Glad I Purchased My Tractor Last Year

[5030]

Not that many considering it's a national list. Nary a one near me.

I'm subscribed to their weekly print editions. 225 pages of tractors with about 30 on a page. I'd say that is quite a few myself.

 

[Hay Dude]

Considering how inputs are spiking (examples: seed corn is over 400 bucks a bag, up from 325 last spring, 46 granulated urea is up over 35% a bag more than last year, herbicides like 24DB are up 30%, fuel is up at least 30% (off road diesel), gonna be a ton of late model used equipment up for sale because farmers are gonna go **** up this coming year. Bank on it. Farmers today are leveraged out as it is. Not going to take much to push a lot of them over the edge into bankruptcy.

Just look at the sheer numbers of late model tractors and implements for sale on Tractor House and Auction Time.

Not talking about hobby tractors, I'm talking about ag tractors and tillage equipment.

Myself, again, I don't like buying a pig in a poke used, I prefer new but I don't have the key to Fort Knox either. New ag tractors are priced beyond my means today.

You are considered a hobby farmer.
Theres no way the amount of crop your producing could possibly support any, either.

 

[jyoutz]

You are considered a hobby farmer.
Theres no way the amount of crop your producing could possibly support any, either.

Anyone who derives income from farming is not a hobby farmer; more like a part time farmer if they have another job. A hobby is not something that you do for income.

 

[Hay Dude]

Anyone who derives income from farming is not a hobby farmer; more like a part time farmer if they have another job. A hobby is not something that you do for income.

in the past, he always presented himself as someone who retired and is farming for pleasure.

 

[5030]

I do most times. I certainly am not financially dependent on farm income. In fact, so long as it runs on the plus side of the ledger, I'm good with that. My income is comes from other sources and always has.

What that is, is really none of your business in the first place. Lets just say I've managed my finances very carefully over the years and continue to do so.

I always get a chuckle out of your long list of equipment owned or financed. Don't need or want all the stuff to have to maintain in the first place and in my case, my 80 acres does quite well in supporting the farm, which happens to be an LLC btw. Least I don't run mulch hay for a mushroom grower. My hay gets fed to real cattle and bucking bulls. 100%.

 

[5030]

I guess having an equipment list on here as long as a page makes you feel important or something. Myself, I don't need or want that either. For me, it's suffice to list 2 tractors and a side by side and I may at some point remove that as well.

 

[Hay Dude]

I guess having an equipment list on here as long as a page makes you feel important or something. Myself, I don't need or want that either. For me, it's suffice to list 2 tractors and a side by side and I may at some point remove that as well.

I leave it up because I can tell how much it bugs you.
You don’t know anything about me or my business except what I’ve decided to share with you.
I don’t put people down for having a “payment book”, owning a truck other than Ford or a tractor other than Kubota, either.
Part time hobby haying is relaxing. It’s people who do that then try to act like they’re a working class hero and steal valor from real farmers is pathetic.
REAL full time hay farming and trying to support the family and send kids to college on it is hard. It takes a lot of tonnage, quality, customers and off farm income.

 

[LFP57]

I ordered a Massey Ferguson 2 months ago and locked in my price. It might be here this month, or it might be here in 4 months. I'm terrified that when it gets here, they will tell me that it's going to be more money. I have a signed contract, but I honestly don't know what recourse I have if they change the price. I'll walk away from it, and they will sell it to somebody else at the higher price. The wait is making me nervous.

I had the same concern, I ordered my tractor in April, didn't get it until august. The dealership told me because I ordered it in April, they had to honor that price and August 1st is when the prices went up.

 

[dave9876]

Here in NE Ohio tractors are up 5% and loaders 9%. Similar to what others have said.

 

[wmfamily]

I just checked the current pricing on the same tractor I purchased early last year, WOW, the base price went up over $3k, to order the tractor now with all of the same options would have cost me about $4k more!! Seriously doubt that the prices will ever go back down to any thing near where they were.

We bought out JD 4066M at the start of this mess and got a very good deal on a "used" one that only had 39 hours on it (the previous owner only had it a month or so and traded for a cab 4066R). The same tractor now is considerably higher if you can find one, used or new, but the dealers look to be getting more stock now in my area. The last drive about didn't look as good for Kubotas but that has been over a month ago.

 

[MHarryE]

Have the tractors you are talking about held the same price year after year as time has gone on? I purchased my M7-171 in 2016. Two years later I printed out the page with same attachments from Build my Tractor and it was up 9%. The next year I ran into difficulty comparing apples to apples because with the M7-172, they took some items that were standard equipment with the 171 and made them optional, but the price was still increasing. I agree the prices have taken a higher than normal hit in 2022. I ordered a M5-111 in August, took ownership in December for the price I signed for, but the Build my Tractor had increased by several thousand dollars when I checked in January. Glad I bought when I did rather than waiting until its needed but I have run into the same thing every time I bought. Still nothing compared to early 1980s when we were raising prices significantly every quarter and still losing money with every sale - until Allis-Chalmers, International Harvester, and Massey Ferguson all went bankrupt - oh, forgot how White Farm Equipment (Minneapolis-Moline, Oliver, Cockshutt) also bit the dust. Will we repeat the 80's when government debt more than doubled? Remains to be seen.

 

[Torvy]

I just checked the current pricing on the same tractor I purchased early last year, WOW, the base price went up over $3k, to order the tractor now with all of the same options would have cost me about $4k more!! Seriously doubt that the prices will ever go back down to any thing near where they were.

Nobody likes a boaster.

I am jealous. I would have bought last year, but I cannot get a building to store it yet. Rather frustrating. We have been planning retirement for this year for years (our youngest graduates HS).

I am going to make some adjustments to the budget. Most likely I will need to work an additional year so Mrs. T can retire. Our only saving grace is that if we time it right, the house we sell may make considerably more than estimated.

You are right on prices. Not going down.

As for tractor availability... Its getting better around here. I drove by Big Tex and a few other dealers on Saturday. Even from the highway I could see more inventory on lots.

 

[EddieWalker]

Have you decided on what you are going to get?

 

[Torvy]

Not 100%. Still leaning towards either the T494H or the 4820H. The auto throttle has brought me around on HST. If I cannot get that, I would go shuttle shift. Ultimately, I want to get the most machine I can for the money. Budget may make me move down to the 474 or 4815...smaller frames but also some features I don't really like.

More importantly, to me, is that in an supposed to get a quote from a local builder for the shop project this week. Once I get a firm date for it to be up, I can order a tractor accordingly.

 

[BeezFun]

I was surprised to see kubota extended the 20% National Cutting Horse discount through the end of 2022.

 

[EddieWalker]

Not 100%. Still leaning towards either the T494H or the 4820H. The auto throttle has brought me around on HST. If I cannot get that, I would go shuttle shift. Ultimately, I want to get the most machine I can for the money. Budget may make me move down to the 474 or 4815...smaller frames but also some features I don't really like.

More importantly, to me, is that in an supposed to get a quote from a local builder for the shop project this week. Once I get a firm date for it to be up, I can order a tractor accordingly.

It's tough buying one for the first time with so many choices out there. Just remember that nobody ever complained about having too much HP. I'm way outside my comfort zone on buying my new tractor, but I also know that I'll get used to making the payment, and eventually be happy that I bought it now instead of waiting any longer. I'm already thinking about buying a batwing for it!!!

 

[Torvy]

It's tough buying one for the first time with so many choices out there. Just remember that nobody ever complained about having too much HP. I'm way outside my comfort zone on buying my new tractor, but I also know that I'll get used to making the payment, and eventually be happy that I bought it now instead of waiting any longer. I'm already thinking about buying a batwing for it!!!

Thanks. I think I am pretty set on HP. The differences are frame size and lifting capacity. All are in the 45-48 HP range. I will probably want a PTO chipper at some point and that range seems to give me some options. A batwing would be overkill for me. My total width of mowing is about 30 feet. It will not take too long with a 5 or 6 ft rotary cutter. I'm thinking I would rather spend more on heavier duty RC than on wider. Most likely, I will regularly use it 3-5 hours 4-5 times a year. It may be easier to knock out green briars between the pines with the narrow cutter.