Start with what each machine actually did
List the jobs completed, usage and any periods when equipment was unavailable. Keep occasional specialist tasks separate from routine work. If a machine was barely used, record why: low usage may reflect a quiet year, a changed plan or an unsuitable purchase.
Do not assume that high usage automatically means good value. Consider whether it achieved the intended result and how much time was spent on preparation, transport and upkeep.
Reconcile the costs
Gather service invoices, repairs, consumables, insurance, storage and transport. Distinguish actual expenditure from estimates and show exceptional items separately. Use consistent categories so the figures can be compared with the previous plan.
Keep cash spending separate from an ownership-cost calculation that includes depreciation. Do not count the purchase price and the same annual loss in value twice.
Examine the alternatives
For next year's workload, obtain current quotations where needed for hire or a completed contractor service. Compare equivalent tasks, timing and inclusions. Keep uncertainty explicit, including possible repair costs and resale assumptions.
Use the existing hire-versus-buy guide for the broader decision and the pack's cost worksheet to record your own figures.
Separate four decisions
Keep equipment that remains useful and supported. Investigate changes where the job or configuration has altered. Consider hire or a contractor where that better fits the work. Explore selling an item only after considering the practical consequences and the responsibilities of the sale.
Do not retain questionable equipment merely because replacement is inconvenient. Resolve condition and safety concerns through the appropriate competent assessment.
Turn the review into next year's plan
For each decision, record one action, a responsible person and when the information is needed. Reserve budget for training, servicing and support before allocating everything to new purchases.
Keep the review short enough to repeat. The purpose is to make the next decision better informed, not to produce a complicated ranking that disguises uncertain costs or invents a precise value for convenience.