Tractors: Are They Too High Tech?

A recent story in the Wall Street Journal(@WSJ) explained that the rising cost of new tractors, as well as the high service cost are really having a negative effect on the bottom line for farmers. Many farmers are already struggling to recover from last year's Covid outbreak. But todays new tractor can only be serviced by the brand dealership. Farmers and independent farm equipment repair shops don't have the required digital tools necessary to fix the high tech tractors on site at the farms. They have to wait to be repaired on site or be taken into the brand dealerships who can, as you can imagine, charge whatever they want now without competition. Used thirty to forty year old tractors are bringing top dollar now because farmers can make their own repairs on them or local shops can fix them fast. So don't be so quick to get rid of that old yard art tractor or the old one in the barn just yet. It may bring you a bunch of money.