Tech Teen Makes "Cents" With Tractors
If you have a tech-savvy teen, chances are they are looking for ways to make money. Earning some cash can be an integral part of a teen's development and it can be an exciting way to spend their time outside of school. With the opportunity for many options available for teens, as well as an increasing number of opportunities in places like Silicon Valley, most teens will find their area of interest in this field.
For some tech-savvy teens who love farming and the outdoors but don't know where to start, there is an option that just opened up from what was once considered the "old way" of farming: tractors.
Farms across the country have been using tractors for years, but until recently there was a chance that it may have been considered an outdated technology. The reason being that in the past, tractors were typically used in large farms and only after they had delivered their last load of crops could they be sold or donated to smaller operations.
However, 10 years ago, two different companies decided to make tractors more accessible and sold them not only as a viable on-farm technology but also as an asset for many small businesses who are looking for something to use or sell.
These two companies were:
First, FarmTek was founded in 1999 and has distributors nationwide. FarmTek uses four different tractors and has more than 50 new models available for purchase. In addition to the tractors, Farm Tractors also sells other farm-related items like spare parts, tools, equipment and farm implements. The company also produces two shows that are typically aired on PBS .
Then, in 2005, iOmega was founded to help people learn how to run their own independent dairy business or other type of profitable farm business. iOmega offers one-on-one training where they teach the farmer everything they need to know about running a successful business. The first steps of their training begins with buying a working tractor and then training all the other employees who are needed to make the farm run.
With these two companies pioneering what has become a "trend" in agriculture, where the potential for income can range from $1,000-$10,000 per year, farmers have found that tractors are an affordable and time-effective means to get started in this industry. Once they have gotten their product, now they can sell it to new farms all over the country while building values greater than the cost of their machine.
Here is just a short list of some of the tractors that farmers need to make money at their farms:
Singer 1066 : This is one of the most popular models from FarmTek with almost 120 new units sold each year. This tractor is used to haul hay and also cut, bale and stack hay fields. It has a large backhoe cutting attachment that works in tandem with its front loader to move bales onto its trailer. In addition it has a wide front-end for stacking hay, large front tires for traction on soft ground and rear tires that are fitted with steel rims for more traction when cutting grass.
Kubota L245DT : This tractor is great for large operations and offers farmers the ability to run 25 different attachments. It has a diesel engine that provides 3,400 pounds in torque while running at just 1,200 RPM. It also has back up lights, head lights and running lights so you can see what you are doing at night.
Briggs & Stratton 465 : The prototype for this model was the largest-horsepower, four-wheel drive tractor available when it was released in 1968 and it was deemed a "super-tractor." The Briggs and Stratton 465 has been on a white list of reliable tractors by the U.S. Department of Agriculture since the early 1950s. A wide and deep range of attachments are available for this tractor including snow blowers and spraying equipment.
Pow-R-Flex : This is a small but robust tractor that features a hydraulic lift and can move up to 40,000 pounds. It has large front tires (240/50 R18) and rear tires (275/65 R20). The Pow-R-Flex is capable of hauling anywhere from 2,000 pounds to the maximum of 40,000 pounds depending on how much it needs to carry that day.
While there are many different tractors that farmers can buy, the key is to find the one that fits their needs and their budget. Also, farmers should do an extensive amount of research before making a purchase to make sure that the tractor and attachments that they are getting will work for them. They should also ask for recommendations on which tractor is best for their operation.
The best part about tractors is not only how affordable they are compared to other machinery, but also how small businesses can use them as a way to create revenue while being able to stay within their budget and at the same time help farms all over the country start up and continue growing.
Are Tractors Right for Your Farm?
There are many reasons why a farmer may want to buy a tractor. There is an availability of jobs that use tractors and there has been increased interest in these. A farmer may want to invest in one in order to increase the value of their farm, or they may want one as a source of extra income. These are just some reasons why someone might consider buying one. To decide if this is something worth investing money in and starting up, you need to determine if it will be worth it for you. There are definitely some aspects of buying a tractor that will have an influence on whether it is right for you or not.
Cost of Ownership
The cost of tractor ownership will be based more on how many hours you want it to run each year compared to the cost of a bag of fertilizer. A bag of un-bagged fertilizer runs between $12-$15 per 100 lbs., however, a bag of baled hay will only be around $4-$8 per ton or about 20% less that un-bagged. You are looking at saving money by not having to buy the fertilizer and using your machine instead. There are exceptions to this when it comes to certain types of beans like flint corn, which is extremely labor intensive and requires heavy hoeing and tilling. This is because the beans are planted in rows and require farmers to do an extremely labor intensive job to get them ready for harvest.
Farmers who want to make money with their tractors will need to know more about how many hours they typically run per year. This can be measured by how much time they typically spend running their machine, how many hours of downtime there are during the year and looking at the cost of fuel, oil and other maintenance items. You need to consider all of these factors when deciding whether you should buy a tractor or not. It will be important to find a tractor that will meet your needs while not being too costly or too hard on your wallet.
Conclusion
There are many benefits to buying a tractor, but you need to consider cost, upkeep and other factors as well. You will have to figure out just how much time you want to put into tractors versus other choices that you have for farm equipment. There are a lot of considerations if you want to get into this type of farming, but it is worth it if you do since the profits can be substantial.
Sources:
http://www.agricultureusa.com/tractors-how-much-should-you-pay/
http://www.farmersforfieldtofork.