In the Data Center thread the subject of high tech equipment came up. @504RP seems to like low tech stuff he can repair and @chevytaHOE5674 likes the nicer equipment and doesn't mind the cost to fix. Were does everyone sit on this? I'm middle of the road. I do 90% of my own work but honestly think I'd be better off and ahead of the game to hire more out. I know people that do everything themselves and guys that won't do anything themselves. Not sure which is best. @chevytaHOE5674 is correct when he says nobody is forcing anyone to buy newer equipment.
Projects & Repairs
- Thread starter Lucky
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4hfarms
Well-known member
75/25
I do what I can but know my physical limits, knowledge...and the size of my checkbook.
Wish I could afford what we need done..
I do what I can but know my physical limits, knowledge...and the size of my checkbook.
Wish I could afford what we need done..
GoWyo
Well-known member
I have a 1985-ish Case IH 485 tractor for utility stuff in decent weather and the "new" tractor is a Case IH Farmall 65C with cab and FWA. The Farmall 65 has more electronics on it than I want and has to run a DPF regen cycle about every 4 hours. Changing oil, fuel and hydraulic filters is a PITA the way they have them tucked in. I try to use the old tractor when I can, but the newer one is nice for feeding cows and unloading hay off semi trailers. We don't farm anything or put up hay here, but if we did I am sure the tractor with the cab would be the first choice.
Travlr
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- NW Arkansas, W South Dakota, retired in Utah
I don't like paying for things that I should be able to do myself.
Rafter S
Well-known member
I feel much the same way, but as I've gotten older I am less able to physically do it myself and more able to pay for someone else to do it.
Dave
Well-known member
My 2 tractor are a !990 MF 390 and a 2005 NH. Both are open station. I say the heater works great in the summer and the Ac is great in the winter. We have 4 pick up trucks of assorted sizes, They are a 94, 97, 2000, and an 02. The 2000 was top of the line in its day. The rest are pretty plain Jane. Our car is a 2019. I could do without all the bells and whistles it has. You can tell where the majority of people live these days and vehicles are made for them. Try to find a plain Jane work truck these days.
Travlr
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Ya gotta find the "contractor" line which is generally in the rear behind the fence at a dealership. They don't display them, and they don't always have them in stock. But some dealerships do stock them.
As far as a used one, state auctions are a good place to find them if you can find one. Mine auctions, but they are generally thrashed. Contractors that are going through bankruptcy lose trucks to the bank, so check the repo list at banks. A lot of them go to Mexico.
chevytaHOE5674
Well-known member
I've got no problem paying people to do things. My problem is when I pay them I have high expectations.
I hate hiring a "professional" only to have a lower quality job than I can do as an "amateur".
I hate hiring a "professional" only to have a lower quality job than I can do as an "amateur".
When I need some thing I expect it to run. I do not like working on things and that's not because of the work but because it puts me behind or cuts in to my personal time.
I grew up with tractors that had to have starting fluid, and jumper cables, and screwdrivers, and oil and who know what else to start. Other than being miserable to mess with it was also expensive and unsafe. I have zero interest in going back to that.
If the business cant support equipment that works and people to work on the equipment then I don't want to be in the business.
When I was contract gauging a guy was giving me some grief trying to jew me down on my price per well because they were low producers. I nicely told him that my cost to do my job was the same no matter if the well made 1 or 1,000 mcf and no matter if it paid $1 per or $100 per. He came at me again and I finally told him if that well cant make him money and me money then we need to put the cement to the sob and go fishing.
He backed off and we went on about our lives. He grosely over estimated my need for his work.
I grew up with tractors that had to have starting fluid, and jumper cables, and screwdrivers, and oil and who know what else to start. Other than being miserable to mess with it was also expensive and unsafe. I have zero interest in going back to that.
If the business cant support equipment that works and people to work on the equipment then I don't want to be in the business.
When I was contract gauging a guy was giving me some grief trying to jew me down on my price per well because they were low producers. I nicely told him that my cost to do my job was the same no matter if the well made 1 or 1,000 mcf and no matter if it paid $1 per or $100 per. He came at me again and I finally told him if that well cant make him money and me money then we need to put the cement to the sob and go fishing.
He backed off and we went on about our lives. He grosely over estimated my need for his work.Majority of the new fancy equipment isn't near as troublesome as those that don't own it make it out to be.
I watched a video yesterday and the guy hooked his new JD tractor to the JD MoCo mower and was able to work all the mower functions from the loader joystick on the console by hitting a button to switch from loader function to 3 point function. The mower moved about 10 different ways and he was cutting Alfalfa at 12 mph. We used to cut Alfalfa with a 1066 International and a New Holland mower conditioner. While it wasn't a bad job it made for allot of long hot days. In the video he hit a rock and did a quick blade change. If we hit a rock we had to use thos dang hammer rivets to replace the cutter blade. There's no doubt that the newer systems are more productive.
I watched a video yesterday and the guy hooked his new JD tractor to the JD MoCo mower and was able to work all the mower functions from the loader joystick on the console by hitting a button to switch from loader function to 3 point function. The mower moved about 10 different ways and he was cutting Alfalfa at 12 mph. We used to cut Alfalfa with a 1066 International and a New Holland mower conditioner. While it wasn't a bad job it made for allot of long hot days. In the video he hit a rock and did a quick blade change. If we hit a rock we had to use thos dang hammer rivets to replace the cutter blade. There's no doubt that the newer systems are more productive.
I like middle of the road age wise most times and always as good of quality as I can justify. Stuff made from late 90s to early 2000s seems to be the best blend of convenience and dependability IMO. I am not keeping something around I have to work on an hour to run it for 30 mins.
Exactly that is the truth.
