Posted 9/7/2014 16:23 (#4061004 - in reply to #4060917) Subject: RE: Self financing poll below
I agree with you 1000% productivity is the name of the game. A 400 HP 20 year old tractor might have worse fuel economy but is 10x less expensive on the investment side. Years of good prices has made everyone think they can run all late model equipment and trade every year for new. Maybe a large 25000 acre guy can but I wonder if even he could lower input costs as well. Deere and IH and everyone else has gotten out of hand on new equipment prices, they are absolutely absurd.
Our finance guys in the dairy industry wont even entertain the idea of new and we run 4 to 5 times the hours you grain guys do. The hardest working tractor on our place has 25000 hrs on it would be dumb to run anything else and the least hours go on a 4wd packing silage and that still gets 3 to 4 times the hours you grain guys do. I just don't get it a 300k tractor you put 150-200 hrs a year on, really!
Self financing poll below
