renting tractors

[Jeff Holley]

I used to own a tractor. It was a 1952 ford 8n. I used to have 4 four wheelers also. Times got tough and they all got sold. I was able to keep my property and some implements as I have always intended to get another tractor. I loved my 8n but truly it was a dangerous machine on my hilly wooded ground.
We are solid financial ground again and I've been thinking about buying another tractor but I'm not quite ready yet. Last Spring I had a neighbor do some brush hogging for me and although it was good of him to do it , well I'll just say that I would have done it differently. August of last year it needed brush hogging again so I rented a walk behind brush cutter to brush hog about 2 acres. They are great machines but I really thought I was going to die! 92 degrees and high humidity on my then 51 year old body was a poor combination. It got done but I vowed to never do that again. This Spring I decided to rent a tractor. For $150 after tax I rented a 40 hp 4x4 Kubota HST for 2 days (the walk behind was $85). They actually rent for $150/day but they are not open on Sunday so I had the machine for 2 days as long as I was able to return it by 8:30 Monday morning. It was a great deal for me.
I really want my own tractor but I'm starting to wonder if renting may be a better answer for me, at least for now. I don't have a place to store one either at home or on my property. I only have about 3 acres total that are not wooded. I do have a gravel road that is 1/3 of a mile long that needs maintaining.
Is there anyone else thinking along these lines or am I on an Island here ?
I realize a 40 hp tractor may not be enough for some of you but plenty for small/ medium food plots.

 

[yoderjac]

Here are a few things to consider. One is transport. Consider both the time and cost of transporting the tractor between your property and the rental facility. Next, consider availability. If you live on your property or are retired and can be there as much as required, you probably have wider planting windows. However, folks who are working full time and live some distance from their property have to consider planting window. If you only have weekends to work, untimely rain could keep you out of fields some weekends significantly shortening your planting window. If the rental unit is not available when the window is still open, you could easily miss it. Another consideration is the rental company's reliability. I've rented a lot of equipment that is not always checked out between rentals. Folks sometime break things and don't tell the rental company when they make the return. The next renter ends up stuck. I remember renting a battery powered cherry picker. I got it to the farm and had a crew ready to help me install rafters and roofing on a pavilion and found they forgot to charge the battery before renting it to me.

With your own equipment, you have purchase, operating, and maintenance costs, but you have instant availability and you know what condition it is in since you are the one who left it that way.

I find renting to be the best fit for large equipment that is used rarely rather than something like a tractor that is used on a regular basis. Personally, I'd consider the rental as a temporary solution that allows you the time to save money and find a good deal on a tractor purchase.

Thanks,

Jack

 

[Jeff Holley]

Thanks Jack, It may end up being temporary as my lust for tractors is strong. Then my practical side kicks in with the cost factor. I could rent 100 times before I'm anywhere close to tractor buying money.
There certainly are sacrifices to renting vs owning as you have mentioned. I don't disagree with any of them and there are likely more left unsaid. With renting vs owning I definitely have to be more flexible. Right now I'm ok with that.

Jeff

 

[tooln]

I first rented when I bought my property. I got by but it was a pain in the butt. I did end up buying a tractor, now I can do what I want when I want and not have to worry about watching the hour meter or weather. I have no place at home to store it and the property had no storage. I bought a shipping container to keep the tractor in and it's working out great for me. I also built a lean to to store eq. under.

 

[Turkey Creek]

I have contemplated this myself. Also thought about possibly leasing (though I dont know the cost of that currently) I can right it off as a business expense. I cant seem to find a tractor that meets my needs at a price I can afford if I outright buy it. Lots of the big machinery is leased today. Makes little sense to own a $500k + combine that you use for 2-3 weeks a year.

 

[Jeff Holley]

[QUOTE="Turkey Creek, post Makes little sense to own a $500k + combine that you use for 2-3 weeks a year.[/QUOTE]

^^^ This is where I'm at, but at a reduced price.