Classic Tractors From The '80s Are Becoming Popular With Farmers Sick Of High-Tech Bullshit
- Thread starter EmersonHart13
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True Story. I called John deere black out to scan an engine. 3 hours he said engine was bad and went on his way. Sending us a $1200 bill. I called John deere Green out had him scan it, pulled up data, he wasnt understanding what I wanted, built a data log, logged data, saw my pids I needed and sent him on his way. Next day repaired a wire and it was good as new.
So, I farm. Our newest tractors were made in 1988, and 1989. We bought the '88 new, and the '89 was purchased in 1999. They are not only easy to work on, but stupid reliable. We have literally done nothing to them other than oil changes, fuel filter and air filter maintenance, and tires. We head out to the field and I plant all day usually with no stopping.
We are pretty small farmers compared to a lot of our neighbors. Talking to them, they usually have some sort of electrical/computer issue that keeps them from physically doing field work every year.
The big problem with the old equipment, is they physically are not able to control the new implements. They don't have the hydraulic flow or the electronic capability. There is also a financial advantage for the fancier implements when it comes to yield and efficiency.
So you have two choices, stay with the old and give up some money or deal with the headache of new equipment.
That said, if a company came out with machinery that does what we need, we would upgrade. But as of now, Deere has the best equipment, best GPS and controlling software, and best information gathering systems. It all costs insane amounts of money though.
Before I retire, farming will change drastically again. Machinery will go from being mostly owned, to being rented by a Co-op type business. They will basically be unaffordable. Our combine is a 1998 model year and new retail of it was maybe $130k. A new combine now, 20 years later is about 3 times that amount. If that same trend keeps going, it will cost me over 2 million dollars to buy a new combine before I retire.
We are pretty small farmers compared to a lot of our neighbors. Talking to them, they usually have some sort of electrical/computer issue that keeps them from physically doing field work every year.
The big problem with the old equipment, is they physically are not able to control the new implements. They don't have the hydraulic flow or the electronic capability. There is also a financial advantage for the fancier implements when it comes to yield and efficiency.
So you have two choices, stay with the old and give up some money or deal with the headache of new equipment.
That said, if a company came out with machinery that does what we need, we would upgrade. But as of now, Deere has the best equipment, best GPS and controlling software, and best information gathering systems. It all costs insane amounts of money though.
Before I retire, farming will change drastically again. Machinery will go from being mostly owned, to being rented by a Co-op type business. They will basically be unaffordable. Our combine is a 1998 model year and new retail of it was maybe $130k. A new combine now, 20 years later is about 3 times that amount. If that same trend keeps going, it will cost me over 2 million dollars to buy a new combine before I retire.
Except that TTX is wholly owned by the 9 large railroads in north america. It's not like they're an independently owned company that saw an opportunity. They only exist to shuffle car supply around to best suit the railroads current business. So technically the railroads are still buying the cars...they just don't have to worry about buying "x" amount of cars then their competition getting the business, leaving them stuck with cars they can't use.
No other industry has the deck stacked in its favor like the railroads do. Wherever competition may hurt them, like in car purchasing commitments, they figure out a way around it (as they did with TTX)
Not exactly an apples-to-apples comparison with farming & farm equipment
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