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Tractor Talk Discussion Forum

tractor value formula

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mikeinWA

05-16-2005 11:30:24




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Years ago an old logger presented me with a formula to gauge wether or not you got your monies worth out of a used vehicle. He figured it at 10 cents per mile add repair costs. For example: my old pickup
paid-1700.00
brakes etc over the years-1000
heads-300
maint-1500
total=$4500.00
mileage to break even=45,000

Has anyone developed a similar formula to rough out the value of tractors? I farm for a living. Granted it is a small farm by comparison, but I cannot always afford to be attached personally to a piece of equipment. In other situations there exist helpful formulas for making good business decisions. Any number crunchers or brainy farmers willing to take a crack at developing something? I would think something like:
(Hp x hrs x X)+ repair&maint = value
Where X is a reasonable value of Hp/hrs

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Jerry/MT

05-17-2005 10:27:57




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 Re: tractor value formula in reply to mikeinWA, 05-16-2005 11:30:24  
There is a lot implied in the question you are asking and it doesn't boil down to a single, simple equation.
You use the word value but I think you mean price. Value is a little more subjective. (A 250 hp tractor is of no value to me on my ranch but a 65 hp utility tractor is a valuable tool to me.) The used tractor market is one example of a free market where supply and demand dictate price. For a given model there will be a range of prices that will be determined by the age, mechanical condition, and desirability. One could buy one of the manuals that give the listing of the various prices of all the models and curve fit the data to come up with an equation. Each model of each tractor would presumably have it's own equation.

You also mentioned ".....formulas for making good business decisions". Now whether the determined price makes the purchase a good business decision is another matter. In general you can step up to a better tractor if it is going to improve you productivity. (If your old tractor is broke, then you definetly need to get a better one because your productivity willl drop drastically with out it.) You eveluate it just like you evaluate whether you can add more acrage to your farm. How much will it cost(cash price, loan cost, time value of money, taxes, additional fuel fertilizer, chemicals, labor, etc) versus what additional revenue will it bring in over a certain periods of time? If the difference is positive over 5, 7, 10 years, it probably is a good business decision.

This is the philosphy that I use in evaluating major decisions. Most peole cal it "penciling it out".

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mikeinWA

05-17-2005 23:18:28




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 Re: tractor value formula in reply to Jerry/MT, 05-17-2005 10:27:57  
I really think it could boil down to a simple equation. the formula I propose would assume that no one would apply it to anything they didnt need. It would allow some one to make an educated decision regarding repair or replace. Land purchase is no different. In this area a savvy invester will not pay more thaN 25000 for a building lot. Based on cost of putting up a structure, power septic installation etc. Thats a good simple ball park.You can argue all day that the land might be worth more as per veiw, if you love the land you cant quantify the joy it will bring you in dollars and cents etc. The fact reamins that after cost of building 25000 is a good figure. My previous post regarding ten cents per mile could apply to a Jaguar as well as a Vega because the original purchase price will reflect in the resale price. A large tractor will cost what it costs, a small tractor the same. Resale will be reflected here. At some point it isnt worth hanging on to these old trators from a strict dollars and cents perspective. Its raining again here this evening and I intend to grow the brains to figure this out. Wish me luck. More later.

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Mike M

05-17-2005 05:33:20




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 Re: tractor value formula in reply to mikeinWA, 05-16-2005 11:30:24  
Too many variables,supply and demand,tax right offs,inflation to mention a few. Then there's the JD 4020 you could have bought one new ran it hard for 40 years wrote it off on your taxes then sold it for more money than you paid for it new.



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Chris Brown

05-16-2005 17:43:48




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 Re: tractor value formula in reply to mikeinWA, 05-16-2005 11:30:24  
Another car formula. I have always gone $100 per month on a used car or truck. If an old $2500 pickup lasts 2 years driven daily then I came out good. This would not work for tractors because they lasy darn near forever.



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RB/CT

05-16-2005 17:23:36




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 Re: tractor value formula in reply to mikeinWA, 05-16-2005 11:30:24  
Suzie Orman, noted finance expert says that if you buy a brand new car, you must keep it a minimum of 10 years to come out ahead. Tried to keep my 98 F-150, 4.2 v6 that long but at 80k the crankshaft went on it. I had it seven years. Sold it cheap.



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old dude

05-16-2005 15:25:59




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 Re: tractor value formula in reply to mikeinWA, 05-16-2005 11:30:24  
after many years of investing in heavy iron there seems to be an universal formula (basic line of thought)that actually may well predate mechanized agricultural equipment.Thus rendering any type of mathmatical formula useless. Simply put- regard the following: YOUR JUNK IS ALWAYS WORTH MORE THAN MY JUNK. This being the case trades can not be made without excessive boot given or cash deals can"t be made unless inflated prices are met. The end result= Heavy iron rusting away in fence rows or loaded on the slow boat to china. I ain"t no economic scholar just wanted to inject some ironic humor into this post. Anyone else out there come to this conculsion on the afore mentioned topic?

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Jim.UT

05-17-2005 12:48:33




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 Re: tractor value formula in reply to old dude, 05-16-2005 15:25:59  
"Ironic" humor? I get it! Nice use of words!



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Jim.UT

05-16-2005 13:32:12




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 Re: tractor value formula in reply to mikeinWA, 05-16-2005 11:30:24  
Somewhere you need to consider if the vehicle (car, truck or tractor) will meet your basic needs. Example, using a similar formula to what you suggest you may find a 35 hp tractor to be a better value when compared to the asking price than a 100 hp tractor parked next to it. But if you need 100 hp tractor to accomplish the tasks you have to do, then the 35 hp tractor will be a waste of money regardless of it's "value" according to the formula.

In the case of your old truck, if you need to haul 6 kids to soccer practice 3 times a week, that pickup is a waste of money because it doesn't do the job you need done. Similarly, if you need to haul hay to feed a dozen head of cattle all winter, a minivan is probably a waste of money.

That doesn't answer your question, but maybe it helps someeone else in developing a formula. something to consider anyway..... ...

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mikeinWA

05-16-2005 13:47:38




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 Re: tractor value formula in reply to Jim.UT, 05-16-2005 13:32:12  
vehicle choice etc would be based on specific need, only applied to appropriate rigs. That is to say if you need a 100hp tractor you would look for and apply the formuloa to just that. It might be most useful in deciding whether to repair equipment or dress it up and sell it, and if you did sell it to determine a price that is fair adn financially appropriate. We have some equipment which has served us well for years but as it gets older and the demands on it get greater it would be nice to have something to help determine when it is time to cut and run.

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Mike (WA)

05-17-2005 08:37:21




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 Re: tractor value formula in reply to mikeinWA, 05-16-2005 13:47:38  
I think in practice, you do this subconsciously, after the fact- especially after (or facing) a big repair, you decide this rig is a one-way ticket to the poorhouse, so you switch. The difficulty in applying a formula prospecively is you never know when the big breakdown will occur. BTW, I did reply to your post a while back, but it was after the weekend and the post was about 3 pages back by then (popular boards do have their drawbacks)- since then, you signed your full name to another post, and I see by my trusty phone book that you are in the Boistfort valley- I'll try to swing over that way one of these days.

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mikeinWA

05-17-2005 10:11:31




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 Re: tractor value formula in reply to Mike (WA), 05-17-2005 08:37:21  
Sorry I missed the previous post. Where are you located?



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Mike (WA)

05-17-2005 12:18:05




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 Re: tractor value formula in reply to mikeinWA, 05-17-2005 10:11:31  
End of Kaul Road, off Hwy 603- 5 mi. SW of Chehalis, 4 miles N of Napavine. You?



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mikeinWA

05-17-2005 23:04:30




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 Re: tractor value formula in reply to Mike (WA), 05-17-2005 12:18:05  
Two doors south of the Curtis store on the Boistfort Rd.



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Chuck MI

05-17-2005 03:13:17




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 Re: tractor value formula in reply to mikeinWA, 05-16-2005 13:47:38  
Hi Mike!

Interesting question. However using straight HP is flawed in the sense that, around here there are a middle class of tractor that are devalued relative to HP. Small tractors are snatched up by hobby farmers, and big tractors are desired by grain farmers, but some of the middle sized tractors can be picked up pretty reasonable relative to HP. It all relates to supply and demand.

Chuck

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Gerald J.

05-16-2005 14:38:18




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 Re: tractor value formula in reply to mikeinWA, 05-16-2005 13:47:38  
If the cost of ownership (purchase price minus resale price plus fuel plus repairs plus maintenance) less the price of the fun derived is less than the cost of custom hiring the work divided by the annoyance of not getting the work done in a time manner, its time to own, otherwise its time to hire.

Gerald J.



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