Happened Again

Neighbor across the river dropped $75K on a new swather.

Yes, he cuts a lot of hay, feeds a substainal number of cattle and I'll probably be singin' a different tune in a year when I'm in the heavy stuff, but drat!

I cannot see the justification in that kind of money for a new machine when these old devils will gobble hay like a lotful of pregnant mama cows.

Dunno, maybe some folks are just more mechanically minded than others?

Allan

Know what I think? I suspect that someone, somewhere along the line put those darned crossbar bolts in upside down or something.

Nebraska Cowman told me to check the clearance and I went all thru it being very careful to inspect everything for adjustment and wear. Nothing is touching that roll; so, don't know where those grooves came from.

However, the main chain adjustment is clear down against the stops, so I'll just bet you are right in your thinking. They put a new chain in it and didn't take out the darned extra link/bar.

I'll have 'er purrin' quiet before another season tho, you can bet on that, 'cause this little outfit is just too good a baler to retire this young. :>)

Allan

Know what I think? I suspect that someone, somewhere along the line put those darned crossbar bolts in upside down or something.

Nebraska Cowman told me to check the clearance and I went all thru it being very careful to inspect everything for adjustment and wear. Nothing is touching that roll; so, don't know where those grooves came from.

However, the main chain adjustment is clear down against the stops, so I'll just bet you are right in your thinking. They put a new chain in it and didn't take out the darned extra link/bar.

I'll have 'er purrin' quiet before another season tho, you can bet on that, 'cause this little outfit is just too good a baler to retire this young. :>)

Allan

I've been in that whirling vortex. There is only one way out and it darned sure isn't out thru the top; don't kid yourself.

And, the bottom of that mess spins hard, real hard.

In the past few months, it has at long last finally dawned on me that I was the lucky one by going completely flat-a$$ed broke and living to tell the tale.

It taught me a hard lesson that many have yet to learn, I'm afraid. Spend a quater of a million on a goofy combine and you're gonna someday pay the piper. You can count on it.

Rotary, my backside. Give me that old, well used $1400 L2 diesel. It will outlast all of us here. :>)

Allan

Several schools of thought on buying new equipment....

One is "Give it to the dealer or give it to the IRS". The trick with that one is you have to be MAKING money to need a tax deuction....

Next is the need for future expantion. Buy newer/bigger with an eye on the future. Unfortunately, most of us are stuck in the present at best, and the past in all likelyhood.

Also, consider ones age. If I recall, you're in your 60's right? No need to make out a 50 year plan....

My son is doing everything in his power to convince me WE need a NEW tractor. I'm not convinced HE needs one, and I know beyond any question I don't need one.

There are about as many (good) "economic theories" to successfully running a farm as there are farmers. Mine has always been, "If I can't write a check for it, I don't need it". (Only exception was a combine purchased 4 years ago) That theory serves me well. It works well IF you want to stay the same relative size of operation. To me, it seems like the guys that keep buying BIGGER/BETTER/FASTER equipment MUST continually enlarge their operation to keep pace with their PAYMENTS.

All this from a guy who just 3 years ago, went from a sickle bar mower to a disc mower, and 2 years ago, bought my first round baler.....

Just an old "stick-in-the-mud" farmer.....(But my stick is PAID FOR!)

Agman

> Serious businessmen can't run a business of >large scale on junk that is only working half >the time

Everyone's probably right here...if you're investing $75k in machines, need to get that money back. (And certainly things like leases for tax purposes or quick-trade-in while the value is still high are financial tricks to work).

Invest $5,000 in machinery, need to get that money back.

My suspicion, backed up my observation of the few farmers in my neck of the woods is both models work as well if they're done well. Low cost, low volume, not a lot of help needed. Guys with bigger equipment need more hired help to keep operations their size running. End of the year, they're both netting the same.

(The one big difference possibly being big operators who *own* their land getting the advantage of land appreciation. Equipment & Labor is the same if you rent or own 1,000 acres...and with long-mortgages, the rent & ownership costs are probably 'bout the same. Of course, at the end of 30 years when it's time to retirement, the guy with 1,000 owned has a hell of a lot more money than the guy with 200 acres or the guy with 200 owned/800 rented.) Of course, land being what it's priced at around here, 200 acres is a *very* comfortable nest egg!

I think the local dealer really gets ammused at me 'cause I'm always in there sniffin' thru his "killer" row and then, I'll try to dicker him down on his already 'salvage iron' price. :>)

Just wish he'd call when he gets these old sweethearts in on trade; shucks, he already knows he has me as an out fer this 'old junk' and it would save me a lot of trips to town.

The way it is, I'm spending way too much time "shopping", but by damn! I'm havin' fun makin' this old stuff live again. :>)

Allan

But it is truly amazing how well this stuff lasts..... and how much new costs.

Mark

But it is truly amazing how well this stuff lasts..... and how much new costs.

Mark

Naw, he didn't mean anything by it, he was just trying to make a point.

I know I'm just a silly old man a yappin' on the Internet, but my ace in the hole is that I've seen the other side of the bridge.

It tends to give a feller a totally different outlook on things. Gawd! I love my old junk. :>)

Allan

Mark

If I had 6 or 7 circles of alfalfa, I'd be fer buying the new swather too. But, fer my little 200 acres of hay, that old junker is gonna serve me just fine.

I'm not a bit afraid of gettin' my hands greasy; iron is iron, be it old or be it new. :>)

Allan

Agman

75000$ swathers have their place,if he makes 15,000$ off it in a couple of years and sells it for 65,000$ he comes out ahead and probably didn't invest any time.

But if the mechanically minded farmer can get 7500$ out of a 2000$ swather that he ends up owning is further ahead by any business teachings I've seen.

Bobg