduce efficiency due to extra turning time.
Can GPS guidance increase acres/hour?
Auto-steer reduces overlap, effectively improving field efficiency by several percentage points.
How do I plan fuel usage?
Multiply acres per hour by fuel burn per acre to schedule refueling stops and estimate costs.