Niece Equipment Rentals of Del Valle, Texas, has recently been approached about the project of purchasing a large construction crane. The crane rents for $540 an hour but operator, fuel, insurance and miscellaneous expense run $193 an hour when the crane is in use. The company owner estimates that it will cost $990 a month to store and maintain the crane and the annual depreciation expense is $53,000.

a. calculate the accounting break-even number of annual rental hours needed to produce zero operating earnings from the crane (before taxes)

b. Calculate the cash break even point. if we ignore non-cash expenses such as depreciation in the break-even calculation, how many hours myst the crane be rented in order to break even on a cash basis?

c. Why do we have to different break-even points? What does each one tell you?