#equipmentupgrades — Public Fediverse posts on home.social

Squeezed by a tough economy, many farmers are relying on decades-old machinery

More farmers are opting to repair old tractors, combines and other machinery instead of buying new upgrades. A tough farm economy and historically-high equipment prices are at least partly to blame.

Harvest Public Media | By Emma George-Griffin
Published August 17, 2026

Excerpt: " But the most striking part about the farm in Ithaca, Michigan, are the piles of old machinery scattered across the property.

" 'Some of this equipment we’ll never use again,' said sixth-generation owner Dennis Kellogg. 'But it’s amazing how if I need a part of something that’s similar that’ll work on even a different brand, I’m able to go and find something that’ll work.'

"Whether it’s a pulley, an old truck or tillage equipment – Kellogg has it on his farm. And he’s proud he can save money by flexing his mechanic skills.

" 'So here's a piece of equipment bought at scrap price that'll do the same job as a $40,000 or $50,000 brand new piece of equipment would do,' he said."

The article goes on to say that while farmers can "get by with older models of equipment" some of them would like to "upgrade those machines with new technologies" -- but unfortunately, those upgrades aren't cheap!

#SolarPunkSunday #RightToRepair #DIY #FixIt #EquipmentUpgrades #Farming #EquipmentRepair #FarmingEquipment #BuiltToLast #Upgradable