- The Star Tribune found that farmers choose to buy older tractors to save money and to be able to repair the tractors themselves.
- A new tractor can cost well over $150,000, while one that was built a few years ago with little use could cost a third of that.
- New tractors with a lot of technology often require a dealership mechanic to make the necessary repairs.
Regardless of who you think the typical Tesla owner is, they don't—because they can't—put their car on the ramps to fix whatever problem they're having. And just like those Tesla owners, farmers with a tractor built in the last decade, and sometimes more, can't make the repairs they once could on their equipment.
Tractors, like cars—electric or otherwise—are increasingly dependent on technology and computers, which forces repairs to be done by dealers. And as these changes phase out the farmer in the repair process, older tractors are becoming more sought after in the Midwest, according to a report from Minneapolis Star Tribune newspaper.
Now, when a tractor built in the late 1970s or 1980s comes up for auction, a bidding war tends to ensue, the paper notes. Although a lot has changed in tractors in recent decades, what really matters to farmers has not. Old tractors have similar horsepower to tractors made today and are built well enough to last the 15,000 hours a farmer expects from a tractor.
In the video above, see the record $61,000 paid for a 1979 John Deere 4640 with 826 hours. At a time when a new tractor from John Deere can set a farmer back $150,000, that was still a fraction of the price of a new one. Anyone who has bought a durable used car and saved a ton on depreciation understands this concept. And even better, when that owner has something go wrong with their older tractor, they don't have to wait for a service truck from the dealership to make the necessary repairs, which can also cost up to $150 an hour to service .
When that dealership repairman shows up, he'll likely hook up a computer to the tractor to diagnose the problem, a reality that has created a sort of monopoly on who can repair new tractors. Often only the tractor dealership has the necessary technology to perform the repair, precluding independent repair shops from doing the job.
For many years, independent auto repair chains fought a similar development in the automotive world, and in 2014, automakers agreed to a right-to-repair agreement, making access to diagnostic tools standard across the industry. Since tractors do not have similar legislation regarding their repair, farmers go to great lengths such as accessing tractor software through Ukrainian firmware to make repairs.
This does not mean that farmers do not appreciate a more technologically equipped tractor. A farmer in Star Tribune He retrofitted his 1979 John Deere with satellite guidance auto steering. And one Wall Street Journal article as of May 2019 revealed that some farmers have their tractor cabs equipped with screens to watch Netflix or video chat with other farmers.
As well as being a cost-saving measure, for some farmers, buying an old tractor that they can repair themselves gives them back the power and control that they would lose with a new tractor. And that's something we can all appreciate.
Born and raised metro Detroiter Colin Beresford has been surrounded by the automotive industry his entire life. For most of his formative years, he didn't know who in their right mind would drive anything but an American-made car. He is passionate about all the ways people get around, even if it doesn't involve a car or a driver. What he looks for in a vehicle is simple: it must be able to take him where he is skiing, climbing, backpacking or fly fishing.
