Buying equipment for your farm can be a costly endeavour, especially if you’ve just recently acquired a new plot of land. Not only do these pieces of equipment cost a pretty penny, but they’re also quite hard to operate for beginners.
That said, when utilised to their fullest potential, these agricultural machinery can be godsends in the field. They significantly boost efficiency, increase crop yield, and reduce labour, leading to higher profitability.
If you want to make the most out of your farm, then having a host of agricultural machinery can be a great start. But don’t just purchase the first machine you come across.
You must carefully vet your options to ensure that the machinery is not only usable but also delivers maximum value from your investment.
Without further ado, here are five common pitfalls people make when buying their farming equipment. Let’s jump right into it!
1. Not Doing Enough Research
You may be eager to rush to purchase agricultural machinery based on your current needs—but don’t jump onto the first offer presented to you. If you buy something without targeting a specific function for it in your farmland, you may as well be throwing money away.
Before you buy a piece of equipment, ask yourself if such a move is truly necessary.
As previously mentioned, a lot of these agricultural equipment pieces tend to cost more than a couple thousand dollars at full price, so evaluating the need for it over the long term is necessary to ensure you’re not losing out on value.
Some questions you can ask yourself before buying a piece of machinery include:
- What specific problems will this equipment solve?
- How often will the equipment be used?
- Does it fit into the long-term strategy of the farm?
- What is the expected lifespan and resale value?
Finding the answer to these questions can help you assess whether the machine can fit into your overall farming business. It’s more than possible to conclude not to buy a piece of machinery if it’s not warranted.
The research process doesn’t stop at figuring out the need. There are several other repercussions to failing to do adequate research before buying a piece of agricultural machinery, like a large tractor or a plough.
For instance, you might end up purchasing a piece of machinery that isn’t suitable for your type of terrain or crop. This could lead to production inefficiencies or damage to the machine or farmland.
Another potential downfall is incompatibility with the equipment you already own. You may end up buying a machine that’s priced higher but has similar features to something you already have on the farm, for instance.
One more mistake machinery buyers may overlook is missing out on deals and discounts when acquiring their machinery.
If you’re based in Australia, then you can look for good deals in clearing sales in Australia for agricultural equipment—saving you hundreds of dollars for virtually the same product.
By researching the potential purchase candidate beforehand, you’ll make the best economical and value-based decision given the information you have. This can help save you from future headaches and dollars down the drain in the future.
2. Overlooking Lifetime Costs
Many farmers look solely at the machinery’s selling price and use it as the basis for their decision. This is a big mistake.
Even the highest-quality equipment will degrade and deteriorate over time, so it’s essential to take its lifetime value into account before making any purchasing agreement.
The lifetime cost of a piece of equipment consists of several factors. For one, it includes maintenance costs, which include both regular servicing and specific repair jobs. Another component of lifetime cost is the machine’s depreciation, or lost cost over time.
It’s also crucial to consider the equipment’s downtime—as that translates to the overall productivity of the farmland. If the equipment’s longevity or durability isn’t the greatest, then its overall value may not be ideal.
By taking these factors into account, you’ll have a more comprehensive view of the value of the machinery you’re planning to purchase. This, in turn, can ensure that your purchase is something worthwhile for both your present and future needs.
3. Failing to Take Farm Size into Account
There are big differences in farm sizes with vastly different operational needs, and agricultural machinery brands know this. That’s why many of them offer agricultural machinery like tractors and combine harvesters in various sizes and capacities.
As a farm owner, it’s essential to choose the right one for your specific needs.
Getting a piece of equipment that’s too big (say, a tractor) can make it hard for your machine to manoeuvre tight and narrow spaces, whereas getting a machine that’s too small can make farmwork inefficient and slow.
Properly matching machinery to your farm’s specific scale and demands ensures operational efficiency, longevity of equipment, and overall cost-effectiveness. In turn, this can increase your odds of increasing your profit ceiling to the highest potential figure.
4. Not Inspecting the Machine Before Buying
Another mistake buyers make is forgetting to thoroughly inspect the rig before purchasing it. The salesman or advertisement may have shown all the bells and whistles of the product, but nothing beats experiencing the product and going out on a test drive with it yourself.
Take the time to test the various mechanics of the machine you plan on purchasing in the store.
Look if the machine has any visible problems or wear and tear. Performing a visual inspection can help you avoid wasting time or dealing with a faulty piece of equipment. This is especially important if you’re buying the machine from a secondhand seller.
Depending on the machine, adjust the settings and get familiar with the control panel. If possible, sample it on your own farmland and observe how it operates before buying it. Request if it’s possible.
That said, this type of request may not be entertained. In such cases, it’s essential to buy a machine that has warranty coverage for at least a week or more. This is to ensure that you can return your machine if it happens to break or malfunction during operation.
By inspecting your machine, you’ll have peace of mind knowing that your machine is working at its best capacity straight out of the gate. This, in turn, can save you a lot of time and money—and your sanity to boot!
5. Not Taking Customer Support into Account
Ignoring customer support when buying agricultural machinery can cause future problems.
Equipment breakdown is inevitable, especially if you plan to use it for long stretches of time without replacing or scrapping it. When this happens, you’d want to have a brand representative at your beck and call to guide you on the next steps in resolving this issue.
A reliable customer support team are these people—helping customers like yourself across a wide variety of issues. Some of their functions include addressing issues, obtaining spare parts, and giving directions to maintenance help, which all help minimise downtime.
Without strong customer support, even minor technical problems can result in prolonged operational disruptions, affecting farm productivity and profitability. As such, it’s essential to pick a brand that’s known to have a good customer support reputation.
Furthermore, good customer service provides training on machine use, updates on new technology, and maintenance advice.
They’re not going to direct you to an outsourced company with an agent who’s not familiar with the machinery at all.
Prioritising customer support in your purchase ensures you get the help needed to make the most of your agricultural machine.
Conclusion
The list above should cover some of the common mistakes you’ll likely encounter when buying agricultural machinery. But don’t think that it’s limited to just that.
Many things can go wrong during the purchasing process. So be fastidious and thorough when buying new agricultural machinery.
We hope this article helped give you some insights on what to avoid when buying your first (or second, or tenth!) farm equipment.
All the best in making your next purchase!
