53 Our Advertisers Appreciate Your Business Better Farming | September 2024 are paid for and they are relatively easy to fix. What has changed on two-wheel drive 100-horsepower tractors in the last 40 years to make them significantly better than our 48-year-old Case 970 and 1270? Since the invention of good diesel engines, powershift transmissions, and air-conditioned cabs, what specific improvements are going to be important to you? Other farm implements have changed quite a bit in the last 40 years. Seeding implements, combines, and sprayers have changed a lot since 1984, but where was the point when they reached the peak of their efficiency? We are still using a 25-year-old air drill and a 25-year-old sprayer and our crops seem to grow quite well. What about your pickup? What has changed significantly since the advent of fuel injection, factory A/C and four-wheel drive? Do the trucks of today do the job so much better that the old ones should be junked? Perhaps my old 2000 Ford F150 should be sent to the crusher. (No chance – it’s got only 477,000 km on it.) Hours and mileage (or is it now kilometreage?) How much do you use it? How many kilometres do you travel a year in your vehicles? How many hours do you put on your machinery or trucks? We farm 2,500 acres that are scattered here and there up to 19 km (12 miles) from our main yard. We put on about 500 to 700 hours a year in total on our four main tractors (about 100 to 200 hours per tractor). Our two combines get about four to 500 hours a year all together. We do have repairs to do and breakdowns (“give us this day our daily breakdown, but please make it small”), but we still seem to get our crops seeded and harvested with reasonable efficiency. It helps that we repair most of the machinery ourselves. Our trucks don’t get a lot of miles despite being 161 km (100 miles) from the city. We tend to take our SUVs to the city more than our trucks. If we need parts, it’s often cheaper to have them shipped than to waste a day in the city. I’ve had my 2000 Ford F150 for 21 years and only put on 230,000 km (142,915 miles). How many hours do you put on your tractors? How many kilometres do you put on your vehicles? Dependability We’ve all had them: A truck, tractor, combine, you name it. They are always breaking down. I had a nice ‘78 Ford F250 that I liked. We pulled out the 460 and put in a 302 so it would get better mileage. I checked one day. It was getting eight miles per gallon with the 302. I checked the logbook on the 72-passenger bus with a 5.9-litre Cummins that my dear wife was driving at the time. It was getting 11 miles per gallon. That old Ford quit shortly after and it’s still in the weeds. I bought the 2000 Ford F150 and it’s been the best truck I’ve ever had. You have to have dependable machines and vehicles. You waste too much time, money, and labour fixing stuff that isn’t dependable. If your current machine or vehicle is not dependable, then a change may be in order. A new or newer machine is supposed to mean more dependable. But you should shop carefully. Safety No explanation needed here. Your stuff has to be safe to operate. Many lives are lost with unsafe equipment and vehicles. Either fix your safety issues or get something that is safe. Power and capacity Is it powerful enough to do the job? Does it have the capacity to complete the needed tasks in a reasonable time? We are currently mumbling about getting a bigger air tank for our air drill. However, we are concerned that our 4690 Case tractors might have a bit of a struggle with a larger tank, so we’ve been investigating what we can afford that is a bit bigger. Our three Massey Ferguson 8570 combines seem to get the job done a lot better than our old Massey 750s and with fewer breakdowns. Grain hauling at harvest was the slow part until we got the second semi with a grain trailer. How is the power and capacity of your equipment? Does it do the job in a reasonable time? Is it comfortable? Let’s face it. If a combine doesn’t have a decent cab and air conditioning, do we really want to use it? Those old cabless combines look great at the museums and the threshing demonstrations, but do you want to run one on a cold fall night or a hot summer day? Likely not. Been there – done that. Likewise with other equipment and vehicles. We now like to be indoors, relatively dust-free and comfortable. If your units aren’t comfortable, it won’t be fun using them, will it? And farming is supposed to be fun. Make sure you have comfortable stuff to use. But it doesn’t always have to be brand new with all the bells and whistles. If your old stuff is basically a good unit, you can consider repairing it. Sure, your seats may be shredded, but is it worth buying a new unit when you could perhaps repair the old one for less? Do the math So, here is your assignment: Before you buy or replace something in your fleet, do the math. If it makes sense, buy it. If you’ve done the math and it’s a good decision, you will feel better about the whole process. But perhaps you can run your old stuff a bit longer and be money ahead. Do your homework and enjoy a great harvest. BF Tractors, Trucks & Growing Grain RON SETTLER Ron has farmed for over 45 years in Lucky Lake, Sask. In addition to grain farming, he and his family also operate a mechanical repair shop.
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