What is the difference between old and used farm equipment?

When planning to purchase farm equipment, the deciding between used and old machinery can be a hard decision to make. While one is reliable with fewer repair expense in future, the other one seems to be more affordable. Find below some key differences while deciding on to purchase between old and used farm equipment with pros and cons.

Old farm equipment

First of all, we must understand that old farm equipment does not mean farming equipment that was used by ancient ancestors. Old farm equipment is, that has been used from generation to generation.

Used farm equipment

Used farm equipment can be found in the better condition sometimes, depending on its usage, unlike old farm equipment. Used farm machinery cost depends on its age from a year to five years. A dealer also has a record of full service and repair history so if you plan to buy used farm equipment you exactly know what you are getting.

Used farm equipment is definitely a cost-effective purchase that allows you to save you from big investment or to save money so that you can invest it elsewhere in your farm business. Like a car’s, farm equipment also depreciates after some time, but if you buy used farm equipment, that will depreciate comparatively at a slow rate. You may also consider investing in used machinery to allow your farm to continue operations in case machinery breaks down.

Pros and cons of Old vs used Farm Machinery

Old farm machinery

Often overlooked when compared to new or used machinery, old farm equipment has many benefits. Here we have mentioned a few benefits of buying old farm machinery

·        Old farm equipment has a much lower purchase price tag that is an advantage for low budget farm businesses. Lower price will also allow you to use the saved money on refurbishing the equipment back to its former condition.
·        Old farm machinery has relatively low fuel usage. Few of the manually powered equipment like ploughs, hay rakes and compact tractors allow you to save on fuel.
·        A major disadvantage of buying old equipment is that when you plan to refurbish you may not find the parts in the market. Or dealers who have those parts may charge extra money.
·        When you buy old equipment, you might have to spend time to learn the operating process of the equipment.

Used farm machinery

This is one of the most common choices among farmers when it comes to buying used farm machinery and below we have mentioned a few advantages and disadvantages.

·        Used farm machinery is usually tried and tested by last owners that mean in case of any problems it will be easy to get fixed. If the equipment is in well maintained then it’s a fair deal to invest in machinery as it reliable and highly affordable as in good condition.
·        When you plant to buy used farm equipment there are more options than buying new or old. You have plenty of choices and are not restricted to choose one dealer’s offer. If you are good at a bargain, you can get a great deal.
·        Used machinery may need some maintenance and repairs; on the other hand, this may not be with old machinery. Reputable sellers may sell used equipment after getting it repaired properly.
·        Finding reliable used equipment can be tough than finding new equipment. In both the situations, you will have to access the machine but when buying a used one you need double-check the farm machinery.
·        You also need to research the best market price before making an order to avoid paying extra money on equipment because it may be cheaper elsewhere.

Conclusion

While purchasing old farm equipment is a good deal for smaller farms with tight budgets and small land to be ploughed or worked on manually. But for a commercial farmer buying used equipment with new technology will be a wise decision to make. Both the options help in increasing the productivity on your land, so make a decision after analyzing all the pros and cons and chose what best suits you.