I was thinking about equipment cost and how it's changed when I was talking with friends.  I had a 4wd tractor with 3 point and multiple hydraulic outlets, It had 213 horse power and I traded it for one with 256 hp.  Those were tractors with air and heat and I plowed a few thousand acres.  
Were they as quiet and nice as the new JD's?  No, but they also were around $20,000 as I recall.  
How you can get over $100,000 in a tractor that does the same work now as those did is beyond me.  When you're just  pulling a grain cart, a disk or a a chisel they both do it the same.
I truly feel sorry for young guys today trying to farm when corn and beans are no more than what I was paid years ago but their insurance ( all kinds) their vehicles, their rent and everything is so much more.

(my red 4wd case (full).jpg)

my red 4wd case (full).jpg (70KB - 1 downloads)