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Growing up on a farm 30 years ago - we wouldn't have to wait a day or two. You would start fixing the problem straight away, worse case being someone would have

by timc3 3y ago

Growing up on a farm 30 years ago - we wouldn't have to wait a day or two. You would start fixing the problem straight away, worse case being someone would have to drive to get a part and then you would install it. And many parts you could fix yourself with a well stocked workshop (think welding gear, cutting equipment, stuff to work on hydraulics, lots of random crap, spare bits of metal and a large space or in the field). Then came the computers...

tomwheeler 3y ago
That's exactly right. My grandfather owned a fairly large farm and had a workshop so he and the workers could service the equipment on site. Some of the tractors lasted 30 years or more because they were so well maintained. Even in his 70s, the joints he welded when repairing them were far better than the originals.
- bluGill 3y ago
  At what cost. I'll bet your grandfather never tracked the cost of his workshop and time. Note too that the scenario is all hands on deck harvesting - skipping one day of harvest can (if there is worst case storm) cost your more in profit than a brand new combine. If you have to pay someone labor the cost of keeping old machines running adds up a lot farther than most people realize. I know one construction company owner who in the 1990s worked it all out - all that 30 year old equipment that he was keeping running. Then he want to a dealer and signed a lease for $25,000/month, as he left the negotiations, reeling from the price tag, his account turned to him and said "you just saved yourself $30,000/month".
  - gen220 3y ago
    When you outsource support, that carries costs that are difficult to measure and not carried in the lease. Your "supply chain of business" just became less robust. If you're in a business where a couple of days in lead time for repair can make or break a harvest, (1) having a repairs workshop (2) investing in tools you can reliably repair yourself is essentially an insurance premium that protects your harvest by placing its success squarely within the hands of the part most interested in success. This "insurance" aspect is something that accountants reliably fail to account for, because it doesn't show up in any business ledger. But this way of thinking generally wins because it increases fiscal efficiency, while the side-effect of making systems more fragile is consistently written-off.
    - bluGill 3y ago
      What farmers do is instead have a relationship with a mechanic (normally dealer) who has spares. If they can't fix it in a couple hours they bring a loaner you can use until they get it fixed. Simple problems can be done in an hour by your plan, but anything complex you are in the shop instead of the field for hours.
- apercu 3y ago
  I'm hoping I get 30 years out of my sub-compact tractor. I'd hate to be an old man and have to buy another one on retirement income... These things are not lawnmowers, and they should (if cared for) last. I refused to even shop John Deere, the green paint tax is too high and on top of it you have all this subscription and computer B.S.
xenadu02 3y ago
I'm just saying that's JD's perspective on this issue. Personally I think they're milking it for extra profit when they could be establishing a better relationship with their customers.

by timc3 3y ago

tomwheeler 3y ago

That's exactly right. My grandfather owned a fairly large farm and had a workshop so he and the workers could service the equipment on site. Some of the tractors lasted 30 years or more because they were so well maintained. Even in his 70s, the joints he welded when repairing them were far better than the originals.

bluGill 3y ago
At what cost. I'll bet your grandfather never tracked the cost of his workshop and time. Note too that the scenario is all hands on deck harvesting - skipping one day of harvest can (if there is worst case storm) cost your more in profit than a brand new combine. If you have to pay someone labor the cost of keeping old machines running adds up a lot farther than most people realize. I know one construction company owner who in the 1990s worked it all out - all that 30 year old equipment that he was keeping running. Then he want to a dealer and signed a lease for $25,000/month, as he left the negotiations, reeling from the price tag, his account turned to him and said "you just saved yourself $30,000/month".
- gen220 3y ago
  When you outsource support, that carries costs that are difficult to measure and not carried in the lease. Your "supply chain of business" just became less robust. If you're in a business where a couple of days in lead time for repair can make or break a harvest, (1) having a repairs workshop (2) investing in tools you can reliably repair yourself is essentially an insurance premium that protects your harvest by placing its success squarely within the hands of the part most interested in success. This "insurance" aspect is something that accountants reliably fail to account for, because it doesn't show up in any business ledger. But this way of thinking generally wins because it increases fiscal efficiency, while the side-effect of making systems more fragile is consistently written-off.
  - bluGill 3y ago
    What farmers do is instead have a relationship with a mechanic (normally dealer) who has spares. If they can't fix it in a couple hours they bring a loaner you can use until they get it fixed. Simple problems can be done in an hour by your plan, but anything complex you are in the shop instead of the field for hours.
apercu 3y ago
I'm hoping I get 30 years out of my sub-compact tractor. I'd hate to be an old man and have to buy another one on retirement income... These things are not lawnmowers, and they should (if cared for) last. I refused to even shop John Deere, the green paint tax is too high and on top of it you have all this subscription and computer B.S.

xenadu02 3y ago

I'm just saying that's JD's perspective on this issue. Personally I think they're milking it for extra profit when they could be establishing a better relationship with their customers.