How much longer?

How much longer are any of us going to be able to farm with these kind of input and repair parts prices? I needed a bearing for the disc. Went to the auto parts store to order a couple of them. Didn't take the check book because I figured he'd have to order them anyway. Well,he had two in stock. $106 EACH! I paid cash and came home with one. Those are just the 1 1/8th square shaft sealed bearings that go in flanges. What the heck do bearings cost for BW Deere anymore? Those things were two or three times the cost of a regular disc bearing like these back when I had a BW. There's 20 of'em in that disc between the main frame and wings. The value of it just went through the roof I guess.

You really need to check pricing on bearing these days. I just replaced all of the bearings on my JD 230 disk. They where cheaper from JD than Motion Industry the bearing wholesaler. About thirty dollars each cheaper.

The common JD disk bearing number for 1 1/8 square bore bearing for flangetts is A20175 and they are $63.00 each.

The later bearing is a A20649 and they are just $31.48 each.

I know many on here think that I bleed green but I have found out that on bearings at least JD is many times cheaper than other suppliers. I have an older bearing guide that I can use to cross size to JD numbers. I have several friends that run MF and AC combines that we cross the bearing over when we can. The JD bearing just about always are cheaper than the Agco bearings. Now on other things JD is high too and I go else where.

As for input cost going up. I think we are just seeing the start of that. Our whole economy is based on a cheap abundant energy supply. With oil prices going sky high it will drive cost up through out the supply chain.

People need to remember that we only burn 50-60% of the petroleum as fuel. We use the rest in manufacturing as the base for many daily products.

These days, at auction, I can buy low acre/use 4 or 6 row tillage equipment cheaper than I can repair what I have.

Back when we had a Deere dealer,they had one of those bearing cross reference charts and I got bearings for everything from them. The kids behind the counter at DeereMart just give you a vacant stare if you ask them about it.

I'm telling you! I had a cow out in the field last Wednesday with her feet in the air,dead as a doornail. Saturday morning it cost me $190 to get the tire man out here to fix a loaded 14.9 28 tire on one of the loader tractors........
With the weather like it is,I should be chomping at the bit to get out there and break some records for getting in the field early,but I just don't have it in me anymore. I look at what these cattle would bring if I haule them all to the sale barn. At what the equipment is worth if I called a good auctioneer and had him tell me what to haul up the road to the scrapper and what to list. At what this land is worth if I sold it for what it's assessed at. I think about the things I could do and the life I could live with that money. Instead,every load of cattle I've sold this year,the money had a place to go before I even got the check. Property taxes,income tax on all the money I made last year,an I swear I don't know where it went. Wind and fire,and liability insurance,that Fielders Choice seed corn bill,I know I'm going to have to get 1000 gallons of diesel real soon. It just never ends.

The things we do for our kids I guess. If the one boy didn't want it,I'd be out of here so fast I'd leave skid marks.

You can goto Deeres online parts site and put in non Deere part numbers and most of the time it will cross them to a deere part. Just check the the non deere part box.

Not germaine to this thread, but brought back memories of second shift work in the old assembly line plant across Westfield Ave from the main JD plant, putting thousands of New Departure bearing wrapped in wax paper-Gaylords full of them- and putting them in John Deere Genuine Parts boxes. 1959

Leo

How old's the boy? Between this post and the one about the disc blades below, you sound like you're sure talkin' yourself into pulling the plug. As I recall, you milked for a long time, so I don't blame you for gettin' tired. Might be a good time to start the transition, if he's going to farm it. Sell him the operation on a long term contract, with payments increasing as he gets more established, and will him the contract back when you die (unless you have other kids).

He's 30. He has a good job and quite a reputation building high performance engines. He does even does work for people in other countries. One of the few people that can make a high performance Olds hold together,gets them from Canada now and then even. Has done stuff for Swiss Grand Prix. Had a guy from Sweden here last fall hunting,has an invitation to go over there moose hunting in the fall. He's going to Mexico in May. I don't know why on Gods green earth he thinks he wants to farm. Seems to be just because before my Dad passed away,he told my son that he'd always thought he'd farm the place someday,so now it's stuck in his craw. Flat out,he's just not ready yet to quit what he's doing.
Yes,there are 2 other kids. An older daughter,married with 2 kids,and a younger son. I had offered the place to the younger boy just before we sold the dairy cattle. He was still milking with me and I'd absolutely had enough of that. Offered to sell him the cattle,then the farm after the cows were paid for,but he said he'd stay and help me as long as I wanted him to,but it wasn't what he wanted to do the rest of his life. Said not to keep them on his account,he'd just as soon go get a job. He's a machinist too now. My daughter said to get enough life insurance to help offset the whole thing so she and the younger boy would get something if Jon got the farm,but that much life insurance is out of the question premium wise. So,I guess I'll have to tough it out for a while.
Worst part is,I'm being a hypocrite already. After that scare when I thought I was going to loose a big chunk of rented ground,I told myself I wasn't going to complain. I was just going to be darned grateful that I had enough ground to work to make a living.

I'm thinking about 28 bucks a couple years ago on my I-H disk.

Guess I'd have a "heart to heart" with the older boy. I've seen lots of kids come back the the farm in their 30's, after they had left because they "didn't want to farm", but then got a taste of being a plumber, or millworker, or desk jockey, or whatever, and farming looked pretty good by comparison. But it sounds like he's got the world by the tail, and I can't see why he'd want to come back, either. And beef farming, although great now, will surely cycle back to where its going to be real tough to make a buck.

Now is sure the time to sell beef cattle, and probably as good as any to sell farm land and equipment. I'd be giving it some serious thought, before the opportunity passes.

Even if your dad made a "deathbed" statement that he wanted your son to farm, neither you nor he are really obligated to that. You certainly cannot be expected to keep going, just so son can someday come back.

I normally wouldn't carry on so, but I think you're about the same age as me (63), and I'm sure getting the urge to make some changes in my work situation, as well. Of course, mine is to cut back on my "real" job, to have more time for "play farming" and wrench twisting at home. . .

Yep. I bought a 12' disk in great shape off craig's list this weekend. My old one is need'n blades bad and I bought this one cheaper than a new set of blades cost.

Dave

what is the website? thanks.

It's hard to know when to hang it up; I've known lots of farmers who hung on too long and were sorry they did........for the few years they had left. The ABSOLUTE hardest thing I ever did was to quit, but after the fact, it was about the best thing I've ever done. Had 9 landlords and the relationship with the one I rented the most ground from went back a little over 50 years........2nd generation on both sides. Was renting 800 acres from him and only saw him for about a half day once per year. Had a heart-to-heart with him and asked about his long-term plans. He said that he wasn't selling 'right now', but really had no interest in owning property in my part of the world (he lived about 800 miles away). Found another 500 acres for rent just a few miles down the road, but to make the rent pencil out, I was gonna have to start back to growing cotton. I didn't want to grow cotton.........big conflict with my cattle operation. No children to carry on, so swmbo and I decided that 'next' year will be the last (that was 6 years ago). I wrote the letters to my landlords (saying I was quitting) in late Winter and they laid on my desk......sealed and stamped.....'til late Summer. Mailing them was the one of the most difficult things I've ever done. HAVEN'T REGRETTED IT ONE SINGLE TIME. Three different friends of mine told me that they really wanted to do the same thing, but "Junior" wants to farm. The landlord auctioned the property the following February..........

Dont know. But I can tell you that I am just about ready to sell everything.I just turned 30 and I have already had enough of this bs.

What would it take to make one of those parts by a machinist like me? If it is less than $15 in material and less than 2 hours then it would be profitable for me and you, to have me make them. Really. Can you post a picture with basic dimensions on it.?

check out AgriSupply.com
the company is from N.C. 800-345-0169 i'm thinking stuff is made in china (where else)?

That's what I was thinking when I went in. Figured if they were $35 each I was gonna be a little agrivated,but not surprised. When he said $106,I wasn't impressed. They'd been there so long he didn't even have a price. He had to call the supplier that they got them from to even get a price.
There's a place that I drive right by on my way to and from the stockyard that stocks the heck out of things like that. I'm going to take the old one with me and stop in there next week to see what he gets for them. If they're closer to a "normal" price,I'm going to get at least two.

Ya,I just feel so darned sorry for the boy. He's had the rug pulled out from under him too many times in life. He's been serious with three different girls and after a few years,they all cheated on him and skrewed him over bad. He's had "friends" bone him bad on financial deals. Just seems like whenever he gets his heart set on something,somebody shoots him down. I'm his dad,I don't want to be the one to do it to him again. I'd sooner die of overwork than do that.
BUT,two years ago we were all set to pull the trigger. We were going down to West Tennessee and meet up with jm off this forum and he was going to take us sightseeing to see if we could find a place. The wife had looked in to a nursing job down there and it looked pretty promising. Then on Easter,we had a talk with all three of them while they were here and they dropped this "Grandpa wanted Jon to have it" thing. Took the wind out of my sails,I'll tell you that. Ever since then,I've felt like I was working for him on a place that I'd spent a lifetime paying for and now I could never cash out on. Like I said though,I'm not going to dump all over him if he wants it.

we sell that bearing w208ppb5 for 19.95 call link_disallowed days

Wow, that is a racket. We have a lot of small engines around here for my "real job". Where I buy parts for them, they get me bearings for about all my farm stuff and it's a heck of a lot better deal than NAPA or some place like that. I would of thought it was a $20-25 bearing. The bearings for the coulters on my DMI ripper were $15, bought wheel bearings from them for my JD planter and field cultivator also. Is someone around that's an Oregon dealer? You're right on the price of parts though. I have an old 475 disk that isn't worth putting new blades on I think. Should just look for one at a sale with good blades and scrap mine.

They must be a division of green line llc. They couldn't find a 1/2 inch bolt if it was shoved up there a$$

Www.jdparts.com

A-I shows the suggested retail for 28.00 , JD ownes part of A-I

check out these
Untitled URL Link

I Read all your replies.

If it was easy, painless and worry free, the guy down at the feed store loading 50LB bags into your truck all day, every day, over and over and over, would be doing it, and making what you are making. We all complain about our problems, but your ability to deal with the stress and solve the problems is the reason you have what you have.

Or you could be a truck driver and call into talk radio shows and tell everyone how to run the country.... Even if you can't balance your own checkbook.