This is a good question. We are a pretty small farm, milk about 150 cows, chop about 2200 ton cs a year. We used to chop our own but as we have grown cow numbers and have the same labor it would take way too long. I`ve thought about getting our own spfh, even a small one, three trucks, big 4 wheel drive pack tractor, I figure you are atleast $250,000. We paid about $20,000 this year so that would be over 12 years to pay off WITHOUT the labor. For us it is a no brainer but I must say the people we have chop for us are great. They are a neighbor farm that does ours right after they do theirs. If I was on a waiting list sitting by the door waiting for a custom operator to show up as my corn got too dry I would very well have a different view.