The price of machinery ( and a few livestock) through the years....

[holwellcourtfarm]

Dad died at the start of this month after a long lifetime farming. He started out on his own in 1966 and kept a log of all his capital purchases from the start until he died (at 89).

Attached is a pdf of the log. It makes for an interesting historic document...

These are a few screen grabs of specific pages:

 

[fgc325j]

Dad died at the start of this month after a long lifetime farming. He started out on his own in 1966 and kept a log of all his capital purchases from the start until he died (at 89).

Attached is a pdf of the log. It makes for an interesting historic document...

These are a few screen grabs of specific pages:

View attachment 1045573

View attachment 1045574

View attachment 1045575

Sorry to hear of your loss - it is always interesting to see how much prices have soared, but, the best way to try and put a perspective on it is
to work out how many litres of milk, beasts, lambs, tons of various crops they had to sell to pay for the kit. I remember the milk price in 1998 had
dropped to around 17p a litre, so in order to pay for the JD 2140 you would have to sell approx. 25000 litres.

 

[holwellcourtfarm]

Sorry to hear of your loss - it is always interesting to see how much prices have soared, but, the best way to try and put a perspective on it is
to work out how many litres of milk, beasts, lambs, tons of various crops they had to sell to pay for the kit. I remember the milk price in 1998 had
dropped to around 17p a litre, so in order to pay for the JD 2140 you would have to sell approx. 25000 litres.

We bought the brand new 2140 in 1982 from the income off 30 acres of oilseed rape.......

 

[Sid]

We bought the brand new 2140 in 1982 from the income off 30 acres of oilseed rape.......

And you could probably do the same this year for the equivalent sized tractor.

 

[Cab-over Pete]

It’s amazing how things have changed. I’m told my Grandad, who I never knew, bought a new tractor every other year and a new van every year in between right through the 50s and 60s. He farmed 33 acres.
Dad started contract work in the mid sixties and bought new tractors and combines. The last brand new tractor he bought was in 1968.

 

[Gerbert]

David brown 880 in 76 for 800, ford 6610 in 78 for 7600. That must've been a painfull jump.

 

[DrWazzock]

Dad bought a brand new Muir Hill in 1968 for contracting. Seem to remember he said it was something like £2000. He sold it again a few years later as we hit hard times. The last (ever) brand new tractor we had was in 1995. Lambo 105. A bit over £20k. Hope it sees us to retirement, though it’s had a few issues.
Probably the best value tractors he ever bought were low houred MF65 in the 1960’s for £600 and MF590 and MF565 for £6000 and £5000 in the early 1980’s. All three of those went to 10,000 hours with barely a fault, though the MF65 had a run of dodgy water pumps till they got it right.
We have had quite a few other tractors bought at high hours all for low money as projects / working classics.
On 200 acres we are completely priced out of new machinery now and out of secondhand that’s under 25 years old. We can’t service newer stuff with electronics so it’s run down on working classics now. It’s alright though.

 

[holwellcourtfarm]

David brown 880 in 76 for 800, ford 6610 in 78 for 7600. That must've been a painfull jump.

The DB880 was 8 years old in 1976 but mint condition with only 500 hours on it. I wish Dad hadn't sold it, I loved driving that tractor.

The 6600 was brand new though.

He only started out in June 1966 with £500 capital and, on 120 acres, had earnt enough to buy a brand new Land Rover in 1972 and a a brand new Ford 5000 in 1974 without using finance. It's that sort of progress even possible now?

It's his cremation today so I'll be giving his eulogy. Quite a man.

 

[Muddyroads]

The DB880 was 8 years old in 1976 but mint condition and 500 hours on it. I wish Dad hasn't sold it, I loved driving that tractor.

The 6600 was brand new.

He only started out in June 1966 with £500 capital and, on 120 acres, had earn enough to buy a brand new Land Rover in 1972 and a a brand new Ford 5000 in 1974 without using finance. It's that sort of progress even possible now?

It's his cremation today so I'll be giving his eulogy. Quite a man.

I’ve no doubt you’ll do him proud.

 

[DrWazzock]

The DB880 was 8 years old in 1976 but mint condition and 500 hours on it. I wish Dad hasn't sold it, I loved driving that tractor.

The 6600 was brand new.

He only started out in June 1966 with £500 capital and, on 120 acres, had earn enough to buy a brand new Land Rover in 1972 and a a brand new Ford 5000 in 1974 without using finance. It's that sort of progress even possible now?

It's his cremation today so I'll be giving his eulogy. Quite a man.

That’s a remarkable achievement. My thoughts are with you today.

 

[redsloe]

The DB880 was 8 years old in 1976 but mint condition and 500 hours on it. I wish Dad hasn't sold it, I loved driving that tractor.

The 6600 was brand new.

He only started out in June 1966 with £500 capital and, on 120 acres, had earn enough to buy a brand new Land Rover in 1972 and a a brand new Ford 5000 in 1974 without using finance. It's that sort of progress even possible now?

It's his cremation today so I'll be giving his eulogy. Quite a man.

Good luck today if that's the correct sentiment for the occasion.

What caught my eye was £160 for a chainsaw in 1978! Small one can't be much more now!

 

[Sharpy]

The DB880 was 8 years old in 1976 but mint condition and 500 hours on it. I wish Dad hasn't sold it, I loved driving that tractor.

The 6600 was brand new.

He only started out in June 1966 with £500 capital and, on 120 acres, had earn enough to buy a brand new Land Rover in 1972 and a a brand new Ford 5000 in 1974 without using finance. It's that sort of progress even possible now?

It's his cremation today so I'll be giving his eulogy. Quite a man.

As above I'm sure you will give him a nice send off.

 

[yellowbelly]

Thanks for sharing this with us.

It's his cremation today so I'll be giving his eulogy. Quite a man.

Best wishes. That's not an easy thing to do.

 

[Yale]

The DB880 was 8 years old in 1976 but mint condition and 500 hours on it. I wish Dad hasn't sold it, I loved driving that tractor.

The 6600 was brand new.

He only started out in June 1966 with £500 capital and, on 120 acres, had earn enough to buy a brand new Land Rover in 1972 and a a brand new Ford 5000 in 1974 without using finance. It's that sort of progress even possible now?

It's his cremation today so I'll be giving his eulogy. Quite a man.

First thing that that popped in my head was ‘have a good day’ however that is not appropriate.

Celebrating a life is a personal thing, maybe our culture should be more celebrating lives than getting sad and wearing black.

Hope everything goes well and dad has a good send off.

 

[holwellcourtfarm]

First thing that that popped in my head was ‘have a good day’ however that is not appropriate.

Celebrating a life is a personal thing, maybe our culture should be more celebrating lives than getting sad and wearing black.

Hope everything goes well and dad has a good send off.

Actually, it's entirely appropriate in this case.

I'm totally chilled about it. He and I discussed his funeral at length over his last 6 weeks and he was determined that it should be a celebration of a fulfilling life. His will specifically says nobody is to wear funeral clothes and it's too be kept light -hearted so we will.

All he ever wanted to do was farm and he said many times that he been lucky enough to do what he loved for over 70 years.

He had a wicked sense of humour so that'll feature in many of our conversations at the cremation today and the buffet celebration on Friday.

 

[Hilly]

The DB880 was 8 years old in 1976 but mint condition with only 500 hours on it. I wish Dad hadn't sold it, I loved driving that tractor.

The 6600 was brand new though.

He only started out in June 1966 with £500 capital and, on 120 acres, had earnt enough to buy a brand new Land Rover in 1972 and a a brand new Ford 5000 in 1974 without using finance. It's that sort of progress even possible now?

It's his cremation today so I'll be giving his eulogy. Quite a man.

Best wishes . Very sad . Im sure you eulogy will be excellent good luck

 

[devonshirekiwi]

Sorry for your loss. It sounds like he had a long and successful life, celebrate it!
Bill

 

[britishblue]

I lost my father nearly 8 years ago and it is tough. Worked alongside him for 30 years but he is always in my thoughts. It gets easier in time but glad to hear you are chilled!

 

[Lowland1]

Dad bought a brand new Muir Hill in 1968 for contracting. Seem to remember he said it was something like £2000. He sold it again a few years later as we hit hard times. The last (ever) brand new tractor we had was in 1995. Lambo 105. A bit over £20k. Hope it sees us to retirement, though it’s had a few issues.
Probably the best value tractors he ever bought were low houred MF65 in the 1960’s for £600 and MF590 and MF565 for £6000 and £5000 in the early 1980’s. All three of those went to 10,000 hours with barely a fault, though the MF65 had a run of dodgy water pumps till they got it right.
We have had quite a few other tractors bought at high hours all for low money as projects / working classics.
On 200 acres we are completely priced out of new machinery now and out of secondhand that’s under 25 years old. We can’t service newer stuff with electronics so it’s run down on working classics now. It’s alright though.

I remember a rep for Lincolnshire Motors coming to the farm in 1980 a showing my Dad a cheque he’d just been given for a new Muir Hill 141 for £17000 the rep was so pleased as it was the biggest sale he’d ever had. My Dad always cautious only ever bought one piece of new equipment a Teagle cement mixer for £170 in 1977 i still use it ever week for treating seed.

 

[7610 super q]

Dad bought a new Ford 3000 ( £700 ish ) in 1965. New Case 885xl ( £12500 ) in 1986. Then a run of S/H Fords till a new TS 115 bought in 2001 ( 28k )
Hobby farming now, so no new tractors again. Not fused TBH. I hate electrics. Rather have projects to add to the collection that appreciate. £100k + for a tractor is crackers, even with wheat at £300 / ton.