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About Capital press. (Salem, OR) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 7, 2016)
October 7, 2016 CapitalPress.com 3 Deciding whether to ix or replace equipment For the Capital Press Winter repairs are brisk business at Ag West Supply in Harrisburg, Ore., where farmers tend to keep machinery longer. This is largely due to the large number of smaller acreages in the area. “Around here they basically run them until they absolute- ly die,” service manager Larry Austin said. “About 17 out of every 20 combines we see in a year are 20-plus years old.” Every repair estimate begs the question: Fix or replace? “In 2014 I put in $7,000 worth of repairs on a combine,” Austin said. “In 2016 it was $5,000 on the same one. The customer could get a new one for $300,000 or perhaps buy a used one for half that, but $5,000-$6,000 a year versus $150,000?” Older models bring greater risk of untimely problems and are not typically under warranty. Courtesy Ag West Supply A decades-old combine meets an Ag West service truck near Harrisburg, Ore. Many area farmers choose to ix rather than replace older farm machines. “If you break a chain on your combine and it goes through your auger system, you’re up the creek because you’ve just destroyed everything inside,” Austin said. “That’s a $15,000 to $20,000 repair, but they’ll ix it because they can’t afford a new one. “One customer had a $4,000 repair but opted to buy a new one because he’d had so many problems with it and was just done with it,” Austin said. “He traded in and was happy going down the road. We ixed it, sold it, and the guy who bought it was happy, too.” Sometimes choice is taken out of the equation. “The cost of a new baler’s about $35,000,” Austin said. “Last year a customer brought his old baler in and spent $15,000 because he loved it. He went out and baled for a week, put 2,000 bales through that ma- chine. It was the best thing he ever had. “He was going down the road with it and turned in front of a logging truck,” Austin said. “To repair the baler was about $17,000 and when the bill is 75 percent of a replacement the insurance company totaled it out. On his own dime he paid the $15,000 to repair it but when there’s an accident and they total it out what are you doing to do?” WSG16-2/#7 Tons of Accessories Easy Financing Full Service Dealership Complete Line of Honda ATV’s Serving Farms & Ranches for 52 Years •••• 1964-2016 2016 PIONEER 700 M4 MSRP $ 11,899 00* 4x4 4-Seater 3 Spd. Auto Trans. Liquid Cooled Fuel Injection 12 Month Warranty honda sports Your Authorized Full Service Dealer 2140 N. Pacific Hwy. 99E • Woodburn, OR • Open 8-6 Tues-Sat. (503) 981-1813 • 800-981-1813 • www.taylormotorcycles.com WSG16-1/#7 By BRENNA WIEGAND honda.com Pioneer IS ONLY FOR DRIVERS 16 YEARS AND OLDER. MULTI-PURPOSE UTILITY VEHICLES CAN BE HAZ ARDOUS TO OPERATE. FOR YOUR SAFETY, BE RESPONSIBLE. ALWAYS WEAR A HELMET, EYE PROTECTION AND APPROPRIATE CLOTHING. ALWAYS WEAR YOUR SEAT BELT, AND KEEP THE SIDE NETS AND DOORS CLOSED. AVOID EXCESSIVE SPEEDS AND BE CAREFUL ON DIFFICULT TERRAIN, ALL MUV/SxS DRIVERS SHOULD WATCH THE SAFETY VIDEO “MULTIPURPOSE UTILITY VEHICLES: A GUIDE TO SAFE OPERATION” AND READ THE OWNER’S MANUAL BEFORE OPERATING THE VEHICLE. NEVER DRIVE UNDER THE INFLUENCE OF DRUGS OR ALCOHOL, ON PUBLIC ROADS OR WITH MORE THAN ONE PASSENGER. DRIVER AND PASSENGER MUST BE TALL ENOUGH FOR SEAT BELT TO FIT PROPERLY AND TO BRACE THEMSELVES WITH BOTH FEET FIRMLY ON THE FLOOR. PASSENGER MUST BE ABLE TO GRASP THE HAND HOLD WITH THE SEAT BELT ON AND WITH BOTH FEET ON THE FLOOR. RESPECT THE ENVIRONMENT WHEN DRIVING. Pioneer® is a registered trademark of Honda Motor Co., Ltd. 12/16 *MSRP does not include $670 in destination charges. Visit powersports.honda.com to view applicable destination charge amount. WSG16-2/#8
