Shamrock Inc. wants to replace its current equipment with new high-tech equipment. The existing equipment was purchased 5 years ago at a cost of $129,000. At that time, the equipment had an expected life of 10 years, with no expected salvage value. The equipment is being depreciated on a straight-line basis. Currently, the market value of the old equipment is $40,300. The new equipment can be bought for $173,980, including installation Over its 10-year life, it will reduce operating expenses from $192,900 to $147,700 for the first six years, and from $207,800 to $192,200 for the last four years. Net working capital requirements will also increase by $20,000 at the time of replacement. It is estimated that the company can sell the new equipment for $24,100 at the end of its life. Since the new equipment's cash flows are relatively certain, the project's cost of capital is set at 10%, compared with 15% for an average-risk project. The firm's maximum acceptable payback period is 5 years. Click here to view the factor table, (a) Your answer is correct. Calculate the project's cash payback period. (Round answer to 2 decimal places, e.g. 15.25.) 3.5 years Cash payback period