Old Equitment is Fun

[oldmanriver]

I have 3 tractors and the newest one is 36 years old . My hay bailer is at least 20 . I bailed hay this week and the time repairing far exceeded the time bailing . But man is it fun ,, Learn as you go I guess the good thing is I don't have 20K in all the junk I used . I can't even buy the bailer new for that. Do you ever get tired of repairing your farm equitment ? Do you ever just want to give up and buy new ?

[Scrounger]

I have less then $10,000 in all my equipment. I don't spend that much time fixing it, either.

Wouldn't trade it for nothing. New is nice, payments are not.....

[ladycat]

Some old stuff is better than new stuff. But maybe that doesn't apply to stuff with internal combustion engines.

But those old tractors sure are pretty.

[DaleK]

Just depends how you're using it and how much. You get to a point where you're trying to do enough work with it that old equipment can cost you more in downtime and repairs than the new equipment costs. Not too many here in that position other than me and maybe a handful of others though.

I'm just starting to look at either putting autosteer on one of my tractors or upgrading tractors to one that already has autosteer... probably the former. Fuel and other input costs are high enough now that it looks like the extra accuracy and reduced overlap will pay for the new equipment in less than a year.

[Up North]

Originally Posted by DaleK

Just depends how you're using it and how much. You get to a point where you're trying to do enough work with it that old equipment can cost you more in downtime and repairs than the new equipment costs. Not too many here in that position other than me and maybe a handful of others though.

I'm just starting to look at either putting autosteer on one of my tractors or upgrading tractors to one that already has autosteer... probably the former. Fuel and other input costs are high enough now that it looks like the extra accuracy and reduced overlap will pay for the new equipment in less than a year.

I have been following these technologies for awhile now. We don't grow much row crops, so not sure how much it will directly affect us.
But my theory is this: The crop farmers that invest in and master the use of technologies that allow the farmer to put the seed and fertilizer in a narrow strip where it will do the most good will lead the pack. The efficiency gained by these technologies will mean a lower cost to produce each bushel of grain, or lower input costs to produce an equal yield of grain.
These are the farmers that will have the financial strength to continue to buy and rent more land. More acres farmed will allow them to spread the investment costs of technology over more acres, hence making it feasible.

My belief is that North American agriculture is about to reach a major turning point. Lots of tractors, planters, and related equipment will be rendered obsolete and will sell for 40 cents on the dollar.
The other big change that I forsee is that tractors will be purchased based on how many acres of ground they can work using a given amount of fuel.
The larger 4WD articulated and the track tractors will prevail.

Just my theory.

[MWG]

Originally Posted by Up North

I
My belief is that North American agriculture is about to reach a major turning point. Lots of tractors, planters, and related equipment will be rendered obsolete and will sell for 40 cents on the dollar.
The other big change that I forsee is that tractors will be purchased based on how many acres of ground they can work using a given amount of fuel.
The larger 4WD articulated and the track tractors will prevail.

Just my theory.

I don't know... I know a lot of people that have bought 30 hp tractors in the recent years. There are a lot of people buying hobby farms and having large gardens and a couple acres for animals.

But I think your right about the middle size larger tractors. 100-150 hp

Either it will be a hobby farm or a large commercial farm. Not much in between...

[Old Vet]

Originally Posted by MWG

I don't know... I know a lot of people that have bought 30 hp tractors in the recent years. There are a lot of people buying hobby farms and having large gardens and a couple acres for animals.

But I think your right about the middle size larger tractors. 100-150 hp

Either it will be a hobby farm or a large commercial farm. Not much in between...

It is like that in most of the really farming area of farming. You can have a hobby farm or a large farm and not much room for anything in between. I used to farm 10,000 acres and when I went out of the business it was just absorbed in to a larger farm.

[DaleK]

Originally Posted by Up North

I have been following these technologies for awhile now. We don't grow much row crops, so not sure how much it will directly affect us.
But my theory is this: The crop farmers that invest in and master the use of technologies that allow the farmer to put the seed and fertilizer in a narrow strip where it will do the most good will lead the pack. The efficiency gained by these technologies will mean a lower cost to produce each bushel of grain, or lower input costs to produce an equal yield of grain.
These are the farmers that will have the financial strength to continue to buy and rent more land. More acres farmed will allow them to spread the investment costs of technology over more acres, hence making it feasible.

My belief is that North American agriculture is about to reach a major turning point. Lots of tractors, planters, and related equipment will be rendered obsolete and will sell for 40 cents on the dollar.
The other big change that I forsee is that tractors will be purchased based on how many acres of ground they can work using a given amount of fuel.
The larger 4WD articulated and the track tractors will prevail.

Just my theory.

I tend to agree. Our corn planter now is set up so we can put all the fertilizer needs of the crop through it most of the time, other than whatever manure we put on. We put liquid starter right with the seed and liquid nitrogen (32% UAN) 10" over from the seed so it isn't too close, seems to be just the right placement for most of our soils. Probably going to go to strip-till in the next couple of years, then I can put any other fertilizer we need to add in the strips as I go.
There are a couple of new planters in the area now with GPS-driven variable fertilizer and seed rates on them, the technology is there, but the know-how on how to correlate the different soil and other factors with the mechanical technology isn't catching up yet. But it will.
I'm actually looking at the autosteer more for the non-planting jobs, tillage, broadcasting fertilizer, and cutting hay, that get done with the big tractor. Dad or a neighbour do most of the tillage, they both tend to overlap 2-3' every pass with the 22' disk or 20' cultivator. 10-12% overlap adds up to a lot of wasted time and fuel. With autosteer I can get that down to 2-4" per pass. That's a lot of $ not getting spent. Same with the diskbine, cutting 11'10" at a time instead of overlapping a foot (or even more when Dad's cutting).

Fortunately or unfortunately, we're pretty much limited to 6-row equipment here by field sizes on rented land. I've kept track a few times, costs me about 30% more fuel and time per acre getting things done on some of the smaller rented fields compared to the big fields we own, but I factor that into the rent I can pay.

[FarmboyBill]

But I havnt farmed in 2 yrs. Said it was cause of too much rain, Dont know, But im going to plow late this fall, hopeing that that will get me started come spring. Usta love getting with it, seeing the plowed earth was like a spring tonic, But the last time I did it, I hurt for 3 or 4 days. After that I was fine, even better

[Jim-mi]

Yes I wouldn't mind a 'new' tractor . . . . .

Just heard that John D is a year out on delivery.. . . . . .!!

Between that and the $$$$$$$$$$$ . . . . .guess theres not much choice but to keep the other stuff running...

[sbin]

We have an old Massey Freguson 135 diesel tractor and a Case 580C backhoe.Great old tools, parts are cheap plentiful and they are easy to work on.We could not afford new equipment but if someone were giving it away I wouldn't turn it down.

[stranger]

I like the old machinery but with this latest run on scrap metal, there won't be any used parts around the hedge rows to scrounge parts from.

[Ross]

So Dale are you getting that autosteer from a guy named Wallace? Old equipment can be just fine. It really helps if you have a good understanding of how it works so you can anticipate the component wear and breakage. I wish I had a new haybine but its not happening not any tme soon

[FordJunkie]

I don't have 1/2 of what I need yet. But I will say that for less than $3,000 including repairs so far, I'll keep using my 1954 tractor and 1958 baler. I do have a very mechanical mind set and this helps when keeping the old stuff going, as well as not farming several hundred acres.

Of course being a grease monkey helps too.........

Tony

[DaleK]

Looks like I'll probably be buying from them Ross, but I'm still collecting prices.

As long as I don't end up falling asleep with the autosteer on like this guy. Pretty expensive day.

[Ross]

Oh Geez!!! There's a cell phone call you wouldn't want to take from the hired man! Morley is a good guy just lives to the east of North Gower. GPS Ontario? I forget the name. Considering the technology that auto steer isn't such a bad price. I'm perfecting a home grown version that'll get me off the tractor, he's 17 this year!

[sammyd]

I figured I have less than 3000 in equipment if you don't count the new tires for the tractor or the CAT.
I have less than 1000 in 2 balers that each perform excellent as long as you keep twine in them.
I buy stuff that is fairly old but in good shape. I spend a lot of time at auctions when I'm in the market for a new piece and have a pretty good eye for what's juk and what isn't.
I've replaced a few parts on some things but not due to breakage, guards and sections on the mower, points on the plow, teeth on the digger etc and a few tires here and there.
I work small lots and the older smaller equipment fits my operation quite well.

Our Deere dealers lot is full of new stuff no wait here.
And

But my theory is this: The crop farmers that invest in and master the use of technologies that allow the farmer to put the seed and fertilizer in a narrow strip where it will do the most good will lead the pack. The efficiency gained by these technologies will mean a lower cost to produce each bushel of grain, or lower input costs to produce an equal yield of grain.

Is all ready becoming the norm no need to guess about it.