Compare cash earned over the same length of time with the same starting conditions. A high price per product does not necessarily mean a high income per minute.
Know what you are comparing
The official game description names hay pulp, compressed bales, eco bricks, hay paper and pellets. That is a product overview, not a verified recipe-and-price database for every demo build.
A Steam player asks for the build with the highest money per minute after unlocking everything. We use that question to focus this guide on measurement rather than declaring an untested winner.
Run a clean income benchmark
Our suggested method separates money from moving material. Use completed income, not items waiting in storage, when your goal is cash flow.
- Let the line settle, then note your starting cash and the start time.
- Do not buy, sell machines or collect unrelated rewards during the timed window. Keep player actions comparable between runs.
- At the end, note cash again. Divide the increase by elapsed minutes.
- Repeat the test; short samples can be distorted by batch deliveries or queues.
- Change one part of the production route and repeat under similar conditions. Record which machines were idle or blocked.
Ask whether the upgrade earns back its cost
The upgrade-payback tool divides the upgrade cost by the additional net income per minute. It assumes the measured improvement stays stable. If the new route earns no more, there is no finite payback under that assumption.
Include fuel and other running costs consistently in both before and after figures. If you cannot isolate a cost, label the comparison as gross income rather than pretending it is profit.
| Comparison | Useful unit |
|---|---|
| Selling value | Cash per finished item |
| Observed income | Cash per minute |
| Material throughput | Hay units per minute |
| Upgrade payback | Minutes to recover the investment |
Why there is no universal best factory here
We have not run a version-controlled in-game benchmark of every machine. Store screenshots and another player’s factory are not substitutes for timing your own supply, power and sale route.
Enter measured values in the tools. Their optional examples are arithmetic demonstrations, not real machine specifications. Keep a reliable baseline so an impressive-looking expansion does not quietly reduce completed sales.
Questions before you continue
Are pellets always the best money maker?
No verified universal ranking is published here. Compare completed cash per minute, including waiting time and consistent running costs, in your own build.
Does the payback tool know the game’s machine prices?
No. You supply the cost and observed income. That avoids silently applying an old or invented price table.
See the game in motion
