.

Start with buying power reduction (inflation) of pick the calculator method since they changed it every decade, 1980s calc puts current rates near 20%).

Add in parts shortages to fix modern equipment. Many are just sitting waiting.

Add DEF shortages, limp home modes.

Add in Right To Repair shenanigans.

Only subtract for the few farmers figuring out Regen Ag that needs less equipment. Tillage chemical farmers are frightened to switch, so no relief.

Add in more homesteaders buying equipment new and used to handle their plots.

Hard to find equipment bargains anymore.

.

Decent Tires, Quick tach on loader, does not jump out of third or second, starts relatively easy but engine needs a refresh OH, Brakes work well and hydraulics still operate well. Lights, Tach, fuel gauge even work.

Do you mean those that have so called farms that are 20-30 acres or so that think they need a 100+ HP tractor to mow fields a couple times a year?

Back when I was in school my family had an Allis B and a Su H Farmall and was farming over 500 acres. The WANT often is far more than the NEED and proves that even with prices as they are, many have money to piss away burning a hole in their pockets.

That's a $35,000.00 tractor now. In work clothes.

So, you looked at a 4 year old 130 HP MFWD?  What did you think you were going to find?

You're just like one of those guys that irritates Paul.  NOBODY NEEDS MFWD!!!!!!

Guy that bought it paid a INSANE Price for a Yard tractor, I am looking for a WORK Tractor.

The MFWD comment is Paul's, from way back, not me.  I have a MFWD, and wouldn't be without it.  My point is, while yes prices are even more ridiculous than 5-10 years ago, prices of what you're looking for have been high for a long time.  Go look for a tractor?  Dude, I do it all the time, and it is HARD.  

You don't mention specific number of acres, but piecing all together, I think safe to say "not all that much" in the grand scheme of a farm economy.  To find something new enough to be reliable, old enough to be repairable and relatively low on, shall we say, emissions and electronics, and yet affordable and make your operation somehow economically viable, is going to be nearly impossible.  You and 1000 others are looking for the same thing, hence the scarcity and PRICE.

For someone who rebuilt a Kenworth practically from the ground up, why not do the same with an older tractor?  Will it be perfect?  Nope, but neither will anything else.

curious...

what is MFWD  vs 4WD ?

How about FWA?

I'm sure there's debate about this.  But several years ago, I sort of wondered the same.  Maybe even there's some "brand lingo" in this but, here's my take:

4WD, 4 wheel drive is like the articulated tractors.  All 4 corners equal sized, can deliver and handle more/less equal share of the power.

MFWD has smaller front wheels, similar in size to a 2 WD tractor.  The front end is driven with a drive shaft and has a gearing ratio to allow for the difference in wheel size.  These tractors are weighted back end heavy, more traction will come from the back, but the front helps out A LOT vs a 2wd tractor of similar size.

FWA, in my book, Deere made one where the fronts were driven hydraulically.  It worked ok for traction, but the parasitic horsepower about negated the traction help.  Then as the unit aged, things didn't work so hot.  

For one got that KW essentially on the Cheap, less than $6k and it was delivered HERE.  As to the rehab it became extensive but lacking any other viable potentials finished it and will be a worthy haul truck for myself and this farm.  Have 75 Open Acres, 21 acre in Brome, most of open beyond that is pasture, can rent additional 20 acres along S Fence as the renters decide to leave which is becoming ever more likely as they are overwhelmed with 600 sheep lambing now.  I cannot buy or even come to find funds to finance a tractor I would need to add thousands to, to have ready for the next failure, had that with the 7G, just each time of use something else would fail, at 40 years aged was fatigued to near death.  AgCo dealer here is Gone, Rosebud tractor bought Bockting where all my Allis parts must be shipped in from further out dealers, next closest is Troy Mo with a satellite shop in Warrenton but they are easing away from Allis Heritage Parts too.  Thoughts were to find a damaged tractor to rehab as noted in previous posting, still wanting extreme money for those as parts are so high.

Thought had a different 18 year old row crop MFWD from out near Mexico MO, needed tires, using oil, AC broken but did not care, older case 110 hp, was GONE before I got to look at it, 18 Years old, beaten to pulp and STILL brought $35,000, engine alone to overhaul is over $7000 just in parts to do Right.  Sad days for small acreage active farms.  

Neighbor may be closing down, another cattle cow/calf farm, currently moving stock to auction a few at a time, has started selling of last seasons bales.  Sits on a little under 200acres in three parcels, HOWEVER, land would likely go for sale not rent, not enough down to buy even using current equity in existing, would also need better mower, Mower Conditioner, Baler and larger tractor to compliment the machines currently have.  Just not financially feasible.  To leave sell and offer to rent from new owner, likely not feasible either as another family has finances to over bid us sits fence line adjoined.  Sheep farm north of us REALLY wants our ground, NOT to lease but own, his brothers are ones leasing currently with he three years age ahead of me, has kids but are doing other jobs, has nobody to aid with stock or maintenance much as I.  His comments to me are such if comes up with the cash I may just leave the farming and fully retire, expenses are such is really no longer viable here unless luck into something or have had the larger farm for forever so can add the smaller surrounding.  A 10 year old 100hp fwd with a loader in DECENT working order yet under $35,000 and NOT requiring massive inputs too soon would be the only way could afford, IE Tires, Engine, trans or final work.

Farm down the road is also older family, 245a, kids have ZERO Desire to farm or raise stock, only want the money when Uncle and Aunt pass, no kids of their own.  Could be end of small farms in Mid Mo and sooner than many expected as seeing this repeated over and over for five surrounding counties.  And as to equipment sales from private owners, they are worse than dealers now for stupid prices.

I've grown from ~ 170 acres to ~400 acres in 3 years, 50% more cows, and my "big tractor" is the Allis 7045.  Air conditioning does not work, and those nice quiet cabs are an absolute hot box.  Door is removed, helps a little.

But yeah, looking at all those acres to do, 95% by myself, and a 45 year old tractor to heavily rely on gives one pucker moments. 

Tractors are one thing:

Baler

Planter

Drill

Barn

Grain drying/storing/handling

Tillage tools

Not enough money can be generated from 400 acres to cover an investment.  Have to carefully pick and choose what to do when.  My newest tractor is a 2008, but it's just a little 2wd guy, not too useful in the row crops. After that it's a relatively small 1990, and a 1976.

If an old tractor that you could rebuild in Kenworth fashion were to come up, it would be HIGHLY marketable, whether you used it yourself for a few years or not. 

Mr. Miller, as I, likely has areas he needs to get to that rarely ever dry, plus the MFWD does a better job of getting the HP and traction to the ground.  That way, according to Paul, I rape the land. 

Feedlot not really ever until August dries down, use bunks for supplements and spot grain feeds spring summer fall, winter is only spot can deliver grain mix where bale rings get moved around to keep from slewing acres and acres.  Already looking to reposition some fence lines and gates, make grassland rotation more functional with adequate water supply.

Been watching sales closely, checking dealer and independent sales yards for something as I noted above, so far Nada.  Closest was the Case, seems I see a ad, make a call is already gone and ad not a day old yet.  Local Trader Paper 90% worth anything gone just as soon as magazine hits racks.  I am far from the only one looking and yet the Big Cash buyers with the Hobby farm 20acres, are buying much of them and getting to bid wars to get these.  Maybe as the economy slugs and they NEED to sell could pick up a bargain, again MAYBE.  BTW acreage here took another step bump, average sales price $5k/acre crap ground.  Better lay or amenities, $6k.  BIL's place at Gladden MO seven miles out of Salem is now closing in on $4k/acre for Hills, Scrub trees and Rocks, MINIMAL Dirt/Soil.  Much not even suitable for Pasturage of Beef or Hogs, most larger farms are Fowl raisers, everything in sheds.  I still lend Nephew Allis to mow there and make what plantings they do.  Usually one full week to two in late spring then one in Summer to early Fall.

 Allis had hyd front wheel assist, on the 220's at about the same time as deere, they too, had problems with it. And selling it!

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Time or finance runs out will just be NOT doing anything.

There were lots of variations referring to 'front wheel assist'.  Think of it in same realm as the variety of transfer case setups that've appeared over time.

If you have Mechanical Front Wheel Drive, you've got a transfer case that's dedicated to a rigid drive scheme.  Works great as long as you don't need to turn, because Ackerman steering (front wheels swing in varying arc to change direction) means the front axle will make a larger radius in a turn, than the rear axle.  This means the front driveshaft needs to actually roll FURTHER in a turn, than the rear.   Drive a classic Jeep in 4, on concrete, and attempt a tight turn, it'll jump and bark it's way around, because there's nothing to allow that difference.

Jeeps are a good basis for example, as you go from a 'part time' transfer case (that connects front and rears together in a hard coupling) to a 'full time' transfer case, (which has a center differential) will allow that front axle to turn further than the rear, so you can easily drive around all day in full-time 4wd and not scrub tires or bind driveline.

The catch is, that if you hitch up a load in a full-time case, and put one tire on loose gravel, you're gonna spin that one tire, the other three are gonna be sitting there doing basically nothing.   With the PART TIME case, that one tire will prevent it's opposite wheel from taking on tractive force, but the OTHER AXLE, being bound to the same connection, will be doing everything IT can.

Now, there's several 'flavors' of transfer case options besides 'full' or 'part' time... and many fall under the 'full time' description of being able to run on a flat-dry without scrub or bind... and they accomplish it by a variety of methods... one being having that center differential as a 'limited slip' (like a Detroit Locker or Auburn, so that it'll allow SOME variation, but as the differential demand increases, it starts clamping down on clutches, etc., to lock up that center and take up the slack.

Another one, is a viscous coupling... a can with two shafts coming in, a pair of turbine blades, and a 'goo' that gets thicker as it gets hotter, thus, there's differentiation, but as the slip increases, it starts gripping tighter.

Another one, is a wax motor (expands as it warms) that applies force to clutch disks to accomplish the same.

Then there's the other concept-  Make ONE axle's drive securely driven, like an ordinary FWD or RWD vehicle.  Then bring a driveline from the OTHER end, coupled through a viscous or wax-motor type coupling.  When rolling down a smooth-clear road, all the driveline is spinning, but both ends are spinning same speed, so the coupling is just along-for-the-ride.  Get into a slick situation, the main driveline is trying unsuccessfully, the front is gripping, but not getting much pull as a result of the coupling being compliant... but with the slip occurring, the coupling heats up, and starts to grip, bringing in the other axle to ASSIST...

And with electronic controls and gadetry today, there's even more ways of making this happen... but I'm keeping it basic.

The concept of FWA is really how most small cars with 'all wheel drive' do what they do.  We have three Honda CRVs of three different generations, and they say "Real-Time 4wd"... it's really a situation of 'front wheel drive'... with "rear wheel assist"... and it's a an interesting, located in the REAR DIFF.  The driveshaft to the rear diff unit is hard-coupled to the front diff pinion, and the rear diff has the coupling coming IN, and it's a funky 'dual pump' that detects a difference between the front and rear speeds.  Clever as heck...

But it's not without it's downsides (nothing is ever without, right?)  Our CR-Vs are REALLY picky about tire size, wear, and pressure.  A SLIGHT difference chews into the fuel economy pretty bad... and if I unbolt the driveshaft and remove it (which I've had to do), fuel economy goes up noticeably.  They also wear out tires really fast...

But that's FWA.  Put a CR-V rear diff on the front axle of a D14, drive it from the rear axle pinion, and you've got 'Real-Time' FWA!!! ;-)