In 1978 I was working in sales for the local IH dealer. I could sell you and New 1086 for $21500 and a pull type rotary combine for the same price. Or I could sell a new 1480 combine for $44000. I had it with sales when the sales manager told me "If someone is ignorant enough to let you take advantage of him, you need to. That's how you make up for the bad deals you will make" I couldn't work with that philosophy. I went back to farming and one of the circumstances I took advantage of was the fire sale from CIH I bought a 2290 and a 2390 both good tractors with nice cabs and very comfortable work environment. However, once the FWD tractor was improved I've been deere since. 

Back to the point of the comment things were far more cost effective and there were noticeable changes one could quantify over the years. Those changes provided an economic incentive to upgrade or enough creature comfort that I felt justified in making the change. NOW, the manufacturers and implementing a bunch of unnecessary technology that few can justify and they know it. SO, what is their option; make your equipment obsolete by discontinuing support. You know it's happening but there is little you can do about it. As for them lowering prices, don't count on it. They will just make fewer of them, that's what they did in the 70s. JD created its own demand by having a nicer working environment, cutting production to create demand and they paid a premium for their own colors thus supporting their own resale. 

As for being the worst economy since the 80s, I believe it is worse than the 80s. These young farmers are facing monumental uphill battles, granted some of them are self-inflicted but a divorce will take a farm down quicker than the market....