Used Machinery
Auction prices on good used self-propelled sprayers have shot skyward the past two years. In fact, the 11 highest auction prices ever on sprayers have all occurred in the past 28 months.
Worn components on combines and grain carts reduce groundspeeds, increase grain loss and encourage engines to gulp extra fuel. While these wear points might not halt harvest, they will slow it down.
Welding arcs aren’t as illuminating as they seem. A special light designed for welding and a good welding helmet can help.
The unlikely 100-year survival of an immaculate 9-X tractor despite thievery, rust, weeds, and skeletonization is a tale of predestination.
When availability becomes more prevalent — pricing changes
While the drought of 2023 is straining crop conditions, there hasn’t been any drought concerns when it comes to auction prices on used farm equipment, including most types of harvest equipment.
The data I compile and analyze is so striking and consistent that 15 years ago I named it The Limbo Line. The line being the 10-year-old mark.
Used four-wheel-drive tractor values and auction pricing have been on fire the past 18 to 20 months. Premiums are being paid for slightly older pre-DEF, pre-Tier IV four-wheel-drive models in nice condition.
Auction prices have been amazing in the last year — especially in the last six months. Check out the equipment category record-high auction prices just since November 2022.
Dan Anderson has used ethanol in all his vehicles and recently fell into information that expanded his knowledge of the flex fuel.
Thieves are ripping off yield monitors and navigation systems, many of which retail for $4,000-plus. Some authorities speculate the tools are sold on the black market abroad for use as is or pieced out for their parts.
Big tools, such as ¾-inch impact wrenches and 1,000 lb.-ft. torque wrenches, are impressive, but many jobs are rescued or made easier by small specialized tools.
Are you pouring concrete this summer? A pro shares advice to improve the quality of the finished product.
Whether you use a vise, hammer and socket, or special tool to repair U-joints, be careful how you reassemble and install them.
Headaches or sinus problems while spraying pesticides and fungicides? Consider using activated charcoal cab air filters.
Pay particular attention to hydraulic hoses, down-pressure components and anywhere birds and varmints can have a heyday. Your future self will thank you.
From lubricating booms to cleaning and replacing spray tips, ace mechanic Dan Anderson emphasizes the importance of prioritizing upkeep during the spraying season.
John Phipps thinks the Right to Repair controversy gets more coverage than it deserves. From the title to possible implications down the road, he explains his reasoning.
Don’t do what Dan Anderson did. Learn from his mistakes when it comes to lubricants, torque and double checking your work.
All the electrical systems on your planter, field cultivator or other towed piece of equipment are dead. After a moment of profanity, check these areas.
Your planter might not be sidelined but something is off. Dan Anderson offers fixes for clogged seed delivery hoses, seed monitor failure, random loose seeds and more.
After seeing 25,000 sales of used disks come and go, Machinery Pete showcases three, each one from a different manufacturer, that have captured the highest prices farmers have ever paid for a tillage tool – so far.
Don’t let kinked or damaged hoses hamper spring fieldwork.
Having tracked machinery values for three and a half decades, Greg Peterson, aka Machinery Pete, knows there are a lot of moving parts to watch.
My father’s rule was, “Never walk past a grease zerk without greasing it.”
I’ve had opportunities lately to talk with chemical engineers and mechanical engineers about greases and lubrication. Here are some tidbits that caught my interest.
Sprawled naked in a cut cornfield atop 1’ of snow, Tim Vander Zwaag was a bloodied shell of a strapping 6’, 250 lb. farmer. Only feet from his tractor, he was minutes from death. Finished.
What is the most useful tool you own? Not the most expensive tool, not the coolest tool, but the tool you couldn’t get along without?
Two service calls to malfunctioning planters 30-plus years ago remind mechanic Dan Anderson of how far pre-season preparation and maintenance has come.
A new generation of metal cutting tools span the divide between hacksaw simplicity/economy to plasma cutter precision/price.