Arson

[Camp Director]

About one week ago, one of the local farmers west of here had his combine, tractor, grain cart, two semi trailers and trucks set set fire by arsonists .



So, this week many of the neighboring farmers got together and finished harvest. They call it a harvest bee.



In the past I have heard of this happening when a farmer has sudden health issues and can't complete his harvest before winter sets in.

[campfire]

First, that sucks. And I bet someone is running scared that karma will find them.
Second, that Laura is one driven young lady, hard working, and very caring to help with all of that.

Awesome!!
Thanks for sharing.

(getting that cold back there already, eh?)

[Camp Director]

Yeah, I hope they find the folks who did this.

Winter is here. The ground is white.

winter.

[campfire]

We had a high of 80 degrees today with Red Flag warnings again. Wind was hitting 53 MPH gusts last night, but the power stayed on.

You could send some of that snow out here please...

[LadyDraco]

Those poor people ! Them rigs cost more then a farm!
I hope Karma gets the Arsonists sooner then later, and destroys them !

[drlewall]

Elections aint over and already they are trying to implement the Green New Deal?

[Delicate Snowflake]

Those poor people ! Them rigs cost more then a farm!

I was thinking about the cost myself. Hopefully they had insurance

[LadyDraco]

Those poor people ! Them rigs cost more then a farm!

I was thinking about the cost myself. Hopefully they had insurance

If they owned them with the bank.. YES they were covered..

[Camp Director]

If you start adding up the cost to replace everything with new, the price quickly exceeds 1,000,000. Since most farmers are "land rich/cash poor", a loss like that could put you out of business pretty quickly without insurance.

[drlewall]

I have been pricing tractors for the past 6 months. I am amazed and bewildered as to how folks go about getting that amount of financing.

[Delicate Snowflake]

I have been pricing tractors for the past 6 months. I am amazed and bewildered as to how folks go about getting that amount of financing.

We looked at tractors about 20 years back, and again about 2 years ago. We really should have got one first time around, the prices these days are eye-watering.

[drlewall]

I have been pricing tractors for the past 6 months. I am amazed and bewildered as to how folks go about getting that amount of financing.

We looked at tractors about 20 years back, and again about 2 years ago. We really should have got one first time around, the prices these days are eye-watering.

I have a small farm..for the life of me, can not understand how to juggle a mortgage payment, car payment, all the utility payments and then add a $650+ tractor payment on top of that..

[Camp Director]

I don't know what I would do without a tractor here. Probably a lot of manual labor or paying somebody to do it. I started with a 1960's vintage International in poor shape for $200. That lasted a couple years. But it had trouble pulling itself up even the slightest of hills. Next up was a Kioti CK27. Big step up. Diesel power and four wheel drive. Then started to accumulate 3-point accessories. What fun. That was great for awhile till I sat in something about the same size with a cab. I shouldn't have done that. So, I sold the Kioti for a couple hundred more than I paid for it and purchased a John Deere 3045R. Nice, even has a beer holder. AC in the summer and heat in the winter. Perfect for the next few years. Until the dealer called and wanted me to trade in the 3045R on a 4066R. More HP and a much heavier loader. We negotiated for a month and finally ended up with a price we both could live with. I have had it for about a year and this will probably be my last tractor. Maybe.

[campfire]

----------------------------------------
I have had it for about a year and this will probably be my last tractor. Maybe.

[Camp Director]

One issue when you have a tractor is people wanting you to do stuff for them. But, it does keep me in beer. So there is that.

[drlewall]

So a tractor payment is all you have going out every month? Or did you win the lottery?

I been looking at Kubotas..kinda learning models HP ratings. Know nothing abt JD..so would a 3045 mod be a 30 hp or a 45hp, also on the 4066, what is the hp on that one? I once borrowed a friends little Kubota that had a backhoe attachment. What a wonderful and handy tool that was, so if I find a tractor, a backhoe attachment will be a MUST..I have seen used 40hp front end loaders between $20,000 and $35,000 and then add the BHoe attachment, thats another $8,000 so close to $40,000 for a used tractor, and then you have to add all the other 3 point attachments later..kinda hard to qualify for for a loan at my age and social security income.

[Camp Director]

The 3946R was 46hp and the 4066R is 66hp.

[drlewall]

The 3946R was 46hp and the 4066R is 66hp.

that helps a bunch..tnx..now I will expand my search onto JD's

[MrKiwi]

what's this talk of winter

[Cagiva]

A serious issue with new , the tier 3 and 4 motors just ain’t quit right yet , they have been loaded down with faulty pollution control devices that are going to cost more than the tractor did to repair , some of the bigger yellow iron 5 years old is needing 100,000 dollar exahust system replacements . I won’t touch anything newer than ten years and really don’t want anything younger than 15 years old . But that works out well cause most dealers can’t work on older stuff anyway . I had family that were in the farming and custom harvest business in Nebraska when I was a rugrat , no idea if the kids countinued the business when they grew up , haven’t had any contact with them in years .